Well here something a little different than usual for this blog, this kind of stuff usually on Shardfinder but doesn’t fit Eberron so I am posting it here but what is it? A homebrew ancestry based on Nerd Candy, well more so their mascot(s) but why?
As the posting of this blog Nerds and ‘Dungeon and Dragons’ have
a cross promotion going on where you can get adventures with pregenerated
characters with your purchase of Nerd products. You can check the website about
it here. I bought some Nerds to go with a recent movie experience
(Saung-Chi and the Legends of the 10 Rings; it so good! Go see it!)
Given I already had the Nerds, after the movie I went to the
internets and checked out the promo or what I could access with just one buy
in. I was hoping to see a silly new Nerd race but I was disappointed…
I am am much more familiar with Pathfinder 2e so I decided to make it an ancestry for that instead. Below you find my Nurd Ancestry, made for silly and hopefully fun read. Be warn; this was made mostly for the laughs with minimum effort to give options or balance so if you decide to use this/play it there might need tweaking; either way I love to here about it.
If below does entertain you in either read or at use at the table please consider supporting me at my Patreon (hyperlink) or leaving a tip at my Ko-fi. Art by Eriana Ura-Smith who you can find at www.erianaura.art and you can follow her on twitter/instagram at @ErianaUrSmith.
Nurd Ancestry
No one is quite sure where nurds came from, including themselves but rumor has it they were accidentally created by a famed gnome confectionist and alchemist Nilly Nanka in their pursuit of a new taste experience.
If you want to play a character that frankly silly, potentially helpful and provides ridiculous mental pictures as they try to function in society and combat, you should probably play a Nurd OR not. If it not clear this ancestry is in humor and jest, given minimum effort for balance and options but if you crazy enough to do it I love to hear about.
Physical Description
Nurds have a rough resemblance to oversized frogs with thicker back legs with feet that look more like three thick appendages hands while missing their front legs whose eyes grew too close together. Their skin comes in a variety of dull and bright colors with some even being multi color with simple patterns. There seems to be no rhyme or reasons to the coloring as some clans or as nurds call them: boxes, all share the same or similar coloration and others have random colors. Their skin usually has a semi glossy appearance and while looking smooth it’s more a series of interlocking micro shells or scales.
Nurds tend to range in height from 2 feet to 3 feet with Jumbo
Nurds ranging from 4 half to almost 6 whiles being wider, at least in the hips,
then other ancestries of similar heights. While some nurds identify as various
genders they seem to have no secondary sexual characteristics and keep their
means reproduction private.
Names
Different boxes or tribes seem to have found their own styles of names but generally they seem to favor own to two syllable names.
Hit Points 6
Size Small
Speed 25 feet
Ability Boosts Dexterity and Intelligence
Languages Common, Gnomish Additional languages equal to your Intelligence modifier (if it’s positive). Choose from the list of common languages and any other languages to which you have access (such as the languages prevalent in your region).
Traits Nurd
No Arms Nurds do not have arms or hands.
Deft Feet Nurds have adapted to use their feet as well as anyone’s hands but slows them down. Your feet qualify for free hand or hands as long as correct number of feet are not holding anything and you can hold/wield items in your feet as if they were hands. If holding an item your speed reduced by 5 and if both your feet are holding the same item your speed reduce by 10.
Spark of Inspiration Nurds seems to naturally inspire people and are constantly ready to help. You can Aid an ally without having to spend an action to prepare to help and you treat critical failures to aid as just failures.
Tasty When a creature takes a Swallow Whole action against you, your DC is reduced by 2.
Nurd Heritages
Being a recently appeared people Nurds seem to have spread quickly around the globe and seem to adept surprising well to any environment. Choose one of the following nurd heritages at 1st level.
Jumbo Nurd
You are from a clan or ‘box’ of larger Nurds or had an overkill growth spirit in your youth. Change your ancestry HP to 8 and you may swap your Dexterity Ability Boost for Strength one instead. Additionally, you can wield two handed weapons in one foot but this not qualify for increased damage of Two Handed trait weapons.
Rope Nurd
Your clan or ‘box’ utilize ropes where they live to move around and get to places. Whenever you Critical Failure a Climb Check, you get a Failure instead.
Hoppin Nurd
Your clan or ‘box’ live in places where they had to move over gaps quickly, most likely to avoid predators. These Nurds teen to have pink or blue ‘rainbow’ pattens then being a solid color. You can perform a Leap as part of your Stride action with the Leap covering your remaining movement.
Slushes Nurd
Your clan or ‘box’ lives in at least semi watery environment and had to swim regularly to get around and get things down. You gain a swim speed equal to half your Speed.
Ancestry Feats
At 1st level, you gain one ancestry feat, and you gain an additional ancestry feat every 4 levels thereafter (at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th levels). As a nurd, you select from among the following ancestry feats.
1st Level————————————————
| Linage | Nurd |
Being sour tasting is a semi common trait among Jumbo Nurds but any Nurd bay be born with this quality. Replace Tasty with below.
Sour Whenever a creature attempts to Swallow Whole you, they must Succeed on a DC 5 Flat Check first or Swallow Whole Automatically fails.
Nurd Lore Feat 1
| Nurd |
Nurds try to live inspirational and helpful lives while avoiding those that might chose to eat them. This can have a rather physical demand on you; you become trained in Athletics and Acrobatics skills. If you automatically learn these skills at trained from another source you may choose to learn different skills instead. You also become trained in Nurd Lore.
Nurd Weapon Familiarity Feat 1
| Nurd |
You trained in the use of weapons more easily used by your people’s unique form. You have the trained proficiency with shortsword, katar, spear and hand crossbow along with gaining access to these weapons. In addition, you gain access to all uncommon nurd weapons. For you, martial nurd weapons are simple weapons, and advanced nurd weapons are martial weapons.
Greater Inspiration Feat 1
| Nurd |
By working and talking with you those you aid always seem to find their tasks easier. Whenever you succeed or critical succeed an Aid check your provided bonus to your ally goes up by one.
5th Level————————————
| Nurd |
Your already tough shell like body has grown extra layers and is hard to bypass, well most things. You gain Resistance piercing and slashing equal to half your level (minimum 1) and Weakness 1 to Bludgeoned.
Nurd Weapon Shenanigans Feat 5
| Nurd |
Prerequisite Nurd Weapon Familiarity
You are adapt at wielding your chosen weapons common among Nurds. When you critically succeed at an attack roll using a shortsword, katar, spear, a hand crossbow or a Nurd weapon, you apply that weapon’s critical effect.
9th Level————————————
| Nurd |
Prerequisite Sour Nurd
Neon Nurd Feat 9
| Nurd |
You have tapped into a forgotten or lost aspect of nurd-kind and your shell like body changes to have a bright hew. You gain shocking grasp as a 2nd level Innate primal spell you can cast twice per day.
13th Level————————————
Nurd Weapon Self
Inspired Feat 13
| Nurd |
You have improved your nurdcore weapons of choice; Whenever you
gain a class feature that grants you expert or greater proficiency in a given
weapon or weapons, you also gain that proficiency in the shortsword, katar,
spear, hand crossbow or a Nurd weapon in which you are trained.
