OSR: Playable Races of Nukaria (part 2)

You can find Part 1 of this series here.  This post details the races of the hot, humid North.  This post covers the races of the Temperate Lands that extend from Maven's belt to the Cold Gates.  

If your Referee allows it, you can also play as a Half-Dragon (here) or a Spirit-Touched (Tiefling, Aasimir or Genasi) which can be found here.  

                                                   source unknown

Races common to the Equatorial Lands:

Orzane
Humans
Deerlings
Hoba
Lakazu
Elephantmen or Loxodon
Badgerfolk
Coyoon or Coyote-man

Orzane (Pigmen)

The Orzane are the rulers of the midlands, a warrior-people, once enslaved, now liberated through bloodshed.  According to their own tales, they liberated themselves through heroic war, then set out to save the rest of us through the same.  According to other people, they are adventurers and tyrants, unrelenting in their savagery and brutality.  Neither of these portrayals is truly accurate, for the Orzane are neither saints nor a crushing, Imperial army.  In truth, they are just people.  Another hard truth that is often hard to swallow is that while the Orzanian Empire is ruthless and blood-thirsty, most of the Orzane have little to nothing to do with it, and even less power over it.    

Reroll Stat: STR

Ability: An Orzane can, 1/Day as a free action, fly into a rage.  While raging, they automatically add their STR bonus to the damage dealt by melee attacks for 1d4+1 rounds.  If they would already add their damage bonus, they instead add their STR bonus twice.  After this, their rage ends.  They can also end their rage as a full action.  While raging, an Orzane cannot cast spells that do not do damage and make all ranged attacks with a -4 penalty.    

Weakness: Orzane are widely disliked, with enemies foreign and domestic.  Orzane have a 1d10% equal to their HD or class level of attracting some form of trouble, whether that is insults in public, a challenge to duel, criminal mischief, some attempt to embarrass them, or even a murder attempt.  This trouble comes from enemies foreign and domestic.  It can come from one's own countrymen, from Imperial subjects or from the subjects or servants of other Empires.  

                                                                       by kim sehoon

Human

Humans, if you believe their myths, were once a race of apes that bathed in the shed tears of an ancient God.  These tears washed away their animal nature, giving birth to a new, semi-divine species.  The Humans also claim to be the original inventors of arithmetic, the writing of history and the discovery of the human soul.  Most of these claims are not regarded as credible by non-Human scholars, and the Humans themselves debate which sub-group within their species invented them.  What is regarded as true about Humans is that they are hairless, ape-like things with hardy constitutions and the ability to adapt to most environmental conditions.  They are excellent sailors and hardy survivors.  In their past, they spread from the rocky atolls they called home and spread themselves along the coastal midlands and up into the river baronies, going so far inland and South as to reach the foothills of the Spine of Tarraq.  These days they refrain from such activities, with most of their former colonies having largely been incorporated into the Orzanian Empire.     

Reroll Stat: CON

Ability: 1/Day, you can recover 1d6+CON modifier FS as an action. 

Weakness: Humans have poor senses.  They cannot hear or smell very well, and get a -2 penalty  to any checks or saving throw made to perceive something with those senses.  The same goes for sight, if the area they're in is dark.

                                                           by Russell Tuller

Deerling  

It's said that you should never hire a Deerling prostitute, as they'll steal from you.  Instead, if you find yourself afflicted with "forest fever", find yourself lover of that species.  However, make sure they're the ones who break your heart, as that's the only way to prevent them from stealing from you.  Deerlings are known as the shopkeepers of the Civilized Lands, a race dedicated to peaceful conduct with their neighbors.  Unlike almost all the other Lawful races, Deerlings go out of their way to avoid violence.  Do not take their congeniality as weakness, however.  Deerling are an incorrigibly self-interested species.  They are a ruthless bunch, especially in terms of money.  If you leave something valuable around a Deerling, there is a good chance they will steal it.  They will overcharge and will loan you money at inflated rates.  They regard such actions not as unjust, but rather necessary for survival.  If you didn't want to be scammed, you should have been more perceptive.  As far as they are concerned, they've taught you a lesson that hopefully you will learn from.  They have a reputation for criminality, but this is often exaggerated.  Their ruthlessness rarely is.      

Reroll Stat: CHA

Ability: Deerlings are obligate herbivores.  However, they also can eat almost any type of non-poisonous flora, unlike other herbivorious races.  As such, unless in a desert or some other climate where plant life is extremely rare, a Deerling can find enough food to eat.  Foraging like this takes 1d3 to 1d8 hours, depending on the abundance or lack of vegetation. 

Weakness: Deerlings are weak, with little in the way of muscular strength.  Even strong Deerlings are still rather weak when compared to other medium-sized races.  Deerlings have a -4 penalty to grappling checks or STR contests.    

                                                            by Folda

Hoba

Hoba are technically Folk, but like the Handsome Men, they sold out.  They were infected by symbolic thought and rather then resist, decided that agriculture and wearing clothes wasn't so bad, actually.  As such, they lost their connection to the Forest and much of their innate magical abilities.  They are still partially Folkish, possessing many features associated with the forest; Long, curled ears tipped with fur tufts; clawed paws instead of feet; long, twitching tails covered in soft fur and slit-pupil eyes.  Hoba are small creatures, half the size of most species.  Hoba are tricky and clever beings, possessing a great talent for acrobatics and stealth.  They have a reputation for criminality and mischief, which is only occasionally true.  Still, if a baby goes missing or something weird happens in a rural town, if there are no Witches around to blame, a Hoba will do just fine.  

To protect themselves, Hoba men adopt a masculine code called Rontay that involves being assertive, not taking "No" for an answer and never taking any insult.  At best, Rontay means being protective of friends and family and sheltering your tribe, at worst it means being a chauvinist towards outsiders and dismissive towards women.  Another thing Hoba are famous for is their concealed villages- which can only be found with a guide who knows the way, or by the lost or drunk.
                       
Reroll Stat: DEX

Ability: Hoba can turn invisible as a full action.  They can do this as long as they hold their breath.  They become visible once more if they take a breath or do something strenuous, like make an attack. 

Weakness: Hoba cannot lie.  They can deceive through a lie of omission, downplay or spin a piece of information, or answer evasively.  But they cannot lie directly.  This is a fact that is known to all who have any experience with Hoba or are well-read.    

                                               by CSuk-1T

Lakazu [La-kah-zoo] or Grey

What can be said about these creatures.  Lakes of ink have already been squandered on this small, insignificant people who seem to constantly cause trouble wherever they go.  The Greys are a small race, with diminiative builds and delicate frames.  They have large, luminous eyes of jet black and bulbous heads, and are usually bald, any hair they possess being delicate and transparent.  They usually cover themselves in robes and loose garments that conceal their sensitive skin, and hide their similar faces behind masks of varying colors.  The type of mask varies from tribe, social position and a variety of other things, but these regulations are largely unknown to non-Lakazu.  They usually only take their masks off around those they are very close to.  

Up until now they had no homeland, having been largely expelled from their old land and been scattered throughout the lands of the Empire.  There they self-segregated, living in small island communities amid broader societies.  Their religion is secretive and mystic, and teaching it to a non-Lakazu carries a death sentence.  The primary tenets of that religion are brotherhood among the Lakazu and the racial superiority of the Lakazu over all other races.  Proof of the latter fact can be found in their natural telepathic abilities, which they conceal.  Lakazu consider telepathic contact an extremely intimate thing, so normal members of their culture will only use it to talk to their spouse, children or other close family members.        

Reroll Stat: COG

Ability: Lakazu are naturally telepathic, able to communicate with any living creature with a mind within a mile.  They can send images, words or sensations and as long as they keep the channel open, the other creature can reply, even if it is not telepathic.     

Weakness: Greys are Small creatures, but they are weak even by the standards of those races.  They have disadvantage on checks and saves against poison and disease.    

                                                           by Aymeric Thevenot

Elephantman or Loxodon

Elephantmen are absolute giants, the undisputed rulers of the plains and Savannah.  They roam far and wide in close-knit tribes and families, telling stories and singing deep, rumbling songs.  Elephantmen are an unlettered people, they have excellent memories and thus are well suited to an oral culture.  They memorize vast sums of knowledge and carry it out around with them, until they can pass it down to someone else.  Elephantmen are a peace-loving people, avoiding conflict whenever they can.  However, when they do go to war, they are terrors on the battlefield, splintering enemies like rotten twigs before them.  Elephantmen are widely called "The Strongest Race" for the terror their warriors inflict.  However, because of their small population and genial nature, they are slow to anger and slower to fight.  They do not desire to struggle against anyone, but instead seek only to live in peace, singing their songs and composing their poetry.      

Reroll Stat: STR

Ability: Your damage die increases by 1 size.  For example, if the weapon you use is a d6, in your hands it becomes a d8 weapon. 

Weakness: Elephantmen must consume twice the amount of food a Medium creature would or begin suffering the effects of exhaustion, malnutrition and eventually, starvation.  Additionally, they cannot enter many small structures, as they are much too large.  

                                                        source unknown

Badgerfolk

The Badgerfolk are a race of semi-subterranean burrowers who build elaborate underground towns and villages, with entrances to the surface concealed in hills and the hollows of dead trees.  They farm mushrooms and raise their families in the low light of their burrows, while traveling up the surface to farm.  They grow wheat, barley and potatoes, but they are most famous for their orchards, which sprawl over their villages, the roots helping to reinforce the dirt roofs of their homes.  They produce many varieties of ciders and strong liquor, which are prized throughout the Four-color lands.  The Badgerfolk themselves are much less welcome in many places, in part due to their reputation for being stubborn and exclusionary.  This reputation is often overwrought, as most Badgerfolk are perfectly hospitable and lovely people.  Their life style is rather different when compared to other races however, so they tend to be considered strange whenever not among their own people. 

Reroll Stat: CON

Ability: Badgerfolk long ago were blessed by the Spirits of the Earth, which gave them a unique kinship with them.  As such, they have the ability to burrow through the earth at a rate of half as fast as they can move, (15' per round).

Weakness: Badgerfolk are slow.  With their stumpy legs and heavy frames, they find it difficult to keep up with others.  Badgerfolk have disadvantage on any checks made to pursue or catch something that is running away that is faster or more agile than them.  

                                                                    by edcomics

Coyoon or Coyote-man

The Coyoon are the unwanted juniors of the Wolfmen, favored by neither their elder brothers nor welcomed by the many who have been harmed by the ruthless raids and barbarism of the Wolfmen.  As such, the Coyoons set out to build for themselves a new identity.  Coyoons are assertive and independent- clothing themselves in bright colors and bold styles, while giving themselves bold streaks of color on their furred faces, arms and chests.  They do not take any insult, but love to joke and carouse.  This behavior is unbecoming in the South, so few Coyoons live there.  Instead they left the lands of their forebears and roam across the Civilized Lands along the rivers, some even wandering up into the humid North.  They travel in great caravans, colorful banners flapping.  They are known to be a materialistic and superstitious people, and every caravan or settlement has a Wise Woman or Cunning Man who preserves the mystic knowledge of their ancestors and performs rituals to help them.  Many of them are also known to believe in Fortuna, a mystical force that controls the random outcomes in life.  Some of them believe that one can determine your personal fortune by tracking and consulting the movement of the stars or by casting lots, while others instead believe Fortuna is an entity and worship her like a God.   
 
Reroll Stat: DEX

Ability: You have a bite attack that does 1d6 damage on a hit and automatically grapples anyone it damages.  If you successfully make such an attack against a creature that is smaller than you and you grapple them, you can spend your action shaking your head back and forth.  This does 1d6 damage to the grappled creature.  If it kills them, the cause is usually because your wild jerking broke the creature's neck.   

Weakness: While Coyoons are medium creatures, they are slightly weaker than other races in that size category.  As such, Coyoons are cowardly creatures.  When faced with any situation where fighting seems unwise, such as against superior numbers, a stronger foe(s) or any situation where their side possesses a clear disadvantage, Coyoons must save or feel compelled to make a hasty retreat.  On a failed save, the Coyoon takes 1d6 COG damage.  If this damage reduces to the Coyoon's COG to 0, the Coyoon flees in a mad panic.  COG damage lost like this comes back at a rate of 1d6 points per hour, as long as the Coyoon believes itself to be in a (relatively) safe place.   

                                                        from here