Alicorn, a Better PFRPG Conversion

2 years ago
Admin
10 minutes

This is a reworking of the Alicorn from the d20PFSRD, made to be a better adaptation of the original 3.5 race published by Green Ronin in Bastards & Bloodlines, restoring the original lore, and reflecting the power level of the races in PF1. 

Though it is rare, sometimes a unicorn’s heart finds love outside its own species. Even more rarely this love is returned, and a strained romance forms. Most common of all such mismatched pairings is the bond between unicorn and an elven ranger or druid. Such relationships are besieged by prejudice and awkwardness, but for truly dedicated lovers no barrier is too great to overcome. Each couple faces these challenges differently, but in some cases the solution results in offspring — the rare crossbreeds known as alicorns. Alicorns are creatures of love, justice, and power, combining the best of both parents’ abilities and talents. Also called whitemanes or illear (“golden-born”), alicorns are shy and unassuming in social settings, though many are firmly dedicated to the causes of freedom and right. Those few who are raised in elven society stand out as jewels of mercy and magical power. Inevitably, though, alicorns leave the peaceful lands of elves, searching for something else, some greater good – or ill – to accomplish in the wider world. They frequently do not lead happy lives, constantly struggling against bigotry as they try to make the world a brighter place.

Appearance

Alicorns are somewhat larger and sturdier than elves, with pale skin and violently-colored hair that sometimes shimmers when they use magic. A small, almost gem-like nub protrudes from the center of their forehead, which glows faintly in various colors; this vestigal horn may vary from no bigger than a thumbnail to a few inches. An alicorn may also have hooves instead of feet, and more or less equine legs, and sometimes, even a unicorn’s leonine tail, whose plume will have the same radiance as the alicorn’s mane.

A young alicorn tends to be awkward, and grows into grace later in life. Their bodies are extremely expressive; alicorn eyes shift color to match their moods, and they have remarkable control of their ears, being able to swivel and fold them. In most cases, an alicorn’s emotional state is written on their sleeve for all to see, and as a result most alicorns don’t bother attempting deception and deal with others honestly.

Demeanor

Alicorns tend to be quiet people who prefer intimate expressions of emotion and opinions, which only serves to make their bursts of impulsive activity more surprising to others. They have natural altruistic urges that push them to help, heal, and defend others, which they sometimes have mixed feelings about. It’s difficult to talk about, but many alicorns doubt if those urges really belong to them and if they’re giving away their free will by following them. Many alicorns go through a period in their life where they attempt to experiment with selfishness and cruelty in an effort to distance themselves from their heritage and “find themselves”, but mostly all they manage is making themselves intensely unhappy until they find a way to accept that mercy is a part of themselves.

Alicorns tend to have a few close friends whom they love and protect fiercely. The patience and understanding with which they treat these friends is also extended to others, though even alicorns have their limits. They sympathize with people who feel lost or alone in their lives, and often try to help them with their problems in the hopes that, perhaps, it will resolve their own.

Backgrounds

Alicorns quickly grow used to the feeling of being different, and try not to let it define their lives too much. The majority of them are raised in the wilderness by both parents; those raised in elven society are typically brought there because one or the other of their parents has died or been called away, prompting the survivor to seek help raising their unusual child. Alicorns get in a lot of trouble at young ages because they rush to help beings that are scared or hurt without stopping to think or take in the situation, and get hurt themselves as a result. That instinct, the impulse to leap into action, never really leaves them.

Alicorns usually attempt to have a normal life, but end up leaving that after a little more than a century, dissatisfied with peace. For better or worse, alicorns are often driven to help others, and even those who ignore such altruistic urges feel the need to do something with the burgeoning power within. Their magical heritage often expresses itself in sorcerous blood, the mysteries of oracles, or as a calling to the paladin’s path, all of which lead them out into the world to find others to help – and maybe find themselves as well

Adventures

Many alicorns begin adventuring because they’re searching for their own identity. Though it’s hard to talk about, alicorns can be deeply uncomfortable with their altruistic urges because it’s hard for them to feel as though they truly “own” those feelings. While few would argue it’s wrong to want to help others, alicorns leave their homes looking to find who they are beyond physical and emotional band-aids for others. Their magical blood expresses itself early and strongly, and most alicorns are sorcerers, magi, oracles, or paladins. Alicorn paladins can sometimes be very conflicted people, unsure if they are embracing their heritage or surrendering to it.

Alicorns stand out wherever they go, but get along with almost anyone if given the chance; being genuinely giving, loving, and honest people generally earns them friendship more often than it doesn’t. They often develop a fondness for fellow half-breeds, sympathizing with being caught between two worlds while unable to truly join either

Racial Traits

  • Humanoid (beastblood, elf): Alicorns are humanoids with the beastblood and elf subtypes. (0 rp)
  • +2 Constitution, +4 Charisma: An Alicorn is tough, but they’re also amiable (almost to a fault), and the combined unearthliness of both parents yields a personality that is hard to ignore. (6 rp)
  • Medium Size: While taller than normal elves — and even many humans — alicorns are Medium creatures and thus have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
  • Fast Speed (Ex) Alicorns have a base speed of 40 feet. (1 rp)
  • Natural Armor (Ex): An alicorn gains an innate natural armor bonus of +2; if another feature or ability grants innate natural armor to the character this increase is an addition to that bonus. (3 rp)
  • Goodly Being (Su): Alicorns have inherited a protective energy from their unicorn progenitors, gaining a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against any spell or effect with the evil descriptor. (1 rp)
  • Keen Senses (Ex) Alicorns have keen eyes and ears from either parent that breed true. This grants them a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks. (2 rp)
  • Detect Evil (Sp): Alicorns can cast detect evil at-will as a spell-like ability at a caster level equal to her character level. (2 rp)
  • Touch of Tranquility (Su): An alicorn can absorb the trauma of living creatures. As a standard action, she may touch a creature and transfer any number of the following ailments from that creature to the alicorn: HP damage, ability damage, diseases, or poisons. The alicorn may only transfer a number of points per day of damage (including ability damage) equal to her character level. Any ailments transfered to the alicorn last for the remainder of their duration and may be resisted, cured or recovered as normal. Each creature aided by this touch can only be so aided once every 24 hours. Using this ability triggers the clarity of pain trait. (3 rp)
  • Clarity of Pain (Su): An alicorn that has absorbed the maladies of a living creature with its touch of tranquility ability gains a +1 insight bonus to AC and saving throws for 1 minute. (1 rp)
  • Languages: Alicorns begin play with Common and Elven. Alicorn with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Celestial, Dwarven, Halfling, Orc, or Sylvan.
  • Race Point Total: 18

Alternate Racial Traits

Courant Horn (Ex) Some alicorn actually have a horn atop their head that they can use to gore enemies. This horn deals 1d6+1.5 times the alicorn’s Strength modifier. This replaces goodly being. 

Feystep (Su): Some alicorn have more ties towards the fey nature of the unicorn than to good or evil. These alicorn may teleport 10 feet as an immediate action whenever they use their touch of tranquility or transfusion of pain ability. This replaces clarity of pain and goodly being.

Subrace – The Dark Alicorn

Some alicorns are the product of nightmares, or unicorns corrupted by fiendish or unseelie taint. Rather than descended from a magical beast of goodly nature, they bear the stain of evil corruption. Rather than the bright, irredescent appearance of the alicorn, a dark alicorn’s skin tends toward sallow and grey colors, while their mane and other hair tends toward raven black — or for nightmare spawn, fiery red that seems to billow and wisp in the wind like flame. In many aspects, the dark alicorn is the mirror of her cousin with their abilities.

  • Detect Good (Sp): Alicorns with this ability can detect good as a spell-like ability as an antipaladin of their character level. This replaces detect evil.
  • Transfusion of Pain (Su): As a standard action, a dark alicorn may touch a creature and transfer any number of the following ailments from the herself to the target: HP damage, ability damage, disease, or poisons. The dark alicorn may only transfer a number of points of damage (including ability damage) per day equal to her character level in this fashion and any ailments transfered last the remainder of their duration and may be resisted, cured or recovered as normal. This trait also activates the sadistic glee trait.
  • Sadistic Glee (Su): When an alicorn uses Transfusion of Pain, it grants a +1 morale bonus to their own attack rolls and saving throw DCs for 1 minute. This replaces Clarity of Pain.
  • Infernal Corruption (Su): Some alicorns are the product of corrupt unicorns or nightmares, or victims of taint in their bloodlines. These alicorn gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against any spell or effect with the good descriptor. This replaces goodly being.

Favored Class Options

Cleric: When channelling energy, increase the amount of healing or damage by +1 per 2 favored class levels.

Druid: Add +1/3 to the bonus from the druid’s resist nature’s lure class ability.

Magus: Add +1/6 of a new magus arcana.

Oracle: Add one spell known from the oracle spell list. This spell must be at least one level below the highest spell level the oracle can cast.

Paladin: Increase the paladin’s daily uses of lay on hands by +1/3.

Ranger: Add +1/3 to the bonus from the ranger’s wild empathy ability.

Sorcerer: Add +1/4 to the save DC of any spell of the charm or compulsion subschools.