Starfarer Vishkanya

Cunning and toxic, vishkanya are the descendants of the human populations of a world that was plunged into sulfur and brimstone in the wake of a disaster. Their very blood suffused with poison, the vishkanyas now try to find their way in a star system that views them as monsters.

Physical Description

Vishkanyas largely resemble humanoids in size and coloration, although for reasons unknown to studiers of the galaxy, male vishkanya retain an extremely effeminate appearance compared to their human counterparts, lacking nearly all the dimorphisms displayed in human men. Additionally, vishkanyas are not coated in flesh like humans, but in small but small, sturdy scales that mimic the tactile and visual likeness of flesh. Vishkanyas display other snakelike features, such as thin tongues and ophidian eyes with large pupils in toxic shades of green, blue, and violet. Aside from these features, a vishkanya can largely pass for a human in polite society, and many do.

Home World

Vishkanyas were originally humans that called a frozen world their home. Although this world was frigid, the humans who would one day be vishkanya got by living in hidden underground labrinyths beneath the planet’s surface, where its molten core made the ground warm enough for habitation. When the disaster occurred, however, corruption permeated their world's atmosphere and tore open the very fabric of reality, allowing energies and monstrosities from the Abyss to seep into the Material Plane. This corruptive influence infused the people of the world with poison and acid, transforming them into the forms they now take today. Vishkanyas still call the frozen world their home world, but in recent decades many have been forced to flee the world as demonic wizard kings from the Abyss have staked claims on their frigid home, forcing many vishkanyas to flee or be enslaved or worse.

Society And Alignment

Vishkanya society is almost identical to that of humanity, as the vishkanyas were humans until a few short centuries ago. In the intervening time, vishkanyas have learned stealth and secrecy around the other races of the galaxy, and many are still discovering their people’s new powers for themselves. Vishkanya run the gambit of indifference to bitterness over the fate that befell their people, while others are gleeful for the difference, preferring the toxic charms of their new forms to the soft, pink nothingness of humanity.

Relations

Vishkanya mostly have the same relationship with other races as humans, especially vishkanya who actively live within human society. They tend to have a poorer opinion of tieflings than most vishkanya, however, because of their racial history with the fiendish races assaulting their homeworld, and are more at ease with nagaji because of similarities in physiology and ability. Most other races treat vishkanyas as humans for obvious reasons, but should word spread about a vishkanya and their true heritage become outed, it isn’t uncommon for bigoted individuals within human society to loathe and criticize them, calling them monsters because of their opinions and heritage. Such voices are, thankfully, a minority amongst an otherwise overwhelming sea of support and acceptance. Still, many vishkanyas prefer to keep themselves socially invisible, as doing so is easier than dealing with even a single hateful voice.

Adventurers

Vishkanyas who leave their home often become adventurers, either because they become enamored with the wide world beyond their subterranean homes or because they choose to crusade against the demons invading their world. Vishkanyas are skilled assassins thanks to their innate poison, an additional tool in an already solid operative toolkit. Vishkanyas also excel at diplomatic encounters, their charisma making them model envoys.

Names

Vishkanya naming conventions are mostly identical to those of humans, except vishkanyas often slur their ‘s’ sounds slightly because of their long tongues. As a result, vishkanya names often have a hissing sound to them, not unlike that of a cobra or a similar venomous serpent. Some examples of vishkanya names are Asorok, Bsoethys, Csetsoe, Drastiyose, Glesoro, Grasomer, Hauthyse, Jinsou, Jodice, Kryussi, Mseo, Racixosa, Scythis, Smaouamesi, Sudeestris, Tissupoustu, Xseilkso, Ykoeses, Yseia, and Zstuso.

Racial Traits

+2 Dex, +2 Cha, –2 Wis

4 Hit Points

Vishkanyas are humanoids with the vishkanya subtype and are Medium. They have a base speed of 30 feet.

Human Appearance: Vishkanyas gain a +5 racial bonus on Disguise checks to appear human, and treat Disguise checks made to change their appearance from vishkanya to human as if they were altering minor details only. A vishkanya can disguise themselves in this manner as a standard action, and takes no penalties for not having a disguise kit when doing so.

Limber: Vishkanyas gain a +2 racial bonus on Acrobatics and Stealth checks.

Low-Light Vision: Vishkanyas can see in dim light as if it were normal light. For more details, see the low-light vision section in Chapter 8 in the Starfinder Core Rulebook.

Poison Resistance: Vishkanyas gain a racial bonus on saving throws against poison equal to their level.

Toxic Ichor: Vishkanya saliva and blood is incredibly toxic, and as a swift action they can produce a dose of poison from their saliva or, if they have taken 1 or more hit points of damage, from their blood. As a swift action, vishkanyas can apply their toxic saliva or blood to a weapon they wield (using blood requires the vishkanya to be injured when using this ability). (Armor or spacesuits custom fit to vishkanya are designed to allow this.) They can apply their saliva or blood directly to their hand (or another part of their bodies, such as their lips) and make a melee attack against an opponent with it. The venom loses its potency after 1 hour, and vishkanyas are immune to their own poison. Vishkanyas can use this ability once per day.

Vishkanya Poison: Contact or injury—save Fort DC 10 + 1/2 the vishkanya’s level + the vishkanya’s Constitution modifier; track Dexterity; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; cure 1 save.


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