Well here something a little different than usual for this blog, this kind of
stuff usually on Shardfinder but doesn’t fit Eberron so I am
posting it here but what is it? A homebrew ancestry based on Nerd Candy, well
more so their mascot(s) but why?
As the posting of this blog Nerds and ‘Dungeon and Dragons’ have
a cross promotion going on where you can get adventures with pregenerated
characters with your purchase of Nerd products. You can check the website about
it here. I bought some Nerds to go with a recent movie experience
(Saung-Chi and the Legends of the 10 Rings; it so good! Go see it!)
Given I already had the Nerds, after the movie I went to the
internets and checked out the promo or what I could access with just one buy
in. I was hoping to see a silly new Nerd race but I was disappointed…
It been awhile since I dug into 5e but seem like they just
treating the pregen as a blank as far as race or perhaps they just reskin a
halfling or something, I am not 100 percent sure but certainly didn’t seem like something
new. So I made a decision…
I am am much more familiar with Pathfinder 2e so I decided to
make it an ancestry for that instead. Below you find my Nurd Ancestry, made for
silly and hopefully fun read. Be warn; this was made mostly for the laughs with
minimum effort to give options or balance so if you decide to use this/play it
there might need tweaking; either way I love to here about it.
If below does entertain you in either read or at use at the table
please consider supporting me at my Patreon (hyperlink) or leaving a tip at my Ko-fi. Art by Eriana Ura-Smith who you can find at www.erianaura.art and you can follow her on twitter/instagram at @ErianaUrSmith.
Nurd Ancestry
No
one is quite sure where nurds came from, including themselves but rumor has it
they were accidentally created by a famed gnome confectionist and alchemist
Nilly Nanka in their pursuit of a new taste experience.
If you want to play a character that frankly silly, potentially
helpful and provides ridiculous mental pictures as they try to function in
society and combat, you should probably play a Nurd OR not. If it not clear
this ancestry is in humor and jest, given minimum effort for balance and
options but if you crazy enough to do it I love to hear about.
Physical
Description
Nurds have a rough resemblance to oversized frogs with thicker
back legs with feet that look more like three thick appendages hands while
missing their front legs whose eyes grew too close together. Their skin comes
in a variety of dull and bright colors with some even being multi color with
simple patterns. There seems to be no rhyme or reasons to the coloring as some
clans or as nurds call them: boxes, all share the same or similar coloration
and others have random colors. Their skin usually has a semi glossy appearance
and while looking smooth it’s more a series of interlocking micro shells or
scales.
Nurds tend to range in height from 2 feet to 3 feet with Jumbo
Nurds ranging from 4 half to almost 6 whiles being wider, at least in the hips,
then other ancestries of similar heights. While some nurds identify as various
genders they seem to have no secondary sexual characteristics and keep their
means reproduction private.
Names
Different boxes or tribes seem to have found their own styles of
names but generally they seem to favor own to two syllable names.
Hit Points 6
Size Small
Speed 25 feet
Ability Boosts Dexterity and Intelligence
Languages Common, Gnomish Additional languages equal to
your Intelligence modifier (if it’s positive). Choose from the list of common languages
and any other languages to which you have access (such as the languages
prevalent in your region).
Traits Nurd
No Arms Nurds do not have arms or hands.
Deft Feet Nurds have adapted to use their feet as well as
anyone’s hands but slows them down. Your feet qualify for free hand or hands as
long as correct number of feet are not holding anything and you can hold/wield
items in your feet as if they were hands. If holding an item your speed reduced
by 5 and if both your feet are holding the same item your speed reduce by 10.
Spark of Inspiration Nurds seems to naturally inspire
people and are constantly ready to help. You can Aid an ally without having to
spend an action to prepare to help and you treat critical failures to aid as
just failures.
Tasty When a creature takes a Swallow Whole action against
you, your DC is reduced by 2.
Nurd Heritages
Being a recently appeared people Nurds seem to have spread
quickly around the globe and seem to adept surprising well to any environment.
Choose one of the following nurd heritages at 1st level.
Jumbo Nurd
You are from a clan or
‘box’ of larger Nurds or had an overkill growth spirit in your youth. Change
your ancestry HP to 8 and you may swap your Dexterity Ability Boost for
Strength one instead. Additionally, you can wield two handed weapons in one
foot but this not qualify for increased damage of Two Handed trait weapons.
Rope Nurd
Your clan or ‘box’ utilize ropes where they live to move around
and get to places. Whenever you Critical Failure a Climb Check, you get a
Failure instead.
Hoppin Nurd
Your clan or ‘box’ live in places where they had to move over
gaps quickly, most likely to avoid predators. These Nurds teen to have pink or
blue ‘rainbow’ pattens then being a solid color. You can perform a Leap as part
of your Stride action with the Leap covering your remaining movement.
Slushes Nurd
Your clan or ‘box’ lives in at least semi watery environment and
had to swim regularly to get around and get things down. You gain a swim speed
equal to half your Speed.
Ancestry
Feats
At 1st level, you gain one ancestry feat, and you gain an
additional ancestry feat every 4 levels thereafter (at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th
levels). As a nurd, you select from among the following ancestry feats.
1st
Level————————————————
Sour Nurd Feat 1
| Linage | Nurd |
Being sour tasting is a semi common trait among Jumbo Nurds but
any Nurd bay be born with this quality. Replace Tasty with below.
Sour Whenever a creature attempts to Swallow Whole you,
they must Succeed on a DC 5 Flat Check first or Swallow Whole Automatically
fails.
Nurd Lore Feat 1
| Nurd |
Nurds try to live inspirational and helpful lives while avoiding
those that might chose to eat them. This can have a rather physical demand on
you; you become trained in Athletics and Acrobatics skills. If you
automatically learn these skills at trained from another source you may choose
to learn different skills instead. You also become trained in Nurd Lore.
Nurd Weapon Familiarity
Feat 1
| Nurd |
You trained in the use of weapons more easily used by your
people’s unique form. You have the trained proficiency with shortsword, katar,
spear and hand crossbow along with gaining access to these weapons. In
addition, you gain access to all uncommon nurd weapons. For you, martial nurd
weapons are simple weapons, and advanced nurd weapons are martial weapons.
Greater Inspiration
Feat 1
| Nurd |
By working and talking with you those you aid always seem to find
their tasks easier. Whenever you succeed or critical succeed an Aid check your
provided bonus to your ally goes up by one.
5th Level————————————
Crunchy Shell Feat 5
| Nurd |
Your already tough shell like body has grown extra layers and is
hard to bypass, well most things. You gain Resistance piercing and slashing
equal to half your level (minimum 1) and Weakness 1 to Bludgeoned.
Nurd Weapon Shenanigans
Feat 5
| Nurd |
Prerequisite Nurd Weapon Familiarity
You are adapt at wielding your chosen weapons common among Nurds.
When you critically succeed at an attack roll using a shortsword, katar, spear,
a hand crossbow or a Nurd weapon, you apply that weapon’s critical effect.
9th Level————————————
Extra Sour Feat 9
| Nurd |
Prerequisite Sour Nurd
Perhaps it your attitude or just your environment but it even
harder for things to stand your taste and eat you. The flat check to Swallow
Whole becomes DC 10 and any Gray or Improved Grab attached to jaws or similar
attack now must make a Flat DC 5 check in order to succeed.
Neon Nurd Feat 9
| Nurd |
You have tapped into a forgotten or lost aspect of nurd-kind and
your shell like body changes to have a bright hew. You gain shocking grasp
as a 2nd level Innate primal spell you can cast twice per day.
13th Level————————————
Nurd Weapon Self
Inspired Feat 13
| Nurd |
You have improved your nurdcore weapons of choice; Whenever you
gain a class feature that grants you expert or greater proficiency in a given
weapon or weapons, you also gain that proficiency in the shortsword, katar,
spear, hand crossbow or a Nurd weapon in which you are trained.
