Homebrew Yautja Species Details
(Note: This is not my property, I don't own Predator, as it belongs to Disney and FOX)
Dachande locked his fingers together and leapt. He landed beside the impudent yautja and brought his double-fist down, hard, into the small of the still-screaming Tichinde’s back. Tichinde fell to the floor. His lower jaw smacked the mat quite audibly. Dachande jumped back quickly as Tichinde slowly regained his feet. Aware of his audience, the Leader moved with all the grace and skill he could muster. The motion was nearly perfect and any of the watchers who could recall even a bit of training would be impressed by the flow of it. Which was the point. New blood oozed from the young male’s lower mandibles. The watching students sang out calls of victory for their Leader as Tichinde turned to face
Dachande. The cries of derision from his peers were perhaps what spurred the young male into action. With a strangled hiss, the bleeding yautja ran at Dachande, fists extended.Give him credit for spirit. Credit for brains, no. For skill, hardly. But he was no coward. Still, it was poor form. Dachande fell to his knees before Tichinde reached him and grasped the student’s overstretched upper body with one hand, his nearer leg with the other. Suppressing a grunt, he strove to make the move appear effortless. As if the youth weighed no more than a suckling, Dachande stood and thrust Tichinde high over his head. The howling yautja tried to escape and regain the floor, but his writhings were to no avail. Dachande held the young male high, let out a growl of conquest— then threw Tichinde across the room.
The mob of howling young males split, narrowly avoided the flung body before it smacked into the wall. They chanted triumph for Dachande, harsh sounds of nain-desintje-de; pure win. Dachande made no chant himself and none was needed. The fallen Tichinde spoke for him. For a short time, nobody moved.
Finally, Tichinde staggered upright and walked slowly toward his Leader, head bowed. The outcome was obvious, and a further display of aggression would be dishonorable, not to mention stupid. Tichinde stopped in front of him and raised only his eyes to see what Dachande would decide; in such a Challenge, death was not an unreasonable punishment. Dachande pretended to consider his options as the chants fell to a breath-held stillness and overstretched tension. There was really no question for him; a good Leader did not have to kill one of his own to prove anything—and to embarrass the young male would tell later in Tichinde’s Hunts. He waited because all eyes watched and the hesitation was penalty enough. After a few breaths-time Dachande tilted his head to one side and spoke. “Payas leitjin-de.” He paused. “Hma’mi-de.” Tichinde hung his head lower and stepped back, his relief visible. Several young males came forward to touch Tichinde’s hair in appreciation of the Leader’s compliment. The precise tip of Dachande’s head combined with the words indicated both acknowledgment of the student’s submission and a respect for his bravery—“Remember God’s practice.” Tichinde was allowed his life and his name, but with the ritual warning a slap to his embarrassed face. Still, there was no real shame in losing to one who had faced the Hard Meat with nothing but talons and blade.
Dachande almost allowed himself a grin, but did not want to lighten the effect of his pronouncement; he raised his hand and gestured for the students to fall in line for training. Tichinde knew who was Leader, and would not forget it. And if another yautja strayed from obedience ... ? After this, it would not likely happen. If it did, there would be more than one “dachande” on ship. His honor would accept nothing less.
Proud, honor bound hunters, the Yautja's primary existence is to make trophies out of other creatures. They are known far and wide for hunting the planet's most dangerous and exotic game. Yautja may be the inspiration, or explanation, for local boogeymen and being the cause of missing persons. They are stealthy, leaving little to no trace of their existence.
Made to Hunt
Yautja are tall reptilian humanoids, and have four large mandibles, two on the top and lower jaws. These tusks jut inward, covering the lips of the creature. Yautja are typically tall, ranging from 6-8 feet, however some may be below or above average. Predators have scaley skin, ranging from dull yellows and browns to exotic pinks and purples. They have long tendrils, known as Dreadlocks, or tresses, that jut out from the sides of their head. These are sensory organs, allowing for their greater senses, reflexes and acrobatic prowess. Yautja have natural camouflage. They weigh around 250-400 pounds.
The Hunt
The Yautja are a race of Hunters, and, as such, their lifestyle revolves solely around hunting other lifeforms. The Hunt is viewed as a sacred and holy tradition and used to prove your worth to your fellow kin. Despite their ruthlessness, Yautja have a strict code of Honor that they follow without question.
The Hunt shall only involve able bodied prey. Old and sick individuals must not be harmed. Children must never be killed. The pregnant shall be spared, as they provide future generations of prey. If one is to Hunt a prey item, they must be able to defend themselves and be able to actively harm the Yautja.
You automatically start out with the following equipment:
- Yautja Bio-helmet - The Yautja Bio-helmet allows you basic protection of the wearer's head, as well as clearer vision.
- Yautja Wrist Gauntlet - This wrist gauntlet comes complete with built-in cutting claws. These wrist blades are versatile and are the Hunter's most basic weapon. They deal 1d6 slashing damage. Once an opponent is defeated, you may claim their skull and spine as a trophy.
- Yautja Speargun - The Yautja speargun is a powerful weapon, functioning similar to a crossbow. These require ammunition, have considerable weight, and are two handed. They deal 1d8 piercing damage. Similar to a crossbow, it is loaded, and you may only fire one spear when you use it as an action, bonus action, or reaction to fire it.
The Clan
Because of their affinity for the Hunt, Yautja are often nomadic, and wander around the Earth searching for worthy Prey. Yautja are born into Clans, each with their own name, technology, history, and views on the Hunt. No two Clans are alike, and each one is unique. The Yautja consider kin to be a broad term and have large extended families.
The Clan is led by both a Clan Leader and a Matriarch. Clan Leaders are Male, and are veterans of the Hunt, claiming many trophies. Matriarchs are Female and are covered in scars and wounds from many battles. Matriarchs govern the Clan in the Clan Leaders absence and have more power than the Clan Leader.
Yautja Names
Yautja have personal names given at birth. A name commonly has two parts, an adjective, and a subject, typically a weapon. "Yeyinde", means "Brave One" or "Dachande", meaning "Different Knife". However, some may be given no meaning, such as "Mahnde" or "Skempte". Male names often end in "e" and Female names often end with "i".
Male Names: Zua-G'ke'thou "Wandering Javelin", Eyath "Cruel One", Nau'tietb "Adapting One", Atih "Ruthless Combatant", E'wat'ye, Ye-yin'bujaa, Nakaande, Lar-nix-va
Female Names: I'dat'dori, Hashori, Z'yat'dori, Girva, L'a-shoue, E'watori, Let'vo'nar, Hi'yin'let'wari,
Clan Names: Jungle Hunter Clan, Isolated Clan, Lost Tribe, Poachers, Dark Blade Clan, Tartarus Clan
BAD BLOODS
Some Yautja choose to go against their very identity as an honorable warrior and break the sacred Honor Codes that govern Yautja society. These hunters have no honor and will kill anything and everything that they see. For these dishonorable ones, they are no longer Yautja. They are animal and must be destroyed. They bring shame to you, your honor, and your race.
(Note: This is not my property, I don't own Predator, as it belongs to Disney and FOX)
Yautja Traits
Your thermal vision enables you to see the heat signatures of your prey.Thermal Vision
You are able to see the heat signatures of your prey as you have infrared vision, useful in finding hiding Prey. You are able to switch between ultraviolet and infared vision at will.
Ability Score Increase
Your Strength score increases by 3, and your Intimidation score increases by 2.
Age
Yautja are impressively long-lived. Young grow slowly, and reach physical maturity around 50-60 years of age. Yautja live to over thousands of years. One year of a Yautja is said to be the equivalent of 25 human years.
Size
Yautja are taller and heavier than humans, standing well over 6 feet tall and averaging around 250-400 pounds in armor. Your size is Medium.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 35 feet.
Damage Resistance
You have resistance to slashing and bludgeoning attacks.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common and Yautja. Yautja is quite uncommon, and non-native speakers are even more so. The language sounds harsh and guttural, with many odd clicks and growls. It has an odd object-subject-verb order. The Yautja alphabet consists of simple dots, dashes and other marks.
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