Homebrew Beos Species Details

Beos are on average 700 pounds of nearly pure muscle, hidden under an extremely shaggy coat of fur, packaged in the large frame of a hairy, furry minotaur with the head of a North American bison. They are shaggy, powerful, slow-moving behemoths that tower over almost any other being. Standing on very strong legs, a Beos is an intimidating foe to stand against. Beos can have fur colors ranging from light brown to black, and some are mottled or calico. Their eyes are almost always coal-black. There are historical reports of albinism appearing in a Beos, and this is seen as something of a great portent; and those albinos are invariably shamans among their clan. 

Beos, because of their immense size, tend to wear skirts or kilts covering their lower extremities, and very little else. Some Beos have been known to wear heavy armor, usually preferring chain or scale mail when any is worn at all; but tend to eschew the use of plate mail as that tends to cause them to overheat, and avoiding if at all possible any armor that is made from the hides or skins of any animal. Beos are vegetarians, and dislike the consumption of the flesh of living creatures, particularly beef, for obvious reasons. Because of their vegetarianism, a Beos needs to graze nearly at all times out of necessity in order to feed their incredible bulk. 

Newborn Beos mature much faster than any human would, becoming able to walk upright within hours of birth, and able to run shortly thereafter. They reach the development of a 10-year old human child by age 2 and have lifespans nearly comparable to that of humans, becoming an adult at age 14 and living with vigor until about age 80, after which they tend to become enfeebled.When a Beos dies within the confines of its clan, any useful materials or possessions owned are passed on to their children, and if none are present, to the clan as a whole. Funerary rites are simplistic: the body is elevated on a platform of wood and burned, lest predators take advantage of the corpse. The Beos call this ceremony “The Foul Wind.”

To a Beos, the most important thing is family, clan, and life unfettered. They are nomadic in culture and mindset, traveling where they wish in the open places of the world, and cannot abide by slavery, being fenced in (or out), tyranny, or any forms of overly encroaching controls on travel, thought, or life.

As nomads, they follow the winters: moving south when the winter comes, which increases their territorial range, and receding north with the coming of the spring. Never straying far from the cold they are used to. Snow and ice are their allies, and are ingrained into their beliefs and culture. They worship the North wind, the land itself, which they call Mother, and have great general respect for any religious belief involving nature. Their relationship with those of the Druid class is one of deep respect.

Beos are expert weavers and cloth makers and are adept at manufacturing natural dies in all ranges of colors available from nature. Their blankets are highly prized possessions, and are often resilient enough to be handed down generations if cared for properly. They are also experts in the natural flora and fauna of their range and can tell you immediately which plants are safe to eat and which may have a use for medicinal purposes, or which need to be avoided.

Beos are peaceful travelers, wishing not to interlope on another's lands and territory. They, despite their massive strength, do not find the need to push themselves forcefully upon anyone, and in general will try to avoid the use of violence of any sort. They will, however, resort to defense of themselves and others to whom they are close if the need arises. An angered Beos is a marvel of muscle and rage that few will live to see abated. If you are on the receiving end of an attack from a Beos, your absolute best course of action is probably to flee as they are not the swiftest of foes and will tire of the chase once they are convinced that you have left the area.

With such a highly protective nature, one might think the Beos are not at all friendly. This is not the case at all: Beos are more than amiable to any, provided that the newcomer is friendly in turn, respectful, and doesn't “smell foul,” a saying among them that means that there is no perceived threat against the clan or any individual member. It is also wise to announce in an appropriate manner your presence to the Beos, as this goes a long way toward a friendlier encounter, as they are known to startle easily.

The Beos, due mostly to their great size, do not normally tread into caves or underground, but there are those who are curious anomalies and find the confines not so disheartening, these are the like from which most adventuring Beos come. The Beos find being able to see the stars at night is a comfort, and will attempt to camp outside if at all possible in the evening, even during the least hospitable weather.

Being clannish and insular, Beos tend also to be pragmatic as well. One may encounter a Beos using a weapon, device, or other piece of equipment generally labeled as “evil,” without much care toward the inclination of the item. The Beos will inform you that the thing is either a useful tool, or it is not; and if it is useful, there is no reason to not use the thing for its intended purpose. Doing otherwise would be foolish — one should take advantage of the situation and equipment at hand.

Beos seek adventuring most often out of the plain desire to travel to new locations not normally within their clan's traditional range.

Beos Characteristics: Noble, proud, reliable, pragmatic, generous, thoughtful.

Male Names: Ahn, Bek, Daugh, Gnoh, Juh, Keloh, Monh, Nom, Pub, Relh, Tuun, Woldh

Female Names: Ami, Bes, Deni, Ghi, Jiri, Kah, Mel, Nigh, Pek, Ran, Thiri, Wendh

BEOS ADVENTURERS

Three sample Beos adventurers are described below.

Gnoh is a Beos ranger dedicated to protecting his family, friends, and clan as a whole. He is a powerful force within his clan with a kind demeanor and a potent ability to wield his war-hammer. He seeks out things that will make his clan's life easier in their travels, but dreams of traveling to far off lands to see and sleep under different stars. He is curious about the humans who he sees from time to time and wonders what it is that drives them to make empires that stand, and inevitably fall, when there is plenty of room for all to live under the stars without having to submit one's self to some feudal lord.

Bron is a cleric (shaman) dedicated to the preservation of life of all sentient living things. He's more than capable of defending himself in an assault but would rather discuss differences in an intelligent manner rather than bringing himself to blows (magical or otherwise) with a foe. To him, it is better to make an ally than an enemy, and strength in numbers is always a better option to pursue. He cannot stand that people of other races wear the hides of slain animals as clothing and finds it physically sickening that some hunt not out of need but rather for sport. He knows that death is a natural part of life and has gone out of his way on more than one occasion to destroy an undead of which he became aware.

Thiri is a paladin of Avandra and has left her clan behind for far flung adventure. She wears thick scale armor and wields a terrible two-handed sword in battle. Her good nature often betrays her, however, as she has on more than one occasion unfortunately let her target take advantage of the situation, leaving her with lasting scars on her thick hide. But that hasn't stopped her from living her life the way she feels it ought to be lived. Rarely does she miss her clan, and finds great pleasure in knowing that somewhere, under the same stars, her brothers and sisters are sleeping peacefully and protected — partly because of her own sacrifices to protect them by eliminating what scourges of evil she may encounter. The only thing she truly misses is the strong winters of her youth.

Beos Traits

Beos benefit from several traits relating to their nature, indicative of their size, bulk, and upbringing.

Immunity to cold

Natural forms of cold, ice, and wind that would be detrimental to any other living thing has no impact upon a Beos. Their great hide provides then with great protection against the elements, and as a result are utterly immune to all non-magical sources of cold.

Strength +2

Underneath their shaggy exterior lies a great deal of mass, muscle, and hearty bone. Formidable in the extreme.

Constitution +2

Power is not just in Strength, but also in resiliency to injury. Something in which the Beos excel.

Nature +2

Beos gain a natural bonus for use of this skill as a result of their nature, roaming, and years of oral teachings.

Perception +2

Beos gain a natural bonus for use of this skill.

Languages spoken

Beos have, naturally, the ability to speak the Common tongue, and have learned to speak Elvish and Dwarvish.

Low-light vision

Beos are able to see in conditions no better than faint starlight as if it were fully illuminated. They cannot benefit from complete darkness, but if even a single point of light is present, they can take advantage of it and see unencumbered.

Encumbered speed

Beos move at your normal speed even when it would normally be reduced by armor or a heavy load. Other effects that limit speed (such as difficult terrain or magical effects) affect them normally.

Steadfast

When an effect forces you to move — through a push, pull, or a slide — you can move ten (10) feet less than the effect specifies. This means an effect that normally push, pulls, or slides a target less than that does not force you to move unless you wish it to happen. In addition, when an attack would knock you prone, you can immediately make a Strength saving throw to avoid falling prone.