Jackalla - servants of Anubis, the Agyptian Lord of death (Undead Hunter Racial Class)

This is one of my favorite and most often utilized races in my games over the years. Jackalla are usually polite tea drinking urban sophisticates yet they are also obsessed with slaying undead, My game world outside of cities is a big mess of mostly cold or desert wastes, filled with huge swaths of barbarians and the ever present undead, that arise anytime a creature is left unburied. These slayers, turn bloody violent over the presence of undead and those who dare create or summon them.

Jackalla

Most known in Nyssa for presiding over funeral services in cities, most often at the Tower of Sorrow, the near ubiquitous internment sites. They are also infamous for being at the sites of disaster in advance, seeing a single Jackalla without reason is worrisome, as most assume death is on its way. Adventurers know that anytime you see more than three Jackalla at a time - they are most likely on a undead slaying crusade.

These humanoids are the children and loyal servants of Anubis, the Agyptian God of death, seen as the living embodiment of death rituals by non-followers. They care little for wealth, fame, or conquering territories; they live to serve their patron and to quietly perform their divine duties. Their former homeland is the scarred land of Agypt, within the Phastian desert one of many former realms lost to the sands.

Personality: They are firm believers in law and discipline. While not stern to outsiders, they are both polite and fiercely focused on their pursuits of slaying undead. Some may judge them to be cold and uncaring but nobody questions their dedication. They never argue about tradition or process, in fact they care little about others' reasons, they simply do what they must.

Physical Description: These humanoids appear as jackal-headed humanoids with short fur and small well manicured but sharp claws. Prefer to use falchion, mace, spear or crossbow over their natural weaponry, They may run on their four paws, if they are not wearing armor, but most like the protection of armor to increased speed.

Relations: Jackalla get along well with anyone who shares their devotion to order, though what they believe is secondary to their actions. They tend to fit into society, causing little commotion, dedicated to their causes.

Alignment: They tend towards both law and neutrality. They are usually quiet, reserved and respectful of others unless there are undead nearby which brings out their holy rage.

Lands: Having no homeland, they reside in other races’ communities often acting as embalmers, gravediggers and professional mourners. Most live near a cities place of internment, alternating between their professional and personal pursuits.

Religion: Their patron is Anubis, the Agyptian god of the dead. A few adventuring Jackalla have dual faiths, either with Zalia, Japeth, Quanna or Casna – all gods with strong lawful tendencies. They do not raise obelisks, which is the typical religious meeting grounds within cities, so they often wear a small symbol indicating their religious faith.

Language: They speak their own language Jackalla & Pharonic or the equivalent human common tongue of the region they are in.

Adventurers: Jackalla live devoted to their cause of protecting the dead and their internment sites, apart of this belief dictates they must hunt down and destroy undead. This is their primary motivation for adventure, as Jackalla travel to the loneliest and most dangerous areas of the world to look for signs for both undead and any who would dare create or summon them.

Jackalla Racial Traits
Natural Weaponry: +2 Attack Bonus on Claw 1d4 damage
+2 Survival (desert), +2 Craft (Embalming), +2 Stealth
+2 Wisdom; -2 Strength
Bonus Feat: Alertness (Keen Smell)
Darkness 60 ft and Lowlight Vision

Racial Hit Dice: 2d8; Attack Bonus, Fort Save, Reflex Save and Will Save as Cleric

Base 12 skill points, more if they have exceptional intelligence, to be used on core skills only

Core Racial Skills: Climb, Craft (Embalming and death rituals), Diplomacy, Gather Information, Hide, Intimidate, Knowledge (geography, history, magic, religion), Perception, Move Silently, Sense Motive, Survival

Level Adjustment: +1 CR

Preferred Classes: Barbarian, Cleric, Fighter, Paladin, Ranger, Psion, Rogue, Sorcerer, Abjurer

 Racial Levels

Add +6 on skills points for every additional HD gained

2 HD Natural Claw (1d3) & Bite (1d4), +2 Wis, -2 Con, + 2 Dex, +2 natural armor, +2 on stealth and Sense Motive, Add Cha bonus on saves vs necromancy and undead effects

3 HD Bone Reading, Scent, +2 Wis or + 2 Dex; Gain 1 Feat; +1 on AC

4 HD Speak with Spirits or undead 3/day; Gain 1 Feat

5 HD Pact of Peace (Canines) & SR 10; +1 on AC

6 HD Howl of Request; Furious Rage; Gain 1 Feat

7 HD Sweet Embrace, +2 Wis or + 2 Dex; Gain 1 Feat; +1 on AC

8 HD Pact of peace (Lawful Creatures, death figures and religions); +1 on AC

9 HD Ward Against Death, (Abilitiy or Energy Drain & Death affects)

10 HD SR 15 + HD, +2 Wis or + 2 Dex; Gain 1 Feat; +1 on AC

11 HD Rest in Peace; Gain 1 Feat; +1 on AC

12 HD Howl of Summoning (Monster Summoning VI), +2 Wis or + 2 Dex;; +3 on AC

+1 HD or Level: Gain +1 on SR by HD or level **

**Jackalla gain these advanced abilities in replacement of class levels. They may stop advancing in these natural racial skills and gain a class level at any time, but once they do they are unable to gain new racial levels.

 

Bone Reading: If able to touch the remains, can determine general identity, age, race, class (if any), time of death, method of death and any lingering emotions. Sometimes they are also able to see the last few moments of the creatures life through the dead creature's eyes when they roll a 15 or higher on the check.

Pact of Peace (canines): If they do not initiate combat, have an immediate pact of non-aggression with canines (or canine like creatures as defined by the DM.) They may not necessarily be friendly, but they will not attack the Jackalla unless provoked. If any member of the Jackalla party attacks, the truce is broken and it can never be restarted at any time to that individual. Gain a +4 on reaction rolls.

Howl of Request: With a summoning howl, can summon other canine like creatures to serve the Jackalla for one hour per HD or level. If intelligent they can be reasoned with for a fair price or favor. The creatures must be on the same prime world as the Jackalla and need to hear the howl.

Furious rage: gain +4 on attacks, saves when attacking an undead or necromancer. Must be declared before combat begins and lasts for ten rounds but it is a free action.

Sweet Embrace: Undead that are in torment and did not choose to turn to become undead, can be put to rest with a word from a Jackalla. This can only affect undead creatures of the Jackalla`s HD or less. This is a full round action.

Pact of peace (death figures): If they do not initiate combat or taking action directly against, a jackala and their party meet death figures with an immediate neutral or non-aggressive stance.

Ward Against Death Effects: Any necromantic magical affect that would kill or drain a Jackalla, they gain a +8 on their save to avoid the affect. 

Rest in Peace: Any undead that a jackalla helps kill or in the presence of when they are killed (50 ft radius with line of sight) are instantly destroyed, even if the being would normally start to regenerate. This affects undead of 7 HD or less, and effect an additional HD for every additional level they have.