D&D Homebrew Races - The Sparstones / Statuefolk
A homebrew race option of beautiful statuefolk warriors for Dungeons & Dragons 3e/3.5 Edition. As always, though this homebrew was made with D&D 3.5 edition in mind, with a few tweaks you can absolutely use this material with Pathfinder 1st edition! -- Aboleth Eye
Inspired by this idea from otherwindow on Tumblr! Find their original post here!
Rush into battle as friendly stone warriors, seeking glory or potentially redemption from their past hubris!
Sparstones History
It is said that the Sparstones were once were once aspiring heroes set to fight the monstrous Gorgon Sisters, but they failed miserably to their petrifying gaze. Others claim they were intended to be beautiful but inanimate statues, accidentally carved from stone resonant with the Elemental Plane of Earth. They are a construct race of living stonework, perfectly carved to pose as figures of masculine ideals. The Sparstones are regal sentient stone with an eye for beauty, and oddly identify as masculine or male. They are a race born of iconic figures, heroes larger than life replicated in hard stone; and they enjoy being admired for their robust figures of marble and other polished rock.
The Sparstones do not have much in the way of concrete history. Despite their longevity and agelessness they are not very bright and prefer to be beings of beautiful action rather than spend their time recording events. Time passing means nothing to them, except that they must work to maintain their bodies against the elements and erosion. A statuefolk may often stay in one location posing for any (or no one) to see, uncaring about time.
The Sparstones collectively worship a trio of earth goddesses, known as the Gorgon Sisters. They believe it is by their blessing that they may carve new statuefolk, to fill the world with more icons of stone beauty.
The infamous Gorgon Sisters were the immortals Euryale and Stheno, and their near-immortal sister Medusa. It was said that they were born of sea gods crashing upon the face of a cliff in their tempestuous passions, each sister carved of a differing stone deposit. Where Euryale and Stheno were implacable and powerful divinities made to challenge mortals, yet Medusa was beautiful and delicate compared to her sisters. But she drew the unwanted attention of a sea god rival to her parents; and either to punish or protect the abused maiden, a goddess (often characterized by having wisdom) afflicted the beautiful Medusa with the same horrific countenance of her sisters.
The Gorgons reunited, they lived with only each other on an island far from shore, near impossible to locate. But the Gorgons, to spite the gods and punish their heroes, used their parents’ power to shape the earth to make their home a challenge–only great heroes would even locate the island of the Gorgons, and even then the greatest of them must face its challenges and live. Mortal heroes of all stripes and creeds came to defeat the Gorgons and make a name for themselves, only to fall victim to the Sisters’ greatest power: their intoxicating gaze turned flesh into stone…
The Gorgons defeated countless heroes who approached their island domain: by reshaping the reefs to sink ships, by creating mazes of twisted earth, or facing their prey and relishing the cries of despair as they were defeated by bronze claw or petrifying gaze… The gods saw their favorite mortals fall in droves by the shipful to unwittingly feed these divine creatures, and the Gorgons filled their island home with the stone mementos of their victims. The monstresses claimed the lives of heroes and froze them forever in stone.
Eventually, by some foul prophecy of the spiteful gods, the abused Medusa was slain. Through foul mortal trickery and divine intervention, she was decapitated in her slumber and her head stolen away. Her sisters howled with rage and by their power the seas surrounding their home became impassable and sealed--jagged peaks and deep valleys rising and falling from the seabed to seal it from lands beyond. Thankfully, the murderous “hero” finished his adventures of misusing the gorgon’s head and presented it back to the gods, who then returned it to the living Gorgon sisters out of respect (or possibly fear of their wrath).
To prevent their slain sister’s head from ever being misused again, Euryale and Stheno reshaped their island home to swallow them. All the heroes frozen in stone were smashed and absorbed into this great cradle of earth along with the monstresses; and the island was lost...
The Sparstones have no knowledge of this mythical isle's location, if it even existed. The prevailing theory is that the island itself was a demiplane of the Elemental Plane of Earth, reachable by a hidden portal on the Material Plane. Hence the impossibility in modern times of reaching it, the connection swallowed up without a trace...
In any case, the Sparstones worship the Gorgons as their creator-goddesses. They credit their sentience and autonomy to the Gorgons’ blessings, calling them earth goddesses who judge heroes and were unjustly punished by the divine. Most among the oldest Sparstones propose that their kind came from earth where Medusa’s lifeblood fell. The divine ichor of the beheaded Gorgon agitated the rock to live for their fallen goddess, or perhaps to take on the forms of the Gorgons’ victims and live as beautiful effigies of fallen heroes…
Culture and Personality
The statuefolk typically are enigmatic and strange, typically spending their time striking poses when at rest. They are a friendly, if implacable, race of stone statues who take delight in being admired and achieving heroic tasks to prove themselves. They have infinite patience and no ambition to do much beyond taking their time to interact with the world.
The Sparstones worship the Gorgons (especially Medusa the Slain), and they honor the fallen heroes they may have been or inspired by... Some even believe they are merely stone conglomerates of all the failed heroes. To the Sparstones, the Gorgons are akin to earth mother-goddesses–judges of mortal heroes and martyrs of unfair divine punishment.
The Sparstones cannot fathom if the Gorgon Island truly existed, nor propose where it was located, for they manifest any place tied to earth (especially the Elemental Plane of Earth). These elementally charged deposits of marble, onyx and other stone are the key component to the creation of new Sparstones; perhaps wherever the lifeblood of Medusa’s head fell caused the stone to resonate with animating energies?
Physical touch and intimacy is a very important component to Sparstones culture. Among their own kind the Sparstones are very friendly towards their “brothers” and “fathers”. They delight in one another’s company, and many find the act of posing together for an extended period to be very intimate. Many Sparstones congregate in abandoned stone temples or walled gardens, posing for each other and enjoying one another’s company in many activities.
Wrestling barehanded is one such activity that is heavily favored; many Sparstones who meet for the first time will immediately drop everything and wrestle down while getting to know one another between maneuvers. Often a wrestling match will be interspersed with periods of posing (and helping one another dust off and admire their designs). Despite the roughhousing and the obvious distressing sounds of stone against stone, unless two Sparstones actively attempt to harm one another they will not chip or break, regardless of differences in their body’s stone construction and materials.
Other times the statuefolk will challenge one another to contests of speed, strength and weapons handling. When Sparstones come together in large numbers it is inevitable one of them will spontaneously call out a challenge, leading to them all charging off to begin the friendly competition. This can be daunting in public areas and cramped spaces, especially in crowded cities. That is why most Sparstones conclaves take up residence far from mortal concerns, with lots of space for them to roam and play sports.
Lastly, Sparstones enjoy attending to the bodies of themselves, as wells as their brothers, fathers and uncles. They enjoy bathing together, especially in hot springs rich in mineral deposits, cleaning one another intimately to help one another shine. The warmth of hot water is one of the few physical sensations these constructs actively enjoy. The Sparstones eagerly seek and give each other advice on posing, even sharing unique poses they have acquired or wish to try to better share their beauty. They also volunteer to help one another with repairs and improving accessories/additions to damaged areas.
Living companions may find physical intimacy rather daunting with a Sparstones, due to the durability and surprising weight of the Sparstones’ stone body. Wrestling is to be avoided at all costs, as the Sparstones do not suffer physical discomfort and they often forget how delicate and vulnerable mortal bodies can be. Luckily they are polite and if refused they will usually realize why, though it may take some minutes of pondering. Sparstones more used to mortal companionship will often learn to be touched and grabbed playfully passively, watching patiently as their friends become more comfortable.
Sparstones are very nonchalant with mortal races. If an onlooker appreciates a statuefolk's beauty and the effort it takes to pose artfully, the constructs might become interested in interacting with their audience. But it takes active work to become friends with these living statues, as they easily forget things that are not aesthetically beautiful and answer questions only at their own patient whims. The Sparstones are able to draw attention mostly from their physical beauty and the power resonating from their forms, but they can be convincing speakers because they often don’t care enough to lie and enjoy conversing when in the mood.
Sparstones will never forget the form and figure of one of their own, as well as other constructs and statues. They absorb every detail of sculpture and memorize every curve and line of a new friend of their kind. Some Sparstones actively volunteer as art models, as they are able to pose for entire days without changing and they enjoy the “rapid” challenge of being asked to change their arrangements.
They enjoy artists of all kinds, but sculptors draw them in devoutly. Mortals capable of sculpture are fascinating to Sparstones, whether carving from stone and ivory to shaping clay. They will watch artists at their work with no break, often to the discomfort of the artist if they are mortal. Statuefolk who wish to “father” a new member of their kind, on the other hand, delight in having a crowd as they carve stone in hopes of witnessing a manifestation together. Sparstones sculptors who succeed in the act of manifesting another are given the honorary title of “father”, and are given deference regardless of age differences.
The Sparstones are usually neutral in one or both aspects of alignment, usually favoring lawful neutral. Even if they are sculpted to idolize a specific hero of more extreme alignment, each living statue lacks the physical drives and limited lifespans of the mortals they inspire/are inspired by.
Many Sparstones, fully aware of their extreme durability and functional immortality, struggle to act immediately and without thought. Those made from volcanic or igneous rock are often the most hot-tempered in comparison to others of their kind. Sculptors/"fathers" are most often lawful neutral.
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Physiology & Creation
A Sparstones is made when one of their own, or an unwitting mortal sculptor, lovingly carves a lifesized statue. True love and admiration for the sculpted form must be felt by the sculptor, and the anticipation of “meeting” the statue once completed often becomes an obsession by the sculptor.
A common component that aids in Sparstones manifestation is that the block of stone material is connected or charged with planar energy from the Elemental Plane of Earth. Some mages suggest the “soul” of a statuefolk is actually an earth elemental that is living within in the sculpted form as its shell. Others say the Sparstones are born from heroes who were buried in the earth with no accomplishments to their names, and so they are reborn by loving hands.
Upon completion of the statue, it is still uncertain if it will manifest as a Sparstones. Some come to life within a week of completion, often testing the sculptor’s hope. Others may manifest after being placed in a gallery or plaza for years, deciding one day to wake up and walk about being ogled. Some Sparstones “fathers” fill entire courtyards with their creations, and often only see one manifest every five years. But in times of dire circumstance for the sculptor’s home, it is common that statues may suddenly manifest as Sparstones in groups of three to as many as twenty all at once. Usually if a medusa colony or other great monster begins to threaten mortal settlements...
Most Sparstones manifest from statues of bipedal muscular men with handsome faces (maybe even sculpted-in facial hair), but it is not uncommon for statues of young men and boys to manifest. Despite any visible difference in size or stature, the only difference a Sparstones will care about is who is older in terms of their initial completion. Older Sparstones are treated as older brothers by the younger, and will often train their little brothers to make their way in the world.
Physically, most Sparstones are sculpted in the naturalistic Hellenistic Greek style or Roman styles. But it is not unheard of that they are sculpted to resemble other culture's styles. Other inspirations for unique statuefolk designs and cultures could include the Terracotta Army of China. Dungeon Masters are free to reinterpret the culture of the statuefolk to resemble other cultures.
Sparstones are created with the sentience of a young adult, typically masculine in persona and personality. They manifest with some basic understanding about the world, but otherwise must learn for themselves how to live amongst their own kind and others. However, they are always very relaxed about acquiring knowledge; having all the time in the world to learn often leads to Sparstones being found posing in place for years before they decide to venture out.
It is extremely rare that a Sparstones unique from all others manifests. All Sparstones manifest from the statues of Medium sized humanoids, but it is rare for one to manifest from a female-presenting statue. Rarely these female Sparstones manifest, but they have the same cultural mindset and interests as their siblings and uncles. Often called “Galateans” in reference to a similar statue coming to life, female statuefolk usually conduct themselves in the same activities as their kind. They are just as vain and physical as their more masculine-shaped siblings. Galateans will more often come into conflict with mortal societies that exhibit strict gender roles, and they do not believe femininity makes them weaker or unworthy of some actions. Even if they are sculpted to resemble maiden goddesses, nymphs or other feminine figures; they are just as free to pick up a spear and face great beasts like any other of their kind.
Sparstones do not see gender differences in other races, let alone themselves. And Galateans are also driven to acts of heroism and inspiring posing, just like the brothers that outnumber them one to a hundred. Plus, they are all made from the same natural power of stone, so differences do not exist between them.
Some statuefolk are sculpted with strange physical traits, usually crafted to represent a particular divine being or figure of legend. For instance, some Sparstones are sculpted to resemble satyrs or fauns, with horns and cloven hooves on shaggy haunches. Others may be sculpted to represent unique humanoid races, such as elves or orcish peoples–but those of human design are the most common. These unique features do not have any bearings on their physical capabilities, but may influence their personalities.
Sparstones typically stand between 6 to 6 ½ feet tall, weighing anywhere from 450 to 600 pounds.
Because of their beautiful stone construction and their pride in their forms, most Sparstones prefer to wear only loincloths or other very light garments outside of battle. Despite most Sparstones not having anything “inappropriate” sculpted, they wear clothes that leave just enough to the imagination and have little to no regard for public decency. Some statuefolk in modern times are sculpted as wearing clothes, which they are able to change at-will into anything they wish.
Any weapons or armor carved as part of the original unliving statue is not usable, and the Sparstones attached to the objects carved out of their bodies typically drop anything they carry. Armor carved into the stone is merely aesthetic and part of their stone natural armor.
Some statues are painted in bright colors upon completion, the artist's attempt at preserving the depicted figures' vitality. However, the Sparstones dislike having their beautiful stone bodies covered in layers of paint. They claim paint makes them feel extremely uncomfortable, as if their stone "skin" needs to breathe. If a painted statue manifests as a Sparstones the statuefolk will run to wash off any paint at the first chance. A surefire way to get a Sparstones' attention during a posing marathon is to mark them with paint or graffiti. Anyone that unknowingly marks a posing Sparstones with graffiti will typically be immediately punched and set the statue into a bad mood.
Sparstones fathers/craftsmen will usually claim a location with large deposits of stone readily available, such as mountains, quarries and even the seabed. Often a singular or conclave of Sparstones will work together to create an airy stone temple or palace for them to live and sculpt within. Sometimes statuefolk will claim a subterranean dungeon for themselves if they feel the stone “calling” to them. Otherwise the Sparstones are eager to come and go at their leisure.
Sparstones have no desires for anything base or instinctual for most living races. They have no hunger or lust, and are not curious about those mortal desires. They care about aesthetic beauty foremost, and companionship second; otherwise they have any number of unique ambitions. Many Sparstones decide to adventure, as they are carved to resemble great heroes and wish to understand their likenesses.
Others feel the call of the Gorgons in stone and take on quests to unearth or discover things hidden beneath the earth (often in dungeons). A Sparstones has been known to become infused with the rage of the Gorgons as a barbarian, either to punish those who foul the earth or to rescue Sparstones that are captured for their beauty as living sculptures.
Because Sparstones are stone constructs, many of their kind can enjoy living peacefully at the bottom of the ocean. These aquatic Sparstones will create structures of stone to live in, or will begin rebuilding in the ruins of underwater/sunken cities. Often aquatic races such as merfolk will welcome the Sparstones to their cities, as they are eager to aid in constructing stone buildings and pose for their new friends.
Sparstones in the sea often repair or accessorize their bodies with living coral formations and barnacles, surprising fishing villages when they rise from the ocean to pose on beaches for days.
If a Sparstones is broken or eroded in any way, they will drop everything at the safest opportunity to attempt repair. Broken limbs, and even heads, can be replaced with plaster, bronze or other materials. Some Sparstones even repair their cracks with metal alloys such as gold or silver, as well as shards of gemstone. These additions or “accessories” will merge and shift with the Sparstones’ body after a period of one week. Therefore many Sparstones wrap their injuries with bandages or cloth as a humanoid would, allowing the new material to heal over the breakage.
If a Sparstones is too eroded by the elements to function, or has suffered extensive damage that cannot be repaired, they will forgo posing and adventuring to attempt creating new Sparstones. Depending on the specific sculptor, they will create one to as many sculptures as they wish before passing their tools to another. Sculpting tools are heavily prized by the Sparstones, as they can create and preserve the life of their kind. Passing them on is an honor that all Sparstones treasure and fear.
An infirm or eroded Sparstones, after crafting their last “child”, will attempt to return to the elements. Usually this involves the infirm statue locating a portal or entryway to the Elemental Plane of Earth. If they are broken or damaged beyond repair during this journey, it is deemed that they have merely returned to the Material elements. If successful, no one knows what awaits in the Elemental Plane of Earth.
Some scholars believe that upon reaching the earthly Elemental Plane the Sparstones are welcomed by a city of their kind, able to use the power of the plane to live on forever. Others believe they attempt to reach the Gorgons in their domain within the Elemental Plane of earth, hoping to serve their mistresses or be reborn as another Sparstones in time.
The Sparstones are functionally immortal once they awaken. Though if their bodies suffer extreme damage or are obliterated (such as by magic) whatever animating spirit within their stone bodies will vanish, leaving behind a broken masterpiece of inanimate rock.
Statuefolk also have been known to "hibernate" or lose themselves in posing as they get older. Many of these hibernating Sparstones never seem to awaken and allow themselves to erode away with time and the elements.
Some Sparstones are truly ancient and excavations on ruins may unearth one and it will arise upon inspection. Because many of these living statues can repair themselves through divine magic or adding new limbs of stone, it is impossible to calculate the exact limits of age.
Speaking of repair, if a Sparstones loses an arm, leg or chunk of their torso they are able to repair it with plaster and stone sculpted to fit. So long as it is natural earth materials, including different stone than their original bodies, these statues can patchwork their bodies provided the new additions are beautifully carved to fit. Only the head cannot be replaced, and a Sparstones with the head struck off cannot animate its body no matter the proximity. The stone body of a beheaded Sparstones immediately freezes and cannot be moved without the head reattached. Perhaps this limitation is akin to what happened with Medusa of these statues' earth goddesses?
Sparstones believe beheading is exceedingly cruel to all creatures, and to behead one of their own truly disturbs their kind. Only those who truly abandon the path of beautiful heroism and commit atrocities against the earth are judged for beheading as a punishment. The statuefolk chosen to act as the headsman take this task with great solemnity.
Supposedly one Sparstones father was successful in transplanting another Sparatones' head onto a new stone body, and after waiting in hibernation a mere two hundred years the patient was able to gain full control over their new body as if it were their original.
Cultural Relations
The Sparstones get along with most races, but they interact with them strangely--being stone immortals compared to everchanging mortal races.
To start, Sparstones do not see gender in any form. Instead, masculine features such as broad shoulders, muscled bodies and handsome faces are just more beautiful. It is a beauty most Sparstones will only know, and so they will share their beauty and be interested in those whose bodies align with their preferences. Feminine and female-presenting races are not ignored, instead the statuefolk stupidly think they are “not trying hard enough” to be beautiful as they see it. So they eagerly share and hope to inspire, unaware of cultural viewpoints or preferences.
Sparstones get along with humans the best, as most of them are modeled after human warriors and heroes. They engage with humans to learn what true heroes do, so they can attempt to inspire and perform such feats themselves. Adult humans are judged first on their looks and then on their actions. Children of all races are unknown to the statuefolk. These construct regard children as statues carved down too small, and they get confused when time passes and children grow up.
Humans see Sparstones as statues first, rather than sentient creatures; and are often perturbed when a statue suddenly changes positions or walks away from their post. But humans are the best fans, and the statuefolk love to pose for them in their public squares. When they change pose it always gets applause in human cities, though the general populace might only think they are animated stone constructs built by mages…
The Sparstones get along well with dwarves too, especially their stoneworkers. To the Sparstones, those who understand the power of earth and stone are to be respected. Some Sparstones are even manifested from dwarven statues, though it is rare for dwarves to sculpt statues of their kind without bulky beards and armor carved into them. Dwarves respect the Sparstones, due to their cultural and emotional connection with stone; the dwarves are one of the first races a statuefolk would actively seek out for repairs (which means a lot of earned trust). They are both patient, stalwart people; but even the dwarves find these constructs too concerned with form over function, and even they are more ambitious to accomplish than the statues.
Elves are long-lived like the Sparstones, so they have similar mindsets in terms of long-term planning and enjoying beauty. Beauty fades inevitably, and the elves find Sparstones fascinating for their ability to manifest spontaneously out of beautiful stone. Some Sparstones are carved to resemble elven warriors and heroes. However, the elves find the shift between posing for days and the suddenness of physical intimacy rather jarring.
Elves see the beauty of art more in theory and delicate technique, unlike the Sparstones who see art’s beauty in action and dynamic feats. More chaotic elves find these constructs dull when they are not in action, and waiting for the Sparstones to find their ambitions is too much of a hassle.
Gnomes are not well regarded by Sparstones. They are aspiring master craftsmen to be sure, but their mediums are in alchemy and magic rather than the beautiful medium of stone. And gnomes have been known to animate constructs to be mere tools, rather than beings with individuality and personality (regardless of their sentience). So the Sparstones give gnomes a friendly nod, but don’t see their tinkering as an act of loving creation.
Halflings are just like human children to Sparstones; and they do not experience excitement for the same things the halflings do. The statuefolk live such slow lives compared to halflings'. And halflings appreciate mediums such as fashion and singing rather than establishing longstanding stoneworks to mark their settlements.
Medusa (the snake haired monstrous humanoids) and the Sparstones have a strained relationship. Many medusa see the living stone statues as a sign of their divine namesake, though the meaning is often impossible to interpret. The Sparstones mostly give medusa a wide berth, as the serpentine creatures are the closest living descendants of the Gorgon Sisters but lack the connection to divine stone.
Some medusa colonies, usually taking over abandoned temples or cities, allow Sparstones to come and go. Insane medusa often believe the Sparstones are their property by divine right and enslave the living statues to be art pieces or forced labor, which the statuefolk refuse outright and tirelessly resist.
Some of the statuefolk who are protective or friendly with humanoid civilizations have qualms about medusa colonies threatening their mortal allies. But they are perhaps the perfect people to undertake the fight against the lesser medusa scourge…
Construct races like the warforged and golmoids are considered cousins to the Sparstones but from a very different branch of the family tree. Where the warforged and golmoids were made to serve specific purposes and gained independent sentience in their own time, the Sparstones have always had their independent sentience.
Despite being created to serve the purpose of art, the Sparstones are never beholden to those who crafted or commissioned their initial design (if at all). The Warforged want to integrate into humanoid society. Meanwhile, the Golmoids want to be appreciated by humanoid society for their great skills of strength and be seen as more than laboring behemoths.
The Sparstones compared to other constructs, almost have no ambition other than inspiring and heroism for their own sakes. The construct races do recognize the intellects and ambitions of one another, however, but they each are driven by such different things that they typically don’t cross paths much.
Gargoyles (the sentient kind) and other creatures hewn and animated from raw earth are hard for the Sparstones to comprehend. They are animated by a similar force but it perturbs the statuefolk that were not carved with their heroic proportions and ideals. Gargoyles are hideous and beastly in the eyes of the Sparstones, and a Sparstones will actively attempt to destroy a gargoyle should they get the chance. Sparstones’ temples and ruins will never allow a gargoyle to perch on their pillars and ramparts.
Other creatures such as earth elementals, xorns or even thoqqua are seen as emanations of the Gorgon Sisters. Elementals are regarded as messengers or proof of the Sisters’ existence, while xorns and other earth creatures are born to punish mortals. Because xorns consume stone and precious minerals, they are often drawn to the Sparstones and attempt to devour the statuefolk; which spurs a great hunt or mass egress by these heroes.
While a dragon or other beast can destroy a Sparstones in a blaze of glory, being actively consumed and turned to nothing but sustenance for these creatures is terrifying for the Sparstones.
Racial Traits
The following are the 3e/3.5 racial traits for a Sparstones character:
- Medium Size
- Construct (living) Type
- Living Constructs have Constitution scores, but cannot heal damage naturally. They are healed by repair damage spell effects, and healing is halved for cure wounds spells.
- Living Constructs are subject to spells that target living targets, as well as constructs.
- Immune to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, disease, nausea, fatigue, exhaustion, effects that cause the sickened condition, and energy drain
- Living Constructs are not immune to mind-affecting effects; they are subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, stunning, ability damage, ability drain, and death effects or necromancy effects.
- Living constructs do not need to eat, breathe or sleep; but they can benefit from consumable spells and magic items.
- A Sparstones spellcaster must rest for 8 hours before preparing/refreshing spells.
- The stone body of Sparstones constructs makes them vulnerable to certain spell effects. The spells rusting grasp and stone to flesh affects the minerals within their body, inflicting 2d6 points of damage from the spell (Reflex half; save DC 14 + caster's ability modifier).
- A Sparstones takes the same damage from a rust monster's touch (Reflex DC 17 half).
- Spells such as transmute metal to wood, metal melt and fortify metal or stone affect objects only, and thus cannot be used on the sculpted body of a Sparstones.
- A Sparstones takes damage from heat metal and chill metal as if wearing metal armor.
- A Sparstones is repelled by repel metal or stone as if wearing metal armor.
- A living construct responds slightly differently from other living creatures when reduced to 0 hit points. At 0 hit points a statuefolk is disabled, as with a living creature–he can take only a single move action or standard action in each round, but strenuous activity does not risk further injury.
- When hit points are less than 0 and greater than -10, a Sparstones becomes inert. He is unconscious and helpless, and cannot perform any actions. An inert statuefolk does not lose additional hit points unless more damage is dealt to him, however, as with a living creature that has become stable.
- As a living construct, a Sparstones can be raised or resurrected.
- Ability Scores: Strength +2, Constitution +2, Intelligence -4, Wisdom -2, Charisma +2,
- The Sparstones are inspiring works of art that can stand the test of time, however, they are quite literally dumb as rocks. They instead rely on their stony bodies to power through challenges, often emulating fools rather than the heroes they look like.
- Sparstones cannot have their Intelligence lowered below 3 at character creation.
- Base Land Speed: 30 feet
- Natural Armor: +3 natural armor bonus
- Natural Weapon: A Sparstones has a natural weapon in the form of a single slam attack that deals 1d4 points of damage.
- Special Qualities:
- Light Fortification (Ex): When a critical hit or sneak attack is scored on a Sparstones, there is a 25% chance that the critical hit or sneak attack is negated and damage is instead rolled normally.
- Heavyweight (Ex): Sparstones struggle with the weight of their stone bodies, and if their balance is thrown off it often gets them into sticky situations. Sparstones have a -4 racial penalty to Balance and Tumble checks, and a -8 racial penalty to Swim checks to stay afloat or rise from lower depths.
- Languages: Common, Terran.
- Bonus Languages: any non-secret.
- Favored Class: Fighter
- Favored Soul statuefolk are common as well, since are supposedly blessed by deities of earth.
- Most Sparstones are carved to epitomize hypermasculine ideals and heroic imagery, and they often take on the fighter class to prove their worth as imitations of heroes. Rarely a statuefolk will have the molten rage to become a barbarian, perhaps they are animated by magma elemental energies instead of solid earth.
- Favored Souls among the Sparstones use weapons based on which Gorgon they worship. Euryale the Wide-Stepping prefers the trident, Stheno the Strong prefers the longspear, and lastly Medusa the Protector prefers the spiked shield (usually with her terrifying emblem upon it).
- Level Adjustment: +1
- ECL: 2+
Sparstones Racial Paragon Class
Abilities: Strength and Constitution are important for the Sparstones as valuable heroic combatants, but their connection to the divine earth relies on their Charisma.
Alignment: any, though predominantly lawful
Hit Dice: d10
Class Skills: Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (planes) (Int), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str).
Skill Points: 2 + Int modifier per level, quadrupled at 1st level
Table: the Sparstones Paragon Class
| Level | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | Spells Per Day | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +0 | +2 | +0 | +0 | Freeze | - - | ||||||
| 2nd | +1 | +3 | +0 | +0 | Repair Damage, Natural Armor Increase | +1 level of favored soul | ||||||
| 3rd | +2 | +3 | +1 | +1 | Ability Boost (Cha +2), Earth Subtype | +1 level of favored soul |
Class Features:
Proficiencies: A paragon Sparstones is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, as well as light armor and shields (excluding tower).
Freeze (Su): The Sparstones paragon remembers life as an inanimate statue, and can pose unmoving for days at a time. If the paragon stands perfectly still, an observer must succeed on a DC 20 Spot check to notice the statuefolk is really alive. Once a Sparstones is witnessed taking any action, the observer will not be fooled.
Repair Damage: Starting at 2nd level a Sparstones paragon always has repair damage spells available to their spells known for spontaneous spellcasting classes (e.g. sorcerer, favored soul).
If a Sparstones paragon has no levels in a spontaneous spellcasting class, this class feature has no effect.
Natural Armor Increase: A Sparstones paragon at 2nd level gains a +1 increase to their racial natural armor bonus, increasing it to +4.
Spells per Day: At 2nd and 3rd level, a Sparstones paragon gains new spells per day as if they had also gained a level in favored soul. They do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (bonus metamagic feats, and so on). This essentially means that they add their level of paragon to their level in favored soul, and then determines spells per day and caster level accordingly.
If a Sparstones paragon has no levels in favored soul, this class feature has no effect.
Ability Boost (Ex): At level 3, the paragon's physical beauty now flows from deeper within. The paragon receives an additional +2 racial bonus to Charisma.
Earth Subtype (Su): A paragon fully awakens their connection to the earth, gaining the earth subtype.
Sparstones/Construct Racial Feats
- Stone Resonance
- Prerequisite: Sparstones or earth subtype, Wisdom 13
- Benefit: As a spell-like ability usable three times per day, you can cast magic stone on up to three touched stones or sling bullets. Caster level equals character level or total Hit Dice (whichever is higher), save is Wisdom-based.
- Construct Crush
- Prerequisite: Medium size or larger, Construct
- Benefit: While grappling a non-construct opponent of Medium size or smaller, on a successful grapple check you can automatically crush your opponent. This crush attack inflicts 1d8 plus Strength in bludgeoning damage.
- Golden Veins
- Prerequisite: living Construct, Charisma 13, must be taken at 1st level
- Benefit: As a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity from adjacent enemies, a living construct with this feat can consume metal ingots, coins or raw ore of precious metals--such as gold, silver, copper and platinum. The construct heals 5 hit points for every 25 gp’s worth, up to 40 hit points (by consuming 1000 gp) per round. The healing for this feat cannot heal a construct over their current maximum hit points, and any further gp consumed is simply destroyed. A construct with this feat cannot heal themselves if they are disabled (hit points 0 or below)
- When a construct with this feat has consumed at least 2,000 gp worth of precious metals, they receive a +2 racial bonus to all Diplomacy skill checks.
- Special: If a construct with this feat is destroyed or reduced, an amount of gold equal to half the amount consumed (rounded down) can be picked up from their remains. A living construct that is resurrected returns as if they had consumed 0 gp worth (removing the Diplomacy bonus above if they had).
- A construct with this feat cannot consume gems (including astral diamonds), magic weapons/armor, wondrous items (including potions and staves/staffs) or art objects to heal themselves. Even if an object has metallic components, only pure metal (from coins, ingots or chunks of raw ore) can be smelted down within the core of the construct.
Author's Note:
Thank you so much for reading through this whole concept post! I am so glad I get to share this concept, inspired by the awesome "seed" from Otherwindow! I went into a major homebrewing mindset when the idea came across my Tumblr feed. That homebrewing fugue state eventually led to this being made, one of my first fully written homebrew races (including their culture, philosophy, creation, etc).
There is much more to talk about with the Sparstones, but this post is rather long and I'd rather put the additional lore in another post. So look out for my Sparstones Lore post that details the Gorgon Sisters as goddess beings, and the two original Sparstones Midas and Galatea (more lore inspired by Otherwindow).
Aboleth Eye
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