Embrace your race.

In previous articles of this series I discussed ways to draw inspiration for your character based on one of the major mechanical factors of a D&D character, your class. This time, however, I’ll be looking at another aspect that could be just as important, but often takes a back seat when dealing with the major events of a PCs life. Race. Race can be not only a major factor, but THE major factor of a character’s personality and background. It can also guide other choices in character creation that are informed and changed because of these background choices and it can be done regardless of class. Even if the class is not one that you would think epitomizes your race. For this background I will give you Kzalit’ka’mara, a githzerai barbarian, who despite his class is flavored to fit right into the highly regimented martial lifestyle of the gith.

Kzalit’ka’mara was raised on the floating citadel of C’thariz, in the Astral Sea. He was surrounded by highly disciplined students of the mind and body. They practiced a style of martial arts that had been taught since their people first escaped from the illithids countless ages ago. Kzalit respected the traditions of his people, he lived for his people, he was loyal, and liked by his peers. He took his training very seriously and worked hard to master the fighting style his master’s taught.

He worked so hard at mastering these skills that he gained a level of control over his emotions that most githzerai only dream of achieving. He found himself able to maintain a calm, detached demeanor at all times until he needed his fury, at which point he could call on it to fuel his attacks.

Master Tharis De’kazo taught him the weapons common to the monks of the githzerai but Kzalit gravitated towards a weapon that would allow him to use his strength to pull his enemies in close. He chose to fight with claws forged of steel. He may not be as quick and agile as many of his compatriots he was better than nearly any other mortal and used it combined with his physical superiority to overcome his foes.

When Kzalit was learning about the history of the gith, their escape from the illithids, and his particular bastion in the Astral Sea the Master took him to the portal that they use for travel when his people needed supplies or information from outside their little corner of the planes. It was just at that moment that a never before seen wave of chaotic magic swept through the bastion, activating the portal and pushing Kzalit through.

Kzalit now finds himself in a city he’s never heard of before, but one with many wizards. He desperately wants to return to his home to see what may have caused the wave of magic and to see if his kin survived, but none of the people in the city have been able to help him yet and no one knows the way for him to go home. It was in this state that the githzerai was slowly slipping into a state of despair when he found an odd collection of people approached him, and one of them seemed to have a wolf following along. The consciousness and spirits of animals always was a concept that he had meditated on. This wolf had his attention…and seemed to like him.

So there’s the barbarian githzerai. I describe his approach to being a barbarian in such a way that it make sense in a monk-ish society. He uses twin spiked gauntlets, which I describe as metal claws to compliment the whirling barbarian build concept that I think would be ideal for the character, since it has a secondary stat of dexterity, a stat the githzerai can get a bonus in.

Be sure to check the article later this week from Ethan to see more of the adventures of Kzalit and at least one interesting way that he uses his at-will powers. And if you would like to see a pdf of my build for Kzalit you can download that here.

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