| Racial Traits | Race Point Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Humanoid (reptillian) | 0 |
| Size | Medium | 0 |
| Base Speed | Slow | -1 |
| Ability Score Modifiers | Standard (+2 Dex, +2 Cha, -2 Str) | 0 |
| Languages | Standard | 0 |
| Defense | Bond to the Land (desert or water) | 2 |
| Defense | Hold Breath | 1 |
| Defense | Natural Armor | 2 |
| Feat and Skill | Craftsman | 1 |
| Feat and Skill | Legless | -1 |
| Movement | Powerful Swimmer | 1 |
| Movement | Swim | 2 |
| Offense | Slapping Tail | 3 |
| Offense | Tripping Tail | 3 |
| Offense | Weapon Familiarity (scimitar and cutlass) | 1 |
| Senses | Low-Light Vision | 1 |
| Total | 15 | |
A bewitching race of beastmen with an upper body like that of a hume woman and a lower body resembling that of a venomous serpent. The lamias are few in number compared to the other beastmen inhabitants of the Near East. However, they have ensorceled the bones of fallen soldiers, creating an undead army of considerable size to defend their reef settlements. Lamias are known to sneak into towns in the depths of night, wielding powerful bows and hunting townspeople to replenish their armies; hence the Near Easterners’ dread of sunset. According to rumor, lamias are not technically a race of beastmen, but actually a form of organic weapon (also known as a chimera), created by alchemists fusing the parts of multiple organisms. Lamia are also known for their crafting in beautiful magic enhanced jewelry and hate for the Empire that has taken over much of their land.
Standard Racial Traits
- Ability Score Racial Traits: Lamias are graceful, creative, and beautiful, but not physically intimidating or imposing. They gain +2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, and -2 Strength.
- Size: Lamias are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
- Type: Lamias are Humanoid creatures with the reptillian subtype.
- Base Speed: Lamias have a base speed of 20 feet and a swim speed of 40 feet, but their speed is not modified by armor or encumbrance.
- Languages: Lamias begin play speaking Common and Aquan. Lamias with high Intelligence scores can choose any of the following bonus languages: Aboleth, Aklo, Draconic, Elvaan, Sahagin, and Sylvan.
Defense Racial Traits
- Bond to the Land: Lamias gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC when fighting on desert or water areas. Must pick one during character creation.
- Hold Breath: Lamias can hold their breath for a number of rounds equal to four times their Constitution score before risking drowning or suffocating.
- Tough Scales: Lamias have tough scales and gain a +1 natural armor bonus from it.
Feat and Skill Racial Traits
- Jeweler’s Craft: Lamias are amazing crafters of both normal and magic jewelry and gain a +2 racial bonus on all Craft or Profession checks to create objects from metal.
Offense Racial Traits
- Slapping Tail: Lamias can use their tails to make attacks of opportunity with a reach of 5 feet. The tail is a primary natural attack that deals 1d8 points of damage plus the user’s Strength modifier.
- Tripping Tail: When lamias hits with their slapping tail, they can make a trip attack as a free action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
- Weapon Familiarity: Lamias are proficient with scimitar and cutlass weapons.
Senses Racial Traits
- Low-Light Vision: Lamias have low-light vision, allowing them to see twice as far as humes in dim light.
Weakness Racial Traits
- Legless: Lamias have no legs and cannot equip any leg or foot armor nor wear any foot magic items (essentially losing the foot slot for magical items), but they can wear any magical item for the neck slot around their tails (effectively able to wear two neck slot magical items). This also includes if a spell uses any polymorph effect (effectively not getting any benefits from a foot slot magical item even if polymorph effect allows it). This changes only if the character is resurrected to a different race.
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.
- Darkvision: Some lamias favor the lightless depths of caverns and shallow waters. Lamias with this racial trait gain darkvision with a range of 60 feet and light sensitivity. This racial trait replaces low-light vision.
- Seasinger: The beautiful voices of the lamias are legendary. A lamia with this racial trait gains a +2 racial bonus on Perform (sing) checks and a +1 racial bonus to the save DC of language-dependent spells. This racial trait replaces bond of the land.
- Seducer: Lamias are known as the seducing race for charming, dominating and the likes. A lamia gains a +2 bonus to Diplomacy checks against anyone who could be attracted to them. In addition, a lamia with a Charisma score of 11 or higher gain the following spell-like ability (the caster level is equal to the lamia’s character level): 1/day—charm. This racial trait replaces bond of the land and jeweler’s craft.
- Swordtrained: Lamias are trained from birth in swordplay, and as a result are automatically proficient with sword-like weapons (falchions, greatswords, longswords, rapiers, short swords, and two-bladed swords). This racial trait replaces weapon familiarity.
- Tempered: Those who are followers of their false God, gain 5 water or wind resistance. You have to pick either of these elements during character creation. This racial trait replaces tough scales.
Variant Lamia Heritages
Although many lamias follow the general model of the standard lamia, many more do not. Those of different lineages may evince dramatically different manifestations of their heritage, both in appearance and in ability. Here are 3 different potential heritages for lamia PCs. If you choose to use a specific bloodline instead of the general rules for creating a lamia, you should work with your GM to ensure that your character’s appearance reflects that bloodline.
- Alternate Ability: While most lamias gain a trip attack with their tail, those of the variant heritages listed below gain a different ability. These traits replace the Tripping Tail racial trait.
Table: Variant Lamia Heritages
| Heritage | Ability Modifiers | Alternate Ability | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ananta | +2 DEX, +2 CHA, -2 WIS | Deep Magic: Anantas gain a +2 racial bonus on caster level checks made to overcome spell resistance and a +2 racial bonus on dispel checks. | The Ananta are said to have existed since the time of ancient Allag, and are known for their skill in spell and jewelcraft. |
| Medusa | +2 CON, +2 CHA, -2 DEX | Spell-Like Ability: Medusae can use Curse Gaze 3 times per day as a spell-like ability, using the Medusa's Charisma modifier for DCs (caster level equal to the medusae’s class level). | Often hidden within the Tower of Babil, these snake-haired women can petrify a cheeky onlooker with but a quick glance. |
| Undine | +2 DEX, +2 CHA, -2 INT | Nereid Fascination: Once per day, Undines can create a 20-foot-radius burst that causes humanoids within the aura's range to become fascinated with the user for 1 round per character level. Affected humanoids may resist this effect by making a successful Will saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 the user's character level + the user's Charisma modifier). | Water-faring variants, it is not uncommon for Sailors and other travelers to mistake Undine for mermaids. |
Racial Feats
The following feats are available to a lamia character who meets the prerequisites.
Racial Archetypes
The following racial archetypes are available to lamias:
- Serpent Archer (Archer; Lamia)
- Watersinger (Bard; Lamia)
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.
- Archer: Add +1/3 bonus to the archer’s Aim bonus for attack rolls.
- Bard: Add +1 to the bard’s total number of bardic performance rounds per day.
- Cleric: Add +1/3 to the amount of damage dealt or damage healed when the cleric uses channel energy.
- Dancer: Add +1/4 point to the dancer’s ki pool.
- Necromancer: Add one spell known from the necromancer spell list. This spell must be at least one level below the highest spell level the necromancer can cast.
- Sword Saint: The sword saint gains 1/6 of a new swordskill.
- White Mage: The white mage gains elemental resistance 1 against shadow. Each time the white mage selects this reward, increase her resistance by +1 (maximum 10).
