Shining Lights in the Darkness

Jennifer wanted to play a yuan-ti like character, which I was fine with, so I began looking through Eberron for something that could fit to Jenn's mental image of a being with a snake tail instead of legs.  I knew there was a mention of yuan-ti who were feared by halflings, a bit of searching and I found this: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ebds/20040920a

I was thrilled by the story of the Shulassakar, better than I could have even imagined, it fits quite well with the campaign I had in mind.

Problem.   Yuan-ti halfbloods (the weakest yuan-ti to be able to possess a snake tail instead of legs) are 7 hit dice with a 5 effective character level.  Now personally, after I went through the class, I think that balance wise they are closer to a 3 ECL, but even still, that was 10 levels before Jenn could even begin to take a class level.  Not very much fun IMO.

From a story perspective, the Shulassakar are identical to yuan-ti, except they are meant to be descended from couatl, which doesn't make that much sense mechanic wise.  With all of this in mind, I created the Hidden Light, a caste of Shulassakar only recently born, believed by many to be a portent of signs to come.

With no further ado, I will now describe the Hidden Light.  I describe the race as a leveled race, but since the campaign is a 4th level campaign it works fine.  I may modify this a bit to further match the concept or balance it before the campaign starts.

Shulassakar: Feathered Servant - Hidden Light

Medium Monstrous Humanoid                                     

            Hit Die: d8

Thirty years ago, a powerful Shulassakar seer received a vision from the Silver Flame, forseeing a great evil from the Age of Demons escaping its prison.  Around that same time, a new breed of Shulassakar began being born, above the servants and below the flametouched.  The Hidden Light, as these new beings are called, possess many of the abilities of the flametouched, but the ability to masquerade as a human like servants.

The Hidden, as they are called, have spread throughout Khorvaire in secret, masquerading as followers of the church of the silver flame, adventurers, and the like.  The Hidden possess less of the innate gifts of the other Shulassakar, but possess more flexibility allowing them to fill different niches as their training requires.

The hidden look more or less like humans with iridescent scales that look like tattoos, the same as servants have.  The hidden have the ability to assume a hybrid form that gives them the appearance of a flametouched, making their skin tougher growing small colored feathers over their skin.

Racial Traits

Starting Ability Score Adjustments:  +2 intelligence, +2 charisma.

Speed:  30’ legs

Automatic Languages:  Common, Draconic

Bonus Weapon Proficiencies: Longbow, composite longbow.

Armor Proficency: Light armor proficiency, Shields

Bonus Feats:  Alertness

Favored Class: Cleric

Darkvision 60’

Alternate Form at will– Small-medium viper, hybrid (tail, +2 natural armor, no legs, Constrict attack 1d6+3, 20’, climb 15’, swim 15’ tail)

Racial Skills

The Hidden Light racial skills are Concentration, Craft, Knowledge (any two), Listen, Spot.

Skill Points at each Hit Die: 2 + Int modifier