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Rakasta
Medium Humanoid (Rakasta)
Hit Dice: 2d8 (9 hp) Initiative: +2 Speed: 25 ft (5 squares ) Armor Class: 14 (+2 Dex, +2 natural ), touch 12, flat-footed 12 Base Attack /Grapple: +1/+2 Attack : Kasa +2 melee (1d4+1) or claw +2 melee (1d2+1) Full Attack : 2 kasas +2 melee (1d4+1) and bite -3 melee (1d4+1) or 2 claws +2 melee (1d2+1) and bite -3 melee (1d4+1) Space/Reach: 5 ft/5 ft Special Attacks : Improved grab, mounted leap , rake 1d3+1 Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft, scent Saves : Fort +0, Ref +6, Will +1 Abilities: Str 13, Dex 15, Con 11 , Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 8 Skills: Balance +6, Climb +2, Craft (any one) +2, Hide +6, Jump +4, Listen +5, Move Silently +6, Ride +6, Spot +5, Tumble +6 Feats: Acrobatic Environment: Temperate and warm plains and deserts Organization: Solitary, pair, or pride (3-30 plus 25% noncombatant young , 1-8 smilodons , 4-HD cleric, and 5-HD chief) Challenge Rating: 02 Treasure : 50% coins, standard goods , standard items Alignment: Often neutral Advancement : By character class Level Adjustment: +3

This humanoid has a feline head , and is covered with soft, tawny fur. It stands upright , and moves with an agile grace. Its cat-like eyes are a brilliant green . The rakasta are a race of intelligent feline humanoids . They are a proud warrior race that lives as nomadic barbarians . They are not prone towards hostility to other races, but respond quickly when threatened or provoked . Rakasta are also skilled artisans. They make bright rugs and silk tapestries, artfully crafted bowls and cups, and other valued items, rather than keeping precious gems and jewels . Rakasta can be reliable trading partners, if their attention can be turned away from martial society for long enough . Rakasta are organized into prides that roam far and wide . Prides sometimes build temporary settlements, known for their distinctively colorful tents and pavilions . Rakasta are excellent hunters, and keep the local game herds from overpopulating . Each rakasta has a chief, whose word is law and obeyed unquestioningly . Rakasta have a caste of mounted knights, known as hatra. These warriors are also called tiger riders, as they have tamed saber-toothed tigers that they ride into battle (these beasts will not allow non-rakasta to ride them). Hatra are considered the bravest and strongest warriors in a pride , and also serve as the personal guards to the chief. As a pride s finest warriors , they enjoy a special place in rakasta society, and are held in the highest honor . Hatra have their own code of conduct to dictate a warrior s behavior some examples include : never refuse a challenge to fight, never leave wounded behind , give or expect no mercy from your enemy, never surrender . Rakasta are 5-7 feet tall, with a 4-6 foot long tail and weigh around 150 pounds . Rakasta speak Rakasta and Common , with a purring voice with rolled Rs and hissed Ss.

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COMBAT A rakasta fights fiercely, expecting its opponent to do the same. Though rakasta can use normal weapons , they disdain such equipment and prefer to rely on their own natural weapons . Rakasta are often armed with a special set of metal war claws that they call kasas, which are worn on the paw like a glove . Rakasta that ride saber-toothed tigers use special saddles that enable them to fight unhindered while mounted . These saddles allow a rakasta to maintain control of its mount by controlling the tiger with knee pressure , and do not hinder the mounts combat capabilities . These saddles also allow a rakasta to leap and attack in the same round . Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability , a rakasta must hit either with both claw attacks or both kasa attacks. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity . If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can make two rake attacks with its rear claws. Mounted Leap (Ex): A rakasta can leap up to 20 feet from its mount and still make its full attack in the same round . Rake (Ex): Attack bonus +2 melee , damage 1d3+1. Skills: Rakasta have a +4 racial bonus on Balance , Hide , and Move Silently checks. They use their Dexterity modifier instead of their Strength modifier for Climb and Jump checks. RAKASTA ITEMS Kasa: Rakasta are often armed with a special set of metal war claws that they call kasas, which are worn on the paw like a glove . A kasa is a light exotic weapon that deals 1d4 (Medium ) of slashing damage on a hit with a critical range of 18-20x2. A character using a kasa cannot be disarmed with the disarm action. Cost: 30 gp (price is for one kasa). Weight: 2 lb. RAKASTA AS CHARACTERS Most rakasta leaders are rangers , barbarians , or even some fighters. A rakasta cleric has access to two of the following domains : Animal , Luck, Travel, War. Rakasta characters possess the following racial traits. Strength +2, Dexterity +4, Intelligence +2, Wisdom +2, Charisma 2. Size Medium . A rakasta's base land speed is 25 feet. Darkvision out to 60 feet. Racial Hit Dice: A rakasta begins with two levels of humanoid , which provide 2d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +1, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +0, Ref +3, and Will +0. Racial Skills: A rakasta's humanoid levels give it skill points equal to 5 x (2 + Int modifier ) . Its class skills are Craft, Listen, Ride , Tumble . Rakasta have a +4 racial bonus on Balance , Hide , and Move Silently checks. They use their Dexterity modifier instead of their Strength modifier for Climb and Jump checks. Racial Feats: A rakasta's humanoid levels give it one feat. +2 natural armor bonus . Weapon Familiarity : Rakastas treat kasas as martial weapons , rather than exotic weapons . Natural Weapons : Claw (1d2) and bite (1d4). Special Attacks (see above ): Improved grab, mounted leap , rake. Special Qualities : Scent. Automatic Languages : Common , Rakasta. Bonus Languages : Draconic , Gnoll, Goblin , Halfling . Favored Class: Ranger . Level adjustment +3. SAVAGE COAST RAKASTA The Savage Coast region of Mystara is home to a hardier breed of rakasta. These rakasta have developed a feudal style of government mixed with their nomadic ways of old, and their warrior traditions and mystical tendencies . These rakasta are known to carry and use other melee weapons besides the kasa, and their technology level is comparable to other nearby humanoid cultures. Hatra are not common among these town-dwelling rakasta. Their favored class is Fighter, instead of Ranger . This breed of rakasta has developed additional abilities that their nomadic cousins do not possess. These rakasta have excellent balance and reflexes, and take only half damage from any fall. They have unusually keen senses, and receive a +4 racial bonus to Listen checks. Because of this keen hearing , these rakasta suffer a 2 penalty on all saving throws against sonic attacks. Rakasta sight is also very keen, providing them with Blind Fight as a bonus feat. These rakasta intuitively sense the presence of invisible or ethereal

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creatures within 10 feet, and receive a +4 bonus on Spot and Listen checks to find such creatures.

1981 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Originally found in module X1 The Isle of Dread (1981 , David Cook and Tom Moldvay ), module X2 Castle Amber (1981 ), AC9 - Creature Catalogue (1986 ), DMR2 - Creature Catalog (1993 ), and Mystara Monstrous Compendium App

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