Wolf-Kin

Wolf-Kin:
It is said that at one time humans hunted with wolves not for them. Over time many of those wolves became dogs, domestic and tame. At the same time many of those men became Wolf-Kin, wild and feral.

Wolf-Kin can communicate with wolves unlike any other human. The closest comparison would be Telepathy. Wolves do not communicate in words so much as senses. Thoughts are projected as sights, sounds, smells, taste, and touch. Wolf-Kin often struggle against the feral emotions that surge through them when they are connected to wolves. This connection is not truly voluntary, it is more closely related to breathing; it can be controlled both consciously and unconsciously. The thoughts and sensations the Wolf-Kin experience can be over powering. Many of the Wolf-Kin find it difficult to resist the wild and they regress to the savagery of instinct. They leave the cities for rural places where the wolves roam wild.

The Wolf-Kin are few and it is difficult to identify them for what they are. The manifestation of the Wolf-Kin’s extraordinary abilities only occurs after prolonged exposure with true wolves. An unlikely occurrence for many people. Possibly the only identifiable difference between Wolf-Kin and any other human is their eyes, with continued exposure to the wolves, are golden. No other external difference can be seen.

Wolf-Kin move with a predatory air and grace, their senses are far greater then average human and those senses are further amplified when they are in contact with wolves.

Attributes:
Attributes are the most basic defining trait of a character.

Backgrounds:
Roll 1D4 random backgrounds to be added to the following.
 * Befriended—Wolves: (Modified from Codex) Wolves befriends your character. This "friendship" is from the point of view of the wolves: a wolf won't stay outside if it doesn't want to.
 * Wolves’ Captive: (New) At sometime you were held up with wolves. You were unable to leave their presence for some measured time. It is during this time that you manifested the wolf-kin’s gifts.
 * Wolf-Kin Eyes: (New) Your eyes are golden, the only known mark of Wolf-Kin. (Details in level bonuses.)
 * Wilderness: There are those that choose not to deal with society, or even other people if at all possible. You live on the land, gaining a free level of the survival skill in the appropriate terrain. The Kingdom of Formour and the Heldannic Freeholds don't care if someone chooses to live away from civilization as long as they don't cause any trouble for the government, but many nations place a tighter reign on their citizens (for example it may be illegal to hunt "the King's game").
 * Wolf Blood: One of your ancestors (possibly even a parent) was one of the Changing Folk: a lycanthrope—a werewolf; you haven't shown any signs of being a shape-changer, but one of your descendants just might; you—or your children or grand children—may become a were-creature; it is possible that you were brought up in a company of wolves but haven't manifested any "change." Possessing this background isn’t cause for concern, but shapeshifting is. People panic and will act quickly to put you down.

Traits:
Roll 1D6 random traits to be added to the following.
 * Alert (Awareness): You notice subtle changes in your surroundings. You get a retest against surprise.
 * x2 Heightened Hearing (Awareness): +2 to Awareness checks to hear something, but -2 on saving throws against sonic attacks.
 * x2 Heightened Sight (Awareness): You are at +2 to checks involving your vision, but are at -2 to checks to avoid attacks such as bright flashes.
 * x2 Heightened Smell (Awareness): You are at +3 to checks involving your sense of smell and +1 for tasting, but -3 to checks to resist foul odours or saving throws against gaseous attacks.
 * Heightened Taste (Awareness): You are at +3 to checks involving your sense of taste and +1 to your sense of smell, but -3 for saving throws against ingested poison or spoiled food.
 * Natural Warrior: +1 to-hit and damage.
 * Survival Instinct (Willpower): Your will to live is quite strong. You get a free retest when rolling against system shock. This retest is useable once per encounter.

Skills:
Cost 25 skill points reduced to 15, 5420 hours reduced to 4320 (6 months) Alertness|Alertness Animal Lore|Animal Lore Brawling|Brawling Digging|Digging Fang and Claw Style|Fang and Claw Style Glare|Glare Hiding|Hiding Hunting|Hunting 2 Inner Fury|Inner Fury Intimidation|Intimidation Melee Weapon|Melee Weapon 2 Predation|Predation 2 Ranged Weapon|Ranged Weapon Running|Running Sense Weakness|Sense Weakness 2 Sneaking|Sneaking Survival|Survival Tailing|Tailing Telepathy|Telepathy with Canids, Lycans, and Wolf-Kin Travel Sense|Travel Sense Tumbling|Tumbling

Bonuses:

 * +1D4 to maximum hit point and life point capacities
 * Understand canines—not speech, but basic understanding (e.g. danger, personal howls)

Level Bonuses:
 Your eyes take on accents of gold. Named by the wolves: Wolves’ names are more of a specific combination of senses. Status Named +4 to cause fear and intimidation. The golden accents increase, now making up most of the color accents of your eyes. +1 to Class based Proficiencies.  +2 initiative, Skill Tactics Part of the Pack, wolves accept you as part of the pack. Status Member +1 to Class based Proficiencies. Regenerate 1 hit point per hour</li> Pack Leader, wolves accept your command as the leader of the pack. Status Leader</li> +1 to Class based Proficiencies. Golden Eyes, the gold is now your eye color.</li> +2 initiative</li> +3 to all physical attributes</li> +1 to Class based Proficiencies.</li> Regenerate 1 hit point per minute</li> </ol>
 * 1) Hunter: low-light vision; retest on hearing-related Awareness checks, and can hear beyond the Human range; can sit still and quiet for long periods</li>