NERUBIAN

Description: Nerubians are the survivors of the ancient northern civilization of Azjol-Nerub, which
once eten!e! over "uch of the northern continent of Northren! - until it was wipe! out b# the
onslau$ht of the %cour$e& 'he (in$!o" of Azjol-Nerub was pri"aril# subterranean, consistin$ of
un!er$roun! terrace! pits interconnecte! b# a networ( of tunnels, an! occasionall# "ar(e! b#
above-$roun! zi$$urats& )ver the a$es, the spi!er-fol( of Azjol-Nerub ha! a"asse! hu$e
libraries containin$ wor(s of literature, "usical co"positions, philosoph#, an! arcane lore& Asi!e
fro" occasionall# (i!nappin$ hu"ans an! elves for eperi"entation, the nerubians were content
to sta# to the"selves in their re"ote, frozen lan!&
*owever, this isolation faile! to spare the" the attention of Ner+zhul& Althou$h the# fou$ht fiercel#
to (eep the %cour$e fro" establishin$ a foothol! in Northren!, their own (in$, Anub+Ara(,
betra#e! the" in or!er to secure i""ortalit# for hi"self& 'heir civilization was crushe!, their
libraries burne!, an! their !ea! raise! a$ain to serve as un!ea! "inions of the lich (in$& 'hose
few to survive this !estruction have been scattere!, without a lan! to call their own - an! while
"an# view the nerubians as a col! race, the# are still ,uite capable of an$er, an! burn with
hatre! for the lich (in$ an! his !estruction - an! !esecration - of their civilization&
Appearance: Nerubians are va$uel# re"iniscent of -spi!er centaurs- in that their lower bo!# is
that of a lar$e spi!er with lon$, spin!l# le$s - but where a spi!er+s hea! woul! be, there is instea!
a va$uel# hu"anoi! .but still spi!er-li(e/ torso, with a pair of spin!l#, se$"ente! ar"s, an! an
ei$ht-e#e!, spi!er-li(e face with crushin$ "an!ibles& A Nerubian can stan! as hi$h as 01 feet
when rearin$ up, !ue to its lon$ le$s& Nerubians co"e in a wi!e variet# of colors an! patterns,
an! the# often !ecorate their own eos(eletons with elaborate si$ils& Nerubians co"pose but one
branch of the ancient A,iri insectoi! race, separate! fro" their -(in- a$es a$o when the $reat
lan!"ass of 2ali"!or was bro(en up into "ultiple continents in the 3reat %un!erin$&
Re$ion: Nerubian culture lives on onl# throu$h a few scattere! fa"ilies throu$hout 2ali"!or, an!,
in particular, a few s"all refu$ee settle"ents in the conteste! parts of Ashenvale&
Affiliation: In!epen!ent& Nerubian co""unities are scattere!, an! !o not represent a unifie!
force& 'he# are allie! neither with the *or!e, nor the Alliance& If an#thin$, the# are unite! onl# in
their absolute hatre! of the %cour$e&
%ociet#: Nerubians are not affectionate, nor !o the# epress e"otions in the wa# that "a""als
!o4 therefore, the# are seen as col! an! !etache! - even cruel - b# "an# of the other races of
Azeroth& *owever, the# still eperience an$er, hatre!, lo#alt# an! senti"ental attach"ent in their
own wa# - an! the concept of honor is not alien to the"& 'he# are not purel# lo$ical creatures, but
neither are the# subject to the "oo!s of war"-bloo!e! creatures&
A nerubian co""unit# has a sin$le lea!er, his or her a!visors, a caste of warriors, an! then the
bo!# of wor(ers& Althou$h nerubian societ# is !ivi!e! into castes, there is not the sa"e sti$"a
that woul! be associate! with it in "ost other societies& Nerubian societ# is a "eritocrac#4 thou$h
nerubians are born into life-lon$ occupations an! roles in societ#, those who show particular
talents "a# "ove to an appropriate caste& %uch social "obilit# $enerall# onl# occurs a"on$
#oun$ nerubians, thou$h4 trainin$ an! the effects of !iet on !evelop"ent will eventuall# loc( the"
into their assi$ne! roles&
%"all co""unities rel# on wor(ers to help as "ilitia if nee! be4 lar$er $roups can affor! to have
"uch "ore ri$i!l# !efine! roles& 5o""unities are $enerall# rule! b# an el!er ,ueen, who is
usuall# the "other of "uch of the co""unit#& %ince the fall of Azjol-Nerub, lar$er co""unities
"a# have a council of el!ers "atriarchs, who elect one of their own nu"ber to be the overall
lea!er&
6aith: Before the fall of Azjol-Nerub, nerubian faith centere! aroun! veneration of ancestors an!
reverence bor!erin$ on worship of the (in$ - who was seen as an avatar of the ancestor spirit,
Anub, of his line& 3reat care was put into "u""ification of the eos(eletal hus(s of the !ea!4
lea!ers an! venerate! el!ers were burie! with $reat treasures in elaboratel# !ecorate! to"bs
"eant to $uarantee the" all the necessities an! co"forts possible in the afterlife& 7ith the fall of
the e"pire to the %cour$e, an! the blasphe"ies that followe! - the raisin$ of "u""ifie!
nerubians as cr#pt lor!s an! cr#pt fien!s - the scattere! survivor co""unities still carr# out so"e
vesti$e of the tra!itions of ol!, but the# no lon$er have one lea!er to venerate& 6or "ost
co""unities, a venerate! el!er fills this role, but so"e scattere! co""unities still ple!$e
!evotion to the ol! ancestral line of Anub& .After all, the role of Anub+Ara( in all this is not wi!el#
(nown&/
Na"es: 8an# nerubians have short na"es, no "ore than one or two s#llables, an! there is no
obvious !istinction between "ale an! fe"ale na"es to outsi!e listeners .asi!e fro" a faint
chan$e in inflection/& )nl# the nobilit# possess -surna"es- - which consist of a venerate!
ancestor+s na"e attache! as a prefi to one+s own na"e - e&$&, -Anub+Re(han-& 'he pre"ise is
that the bearer of this na"e is the current ph#sical e"bo!i"ent of that ancestor+s spirit& .'here
shoul! onl# be one in!ivi!ual at a ti"e to bear the sa"e ancestor na"e - but than(s to the
%cour$e an! its practice of raisin$ the ancient, e"bal"e! !ea! to serve as cr#pt fien!s an! cr#pt
lor!s, that is no lon$er $uarantee!&/
Ancestor Na"es: Anub, 'uten, Nerub&
8ale96e"ale Na"es: Ara(, En(an, 2ash, Re(han, %hiah&
Nerubian 5haracters: 3iven the fractious nature of nerubian societ# these !a#s, a nerubian
a!venturer coul! well be a survivor who was separate! fro" his people, or who has been sent
fro" his clan to un!erta(e a lon$-ter" "ission : such as a $eneral co""ission to harass the
%cour$e whenever an! wherever possible, or to see( out an! recover scattere! artifacts of the
Azjol-Nerub e"pire&
Nerubian Racial 'raits
8onstrous *u"anoi!: Nerubians are 8onstrous *u"anoi!s&
;ar$e: As ;ar$e creatures, nerubians have a -0 size penalt# to hit an! to A5, a -< size penalt#
to %tealth atte"pts to hi!e, an! a =< size bonus to 3rapple chec(s& Due to their !elicate
structure, however, the# !o not receive the bonuses to %tren$th an! %ta"ina .or penalt# to
A$ilit#/ nor"all# associate! with such size increase& Nerubians occup# a 01-foot b# 01-foot space
in co"bat, but onl# have a >-foot reach&
?ua!rupe!: As ;ar$e an! ,ua!rupe!al .technicall#, octope!al/ creatures, nerubians have
three ti"es the carr#in$ capacit# as a 8e!iu" character with the sa"e %tren$th ratin$&
E,uip"ent 5onsi!erations: Nerubians are technicall# lar$e creatures, but their upper torsos
are actuall# proportional to that of a "e!iu"-size! hu"anoi!& *ence, the# use weapons scale!
for a "e!iu"-size! creature& Nerubians can wear cloa(s, bac(pac(s, robes, vest"ents, rin$s,
nec(laces9a"ulets, bracers an! belts scale! for a "e!iu"-size! creature& *el"s an! ar"or,
however, "ust be specificall# fashione! for a nerubian, an! the# cannot wear boots& An# ar"or
custo"-fit for a nerubian costs five ti"es .>/ the cost for co"parable ar"or size! for a "e!iu"
hu"anoi!&
Nerubian base lan! spee! is <1 feet& 'he# have a cli"b spee! of @1 feet on nerubian webs .or
other $iant spi!er webs, inclu!in$ webs create! b# the web spell/&
Natural 7eapons: A nerubian has two claws that can !o 0!< points of slashin$ !a"a$e, an! a
bite for 0!< points of piercin$ !a"a$e&
Dar(vision: Nerubians can see in the !ar( up to A1 feet& Dar(vision is blac( an! white, but it is
otherwise li(e nor"al si$ht&
6rozen 8in! .E/: 'he "in!s of nerubians are !ifferent fro" "ost races, leavin$ the"
untouche! b# powers that affect the "in! .for instance, an# spell with the "in!-affectin$
!escriptor/& 'he# are also i""une to fear effects& 'hose who have atte"pte! telepathic
co""unication with nerubians !escribe it as tr#in$ to bore throu$h "an# feet of ice& 'his sa"e
,ualit# "a(es the" i""une to NerBzhulBs un!eath pla$ue&
5ol! Resistance 0 .E/: Nerubians "a# i$nore 0 point of !a"a$e fro" col! per roun!&
Althou$h now scattere! across the worl!, their race still bears the a!aptations re,uire! b#
thousan!s of #ears livin$ in the frozen north&
=< racial bonus to %tealth an! %pot chec(s& .Note that this racial bonus effectivel# balances out
the size penalt# to %tealth when hi!in$&/ A nerubian also has a =C racial bonus on 5li"b chec(s
an! can alwa#s choose to ta(e 01 on a 5li"b chec(, even if rushe! or threatene!& 'hese s(ills
are class s(ills for all nerubians, as the# co"e naturall#&
7eapon an! Ar"or Droficienc#: All nerubians are proficient in the use of si"ple weapons an!
li$ht ar"or&
Auto"atic ;an$ua$es: 5o""on an! Nerubian& Nerubian is both a spo(en an! si$n lan$ua$e&
Bonus ;an$ua$es: Darnassian, 3oblin, ;ow 5o""on, )rcish& As a "atter of necessit#, "an#
nerubians have learne! the ton$ues of their new ho"es&
Racial ;evels: Unli(e hu"ans an! so"e other races, nerubians can ta(e a few levels in
ENerubianF as a class to !evelop their racial ,ualities "ore full#&
6avore! 5lass: 7arrior, arcanist or aristocrat .choose one upon $ainin$ first class level/& A
nerubianBs favore! class !oes not count when !eter"inin$ whether it suffers an eperience point
penalt# for "ulticlassin$& .%ee 5hapter G: 5lasses, -8ulticlass 5haracters,- HD for 8ulticlass
5haracters&/
'able 0: 'he Nerubian
Nerubian
;evel Base Attac(
Bonus 6ort
%ave Ref
%ave 7ill
%ave %pecial
0st =1 =1 =1 =@ 7eb, Doison, =0 A$#, =0 Int
@n! =0 =0 =1 =G =0 natural ar"or, =0 %tr, =0 A$#
Gr! =@ =@ =0 =G =0 Int, =0 A$#
<th =G =G =0 =< =0 natural ar"or, =0 %tr, =0 A$#
Nerubian ;evels
Nerubians can ta(e up to four levels in ENerubianF at an# ti"e& 'hese are treate! as a Efavore!
classF an! !o not count when !eter"inin$ whether a nerubian character suffers an eperience
point penalt# for "ulticlassin$&
*it Die: !C&
%(ill Doints at 0st 5haracter ;evel: .@ = Int "o!ifier/ <&
%(ill Doints at Each A!!itional ;evel: @ = Int "o!ifier&
E5lassF %(ills: 5li"b .%tr/, 5raft or 2nowle!$e .pic( an# one/, %tealth .A$#/, Iu"p .%tr/, ;isten
.%pt/, %pot .%pt/&
7eapon an! Ar"or Droficienc#: Nerubians are proficient in the use of all si"ple weapons an!
li$ht ar"or&
5ol! Resistance .E/: NerubiansB natural resistance to col! increases with race level4 the# $ain
5ol! Resistance e,ual to 0 = their Nerubian race level, to a "ai"u" of 5ol! Resistance >& .%ee
'able @: Nerubian %pecial Abilities&/
Doison .E/: Nerubian poison attac(s the victi"Bs "uscles an! is !elivere! b# bite& 'he save is
"a!e b# 6ortitu!e, an! the initial an! secon!ar# !a"a$e affects %tren$th& 6ort D5 J 01 = K
Nerubian levels .roun! !own/ = NerubianBs %ta "o!ifier& 6or instance, a < *D Nerubian with a
%ta of 0@ .=0/ woul! have poison that re,uires a 6ort D5 save of 0G to resist& .01 = <9@ = 0&/
If the save is faile!, initial an! secon!ar# !a"a$e is a$ainst %tren$th, an! is base! on the
NerubianBs race level& .%ee 'able @: Nerubian %pecial Abilities&/
7eb .E/: A nerubian can e"it a web up to A ti"es per !a# .!epen!ent upon level : see 'able @:
Nerubian %pecial Abilities/, which functions as per the web spell .c&f&/, with race levels in
Nerubian use! as Espellcaster levelF& 'he pri"ar# !ifference is that a nerubian web has !a"a$e
re!uction .which increases with race level/ - thou$h it is still just as vulnerable to fire&
In a!!ition to usin$ webbin$ as an attac(, a nerubian with at least one race level in Nerubian can
spin a sin$le stran! to !escen! at its cli"b spee!& 'he stran! can hol! the wei$ht of a nerubian
an! one creature of 8e!iu" or s"aller size& Nerubians can "ove across their own webbin$ at
their cli"b spee!&
Natural 7eapons: 'he !a"a$e cause! b# a nerubianBs bite increases with race level& .%ee 'able
@: Nerubian %pecial Abilities&/
'able @: Nerubian %pecial Abilities
Nerubian Doison %tr 7eb 7eb Bite
;evel Da"a$e Use DR Da"a$e 5ol! Resistance
0st 0 09!a# @9- 0!< 5ol! Resist @
@n! 0!@ @9!a# G9- 0!A 5ol! Resist G
Gr! 0!< <9!a# <9- 0!C 5ol! Resist <
<th 0!A A9!a# >9- 0!C 5ol! Resist >
Nerubian 7eb
'he nerubian abilit# to spin a web is an etraor!inar# natural abilit#, but for purposes of
eecution, treat it as a natural, spell-li(e abilit# that cannot be !ispelle!, !is"isse! or reflecte!,
an! which is not subject to anti-"a$ic !efenses&
5onjuration .5reation/
5astin$ 'i"e: 0 stan!ar! action
Ran$e: 8e!iu" .011 ft = 01 ft9race level/
Effect: 7ebs in a @1-ft-ra!ius sprea!
Duration: 01 "in9race level
%avin$ 'hrow: Refle ne$ates4 see tet
%pell Resistance: No
7eb creates a "an#-la#ere! "ass of stron$, stic(# stran!s& 'hese stran!s trap those cau$ht in
the"& 'he stran!s are si"ilar to spi!er webs but far lar$er an! tou$her& 'hese "asses "ust be
anchore! to two or "ore soli! an! !ia"etricall# oppose! points or else the web collapses upon
itself an! is useless& 5reatures cau$ht within a web beco"e entan$le! a"on$ the $lue# fibers&
Attac(in$ a creature in a web wonBt cause #ou to beco"e entan$le!&
An#one in the effectBs area when the spell is cast "ust "a(e a Refle save& If this save succee!s,
the creature is entan$le!, but not prevente! fro" "ovin$, thou$h "ovin$ is "ore !ifficult than
nor"al for bein$ entan$le! .see below/& If the save fails, the creature is entan$le! an! canBt "ove
fro" its space, but can brea( loose b# spen!in$ 0 roun! an! "a(in$ a D5 @1 %tren$th chec( or a
D5 @> Escape Artist chec(& )nce loose .either b# "a(in$ the initial Refle save or a later
%tren$th chec( or Escape Artist chec(/, a creature re"ains entan$le!, but "a# "ove throu$h the
web ver# slowl#& Each roun! !evote! to "ovin$ allows the creature to "a(e a new %tren$th
chec( or Escape Artist chec(& 'he creature "oves > feet for each full > points b# which the chec(
result ecee!s 01&
If #ou have at least > feet of web between #ou an! an opponent, it provi!es cover& If #ou have at
least @1 feet of web between #ou, it provi!es total cover&
'he stran!s of a web are fla""able& A "a$ic fla"in$ swor! can slash the" awa# as easil# as a
han! brushes awa# cobwebs& An# fire capable of inflictin$ at least 0 hp of fire !a"a$e can set the
webs ali$ht an! burn awa# > s,uare feet in 0 roun!& All creatures within fla"in$ webs ta(e @!<
points of fire !a"a$e fro" the fla"es&
Nerubian E,uip"ent
Nerubian Ar"or 5osts: 6ew articles of clothin$ or ar"or "a!e to fit "ost hu"anoi! races will fit
nerubians, !ue to their chitinous shells, o!! bo!# shape an! lar$e size& An# ar"or custo"-fit for a
nerubian character costs five ti"es .>/ the cost for co"parable ar"or size! for a "e!iu"-size!
hu"anoi!&
5hitin Ar"or: In their own lan!s, nerubians have a special (in! of hi!e ar"or for"e! fro" their
own "olte! eos(eletons& 'he !iscar!e! chitin is co"bine! with woo! pulp, lac,uer, an! a
variet# of alche"ical preparations& 5reatin$ chitin ar"or re,uires a D5 0> 5raft .alche"#/ chec(
to prepare the raw "aterial, followe! b# the stan!ar! ar"or craftin$ proce!ure&
5hitin ar"ors can be "a!e as analo$s of an# eistin$ ar"ors& 'he cost is three ti"es .G/,
instea! of the usual >, for nerubian custo" ar"or, an! the chitin ar"or wei$hs the sa"e as
re$ular ar"or for a 8e!iu" creature& 8ai"u" De Bonus an! Ar"or 5hec( Denalt# are
increase! b# 0, an! Arcane %pell 6ailure is re!uce! b# >L&
%tartin$ E,uip"ent: If pla#ers are allowe! to EpurchaseF startin$ e,uip"ent for their characters, a
nerubian character "a# start with a set of nerubian ar"or, Ecostin$F twice .@/ a co"parable set
of ar"or size! for a "e!iu"-size! hu"anoi!, with the factors !escribe! above& No alche"# or
craft chec( is re,uire! for the startin$ ar"or4 it is assu"e! that this was alrea!# !one before the
character starte! a!venturin$, an! the !ecrease! cost represents .in abstract/ the fact that such
ar"or woul!nBt be Enonstan!ar!F in nerubian lan!s& A "asterwor( version of this ar"or costs an
a!!itional 0>1 $p .as with nor"al "asterwor( ar"or/&
Desi$n Notes
'hese rules are base! on the statistics for nerubians in the 8anual of 8onsters, but with the
atte"pt to brin$ these benefits !own to a "ore "ana$eable level - to allow for 0st level nerubian
a!venturers& Initial pla#testin$ reveale! that the -web- inherent abilit# can be a particular
nuisance for the D8, since the tar$et is still si$nificantl# hin!ere! even if it "a(es its savin$
throw& %o"e of the nerubian abilities have been therefore -tone! !own- further for the sa(e of
balance an! pla#abilit#&