Homebrew Geckard Species Details
My first encounter with a geckard was both a surprising and delightful experience. He was very welcoming and answered all my questions with a refreshing honesty, unknown to most of the common races I have already spoken with. It's rather incredible that a race such as the geckardian one has been able to prosper that much. I'll admit they are very well adapted to their environment, as dangerous as it is. However, their inability to muster any fear or defiance towards other races could lead to their inevitable doom. I fear that geckards may be way to naïve and carefree to survive long if they are to be introduced to the races of the continent...
"All play and no works" could be the geckards motto: they aspire to a life full of games and devoid of any fear, far from marauding monsters and clashing armies. They have no desire for fancy palaces and glorious actions; all they need is a blazing fire and a generous meal; fine drink and lighthearted conversation. Most geckards live out their days in small troglodyte communities, but some of them form nomadic bands that travel constantly, although they never really leave the inhospitable volcanic slopes of the Maw. But even these wanderers love peace, food, hearth, and home, though home might be a small wagon jostling along an ashy road.
Small and Practical
The diminutive geckards survive in a world full of larger creatures by avoiding notice or, barring that, avoiding offense. Standing about 1,20 meters high, they appear relatively harmless and thus have managed to survive for centuries in the most inhospitable territory of Sheol in order to stay hidden. They are inclined to be nimble, weighing between 15 and 25 kilograms.
Geckards’ skin can bear various colors and pattern, from brown stripes to bright yellow spots, and vivid red spirals. They may sport little spikes along their bodies, not unlike some reptilian crests. Their skin is covered in little squishy mounds of flesh which can produce a transparent mucus. That mucus protects them from the harsh volcanic environment they live in. Geckard's skin can also tint its colors if need be. They have big eyes of various colors, devoid of any eyelids, which usually lick their eyeballs to humidify them. Male geckards are usually more vivid in colors than female. Geckards don't really bother with clothes, too inflammable for their way of life, and only wear belts and bags to carry their possessions, and sometimes jewelry.
Halfling practicality extends beyond their clothing. They’re concerned with basic needs and simple pleasures and have little use for ostentation. Even the wealthiest of halflings keep their treasures locked in a cellar rather than on display for all to see. They have a knack for finding the most straightforward solution to a problem, and have little patience for dithering.
Kind and Curious
Geckards are an affable and cheerful people. They cherish the bonds of family and friendship as well as the comforts of hearth and home, harboring few dreams of gold or glory. They love discovering new things, even simple things, such as a new animal or new gems, and coming up with new games or songs to pass the times. Young adults have a tendency to venture out of their villages to go fight the nearest beast they encounter, just for the thrilling fun it gives them. They usually quite quickly settle down after a few adventures.
Geckards are easily moved to pity and hate to see any living thing suffer. They are generous, happily sharing what they have even in lean times. Due to their very practical way of life, they can rather surprisingly show an interestingly wise intellect, although it is sometimes shared in a very unusual way.
Stay Hidden
Geckards have an instinctual need to stay in the Maw's territory, which ensure very limited contact with other races. The combination of their inherent stealth and their unassuming nature helps geckards to avoid unwanted attention. However, if they are discovered and can't avoid the encounter, geckards will prove to be very welcoming and helpful, in their own way.
Troglodytes Towns
Most geckards live in small, peaceful communities with alignments of small caves and rare well-kept groves. They never build houses, stating that any building could vanish in an instant in case of an eruption. Every geckard hearth has a different cave, but owning land beyond that is a foreign concept to them. Every grove, mine or water well they have is shared by the community. They typically don’t recognize any sort of geckardian nobility or royalty, instead looking to family elders to guide them.
Every town has at least a mine to collect gems, which they eat to replenish magic, a grove where they can plant some rare plants, and a well to collect water from the various hot springs of the volcano.
CAREFREE AND WELCOMING
Geckards try to get along with everyone else when they have to mingle, and have never been heard to speak ill of another race.
Dwarves. “Dwarves make loyal friends, and you can count on them to keep their word. What's with that huge clump of hair on their chin tough... ?”
Elves. “They’re so beautiful! Their faces, their music, their grace and all. It’s like they stepped out of a wonderful dream. They are so intelligent that it's sometimes as if they were geckards!”
Humans. “Humans are a strange people. They have the same need for gems as we do, but why? They don't eat them!”
Geckards Names
A geckard has a given name and possibly a nickname. Nicknames are often referencing either a physical trait, a geckard's scent or a famous event that occurred.
Male Names: Sport, Boppy, Hun, Gast, Jo, Pel
Female Names: Hym, Nea, Vali, Sati, Bal
Family Names: Bluetail, Ashbreath, Lavalicker
Geckard Traits
Your geckard character has a number of traits in common with all other geckards.Fragility
Your soft skin and pliable body make you vulnerable. You have a malus of -2 to your armor class.
Ability Score Increase
Your Wisdom increases by 2.
Age
A geckard reaches adulthood at the age of 5 and generally lives up to 20 to 25 years..
Size
Geckards average about 1,20 meters high and weigh 15 to 25 kilograms. Your size is Small.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 25 feet.
Fireproof
You can coat yourself in mucus to grant yourself invulnerability to fire. Bear in mind that it takes at least one minute to produce and spread the mucus on your skin. It dries out after an hour.
Geckard Nimbleness
You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write any language as long as your interlocutor knows it. It also works with less known languages such as goblin, and intelligent animal species.
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