D&D Saturday Creature Factory: Atakan Jackal Men

Atakans are related to and inspired by the hutaakans of Mystara from the B/X D&D sets, the atakans of Pergerron are a jackal-headed race of humanoids that believe their existence predates all other humanoids, especially elves, humans and their despised foes, gnolls...

Atakan (jackal-men)

CR 1/4 (25 XP)

LN medium humanoid

Initiative +1

DEFENSE

AC 10 (unarmored)

HP 6 (1D8+2)

OFFENSE

Speed 30 feet

Melee Attack - bite +4 to hit (5 foot reach, one target), 1D4+2 slashing damage

Statistics

STR 14 (+2), DEX 12 (+1), CON 14 (+2), INT 10 (0), WIS 12 (+1), CHA 10 (0)

Languages: common, atakan

Senses: Perception +3 (passive 13), scent (superior smell)

Skills: Athletics +4, Survival +4

TRAITS

Scent: Atakans have a keen sense of smell which grants them advantage to detect the nature and approximate location of any target within 60 feet that could emit an odor (including invisible creatures or objects).

Hardy Desert Dwellers: Atakans are used to roughing it in harsh desert climates, and gain advantage on any Consitution checks to save vs. fatigue due to thirst or heat exhaustion. Atakans can go for up to one week without water before experiencing dehydration effects.

Character Racial Options: Atakans gain both of the above abilities (scent and hardy desert dweller) plus the bite attack (1D4, Strength based) as well as +1 to Constitution and +1 to Dexterity if played as a character or designed as an NPC with class levels. Atakans are frequently good fighters, rogues and sorcerers. All atakans also gain proficiency in Survival.

Atakans are tall jackal-headed men who have the bodies of humans but the heads of jackals. They are not related to jackalweres, which are a cursed race infected with abyssal taint….the atakans are an ancient race which claims to predate human and elvenkind’s existence in the mortal realm. In Pergerron atakans dwell mostly in the wastelands outside of the human city-states of Anansis, and many atakans dwell in the Vumaskan lands to the east. 

Atakans, despite similarity to gnolls and jackalweres, regard the other two as deviant lesser races forged out of the union of men and beast, a product of demon lords that pretend to engage in the creation of new life. They see Atakans are pure beings: they point to humans and say "they have the bodies of atakans!" and they look at jackals and say "these beasts stole the heads of the first race." They do not see themselves as "beast men" in this manner.

Atakans are suitable as a player-character racial option. The stats presented here are for an atakan commoner of no special skill who is a bit hardier as a physical laborer. What follows is a typical atakan guardsman or soldier:

Atakan warrior (jackal-men)

CR 1 (100 XP)

LN medium humanoid

Initiative +1

DEFENSE

AC 19 (plate and shield)

HP 26 (4D8+8)

OFFENSE

Speed 30 feet

Melee Attack - bite +5 to hit (5 foot reach, one target), 1D4+3 slashing damage

Melee Attack – long sword +5 to hit (5 foot reach, one target), 1D8+5 slashing damage

Ranged Attack - javelin +3 to hit (5 foot reach, one target), 1D6+2 piercing damage

Statistics

STR 16 (+3), DEX 13 (+1), CON 14 (+2), INT 10 (0), WIS 12 (+1), CHA 10 (0)

Languages: common, atakan

Senses: Perception +3 (passive 13), scent (superior smell)

Skills: Athletics +5, Survival +4

TRAITS

Atakan Traits: scent, hardy desert dweller

Action Surge: once per encounter the atakan fighter may take a second action on his turn.

Second Wind: once per encounter the atakan fighter may spend an action to recover 1D8+4 hit points.

Fighting in Formation: atakan warriors drill as a unit, and compliment each other when fighting together. An atakan who is fighting adjacent to (within five feet of) an ally against a common foe gains advantage to attacks on that foe.