Favored Folios
Hello again, and welcome to another From the Workshop. A few of you have been requesting more support for the Advanced Player's Guide in our books, and now seemed like as good a time as any to provide that. Specifically, there have been a lot of requests for alternate racial favored class bonsues for our base classes, such as the lycaonite from A Necromancer's Grimoire: Marchen der Daemonwulf and the ninja from Ancient Warriors: Way of the Ninja.
Lycaonite
Dwarves
Attitude: Dwarves almost universally frown on lycaonites, being naturally mistrustful of their supernatural abilities. Further, the typical dwarf's dour and practical outlook on life sees little benefit to unleashing an "inner beast" of any kind. Lycaonite dwarves are usually quickly cast out of their clans, and not allowed to return until they denounce their lycanthropy and submit to being cured of it.
Alternate Favored Class Bonus: Add +1/6 of a bonus werewolf feat.
Elves
Attitude: Though the more civilized elves consider lycanthropy a curse, many elves who are closely attuned to nature and the pulse of the wilderness consider it a gift, allowing the lycaonite to better commune with the natural world and get in touch with his inner animal spirit.
Alternate Favored Class Bonus: Add +1/4 to the number of times each day you can make a willing transformation.
Gnomes
Attitude: Most gnomes who are cursed with lycanthropy quickly seek out a cure. Those who do choose to follow the path of the lycaonite are typically those who are already in touch with their fey heritage, and typically go completely feral in short order.
Alternate Favored Class Bonus: Add +1/6 to the number of days that the full moon benefits last for. These days are subtracted from the days granting gibbous benefits.
Half-Elves
Attitude: Already used to balancing between two racial heritages, half-elves make excellent lycaonites, and exhibit greater control over their inner beast than most.
Alternate Favored Class Bonus: Add +1/4 to Will saves made to remain or become lucid while transformed.
Half-Orcs
Attitude: Lycaonites are revered and respected in many orc communities, especially those with shamanistic traditions, who view lycaonites as being blessed with the power and ferocity of the savage wolf. Half-orcs who adopt their orcish heritage often feel the same way about lycaonites, and sometimes actively try to become cursed with lycanthropy.
Alternate Favored Class Bonus: Add +1/6 of a bonus werewolf feat.
Halflings
Attitude: Though most halflings will try to cure themselves of lycanthropy long before embracing the ways of the lycaonite, halflings tend to be fairly tolerant towards those who do choose that path.
Alternate Favored Class Bonus: Add +1/4 to Will saves made to remain or become lucid while transformed.
Humans
Attitude: Humans are the most common race among lycaonites, mostly because there are more of them than the other races. Humans are not particularly fond of lycaonites, and in fact have the most violent reactions towards them, with the typical reaction of townsfolk to a lycaonite being to form a lynch mob. Still, some humans who contract the curse of lycanthropy find a thrill from the power and freedom that being a werewolf grants them.
Alternate Favored Class Bonus: Add +1/5 to the number of days in the "Waxing" or "Waning" phases of the moon (player's choice). These days are subtracted from the "Waxing Crescent" or "Waning Crescent" phases, respectively.
Ninja
Dwarves
Attitude: Most dwarves disapprove of the general principles of ninja, believing that warfare and fighting should happen in the open, without tricks, and be decided by warriors, not by secretive assassins sowing chaos and removing generals. Because of this feeling, the few dwarven ninjas tend to do quite well, as no one suspects a dwarf to be a ninja.
Alternate Favored Class Bonus: Add +1/4 to all Bluff checks.
Elves
Attitude: Some cultures of elves have a highly ritualized caste of ninja, who are respected for their stealth and ambush abilities. Ninja is an honored profession in many elf societies, and elf lords often have small personal armies of ninja spies, who sometimes double as assassins. Other elvish ninja put their skills to different uses, stealthily watching trespassers in elvish forests and ambushing them lethally if they prove to have poor intentions.
Alternate Favored Class Bonus: Add +1/4 to all Stealth checks.
Gnomes
Attitude: Gnomes tend to look favorably on ninja, appreciating their mastery of stealth, their clever approach to problems, and their general love of showmanship. Gnomish ninja tend to use lots of poisons and alchemical tools.
Alternate Favored Class Bonus: Add +1/2 bonus on initiative checks.
Half-Elves
Attitude: Half-elves tend to embody the spirit of the traditional ninja: their place is outside of society, which gives them an excellent vantage point from which to change it. In the same way that many half-elves are skilled diplomats, half-elf ninja tend to excel at their jobs, blending into the crowds in a way only a half-elf can. Half-elf ninja are especially prized for the fact that they typically have no loyalty to anything or anyone, and so will perform any job given to them.
Alternate Favored Class Bonus: Add +1/2 to Disguise checks and Bluff checks made to maintain a disguise.
Half-Orcs
Attitude: Half-orcs typically lack the finesse and grace necessary to be a ninja, but they do have the cunning to appreciate a ninja's abilities and the havoc they can wreak on one's foes. Half-orcish ninja may not get quite the same respect as a powerful berserker, but they are recognized as an important and valuable member of any war effort.
Alternate Favored Class Bonus: Add +1/4 to the bonus damage granted by the ninja's combat awareness class feature.
Halflings
Attitude: Considering the stereotype of halflings as thieves and rogues, it's not surprising that they also excel at the ninja arts. Typically, those halflings who choose to become ninja have a grimmer outlook on life than their counterparts, as the life of a ninja is not one that allows for the levity that most halflings possess.
Alternate Favored Class Bonus: Add +1/6 to Reflex saves made to avoid traps and AC vs. traps.
Humans
Attitude: Most humans view ninja with a mix of awe and mistrust. Whispered stories and rumors about ninja ascribe them with a number of supernatural powers, which inspire some with admiration and others with ill will. Still, even those who disapprove of ninja typically know better than to do so openly, for fear of silent retribution.
Alternate Favored Class Bonus: Add +1/6 to the attack bonus granted by the ninja's combat awareness class feature.