Races of the East: Hagspawn
Sons of malicious, predatory mothers, hagspawn are not a complete race, as there are no females of their kind. Hags continue their awful lineage by taking human males for mates, usually murdering and devouring the hapless captive later. The female children of a hag quickly grow into hags like their mothers, but the male children are hagspawn, half-human outcasts. Feared and hated by normal humans, hagspawn must make their way in the world by dint of their strength, hardiness, and sheer determination.
Hagspawn are found in any land but are especially common where many hags dwell - Rashemen, for example.
Personality: All too often, hagspawn are filled with the malice, violence, and resentment of their monstrous parent. They are quick to take offense and view even the most innocent remark as a hidden slight. People regard them as ill-tempered monsters, and many hagspawn perpetuate distrust of their kind by behaving exactly as expected. They look out for themselves first and regard companions as temporary allies to be discarded when convenient. Unlike many other evil-natured creatures, though, hagspawn are capable of working furiously to achieve a desired end and do not shy away from physical hardship or danger if the reward seems worth the risk.
Many hagspawn overcome their evil tendencies ahd strive to get along as best they can in human society, enduring the suspicions of their neighbors while proving themselves through their actions. Stoic and uncomplaining, a hagspawn of this sort can be a great force against evil.
Physical Description: Hagspawn are tall and powerfully built, with long arms, big hands, and a hunched posture. Their black hair is long and lank, and their eyes gleam red with malice. Their faces are heavy-featured and coarse, and their skin color often hints at their mother's subrace - pallid blue for the sons of annises, sickly green for a green hag's spawn, and so on. In lands where hags are scarce, a hagspawn might pass for a loutish and ill-favored human, but the folk of the East know them all too well.
Relations: Hagspawn don't get along well with anybody, although they have a certain sympathy for half-orcs and tieflings. Dwarves, elves, halflings, and other civilized non-humans generally judge a hagspawn based on his deeds, but not so humans. In Rashemen, hagspawn are infamous for their evil tempers, violent natures, and depraved crimes, and they can expect no welcome in a Rashemi village. A few individuals have overcome this social stigma by proving themselves loyal and true, but most hagspawn either leave Rashemen or die bitter and young, having finally done something awful enough to rouse their neighbors against them.
Alignment: A typical hagspawn is a malefactor through and through. Those who conquer their violent heritage don't fit in with very lawful societies but do best where an individual is judged on his own merits.
Religion: Hagspawn most often adopt a faith that appeals to the lonely, embittered, and vengeful. Bane, Shar, and Cyric are common patron deities, although the elemental fury of Tabs and the battle skill of Tempus also speak to the hagspawn's violent nature. Good hagspawn most often worship the deity of whatever community they eventually find a home in.
Language: Hagspawn speak Common, Giant, and the human language of their native region (usually Rashemi). Bonus languages depend on their home region.
Names: Hagspawn usually take simple human names for themselves in the language of their home region. In Rashemen, these include Bor, Dor, Josel, Kurg, Sergel, and Vladir. Some claim their father's surname, while others who do not care to hide their heritage call themselves "Hagson," or use their monstrous mother's name.
Adventurers: In one sense, almost all hagspawn are adventurers, with dim prospects for staying at home and living as normal members of a human community. Many are wandering brigands, thugs, and sellswords, never staying too long in any one spot lest their neighbors blame them for some crime or misfortune. Hagspawn make good fighters and rogues and are well suited to a life of violence and robbery.
Hagspawn Racial traits
Hagspawn have the following abilities and characteristics.
- +2 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma: Hagspawn are strong and hardy, but are sullen and ill-tempered.
- Medium-size.
- Land speed 30 feet.
- Monstrous Humanoid: Hagspawn are not subject to spells or effects that affect only humanoids, such as charm person or dominate person.
- Darkvision: Hagspawn can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
- Natural Armor: +2 natural armor bonus.
- Spell resistance of 11 + character level.
- Automatic Languages: Common, Giant. Bonus Languages: By character region.
- Level Adjustment: +2. A hagspawn has an effective character level (ECL) of 2 plus class levels, so a 1st-level hagspawn barbarian would have an ECL of 3. See Powerful Races
- Favored Class: Barbarian. A multiclassed hagspawn's barbarian class does not count when determining whether he suffers an XP penalty.