Gnoles as PCs

Gnoles at a Glance

Strength: +5
Intelligence: -4
Wisdom: -8
Dexterity: +4
Constitution: +4
Looks: -8
Charisma: -8

Gnole Pros:
*Size Large for Hit Points (15), Knock Backs (20), and weapon and armor use. Gnoles may use Large weapons with a reach of less than 8 feet as one-handed weapons, and armor sized for gnoles is one DR heavier than that sized for humans, while maintaining human penalties to defense and initiative.
*Reach is by Weapon +1 foot
*Low Light Vision
*Communicate with hyaenas, wolves, jackals, and lions, including giant versions, as well as kobolds.
*Free Improved Awareness Talent
*Tough Hide: Gnoles have a DR of 2, in addition to any armor worn
*Improved Speed: Longer legs and a loping gait allow Gnoles to move faster than humans; Crawl 5, Walk 10, Jog 15, Run 20, and Sprint 25

Gnole Cons:
*Antipathy: Lions. Gnoles hate lions, and the feeling is reciprocated. All Gnoles suffer from Animal Antipathy: Lions.
*Native Language: Gnole. Any other languages must be learned.
*Poor Social Reactions: Gnoles are, at best, Hated by smaller races, and are frequently Feared by anything smaller than a human. Even among the larger humanoid races, their foulness and fractiousness means that they are most often Disliked or Disdained.

Preferential Talent Access:
The following talents may be purchased for 50% of their listed BP cost:
*Attack Bonus, Damage Bonus, and Swift blade (NOT Parry bonus) for Flails.
*Fast Healer, Poison Resistant

BP Cost by class
Fighter: 30
Ranger: 45
Barbarian: 25
Thief: 35
Rogue: Hahahahaha
Assassin: 50
Mage: No.
Fighter/Mage: No.
Fighter/Thief: 30
Thief/Mage: No.
Cleric: 75

Advice on Playing a Gnole: Gnoles are grotesquely stupid, with the impulse control of a roided-out toddler on speed. You know what you want, you take it. If anyone gets in your way, you make them get out of your way... unless they're bigger than you, then you are very nice to them until their back is turned and you've gotten some friends together. Gnoles have keen senses of smell, but are hampered by the fact that they and much of their surroundings are covered by secretions of their anal glands.

Malabar's Magical Make-up

Malabar’s Magical Make-up is something of a rarity; a spell created by a Rogue. Malabar himself was a magical prodigy; while he studied music and oration as a bard in Bet Kalamar, he took to Arcane Lore like an elf upon his first real exposure to it, instantly grasping quite complex theories and coming up with new insights that shocked his tutors. Over the years, he never really mastered spellcasting (he had only a rogue’s grasp of those mechanics), but several of his spells are still studied today as exemplars of spell design. That many of them are viewed as “frivolous” is a source of chagrin for “serious” scholars of magic… to study the pinnacle of your craft, you have to learn spells that deal with make-up, music, and play-acting.

Malabar’s Magical Make-up (4th level Mage Spell)
Base SP Cost: 80
Components: V, S, Special
Casting Time: 10 seconds
Range: Touch
Volume of Effect: One individual
Duration: 2 hours
Saving Throw: not applicable

Additional Spell Point schedule:
Increase duration: 1 SP/3minutes
Increased Bonus: 2 SP/5 fractional points (no more than 40 points may be spent this way)

Using subtle physical alterations, small quantities of conjured materials, and a deft eye, Malabar’s Magical Make-up enhances the Looks score of the target (with a concomitant rise in Charisma). The spell adds 1d4 to the target’s looks, plus 50 fractional points if the spellcaster is skilled in (Advanced Mastery or better) Acting, Disguise, or Seduction (each skill of sufficient mastery will add +50 fractional points to the final bonus). At the end of the spell’s duration, the bonus does not instantly disappear. While the physical alterations slowly return to place, the conjured cosmetics remain until cleaned off; the Looks bonus resets by 50 fractional points every half-hour, or by 50 fractionals every 5 minutes if exposed to water (even heavy humidity).

Malabar’s Magical Make-up does not have a material component, per se, but casting it upon oneself is difficult; without the aid of a mirror, any bonuses are halved. If the caster has a mirror (at least the size of their own palm), then the spell may be cast normally. It may be cast upon another without difficulty, provided the caster can see clearly to make the alterations.

Repair Flesh

Repair Flesh
Base SP Cost: 80
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 4 seconds
Range: Touch
Area of Effect: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None

Additional Spell Point schedule:
Additional Healing: 20 SP/+1 HP
Resist Effects: 80 SP additional saving throw

Repair Flesh is a 4th level Mage spell which restores 1d4p damage to a single wound each time it is cast. If more than a single wound has been taken, the magic-user must choose a single wound to be healed; if the healing exceeds the amount of the wound, additional points will spill over to another wound as days of healing (so, if a 7 point wound is cured for 10 points, one other wound will receive the equivalent of 3 days of natural, non-assisted, healing). If the wound was a source of poison or disease (such as the bite of a tick or the sting of a spider), the mage may spend an additional 80 points to attempt to repair that damage, granting an additional saving throw against the effect. This carries a risk, however, as the second result must be taken, even if it is worse than the previous result.

VHT-1 Hover Tank [d6 Star Wars, Robotech]

One of the second generation of vehicles developed by the Aeolians, the Veritech Hover Tank was the first production model land-based Veritech. Fast and maneuverable, it was nonetheless capable of projecting significant force, serving as more of a mounted infantry than a true cavalry.


The VHT is a variable fighter, able to change from a speeder-type configuration, utilizing ground-effect thrusters instead of repulsorlifts, to a fully humanoid "battloid" shape, to a two-legged “tank” mode, resembling a mobile artillery walker. The speeder mode is very compact, functionally speeder scale; the battloid and walker/tank modes are far less compact, functioning on the walker scale. In the last mode, the powerful main cannon is most useful; in other modes, it is either unavailable (speeder) or difficult to use (battloid). Someone who is skilled in Hover Vehicle Operation can make use of the speeder mode mode without penalty, and someone skilled in Walker Operation may make use of the "battloid" and tank shape with no penalty. Veritech Piloting (A) enhances the use of all these modes.

CVR-3 Armor and Cylcones [d6 Star Wars, Robotech]

As the Aeolians made their journey to Tirol, in hopes of creating peace between Aeolis and Tirol, they brought with them an increased understanding of the technology that had led to their first variable fighters. The new technologies were smaller, without sacrificing any of their durability. Among their advances was the creation of a veritech powersuit, designed to function as personal transport and fighting vehicle for mounted power infantry, as well as a survival tool for downed pilots.

The “Cyclone” could fold into a storage cube for transport, or unfold into a two-wheeled conveyance, similar in function to a speeder bike. If the rider knew of its variable nature, and wore the Aoelian-standard interface armor (designation: CVR-3), they would be able to further transform the Cyclone into a powersuit, using inbuilt weapons, flight systems, and improved protection against damage to serve as mounted powered infantry. True to the Aoelian design aesthetic, several modular weapon systems were designed, allowing Cyclone forces to serve a variety of roles, from heavy fire support capable of dealing with walker-scale threats, to sabotage and espionage.

Minor Orders

Minor Orders
Lay Priests are those who are not fully anointed as priests, but still serve important religious functions. They may serve the church in a variety of ways; sacred craftsmen trusted to produce the raw materials of divine icons, teachers who spread the ideals of the church (be it mundane skills, such as the healers and bakers of the Caregiver, or actual knowledge of the religion), and even minor religious functionaries who stand in for a cleric when none is conveniently available, providing for burials and births "in the faith", and the occasional "impromptu wedding", as needs might arise.

It is possible for an appropriately skilled individual to have rank in several minor orders, should they meet the requirements. It is rarer, however, as those with that level of devotion frequently seek the clergy, though some exceptions exist (for example, in the Laugher’s congregations, many will be Cantors as well as another minor order, while the Cathedral of Light acolytes are also frequently Doorkeepers).

Rifts: Savage Houstown

I wrote, some time ago, an expansion of the material about Houstown present in Rifts: Lone Star. With the release of Savage Rifts, I wanted to update my material to reflect that option. This is a simple conversion; I'll add a bit more material later, perhaps.