Told you I was working on it. This version of the Neocarcine is incomplete — I need to get ancestry feats figured out, and things are subject to change, especially if something is crazy unbalanced and I didn’t notice. If you have any ideas, especially for heritage/feat things, I’m all ears. Leave a comment here or drop a line at h_degroat {at} live {dot} com. Without further ado, here are the base mechanics and heritages.
(Fun fact: WordPress handles Markdown like a champ. Ask how I know)
Neocarcine
Neocarcine are a curious and energetic species of uplifted crabs, recently born off the Fey-warped shores of Ascaphalus. Their newfound intelligence has led them off of the beaches and into society, where they’re received with a mix of awe and confusion.
Neocarcine have only recently gained sapience, giving them both a huge thirst for knowledge and a nearly childlike naivete. Their debut on the shores of Manaan’s Crescent was a big event that could have ended with fear and distrust, but an adventuring party from Owl’s Eye was able to broker peace between ten-legged and two-legged people.
News travels slowly between the northern and southern sides of the continent of Ascaphalus, but once the existence of the Neocarcine was confirmed, envoys from Owl’s Eye have begun diplomatic relations with the Crab Sovereign and his people. The envoys are interested to know how the Fog uplifted the Neocarcine, and to make sure they’re not spies for the Fey menace; the Neocarcine are interested in knowledge about the world outside the shores they currently claim.
You Might…
- Be excited about the opportunity to learn something new about a society or culture.
- Work and study under harsh conditions, in the hopes that other ancestries will accept you.
- Feel safest in humid conditions, or near a body of water.
Others Probably…
- Mistake you for a nonsapient giant crab.
- Look upon you with wonder and confusion
- Worry that you’re a sleeper agent for the Fey.
Physical Description
Neocarcine is a collective term for all species of crab uplifted by the Fog of Chaos. They are giant decapods, usually with a pair of large, powerful claws on their two front legs. Coconut and spider crabs make up the bulk of the Neocarcine on the southern shores, but since their debut on Ascaphalus, snow, dungeness, and king crabs have started to arrive on the milder northern side of the continent near Owl’s Eye. Many neocarcine have words in their cuneiform-like language etched into their exoskeleton to more easily differentiate them from their not-yet-uplifted brethren.
Society
Neocarcine society is currently unique to the island continent of Ascaphalus, where they tend to live along the northern and southern shorelines. Some intrepid crabfolk have begun to move eastward and westward, but the encroachment of the Fog on the east and aboleths on the west have slowed their efforts. While officially subject to the rule of the Regal and Ministry of Owl’s Eye, many neocarcine choose to unite under the banner of the Crab Sovereign, the first uplift to make contact with bipedal society and current diplomatic point of contact.
Alignment and Religion
Culture and religion are brand new constructs to the neocarcine. Some worship the sea gods of the southern coast, especially Manaan, who some believe granted them the gift of intellect. Many crabs are agnostic, unsure of the truth of deities they can’t see. Wandering neocarcine favor Desna, praying for luck on their expeditions into the vast new world before them. Some crabs who seek revenge for their status as a delicacy seek aid and comfort from Calistria or Norgorber.
Adventurers
Despite their aquatic origin, neocarcine are hardy and capable of being excellent adventurers. Their amphibious nature makes them fantastic sailors or pirates. Neocarcine who haven’t learned or eschew social norms and laws make a living as criminals or can be lured into being cultists. Their raw power and natural weapons make them efficient fighters or barbarians. Crabs who are interested in their uplifting may study as wizards, or the Fey magic that uplifted them may give them the abilities of a sorcerer.
Names
Neocarcine are new to names as a concept, so they usually refer to each other in titles based on merit and/or size. They also are known to devise names to use amongst bipedal ancestries, often based on a soncept or word they heard and liked. Some neocarcine accept nicknames given to them as “human names,” unaware of their possibly sarcastic or derisive nature.
Sample Names
Steel Claw, Large Coconut Diplomat, Snow Bandit (titles)
Wavebreak, Barrel, Freedom (“found” concepts/liked words)
Scuttles, Snips (nicknames)
Neocarcine Mechanics
Hit Points
8
Size
Medium
Speed
25 feet, swim 15 feet
Ability Boosts
Strength
Intelligence
Free
Ability Flaws
Wisdom
Languages
Common
Neocarcine
Additional languages equal to your Intelligence modifier (if positive). Choose from Abyssal, Aquan, Infernal, Sylvan, and any other languages to which you have access (such as the languages prevalent in your region).
Darkvision
You can see in darkness and dim light just as well as you can see in bright light.
Amphibious
You can breathe in water and in air, even outside of your preferred environment. After 24 hours in a dry climate, your gills begin to dry out, and you take -1 to all Fortitude saves until you submerge in water to rehydrate. After 48 hours in a dry condition, you begin to suffocate until returned to water. Your unarmed Strikes don’t take the usual -2 penalty for being underwater.
Claws
You have two giant claws that you can use to interact with the world and crush enemies. You gain a pincers unarmed attack of a type and damage based on your heritage. Your claws are in the brawling group.
Heritages
A Note on Versatile Heritages
The way this is currently set up, making a Neocarcine character with the Versatile Heritages rule (from Advanced Player’s Guide) would deny you a natural weapon, as claw damage and traits are currently tied to Heritage. To handle that, I’d just use the Fists rules for “generic” claws, though I’d also think about removing the nonlethal tag. Chitin is much harder than the average fist.
Coconut
You’re an uplifted coconut crab. Your ancestors realized the spoils of the land were plentiful, and moved beyond a full life in the ocean to climb trees and open hard fruits. Your claws are a d6 bludgeoning weapon with the Grapple, Versatile (P), and Unarmed traits.
Additionally, remove the Amphibious trait and replace it with the following:
Coconut Climber
Requirement: Neocarcine with the Coconut Crab Heritage
You are adept at getting food from high places. You gain the trained proficiency rank in Athletics, as well as the Combat Climber skill feat. You also gain a Climb speed equal to half of your movement speed. If you would become automatically trained in Athletics (from your background or class, for example), you instead become trained in a skill of your choice.
Spider
You’re an uplifted spider crab. Your limbs are longer than those of other Neocarcine, which may strike two-legged passerby with awe. Your claws are a d4 slashing or piercing weapon (choose one) with the Reach, Finesse, Sweep, and Unarmed traits.
Additionally, your heritage as a nocturnal hunter gives you natural advantages in the dark. When you attempt to Hide in darkness, gain a +1 circumstance bonus to the check.
Horseshoe
Though not a “true” crab, many of your species were uplifted alongside the rest of the Neocarcine, and they have treated you as kin.
Horseshoe crabs do not have the same claws as true crabs. Instead, they have a spiked tail, used to help them in case they’re flipped onto their backs. The tail is a natural weapon in the brawling group, deals 1d6 piercing damage, and has the Finesse, Deadly d8, and Unarmed traits. Additionally, you gain the Flip Over reaction ability.
Flip Over
Reaction. Trigger: you are prone, and a creature is attempting to Strike you.
Your tail spike can quickly right your position, flipping you right side up and possibly out of harm’s way. Roll a DC 13 flat check. If you succeed, you are no longer prone. If you roll a 20, you are no longer prone, and can immediately take a Step.
Fiddler
(Note: Fiddler crab claws are sexually dimorphic on Earth. Here in fantasy, nobody cares. Let your players have the big crab claw, regardless of gender or sex.)
You are a fiddler crab, named for your large, asymmetrical claw.
One of your claws is a d8 bludegoning weapon with the Forceful and Unarmed traits.
Hermit
You are a hermit crab, and have learned to carry your home on your back. Your claws are d4 slashing weapons with the Grapple, Versatile (P), and Unarmed traits. You gain the Shell Armor feature.
Shell Armor
Requirement: Neocarcine with Hermit Crab Heritage
You carry a large shell around on your back. It serves as both protection and home for you. Your shell is medium armor in the composite group that gives a +3 item bonus to AC, a Dex cap of +2, a check penalty of -2, a speed penalty of -5 feet, and a Strength value of 14. You do not become fatigued from sleeping in your shell, and can curl up into it to sleep. You can etch armor runes onto your shell as if it were any other piece of armor. If your shell breaks, you are unarmored and can’t equip armor until you find another shell that you can fit in.
Some Notes
- I’m not in love with the Amphibious trait (taken wholesale from the Azarketi’s Hydration trait, but it seems like a necessary balancing evil.
- In a world where I was less worried about balancing ancestry features (which is to say, not Pathfinder), I’d love to have found a slot for natural armor.
- The ability boosts are based on my favorite ancestry in Starfinder and inspiration for the Neocarcine, the Uplifted Bear.
- Horseshoe crabs were added in because they seemed distinct and interesting, but also because I was having a slightly difficult time finding more crabs notable for something other than tastiness.
- I kind of want to make the hermit crab’s shell heavy armor instead of medium, but worry that might be too good.
- Fiddler crab claw is probably a bit strong, which is why they don’t get a neat secondary trait at the moment.
- Feats are a slow process, but one that is absolutely set in stone is the Scuttle reaction from the giant crab monster page.
- Not sold on hermit crab claw benefits yet. Definitely open to changes there.
- I don’t know if the Grapple trait does anything with Unarmed weapons. If it does, I’ll adjust accordingly.
- There are a bunch of references to my homebrew world here. Ignore them at will. What uplifted your crabs? Maybe aliens (that’s a possibility in Pathfinder canon). Maybe a strange sect of aquatic druids lived in harmony with the crabs, and their primal magic left a lasting mark on their animal companions and their descendants? Maybe a seafaring wizard just wanted a friend and accidentally did one of those classic wizard mistakes, but instead of creating an owlbear-like scourge, made a whole new society.
Soon ™: feats.