Homebrew Dark Sun - Thri-Kreen Species Details

“This one does not speak with the quivering soft shells that lay about all night. This one might eat you, but never speak.” ―Tu’tochuk

Personality

Since Thri‐kreen (also known simply as the Kreen) do not require sleep, they have difficulty understanding this need in the humanoid races. They have difficulty understanding this state of “laziness” in others. Other behaviors of humanoids seem unnecessarily complex. A keen’s life is simple: hunt prey. Kreen live for the hunt, and own only what they can carry.

Physical Description

Mature Thri‐kreen stand about 7 feet tall, with a rough body length of 11 feet. Their four arms end in claws; their two legs are extremely powerful, capable of incredible leaps. However, kreen are unable to jump backwards. Their body is covered with a sandy– yellow chitin, a tough exoskeleton that grants the Thri‐kreen protection from blows. Their head is topped with two antennae, and their two eyes are compound and multifaceted. The kreen mouth consists of small pincers. Male and female Thri‐kreen are physically indistinguishable. Thri‐kreen usually do not wear clothing, but wear some sort of harness to carry weapons and food. Many wear leg or armbands, or bracelets. Some attach rings on different places on their chitin, though this requires careful work by a skilled artisan.

Relations

The pack mentality dominates a keen’s relation with others. Kreen hunt in packs, small groups that assemble together. Kreen will hunt prey in the same region for a while, but move on before their prey has been depleted. A kreen that joins a group of humanoids will often try to establish dominance in the group. This can be disconcerting to those unaware of the keen’s behavior, since establishing dominance usually means making threatening gestures. Once the matter is settled, they will 21 abide by the outcome. Thri‐kreen view humanoids as sources of food, though they don’t usually hunt them, only in dire need. Many kreen have a particularly fond taste for elves; as such, meetings between these two races are often tense. However, once part of a clutch, Thri‐kreen will never turn on their humanoid friends, even in the worst of situations.

Alignment

Most Thri‐kreen are lawful, since the pack mentality is ingrained in their beings. Kreen that deviate from this mentality are rare.

Kreen Lands

No Thri‐kreen settlements exist in the Tyr region; kreen encountered there are either small packs of kreen, or else adventuring with humanoids. To the north of the Tyr region, beyond the Jagged Cliffs, past the Misty Border, lies the Kreen Empire. This great nation of kreen rules the Crimson Savanna, forming great city‐ states that rival the humanoid city‐states of the Tyr region.

Magic

Thri‐kreen have no natural disposition towards magic, and a wizard’s use of the environment as a source of power conflicts with a keen’s beliefs. As well, the keen’s lack of sleep and its instinctual need to hunt do not lend themselves well to magical study. Kreen wizards are extremely rare: no one has ever seen one in the Tablelands.

Psionics

Kreen view psionics as a natural part of their existence. Some packs rely on telepathy to communicate with each member and coordinate their hunting abilities. Many kreen also use psionic powers to augment their already formidable combat prowess. Psychometabolic powers are often used to boost speed, metabolism or strength to gain an advantage in combat. Most kreen (even non–adventurers) take the psychic warrior class, which kreen consider a natural part of growing up. Kreen do not need instruction to advance in the psychic warrior class—it comes to them as part of their ancestral memory.

Religion

Thri‐kreen have no devotion to any god, but they hold nature and the elements in high regard. Ancestral memories guide them through their lives. Thri‐kreen revere the Great One, a legendary kreen leader from the past.

Language

The Kreen language is very different from those of the other intelligent races. They have no lips or tongues, and so cannot make the same sounds humanoids make. Kreen language is made up of clicks, pops, or grinding noises.

Names

Kachka, Ka’Cha, Ka’Ka’Kyl, Klik‐Chaka’da, Sa’Relka, T’Chai

Adventurers

Kreen adventure for different reasons. Most enjoy challenges presented by new prey. Some seek out the challenge of leading new clutches, new companions and observing the different “hunting” techniques of the dra(sentient meat‐creatures such as humans).

Thri-kreen Society

Thri‐kreen hatch from eggs. All those who hatch at the same time form what is called a clutch. Thri‐kreen gather in packs that roam the wastes. Each pack consists of several clutches that roam over an area that the pack considers theirs to hunt on. There are no permanent thri‐kreen communities.

Clutches and packs are organized along strict order of dominance. The toughest member is leader; the second most powerful is second in command and so forth. A thri‐kreen can challenge a superior for dominance initiating a contest. The contestants fight until one surrenders or dies. Afterwards, the matter is considered settled and there are no lingering resentments between victor and loser. The pack‐mates take the view that the challenger was only acting to strength the pack.

Thri‐kreen are obsessed with hunting. They are carnivores, but seldom hunt intelligent life for food. They do have a taste for elf, which gives them a bad reputation amongst Elven tribes. When not hunting, they craft weapons, teach their young, and craft sculptures.

The pack mentality is so ingrained in the culture that thri‐kreen apply it to every situation. Thri‐kreen feel compelled to be part of a clutch and will accept members of other races as clutch‐mates.

Roleplaying Suggestions

You tend to rely on your natural attacks and special kreen weapons. Everything you kill is a potential dinner. You have a strong need for a party leader – obedience to this leader in the party is important to you. If you seem to be the most powerful and capable, then you will assume leadership; if someone challenges your authority then you will wish to test whether they are in fact stronger than you. It is not a question of vanity; you won’t want to fight to the death, but merely to ascertain who is worthy to lead the party. You do not have the focus of a dwarf to complete a project, but you would give your life to protect your companions. If you did not trust and honor them as your own family, then you would not travel with them and work together with them. You do not understand the concept of sleep. It disturbs you that your dra companions lie unconscious for a third of their lifetimes. You own only what you can carry, caring little for money or other items that other races consider as treasure. Your philosophy of ownership sometimes leads you into conflict with presumptuous dra who think they can own buildings, land, and even whole herds of cattle!

Dark Sun - Thri-Kreen Traits

Your Thri-kreen character has the following racial traits.

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and you may choose to increase either your Strength or Wisdom score by 1.

Age

Thri-kreen have short life spans and rarely reach 30 years of age

Alignment

Most Thri‐kreen are lawful, since the pack mentality is ingrained in their beings. Kreen that deviate from this mentality are rare.

Size

Mature Thri‐kreen stand about 7 feet tall, with a rough body length of 11 feet. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base land speed is 35 feet.

Darkvision

Accustomed to running across dunes or grasslands throughout the day and night, you can see in the darkness within 60 feet of you as if you were in dim light. However, you can’t discern color in the darkness.

Alien Nature

Thri‐kreen are so different from all of the other humanoid races that you suffer disadvantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks made to influence anyone other than a thri-kreen.

Chameleon Power

You can change the color of your carapace to match your surroundings. As a result, you have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide.

Hard Carapace

When wearing no armor, your AC is equal to 12 + your Dexterity modifier (max 3).

Multiple Limbs

You have four arms and can hold items in each of your arms. On your turn, you may interact with two objects or features of the environment for free.

Natural Weaponry

If you are not holding anything with at least two arms, you may simultaneously use two of your limbs as a natural weapon to attack a target. You are considered to be proficient with this natural weapon and your claws deal 1d4 (+ your strength ability modifier) slashing damage.

Poisonous Bite

As an action, you may try and bite an adjacent foe (5 foot reach) with your powerful mandibles. Your bite deals 1d6 (+your strength ability modifier) piercing damage. If you hit and deal damage, the target must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute. If the creature is poisoned, it must repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns. On a success, it ends the effect early. Class features which normally boost a weapon attack (such as sneak attack) cannot be applied to this racial ability.

Sleepless

You do not sleep. Once per day, you may gain the benefits of a long rest after taking a short rest, and magic cannot put you to sleep.

Standing Leap

You can long jump up to 30 feet and high jump up to 15 feet as part of your movement without taking a running start.

Thri-Kreen Weapon Training

You have proficiency with the chatkcha and gythka.

Unusual Body Shape

You can only wear armor or clothing specially designed for thri‐kreen (unless it's magic); such equipment costs double its normal price.

Languages

You can speak Thri-Kreen and Distorted Common. Due to your physiology, other races will have difficulty understanding you, as your speech comes out elongated and hissing.You can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet of you that can understand a language.