Fixing the Furries

Well, now that Culture of Choice is in the bag, and art for the Heavy Future racial sourcebook is trickling in, I've started working on a revised, POD version of Fursona. I want to take all the content from the three existing Fursona books, and consolidate it. I also want to simplify the character creation system a bit, and encourage players to create 'hybrid' style furries more easily. Tons of furry fan art exists of say, wolves with dragon wings, fox-bats, and tigers with ram horns, among other hybrid critters. I want you to be able to build chimeric shit like that easily.

I also wanted to eliminate the whole concept of orders- what animal species you belong to is purely a flavorful and descriptive choice. The problem with orders was that every time I created a new power, I had to publish another paragraph or two deciding what orders that power was a major or minor trait for, and likewise with any new order I generated, I had to put out several paragraphs explaining what powers were favored for them.

So how, everybody gets a number of "Gifts of Nature" determined by their size, with Small and Medium Anthros getting the most. Character creation is actually rather similar to Battlechangers: like my genericized Transformers, furries are a very diverse and almost infinitely customizable 'species'. I put species in quotes, because Anthros really aren't one species- its an umbrella which shelters a wide variety of similar species, from genetically engineered uplifts, products of parallel evolution in other worlds or dimensions, creatures transformed by sorcery and even Agathion-like outsiders. That diversity makes writhing a species book difficult, but I do want to give my Anthros more of a sense of place and culture.I also want to tie furry races more strongly into my signature settings, including setting specific stuff for Otherverse America, Black Tokyo, Heavy Future and more.

Here's a weighty excerpt from the racial write up, that should give you an idea of what to expect from Ultimate Fursona. 

Anthros

Tiny to Huge Humanoid (Anthro)

Anthros aren’t simply one species. Instead, the term is an umbrella for a variety of mostly interfertile, highly adaptable and exuberant hominids with bestial traits and a partially animalistic appearance. Anthros hail from every corner of the multiverse. Some Anthro bloodlines are products of science: genetic uplifts from animal stock, while others are creatures of parallel evolution on distant worlds, or mystical hybrids created by sorcery.

Regardless of their origins, Anthros marry the natural instincts and survival adaptations of the animal kingdom with the cunning and intellect of humanity.

Anthro Racial Traits

All Anthros have the following racial traits.

Size and Type

Anthros are Humanoids with the Anthro subtype.

Optional

Players may give their Anthro an additional subtype appropriate to its origins, if desired. For instance, a cobra Anthro might have the Reptilian subtype, or a human/coyote hybrid might have the Human subtype. Players are not required to give their Anthros an additional subtype.

Players choose their Anthro’s size at character creation. This size determines many of the Anthro’s physical characteristics. These include the character’s base land speed, reach and number of Gifts of Nature allowed, as well as the damage inflicted by their natural weapons.  

Game Master Note

The GM is free to restrict Anthro characters to a particular size range, as Tiny and Huge characters might be considered unbalanced in most standard campaigns.

Anthro’s Size Category	Anthro’s Base Landspeed	Anthro’s Reach	Anthro’s Natural Weapons (claw/hoof)	Anthro’s Natural Weapon (gore)	Gifts of Nature
Tiny	10 ft	0 ft	1d3+STR (20/x2)	1d6+STR (20/x3)	Three
Small	20 ft	5 ft	1d4+STR (20/x2)	1d8+STR (20/x3)	Four
Medium	30 ft	5 ft	1d6+STR (20/x2)	1d10+STR (20/x3)	Four
Large	40 ft	10 ft	1d8+STR (20/x2)	1d12+STR (20/x3)	Three
Huge	40 ft	15 ft	1d10+STR (20/x2)	2d6+STR (20/x3)	Two

Natural Weapons (EX)

All Anthros possess some form of natural weapon, provided by evolution.

Anthros receive two natural weapon attacks as primary natural attack forms. These either take the form of two claw attacks (slashing damage) or two hoof stomps (bludgeoning damage). Damage is based upon the Anthro’s size.

Alternatively, the Anthro can select a single gore attack that inflicts piercing damage based upon size, in the case of horned (rhinoceros) or antlered (deer, elk) derived Anthro species.

Lowlight Vision (EX)
Anthros have keen eyes, and possess lowlight vision.

Choose Your Ability Scores

Anthros are such a radically diverse assortment of creatures, with an equally diverse range of talents. Pick one ability score package for your Anthro; once chosen, this choice cannot be changed.

Optional You can also roll D8 to see what your ability score package suggests, if you need inspiration about what kind of Anthro you’ll build, and then select Gifts of Nature that mesh well with this concept.

(1) Adaptable

+2 to any ability score of choice. Anthros like this can excel in a wide variety of situations and environments.

(2) Chase Predator

+2 DEX, -2 CON, +2 WIS. These Anthros are nimble and have keen senses, but a hot-running metabolism saps their vitality.

(3) Domesticated

-2 STR, +2 INT, +2 CHA. These Anthros are clever and likable, but bred to be physically frail.

(4) Enduring but Dim

+4 CON, -2  INT. These Anthros can work all day without breaking a sweat, but aren’t the sharpest claw in the paw.

(5) Instinctual Hunter

+2 STR, -4 INT, +2 WIS. This feral Anthro gets by with instinct and a healthy capacity for violence rather than book learning or rational thought.

(6) Tough and Ponderous

+2 STR, -2 DEX, +2 CON. These Anthros are incredibly strong and healthy, but a bit slow and clumsy.

(7) Trickster

+2 DEX, -2 CON, +2 CHA. This Anthro gets by on guile and charm, but doesn’t know the meaning of hard work.

(8) Quick Witted

-2 STR, +2 INT, +2 WIS. The Anthro learns fast and has good senses, but isn’t a hard hitter by any means.

Choose Your Gifts of Nature

Gifts of Nature are the innate powers that Anthro heroes are blessed with. These gifts can range from a boa constrictor Anthro’s crushing hug, to a falcon Anthro’s powerful wings, or a Clydesdale Anthro’s speed and steel-crushing kick. Players choose a number of Gifts of Nature determined by their Anthro’s size. Players wanting more Gifts can choose Disadvantages, which allow them to select additional powers beyond the usual limit.

Most Gifts of Nature count as a single gift. If there’s no other notation in the ability write-up, that trait counts as just one Gift. If a particularly powerful gift counts as two or more Gift of Nature selections, that’s noted in the ability’s description.

Standard Monster Abilities as Gifts of Nature

The following standard racial abilities can be chosen as Gifts of Nature.

Alignment Subtype (any)

All Around Vision

Anthro Senses (gain Scent and Darkvision 60 ft)

Aquatic (gains Aquatic subtype, ability to breathe water and a Swim speed equal to base land speed)

Blindsight 30 ft (counts as two Gifts)

Blindsense 60 ft

Bonus Feat, Minor (0-1 prerequisites aside from ability score prerequisites, can be selected multiple times for extra feats)

Bonus Feat, Major (2 or more prerequisites aside from ability score prerequisites, can be selected multiple times for extra feats) (each feat of this type counts as 2 Gifts)

Burrow Speed (equal to ½ base land speed; can only burrow through loose earth or soil if chosen as 1 Gift, or through rock or hard-packed stone if chosen as 2 Gifts)

Climb Speed (equal to base landspeed)

Constrict

Evasion (counts as 2 Gifts)

Fast Healing 2 (can be selected multiple times)

Fast Speed (increase base speeds by 10 ft, can be selected multiple times)

Ferocity

Grab (with natural weapons- bite, paws or hooves only)

Greater Starflight (counts as 2 Gifts)

Greensight 60 ft

Immunity to Non-Magical Disease

Immunity to Poison

No Breath (counts as 2 Gifts)

Natural Armor (+2 natural armor bonus to AC, can be selected multiple times)

Pounce (counts as 2 Gifts)

Psionic (gain the Naturally Psionic and Psionic Aptitude racial traits and the Psionic subtype)

Push or Pull 5 ft (can be taken more than once)

Rake (requires two or more natural weapon attacks) (counts as 2 Gifts)

Rend (requires two or more natural weapon attacks) (counts as 2 Gifts)

Resistance (1 energy type) 10 (can be taken multiple times, either to stack or to acquire new energy resistances each time)

Regeneration 2, nullified by Acid/Fire (can be selected multiple times) (counts as 2 Gifts each selection)

Spell-Like or Psi-Like Ability (zero level, usable at will)

Spell-Like or Psi-Like Ability (1^st level, usable 3x/day)

Spell-Like or Psi-Like Ability (2^nd level, usable 1x/day) 

You may purchase the same 1^st or 2^nd spell- or psi-like ability multiple times to gain additional daily uses, or purchase different versions of these Gifts, representing different spell- or psi-like abilities.

Spell Resistance 10+level or Hit Dice (counts as 2 Gifts)

Starflight (counts as 2 Gifts)

Stability

Stench (can activate or deactivate Stench as a move action)

Stonecutting

Tremorsense 60 ft

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