Vanx

As the river flows, so flows life.

Overview

The Vanx are a race of slender, lithe but sturdy lizaroids. Non-adventurers tend to wear very little clothing, relying on netting to hold tools and possessions and minimal clothing for modesty. Their skin is usually very smooth and soft and do not have any scales at all in most cases. Vanx coloration tends to light and dark green in the summer months, darkening to near-black on the back and creamy gold on the belly in the winter months.

Vanx have two arms and two legs of human appearance aside from the transparent webbing between fingers and toes. They have no hair but do possess between one and seven fins on their heads which are at least as varied and distinctive as human hairstyles. Indeed, vanx can even cut decorative designs into their headfins if they wish, and the fins regenerate over a period of weeks, similar to hair. Vanx faces are handsome but very non-human, with a large muzzle similar to a gecko's which integrates their mouth and nose, with quite lizardlike eyes (slits and spots of widely varied colors such as blue, purple, orange, red, back, green, etc). The most distinctive Vanx feature is the two large round tympani organs on the underside of their jaws, which is where they generate much of their tremendously loud speech and native sonic attacks.

Vanx like water and are very good in it, but do not need water to live. That said, Vanx dominated lands are easy to ascertain because of the myriad of canals and waterways which webwork the land. Surprisingly Vanx do not like swamps in the least, and Vanx settlements in such areas work diligently to drain the swamps and create waterways and canals instead.

Vanx are technically Outsiders, but they have been on the Prime Material Plane for so long they have no racial memories at all of their forgotten home realm. Vanx are well adapted to the Prime Material and have thrived here. The only reason Vanx are not even more prevalent is the fact that they prefer to live near rivers and waterways, and to make a settlement comfortable by their standards requires a great deal of digging of canals or building out over lakes.

Culture

Vanx are as varied and adaptable as humans are, which is saying something. Vanx, despite their water-loving nature and great preference for open water, do not require water to live and can survive perfectly well even in deserts. In their more common habitats, most Vanx are industrious, hard-working sorts who greatly enjoy their community and their co-workers.

Vanx are almost boringly prosaic in their personal lives. They normally marry and mate for life, the female lays fertilized eggs that hatch immediately. They enjoy fish and other meats, as well as a wide variety of other foods. Despite the fact that they have snouts they can chew a fully omnivorous diet with no problems. Vanx tend to worship pragmatic gods of weather, smithing, crafting, farming, and of course, water.

The Vanx do not like the sea, however. Salt water stings their eyes and skin, and makes them cranky and irritable.

Growing Up Vanx

Vanx are hatched from eggs, usually within minutes of the egg being laid. Vanx are well-integrated into human and other races cultures. They will happily attend the same schools, work the same jobs, drink the same beers. Most Vanx have a father and a mother who live and work together to raise the young Vanxlings.

Economy and non-warriors

Vanx are hard-working and industrious. They are master-class craftsmen, building tools and boats which they use to build and maintain canals and waterways, tame rivers, construct locks and weirs and dams and all manner of other things. Vanx tend to settle into either air-centric or water-centric lifestyles. They will take jobs in their preferred environment and spend more of their time in either air or water, depending upon their predilections.

Vanx have many spellcasters of both arcane and especially divine types.

Customs and day-to-day life

Vanx tend to be very prosaic in their customs, with perhaps the only odd thing about them the tendency to run in 'schools'. Schooling is a Vanx phenomenon whereby they greatly enjoy crowds, of their own kind or other friendly races. Vanx have no trace of the unfortunate 'mob violence' tendency of humans. Indeed, if anything, a school of vanx is actually more easy-going and mellow than individual Vanx, since each Vanx in a school feels safe and happy among others.

As a result, many races find Vanx-dominated group events to be very uncomfortable. A busy Vanx bar may be nearly empty, but might have twenty Vanx all jammed in right next to each other at one end of the bar, chatting amiably in their thunderously buzzing voices.

That said, Vanx are LOUD. A normal speaking tone for a Vanx will carry for hundreds of feet easily, and if a Vanx raises his voice, it causes literal sonic damage. A school of Vanx is a very happy, peaceful place, but a school of Vanx can also efficiently kill anyone who startles them. Mixed neighborhoods of Vanx and other races almost always includes very thick walls, sound-dampening spells, or both.

Lifespan and burial

Vanx live about fifty years, slightly less time than humans. They have a distinct childhood that is over by the time they reach ten years old. A Vanx is fully mature and ready to go adventuring at the age of ten. After that they follow normal human aging rules and times, they just reach each age bracket a few years earlier.

When a Vanx passes away, they are usually mourned and then buried in a floating casket (in less crowded areas) or buried in a low-lying wet piece of ground (in more crowded areas.)

Relations with Others

Vanx get along well with other races, with the notable exception of Dwarves and Oreads. The stony races, to be frank, freak the Vanx out. No Vanx has ever been able to explain the hackle-raising qualities of the stony races, but the effect is undeniable. Tieflings and to a lesser extent Ifrit are also poorly tolerated, although most Vanx, sensibly, say that the whole 'fire' thing is the reason for that.

Starting Height and Weight

Gender	Base Height	Height Modifier	Weight	Weight Modifier
Male	4 ft. 10 in.	+2d10 in. (5 ft - 6 ft. 6 in.)	120 lbs.	+(2d10x5 lbs.) (130 - 220 lbs.)
Female	4 ft. 5 in.	+2d10 in. (4 ft. 7 in. - 6 ft. 1 in.)	85 lbs.	+(2d10x5 lbs.) (95 - 185 lbs.)

Random Age Categories

Adulthood	Intuitive	Self-Taught	Trained
9 years	+1d4 years (10 - 13 years)	+1d6 years (10 - 15 years)	+2d6 years (11 - 21 years)

PC's

Vanx characters have no alignment or class restrictions.

Standard Racial Traits

All Vanx have the following Standard Racial Advantages:

• Attributes: Vanx may choose to gain one of the following ability score bonus sets when creating their character. No ability score may ever be modified above a 20 or below a 7.
  • +2 to two different stats, -2 to one stat
  • +2 one stat, and +1 to three different stats, -2 to one stat
  • +4 to one stat, -2 to two different stats

• Size: Vanx are Medium creatures and thus receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.

• Type: Vanx are considered Outsiders, with the Native subtype.

• Base Speed: Vanx have a Walk speed of 30 feet.

• Languages: Vanx begin play speaking Common.

• Bonus Languages: Characters with a positive Intelligence modifier gain one bonus language per +1 of their modifier, selecting from the following list: Aquan, Dwarven, Gnoll, Gnome, Halfling, Orc and Tengu. Once the character's intelligence is high enough to have acquired all six of these bonus languages, they no longer gain bonus languages for increasing their Intelligence. Characters can also learn new languages by placing ranks in the Linguistics skill.

• Normal Vision (Ex): Vanx, like Humans, require bright light to see without penalty. Creatures in dim light gain concealment (20% miss chance) against Vanx trying to target them.

• Estuarian (Ex): Vanx have a Lesser Swim speed equal to their Walk speed. If they have items, abilities or effects which permanently increase or decrease their Walk speed, their Lesser Swim speed is also affected. Vanx cannot breathe underwater, but they can hold their breath three times longer than normal before they begin to suffer any ill effects.

Major Racial Traits

Choose one of the following Major Racial Traits:

• Slick Skin (Su): Vanx skin is soft and supple, and if it is even slightly moist, it is remarkably slick. Vanx with this racial trait gain a +1 dodge armor bonus as blows sometimes skim right off. This bonus increases to +2 at 25th level.

• Wrecking Shout (Su): A Vanx with this racial trait can emit a mighty sound that damages foes and objects. Once per encounter as a move action, the Vanx emits a sonic blast in a 15-foot cone, which deals 1d4 points of sonic damage plus one point of damage for every class level they possess. Affected creatures may make a Fortitude save for half damage, with a DC of 10 + 1/2 the Vanx's character level + the highest of the Vanx's physical stat modifiers (STR, DEX or CON) chosen at character creation.

• Skink (Ex): Some Vanx are fast on their feet, but their long legs make them worse swimmers. A Vanx with this racial trait increases her base land speed by ten feet, but reduces her swim speed to ten feet. The bonus to their base land speed increases to 15 feet at 12th level and to 20 feet at 25th level.

• Personal Space Issues (Ex): This Vanx has issues with personal space. Once per day, as a move action, they may swap places with an adjacent enemy creature, as long as they both have enough space to move into their new spaces without squeezing. A creature moved in this fashion cannot provide flanks for its allies until the start of the Vanx's next turn. Using this trait does not provoke attacks of opportunity for either the Vanx or his target, and no roll is required to perform it. At 10th level, the Vanx may do this twice per day. At 20th level, they may do it as a swift action, and at 30th level, they may do it three times per day.

• Leatherneck (Ex): Some Vanx have exceptionally durable bodies. Vanx with this racial trait gain a +1 racial bonus to CON. This bonus may be applied to her CON even if she has already added a racial ability score modifier to CON, though her total modified CON cannot exceed 20. In addition, at 10th level, the Vanx gains an additional +1 to her CON, and at 25th level, she gains a further +2 to her CON.

Minor Racial Traits

Choose one of the following Minor Racial Traits:

• Deep Thinker (Ex): A Vanx with this racial trait may choose any one skill and gain a +1 training bonus to all checks made with that skill. This bonus improves to +2 at level 10, +3 at level 20 and +4 at level 30.

• Borrowed Resolve (Su): A Vanx with this racial trait gains a +1 racial bonus to caster level checks for each PC ally he is adjacent to (maximum of +4) at the time the check is made.

• REALLY LOUD (Ex): Some Vanx are 'loud talkers' even for their species. A Vanx with this racial trait as well as the Wrecking Shout major racial trait now requires only a swift action to utilize Wrecking Shout, and can use that trait once per round instead of once per encounter.

• Ventriloquism (Sp): Three times per day as a standard action, a Vanx with this racial trait may use Message (Sorcerer/Wizard Spell) as a spell-like ability. The caster level is equal to her character level. This allows a Vanx to use her powerful voice to communicate with her friends in secret.

• Water Sense (Ex): Some Vanx are more in tune with their aquatic side and far more aware of threats in the water. A Vanx with this racial trait gains tremorsense with a 30-foot range, but only when in water deep enough to use her Swim movement. Rather than using the ground to detect tremors, Water Sense detects movement in the water. Water Sense cannot be used to detect creatures that are not at least partly immersed in the same body of water.