Also known by the misnomer “Rigelian Blue”, these creatures were once thought to hail from a star system in the direction of Rigel. In reality they’ve inhabited our solar system since the dawn of intelligent life, and large clusters of nomadic blues began migrating back from a centuries-long jaunt to the Oort cloud in recent decades.
Blues are small, primate-like humanoids with bat-like faces and fine coats of fur. The Oort segment of the population used to sport primarily gray and silver fur before reintegrating into the greater gene pool, and now come in a variety of colors. Blues are excellent climbers and their buildings and craft reflect this aptitude by featuring high hides, handholds, ladders, and ropes.
Blues favor the barbarian and rogue classes.
Blue characters possess the following racial traits.
As a creature with a climb speed, blues have a +8 racial bonus on all Climb checks. It must make a Climb check to climb any wall or slope with a DC of more than 0, but it always can choose to take 10, even if rushed or threatened while climbing. If it chooses an accelerated climb, it moves at double its climb speed and makes a single Climb check at a -5 penalty. It cannot run while climbing. It retains its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (if any) while climbing, and opponents get no special bonus on their attacks against a climbing blue. Also, blues add their Dexterity modifier to Climb checks instead of their Strength modifier.
Channeling: Blue spellcasters gain bonus spells as if the governing ability score were 1 point higher. This benefit does not grant them the ability to cast spells unless they gain that ability through levels in a spellcaster class.
This background is based on the jungle goblin and the psionic goblin.