Thri-kreen

Hulking insect-men standing as tall as 7 feet at the shoulder, the thri-kreen are the least "Human" of the player character races. Their survivability in the wilderness, combined with their cunning and intellect, have made the mantis warriors (as they are known to some races) the undisputed masters across large tracts of the Athasian wastes.

The individual thri-kreen is a six-limbed creature with a tough, sandy-yellow exoskeleton. Its hind legs are the most powerful, used for walking, running, and leaping. The four forward limbs each have a hand with three fingers and an opposable thumb. A thri-kreen's exoskeleton is extremely hard, part of the reason thri-kreen never wear armor.

A thri-kreen's head has two large eyes, two antennae, and a small-but-powerful jaw. The jaws work from side to side and have several small extensions that grab and manipulate food while it is being eaten. The eyes are jet black and multi-faceted, separated to either side of the head. The antennae are all but vestigial, serving only to help maneuver through brush and grasslands in the darkness (though not nearly as well as races with low-light vision). Thri-kreen have no need of sleep, thus Thri-kreen characters can remain active through the day and night.

Several weapons are signature tools of the Thri-kreen. Chief among them are the gythka, a polearm with wicked blades at either end, and the chatkcha, a crystalline throwing wedge. A thri-kreen masters the use of the chatkcha as part of their early training. The chatkcha can be thrown up to 90 yards and still return to the thrower if it misses the target. When it hits, a chatkcha inflicts Strength +2 points of damage.

Thri-kreen can use most magical items such as wands, rods, staves, weapons, shields, and most miscellaneous magic. Those items, however, designed to be worn by demihumans, such as rings, girdles, armor, and cloaks, will not function for a thri-kreen because he simply cannot put them on. They also fashion many forms of clothing, but never wear armor.

The pack is the single unit of organization among the thri-kreen, generally having 2-24 individuals.The pack is always on the hunt, never idle. Thri-kreen consider the other player character races as potential food stock, but only prey on other intelligent creatures in times of desperation. The mantis warriors have a well-known taste for elves, which keeps both races at an uneasy peace when they are forced to cooperate.

There are no permanent thri-kreen communities. The so-called thri-kreen nations are, in fact, not organized as such, nor are they thought of as nations by the mantis warriors. The nations are human conventions to delineate on maps where the thri-kreen thrive and dominate.

Racial Bonuses

 * Carapace: The shell of a Thri-kreen is tough enough to grant +4 armor however it also prevents the wearing of additional armor.
 * Leaping: A Thri-kreen can move their Base Pace in a single leap horizontally and up to half their Base Pace vertically. They can also fall up to their Base Pace without taking damage, provided they land on their feet.
 * Limited Inventory: Thri-kreen cannot use magical items intended for demi-humans such as rings, armor, cloaks, etc.
 * Multi-limbed: Thri-kreen have an extra pair of hands granting them one extra action per turn, as well as 1d6+STR damage for any claw attacks made.
 * Overconfidence: When immediate danger threatens the group, Thri-kreen instinctively swarm until the threat is eliminated or they are.
 * Racial Enemy: Diplomacy with elves is at a -4 Charisma penalty due to eating habits.
 * Short-lived: Thri-kreen seldom die of old age, which is about 25 years.
 * Tireless: Sleep to a Thri-kreen is a peculiar way other races waste time laying about