For the white and black iconics it's pretty easy, as aasimir (humans with a bit of angel blood) and tieflings (humans with fiendish heritage) both have a storied history in Pathfinder. But the others were much harder. I'm still not sure how to pull off dragon and hydra (or if I should even try), but in preparing a Mul Daya related stuff for this week's Pathfinders of Zendikar I came across something interesting, called a maftet.
I am fairly certain the maftet was created by Paizo, but they created it before Pathfinder existed, back when they were doing an adventure path for 3.5 called Second Darkness. I'm not quite sure what the maftet has to do with Second Darkness, as it doesn't appear anywhere in the adventure itself, but it was the first time I had a vague idea of what a sphinxborn might actually look like. To make it better, they got mage armour as a spell-like ability and did cool things with scimitars, both of which are pretty high up on my list of things I like to do in Pathfinder.
Sure, I had to power them down to a level where they could be an actual player race, but I had the concept in my head now. Besides, if you're going to make something that is meant to be in the same category as the aasimir, well...lets just say aasimir are a bit overpowered. So here are my sphinxborn - called maftet - even though I'm not sure they will actually get used.
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| Illustration by Roberto Pitturru |
Maftet
Maftet are humans whose blood is mingled with that of the enigmatic sphinxes, granting them strange powers and unusual physical features. Maftet vary in appearance – some have blue or cyan skin, others golden or bronze – but most have softly glowing eyes. Maftet are usually quite intelligent, but reclusive and antisocial, preferring to work on logic problems or hone weapon skill in silence without possibility of interruption. They often develop a love of collecting magical items. Maftet often gravitate towards lawful neutral, but can be of any alignment.
+2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma: Maftet are clever and resilient, but reclusive and difficult to understand.
Native Outsider: Maftet are outsiders with the native subtype.
Medium: Maftet are Medium creatures and receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Maftet have a base speed of 30 feet.
Darkvision: Maftet can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Spell-Like Abilities: A maftet with an intelligence score of 12 or higher gains the following spell-like abilities with a range of personal: 1/day – Cat’s grace and mage armour.
Inscrutable: Maftet receive a +2 racial bonus on Bluff checks and on saving throws against mind-affecting effects and petrification.
Padfoot: Maftet receive a +4 racial bonus on Stealth checks.
Languages: Maftet begin play speaking Common and Sphinx. Maftet with high Intelligence scores can choose from Abyssal, Auran, Aquan, Celestial, Draconic, Elven, and Kor.
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| Maftet Swashbuckler by Dmitry Burmak. Totally not an android. Those are magical runes. |
Bronzed Skin: Some maftet have bronze-hued skin with a metallic sheen, granting a +2 natural armour bonus. This racial trait replaces the spell-like abilities racial trait.
Deep Diviner: Sphinxes focus not on the present, but the possibility of the future. Such maftet gain a +1 bonus to the saving throw DCs of spells of the divination school that they cast, and add their intelligence modifier to initiative rolls in addition to their dexterity modifier. This racial trait replaces padfoot.
Dragonslayer: Some maftet are obsessed with slaying dragons, the ancient enemies of their sphinx ancestors. Maftet with this racial trait gain a +1 bonus on attack rolls and a +2 dodge bonus to AC and on saving throws against the exceptional, supernatural, and spell-like abilities of dragons. They also gain a +2 racial bonus on Knowledge (arcana) checks to identify dragons and can make such checks untrained. This racial trait replaces inscrutable.
Psychic Spells: Some maftet are gifted with psychic powers instead of the usual arcane magic their kind is gifted with. These maftet can cast burst of adrenaline and mental barrier I once per day as spell-like abilities. This racial trait replaces the spell-like abilities racial trait.
Riddlemaster: Most maftet have difficulty relating to other people, but some see others as just another riddle to be solved. These maftet gain a +2 bonus on Sense Motive checks, and Sense Motive is always a class skill for them. This racial trait replaces inscrutable.
Scimitar Skill: Mafet greatly prize skill with the scimitar, and many of them train with these weapons from a young age. These maftet are proficient with scimitars, and gain Weapon Focus (scimitar) as a bonus feat. This racial trait replaces padfoot.
Favoured Class Bonuses
Magus: When the magus uses her arcane pool to enhance her weapon, add +1/4 to the magus’ class level when determining the size of the enhancement bonus.
Oracle: Choose a revelation from the dark tapestry or heavens mystery that the oracle can currently use. The oracle treats her class level as though it were +1/2 higher (to a maximum of +4) when determining the effects of that power.
Occultist: Select one focus power from the divination implement school that the occultist can currently use. The occultist treats her class level as though it were +1/2 higher (to a maximum of +4) when determining the effects of that power.
Swashbuckler: Increase the number of times per day the swashbuckler can use charmed life by 1/4.
Sorcerer: Choose a bloodline power from the destined or starsoul bloodline that the sorcerer can currently use. The sorcerer treats her class level as though it were +1/2 higher (to a maximum of +4) when determining the effects of that power.
Wizard: Select one arcane school power from the divination school that the wizard can currently use. The wizard treats her class level as though it were +1/2 higher (to a maximum of +4) when determining the effects of that power.
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| Illustration by Tyler Jacobson |
Amazing Grace
Prerequisites: Int 13, Runic Tattoos, maftet, character level 8th.
Benefit: When you cast cat’s grace as a spell-like ability, it lasts for 1 hour per caster level.
Claws of the Sphinx
Prerequisites: Int 13, Runic Tattoos, maftet, character level 8th.
Benefit: You can cast magic weapon once per day as a racial spell-like ability. If you cast it on a scimitar you are wielding, you may also cast it on a second scimitar you are wielding, but if you lose your grip on either weapon, the spell ends immediately.
Empowered Tattoos
Prerequisites: Int 13, Runic Tattoos, maftet, character level 8th.
Benefit: You may cast each of your racial spell-like abilities an additional time per day.
Paired Scimitars (Combat)
Prerequisites: Dex 15, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus (scimitar), maftet.
When fighting with two scimitars, Maftet can treat the scimitar in their off-hand as a light weapon.
Raptor Dive (Combat)
Prerequisites: Int 13, Raptor Wings, Runic Tattoos, Weapon Focus (scimitar), maftet, character level 14th.
When airborne and wielding one or two scimitars, a maftet can swoop down and strike at lightning speed. This is equivalent to an aerial charge, but it must move downward at least 10 feet and may dive at twice its normal flying speed. Doing so grants the maftet a +2 bonus on its attack rolls and allows it to make a full attack at the end of the raptor dive.
Raptor Wings
Prerequisites: Int 13, Runic Tattoos, maftet, character level 10th.
Benefit: You gain a pair of feathered wings that grant a fly speed of 30 feet (average maneuverability) if wearing light armor or unencumbered, or 20 feet (poor maneuverability) with a medium or heavy load or medium or heavy armor. Fly is a class skill for you.
Runic Tattoos
Prerequisites: Int 13, maftet, character level 6th.
Benefit: A maftet with this feat can activate all of its racial spell-like abilities as a single standard action. If you have the psychic magic racial trait, this is an immediate action instead of a standard action.
Untap
Prerequisites: Int 13, Runic Tattoos, maftet, character level 6th, ability to cast 3rd level arcane or psychic spells.
Benefit: As a standard action you may expend a third-level spell slot in order to restore one use of each of your racial spell-like abilities.
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