Dromite

Dromites stand about 3 feet tall and usually weigh slightly more than 30 pounds. They have iridescent compound eyes. Dromites wear heavy boots and light clothing, and are sometimes content with just a sturdy harness.

Dromites favor the sorcerer class.

Dromite Traits

Dromite characters possess the following racial traits.

• +2 Charisma, −2 Strength, −2 Wisdom.
• Dromite base land speed is 20 feet.
• Monstrous Humanoid: Dromites are not subject to spells or effects that affect humanoids only, such as charm person or dominate person.
• Small: As a Small creature, a dromite gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but it uses smaller weapons than humans use, and its lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.
• Chitin: A dromite’s skin is hardened, almost like an exoskeleton, and grants the character a +1 natural armor bonus to AC and one of the following kinds of resistance to energy: cold 5, electricity 5, fire 5, or sonic 5. The player chooses what type of energy resistance is gained when the character is created. (This choice also dictates which caste the dromite belongs to.) This natural energy resistance stacks with any future energy resistance gained through other effects.
• Scent (Ex): Its antennae give a dromite the scent ability.
• Compound Eyes: This feature of its anatomy gives a dromite a +2 racial bonus on Spot checks.

Scent

A dromite can detect opponents by scent within 30 feet. If the opponent is upwind, the range increases to 60 feet; if downwind, it drops to 15 feet. Strong scents, such as smoke or rotting garbage, can be detected at twice the ranges noted above. Overpowering scents, such as skunk musk or troglodyte stench, can be detected at triple normal range. When a dromite detects a scent, the exact location of the source is not re vealed—only its presence somewhere within range. The dromite can take a move action to note the direction of the scent. Whenever the dromite comes within 5 feet of the source, the dromite pinpoints the source’s location.

Experimental

Channeling: Dromite spellcasters gain bonus spells as if the governing ability score were 1 points higher. This benefit does not grant them the ability to cast spells unless they gain that ability through levels in a spellcaster class.

*Energy Ray (Sp):* Once per day as a standard action, a dromite can create a ray of energy that shoots forth from its fingertip and strikes a target within 25 feet + 5 feet per 4 character levels, dealing damage if it succeeds on a ranged touch attack with the ray. A dromite always deals the kind of energy damage that its chitin has resistance to (for example, a dromite who has resistance to cold 5 deals cold damage with its energy ray).

Cold: A ray of this energy type deals 1d6+1 cold damage.

Electricity: A ray of this energy type provides a +3 bonus on your attack roll if the target is wearing metal armor and deals 1d6 electricity damage.

Fire: A ray of this energy type deals 1d6+1 fire damage.

Sonic: A ray of this energy type deals 1d6−1 point of sonic damage and ignores an object’s hardness.

References

This background is based on the SRD dromite and energy ray.