Tethys: The Helead

Helead

Medium-Size Humanoid
Hit Dice: 3d8+9 (22)
Initiative: +2 (Dex)
Speed: 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
Armor Class: 15 (+2 Dex, +3 natural)
Attacks: Morningstar +5 melee, Crossbow +4 ranged.
Damage: Morningstar 1d8+4, Crossbow 1d8.
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +2
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 15, Con 17, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 10
Skills: Climb +2, Handle Animal +6, Hide +8*, Listen +3, Move Silently +6, Spot +2, Wilderness Lore +4.
Climate/Terrain: Fens and waterways.
Organization: Solitary or clan.
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: Standard.
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: By character class.

The Helead are a race of shy, semi-aquatic reptiles who were elevated to humanoid status by ancient magic. They dwell primarily along the fens and waterways of Tethys where the live on plants and river fish and birds.
As a people, the helead keep to themselves, only rarely interacting with other races. When they do interact with humans, it is as guides or animal trainers, as they keep Anatotitans and other dinosaurs as pets and beasts of burden.
Helead speak their own language as well as the common tongue.

Combat
Helead are not initially violent creatures, but they live in a violent world. In battle, helead are smart combatants, using terrain and their natural abilities.
Illiteracy: Helead do not automatically know how to read and write. A Helead character may spend 2 skill points to gain the ability to read and write all languages he is able to speak. This is not negated with the taking of literate classes as with the barbarian class.
Skills: Helead receive a +4 racial bonus to Hide and Move Silently checks. *In forested or overgrown areas, the Hide bonus improves to +8.

Helead Society
The helead dwell in hidden villages, located in the middle of swamps on artificial islands, guarded by aquatic monsters. Helead society recognizes no differences between sexes and have no nobles. They are skilled in survival, but produce little art, though they are greedy for shiny jewelry, perticularly gold.
Spellcasting helead are almost always Clerics or Druids, though Sorcerers are held in high regard. Helead clerics typically choose the Animal and Plant domains. The favored class for Helead characters is the Ranger.