| Racial Traits | Race Point Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Humanoid (varg) | 0 |
| Size | Medium | 0 |
| Base Speed | Normal | 0 |
| Ability Score Modifiers | Standard (+2 Str, +2 Wis, –2 Cha) | 0 |
| Languages | Standard | 0 |
| Defense | Fearless | 1 |
| Defense | Natural Armor | 2 |
| Defense | Lycanthropy Resistance | 2 |
| Feat and Skill | Skill Bonus (perception) | 2 |
| Feat and Skill | Wolf Empathy | 1 |
| Offense | Bite (plus upgrade) | 2 |
| Senses | Darkvision | 2 |
| Senses | Scent | 4 |
| Weakness | Emotionless | -1 |
| Total | 15 | |
Origin: Final Fantasy V
Sometimes mistakenly referred to as ‘Werewolves,’ the vargs are lean and powerful wolfmen, a mixture of human and bestial characteristics. Though they walk upright, long tails, lupine heads, and elegant fur leave little doubt as to their origins. In comparison to humes, vargs enjoy enhanced seeing, smell, and hearing; they can clearly recognize objects and movement at far greater distances, though their ability to sense color is significantly weaker.
Like humes, vargs are at home in a wide range of habitats. While most commonly encountered in temperate climates, subspecies of this race can be found roaming sweltering tropical savannas, scraping out a minimal existence on misty moors, or braving arctic conditions. Fur colors and thicknesses vary accordingly, simultaneously serving as insulation and camouflage appropriate to a varg’s adopted surroundings
Standard Racial Traits
- Ability Score Racial Traits: Vargs are powerful physical specimens geared toward hunting and scavenging, though they tend to be distrustful. They gain +2 Strength, +2 Wisdom, and –
2 Charisma. - Size: Vargs are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
- Type: Vargs are Humanoid creatures with the varg subtype.
- Base Speed: Vargs have a base speed of 30 feet.
- Languages: Vargs begin play speaking Common and Lupin. Vargs with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Draconic, Dwarven, Elvaan, Galkan, Giant, Goblin, and Orc. See the Linguistics skill page for more information about these languages.
Defense Racial Traits
- Fearless: Vargs gain a +2 racial bonus on all saving throws against fear effects.
- Natural Armor: Vargs have a +1 natural armor bonus.
- Lycanthropy Resistance: Vargs are immune to the curse of lycanthropy. Varg’s natural attacks count as silver for the purpose of bypassing damage reduction, and a varg may spend a standard action and touch a lycanthrope to give that lycanthrope an insight bonus equal to the half the varg’s level plus his Wisdom modifier (minimum +1) to the target’s check to change back to human form.
Feat and Skill Racial Traits
- Keen Senses: Vargs receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks.
- Wolf Empathy: Vargs receive a +4 racial bonus on Handle Animal and Diplomacy checks when dealing with wolves, dire wolves, or any other wolf subtype.
Offense Racial Traits
- Bite: Vargs gain a natural bite attack, dealing 1d4 points of damage. The bite is a primary attack, or a secondary attack if the varg is wielding manufactured weapons.
Senses Racial Traits
- Darkvision: Vargs can see perfectly in the dark up to 60 feet.
- Scent: Vargs gain the scent ability.
Weakness Racial Traits
- Emotionless: Vargs are distrustful and aloof. They do not like dealing with other races other than their own. They receive a –
2 penalty on Diplomacy checks when dealing with other races.
Alternate Racial Traits
The following alternate racial traits may be selected in place of one or more of the standard racial traits above. Consult your GM before selecting any of these new options.
- Cold Acclimated: Vargs are accustomed to the extreme temperatures of snowy and polar regions to the far north. Vargs with this racial trait have white fur and are immune to environmental damage from cold weather (below 40 degrees). In conditions of extreme cold (below 0 degrees), vargs suffer the normal conditions for cold weather, not the harsher conditions for extreme cold. In addition, vargs with this racial trait also gain Ice Resistance 5. This racial trait replaces the natural armor trait.
- Feral: Vargs with this trait give in to their animal natures at the expense of their intellects. A varg with this racial trait always has Perception and Stealth as class skills. In return for this racial trait, the varg starts with a –
2 penalty to Intelligence. - Heat Acclimated: Vargs are accustomed to the extreme temperatures of the plains and deserts they inhabit. Vargs with this racial trait automatically succeed on Fortitude saves to avoid heat dangers for conditions up to and including severe heat. This racial trait replaces the natural armor racial trait.
- Influential: Exceptionally clever vargs take up the mantle of shaman for their tribes and use their gifts to more readily enslave varg captives. Vargs with this racial trait gain a +2 bonus on Diplomacy checks. This racial trait replaces keen senses.
- Information Hunter: Outcast vargs who live in large settlements have learned to apply their hunting and scavenging instincts to more esoteric pursuits. Vargs with this racial trait gain a +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy checks to gather information, and Knowledge (local) is always a class skill for them. This racial trait replaces keen senses.
- Light Build: Some vargs are light and proportionately weaker but more agile. These vargs start with a +2 bonus to Dexterity. This racial trait replaces the +2 Strength bonus.
- Loper: Vargs find success by moving faster than their kin, sometimes at the expense of the thick fur protecting them. Vargs with this racial trait gain a +10 bonus to their base speed, and they gain an additional +10 foot racial bonus when using the charge, run, or withdraw actions. This racial trait replaces the natural armor racial trait.
- Midnight Child: Vargs are acclimated to the night so much that they are adept at dodging blows whilst hiding within it. Whenever a varg has concealment or total concealment, the miss chance of attacks against them increases by 5%. This racial trait replaces fearless.
- Midnight Eyes: Vargs are sometimes born with an extraordinary ability to see at night that far exceeds that of the average member of their race. Vargs gain darkvision that allows them to see in the dark up to 120 feet. This racial trait replaces darkvision and scent.
- Savant: One out of every thousand varg births results in a hairless varg, which the varg tribe deems as a great portent for the tribe’s success. Vargs with this racial trait start with +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma, and –
2 Constitution, and they have a +1 racial bonus on all saving throws. This racial trait replaces the starting attribute bonuses. - Scavenger: Vargs gain a +2 racial bonus on Appraise and Perception checks to find hidden objects (including traps and secret doors), determine whether food is spoiled, or identify a potion by taste. This racial trait replaces lycanthropy resistance.
Variant Varg Heritages
Although many vargs follow the general model of the varg, many more do not. Those of different lineages may evince dramatically different manifestations of their heritage, both in appearance and in ability. Here are 2 different potential heritages for varg PCs. If you choose to use a specific bloodline instead of the general rules for creating a varg, you should work with your GM to ensure that your character’s appearance reflects that bloodline.
- Alternate Empathy: While most varg gain a +4 racial bonus on Handle Animal and Diplomacy checks when dealing with wolves, those of the variant heritages listed below gain a different empathy.
Table: Variant Varg Heritages
| Heritages | Ability Modifiers | Alternate Empathy | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gnoll | +2 STR, +2 INT, -2 CHA | Hyenas | Gnolls are a race of hulking, humanoids that resemble hyenas in more than mere appearance; they show a striking affinity with the scavenging animals, to the point of keeping them as pets, and reflect many of the lesser creatures’ behaviors. Gnolls are capable hunters, but are far happier to scavenge or steal a kill than to go out and track down prey. This laziness impels them to acquire slaves of whatever type is available, whom they force to dig warrens, gather supplies and water, and even hunt for their gnoll masters. |
| Kitsune | +2 DEX, +2 CHA, -2 CON | Foxes | Kitsune, or fox folk, are a vulpine race known for their love of both trickery and art. Despite an irrepressible penchant for deception, kitsune prize loyalty and make true companions. They delight in the arts, particularly riddles and storytelling, and settle in ancestral clans, taking their wisdom from both the living and spirits. |
Racial Feats
The following feats are available to a varg character who meets the prerequisites.
- Bone-
Crushing Jaws - Desert Runner
- Magical Tail (Kitsune racial heritage only)
- Pack Tactician
- Spotter
- Taste of Blood
- Throwdown Trip
- Tripping Bite
- Varg Exemplar
Racial Archetypes
The following racial archetypes are available to vargs:
- Mooncaller (Druid; Varg)
- Pack-
Bonded Hunter (Beastmaster; Varg)
Favored Class Options
The following favored class options are available to all characters of this race who have the listed favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the favored class reward.
- Astrologian: Add +1/3 times per day for the draw ability.
- Beastmaster: Add +1/2 to the damage dealt by the beastmaster’s animal companion’s natural attacks.
- Berserker: Add +1 to the berserker’s total number of rage rounds per day.
- Bard: Add +1/6 to the bonus provided by the bard’s inspire courage bardic performance.
- Druid: Add a +1/2 bonus on wild empathy checks and a +1/2 bonus on Handle Animal skill checks.
- Gambler: Add +1/4 to the gambler’s luck pool.
- Gunner: Add +1/3 on critical hit confirmation rolls made with firearms (maximum bonus of +5). This bonus does not stack with Critical Focus feat.
- Monk: Add +1 to the monk’s base speed. In combat this option has no effect unless the monk has selected it five times (or another increment of five).
- Samurai: Add +1/3 to the samurai’s critical confirmation rolls.
- Thief: Add a +1/2 bonus on Stealth checks.
- Warrior: Add +1 to the warrior’s CMD when resisting a grapple or trip attempt.
