Pathfinding the Shinomen Naga

Yes, once again, I'm going to the well that is Legends of the Five Rings. I never said I was original. I'm mostly just really good at playing around with existing ideas. So, as I went to work on my Elemental Books from the previous games, it brought back fond memories of my Wife's Naga deck winning a tournament at the local gaming store. I've also used the Naga in a number of games other than Rokugan. I kind of feel that the naga from most D&D settings are kind of a distant cousin to the Shinomen Naga, a degenerate distant cousin that you don't invite the Labor Day picnics.

When I'm running a non-L5R game, I prefer to have the Naga be closer to the myths of the Khmer people, as the guardians of immortality, ancient gurus and wise men. The Naga usually do not serve as PCs in my games, but more as mentors and cohorts. That being said, I'm not opposed to permitting them as PCs. I am rather curious to see how they fit in a standard gaming group. If anyone decides to try these out, drop me a line and tell me how it went. This is the Nagah how I see them for Pathfinder.
(Note: This was created before the release of the Advanced Races Guide. I haven't gotten around to converting this to those rules, so I have no idea how they stack up.)

Nagah

The Nagah, sometime referred to as the Naga or Shinomen Naga, are an ancient race of scholars, advisors, philosophers, warriors and mystics. There is often debate as to their origins. Dragons, serpentfolk, and other reptilian races normally attempt to claim that the Nagah are a lost slave race. Proteans curse them as wayward children. Elves have claimed that they are a lost tribe that was transformed in an eldritch ritual. The Nagah, themselves, keep silent on the matter. The Nagah are known for their seclusion, which is not hard to come by in the dense jungles and rain forests  that they prefer to reside in. They rarely leave their hidden cities, and almost never in any significant numbers. The Nagah life span is on par with elves, for the most part, but some are known to live for thousands of years, due to prolonged periods of hibernation. Occasionally, though, one or two will go out to wander the world in search of new wisdom or on the lookout for possible threats to their homeland.

Nagah Racial Stats

+2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma: Nagah are a hardy and wise people, well know for their endurance and patience. They do have difficulty, though, when dealling socially with other creatures.

Large Size: Due to their long serpentine, centaur like bodies, Nagah are considered Large creatures, thus taking a -1 penalty on attacks and AC.

Base Speed: Base speed for a Nagah is 40 ft. Nagah's sinuous movements of their coils permit them to move quickly over the ground.

Monstrous Humanoid (Reptilian): Nagah are monstrous humanoids with the Reptilian subtype.

Resistant to Taint (Su): Nagah are tied to the life energies of the world. As such they are resistant to attempts to sever those connections. Nagah gain a +2 racial bonus to saves against necromancy and negative energy spells directed directed at them. Also, spells or affects that would "taint" a Nagah automatically fail.

Survivalist (Ex): All Nagah gain a +2 racial bonus to Survival checks, and Survival is always a class skill for a Nagah. Nagah prefer to have their cities and towns located in remote jungles and rain forests or even far-off desert oasis, living in harmony their environment.

Unaccustomed to Riding (Ex): Nagah do not often deal with riding animals. As such, all Nagah gain a -4 penalty to Ride checks, and can never take Ride as a class skill, even if the skill is available as a class skill.

Bloodline Ability (Ex): The Nagah race is divided into a number sub-races, and as such, each sub-race gets a special ability related to their place in Nagah society. (See Bloodline Abilities further below)

Mutations (Ex): Due to their tie to the primal nature of life, occasionally a Nagah is born with some sort of mutation. Some are beneficial, while other appear more cosmetic. The standard Nagah has a 5% chance at a mutation. If the character does gain a mutation, refer to the Mutation table below.

Undersized Weapons (Ex): Although a Nagah is Large, its upper torso is the same size as that of a Medium humanoid. As a result, they wield weapons as if they were one size category smaller than their actual size (Medium for most Nagah).

Beginning Languages: Nagah and Common. Despite their isolation, Nagah consider it a source of pride to understand the common trade language of their neighbors.

Bloodlines:

Asp

• Asps are warriors. The fighters, hunters, and defenders of the Nagah cities, Asps are more aggressive than most Nagah. They seem to favor the more martial aspects of life, and are not known for the same level of introspection that most Nagah are famous for. They are the second most numerous of the Nagah bloodlines, but also are known of their relatively shorter lives, due to their combative lifestyles.
• +2 Dexterity: Quicker than most Nagah, Asps benefit from faster responses and accuracy than most Nagah.
• Venom (Su): Asps are able to generate a nuerotoxin from venom sacs that empty into their mouths. This venom can be transfered via a bite or when coated on a weapon, such as a sword or arrow. When coated on a weapon, the venom lasts for only a number of minutes equal to the Constitution score of the Asp Nagah. The venom has the following statistics:
  • Asp Venom
  • Type poison, injury; Save Fortitude DC (15 + Constitution Modifier, minimum 1)
  • Frequency 1/round for Con. modifier (minimum 1) rounds
  • Effect 1d2 Con damage Cure 1 save
• Level Adjustment: +1, Asps are more powerful than most races, and as such gain experience slower than most.

Chameleon

• The scouts and spies of the Nagah, Chameleons are one of the rarer of the Nagah bloodlines. They are also one of the more mutated of the race. Often, though, the mutations are more subtle, or beneficial than most. One mutation has actually stabilized among the subspecies, and become a standard trait. All Chameleons have the ability to change their color to match the surrounding environment. Some are actually so skilled with this ability that they often make shows of flamboyant colors, or even rippling color displays among their scales.
• Chameleon Scales: Chameleon Nagah are masters of camouflage and stealth. As such, a Chameleon Nagah gains +4 bonus to Stealth.
• Mutation: Chameleon Nagah are somewhat more prone to mutation. As such, they receive a mutation 15% of the time. Also, when they receive a mutation you can roll twice and pick the more beneficial of the mutations.

Cobra

• Shamans and arcanists, Cobra Nagah are greatly respected among the Nagah because their ties to the arcane and spiritual worlds. Sadly, Cobra Nagah are also the most greatly mutated of entire race. Some speculate it is due to the very forces that they strive to master that their forms are twisted and altered even from birth. These are also the rarest of all the Nagah, with less than 10% of any Nagah community being of the Cobra sub-species. They serve as advisors, defenders, and researchers among the Nagah.
• +2 Intelligence, -2 Strength: Cobra Nagah are quick of mind, but weaker of arm then most Nagah. They do not often engage in direct physical confrontation.
• Innate Mystic Connection: When a Cobra has selected a spell casting class (arcane or divine) as their favored class, the primary spell casting statistic is considered 2 higher than the actual stat for the purposes of determining bonus spells, concentration checks, and the like.
• Heavily Mutated: A Cobra begins with the Cobra Hood Mutation (+2 to Intimidate, -2 to Bluff and Diplomacy checks). They also roll once on the mutation table for an additional mutation. This is before they roll to determine mutation, which in their case is 25%. (It is possible for a Cobra Nagah to have 3 or more mutations.)
• Level Adjustment: +2, Cobras are more powerful than most races, and as such gain experience slower than most.

Constrictor

• The Constrictor Nagah serve as mystics, monks, and priests among their people. Among some of the largest and strongest of their people, they are also considered the most serine and reflective of the Nagah. It is nothing to see a Constrictor mediate for days and weeks on a single question. Do not confuse this introspective nature for pacifism. When called upon, the Constrictors are as deadly warriors as any Asp.
• +2 Strength: Among the most powerful of the Nagah, their massive builds grant them strength rarely matched among the other subspecies.
• Powerful Coils: A Constrictor gains the attack of tail strike (1d6+Str). It also gains the traits of Grab (tail strike) and Constrict (1d6+Str) (see Pathfinder Bestiary).

Greensnake

• The most numerous of the Nagah, the Greensnakes are the commoners of Nagah society. They fill many roles in Nagah society, often supporting and aiding the other subspecies in their specialized duties, or serving as explorers, negotiators and go-betweens with other races that border their lands. Greensnakes enjoy interactions with others, but also like to feed into the air of mystery that surrounds their people. As such, they will often speak in riddles, answer questions with questions, and in general make a somewhat pleasant if not frustrating conversation.
• +2 to Bluff and Diplomacy Skills: Due to their gregarious and easy-going natures, Greensnakes are slightly more capable at social interaction with other races than their more specialized kin. These skills are always considered class skills for a Greensnake character.
• Skilled: Greensnakes gain an additional skill rank at first level and one additional rank whenever they gain a level.

Mutations

Roll	Mutation	Affect
01-02	Additional Arms	You gain a second set of arms. You are eligible for Multiweapon Fighting feat. Also, you gain 1 additional attack (or action) per round. Often Nagah with this mutation are considered blessed avatars of the Nagah gods. Unfortunately, outsiders often mistake these Nagah for demons or worse.  A Nagah with this mutation gains a +1 level adjustment.
03-18	Chameleon Scales	The scales of the Nagah adjust subtly to the terrain. The Nagah gains a +2 bonus to Stealth checks. If a Chameleon Nagah gains this mutation, this bonus stacks. Also, the Chameleon is able to alter their scales into a wide variety of patterns and colors. This ability is more cosmetic, than anything else.
19-24	Cobra Hood	The Nagah gains a cobra like frill that he can expand at will. When the frill is extended, the Nagah gains a +1 bonus to all Intimidate checks. This bonus stacks with the Cobra Hood mutation that a Cobra Nagah already has, but in this case, the frill is especially pronounced, often with an impressive display or pattern on the back of the hood.
25-28	Dragon Whiskers	Where a mustache and beard would be found on a human, there extend a series of tendrils. While their appearance may vary from Nagah to Nagah, their function remains the same. The Nagah gains a +2 bonus to Spellcraft checks when trying to identify magic cast in it’s presence. The Nagah must have line of sight, and be aware of the magic being cast. This is a common mutation among Cobra and Constrictor Nagah.
29-36	Forked Tongue	The Nagah has a long forked tongue. This mutation grants the Nagah the use of the Scent ability. Use of this ability of in the presence of non-Nagah often cause concern about the nature of the Nagah.
37-47	Heat Pits	The Nagah gains heat pits, similar to a viper’s, located under the eyes. This cause rather high cheekbones on the Nagah’s face. It also grants the Nagah darkvision to 60 ft.
48-49	Milky Eyed	The Nagah does not view the physical world as standard beings do, instead they sense the world of spirits as easily as most see the material plane. A Nagah with this mutation is affected as though by the blindness Oracle curse, as well as the level dependent benefits. If a Nagah with the Oracle class gains this mutation, they will need to select a curse other than blindness.
50-54	Poison Blood	Venom courses through the very veins of a Nagah inflicted with this mutation. An attacker that attacks with a slashing or piercing weapon that does damage must save on a Reflex save or save against Asp Venom. A bite attack that does damage offers no Reflex save. Unfortunately, those that receive this mutation are often sterile.
55-65	Prehensile Tail	The end of the Nagah’s tail actually can fuction somewhat as a second hand. This permits the Nagah to grasp small objects a short distance away with the tip of their tail. This functions similarly to the cantrip mage hand, with a range of 10 feet. It also grants the Nagah a +2 to Climb checks.
66-72	Rattle	A hardened scale rattle tips the end of this Nagah’s tail. Shaking this tail grants a +2 to Intimidation checks and abilities that cause fear, and Intimidation is always a class skill for you. Unfortunately, the rattling sound this produces does make it difficult for you to hide your emotions, thus taking a -2 to Bluff checks. A Nagah with a rattle cannot have the Prehensile Tail mutation.
71-72	Second Head	The Nagah actually has a functioning second head. This second head is most often NOT a second personality. Most often, the heads speak in stereo, and act as a single head, for the most part. Due to the unusual nature of the mind of such a Nagah, though, the Nagah gainst a +2 bonus to all Will saves against mind-affecting spells and effects. While physically any facial based mutations are duplicated on a second head, the benefits of that mutation are not doubled.
73-79	Serpent Eyes	The eyes of the Nagah are slitted, like those of a great serpent. The Nagah gains low-light vision to 120 ft. The color of these eyes are often yellow, but red, orange, green, violet and blue are not unheard of. Sometimes extreme other colors can be found.
80-81	Shapechanger	(Females only) Nagah females sometimes gain the ability to change their long serpentine tail into a pair of humanoid legs. This can be done 3 + Cha modifier (minimum 1) times per day similar to the alter self spell, as a spell like ability. While in their “two-leg” form, their base speed drops to 30 ft. The female Nagah also gains the (shapechanger) subtype.
82-86	Thick Scales	Often appearing as almost crocodilian like scales up and down the Nagah’s body, this mutation grants the Nagah a +2 natural armor bonus.
87-90	Third Eye	Though the exact appearance of the eye itself varies from Nagah to Nagah, the third eye always rests in the center of the Nagah’s brow. This third eye grants a +2 mutation bonus to all Perception checks. Also, it grants a +1 caster level on divination spells that the Nagah casts. When casting divination spells, the third eye often glows.
91-95	Variant Pattern	The Nagah has an unusual pattern of scales. This may be brightly colored bands, or scales of an unusual blue, purple, red, or similar hue. There are no set patterns with these Nagah. While mostly cosmetic, they do seem to give some bonuses to the occasional social interaction. Choose either Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate, gain a +1 bonus to this skill, and it is considered a class skill for you.
96-99	Webbed	The Nagah has mutations beneficial to moving in water. Often this is webbed hands, and a wider tail. The Nagah gains a Swim speed of 40 ft, and a +4 bonus to all Swim checks.
00	Original Mutation	This is a mutation other than one listed above. A mutation should not be extreme, and should be created in the interest of balance and story purposes. If you do not wish to make a new mutation, roll twice on list ignoring this result if it comes back up.