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Gillmen

Image used by permission of Purple Duck Games.

Random Gillmen Starting Ages

Adulthood Intuitive1 Self-Taught2 Trained3
20 years +1d6 years
(21 - 26 years)		 +2d6 years
(22 - 32 years)		 +3d6 years
(23 - 38 years)

1 This category includes barbarians, oracles, rogues, and sorcerers.
2 This category includes bards, cavaliers, fighters, gunslingers, paladins, rangers, summoners, and witches.
3 This category includes alchemists, clerics, druids, inquisitors, magi, monks, and wizards.

Random Gillmen Height and Weight

Gender Base Height Height Modifier Base Weight Weight Modifier
Male 4 ft. 10 in. +2d10 in.
(5 ft. - 6 ft. 6 in.)		 120 lbs. +(2d10×5 lbs.)
(130 - 220 lbs.)
Female 4 ft. 5 in. +2d10 in.
(4 ft. 7 in. - 6 ft. 1 in.)		 85 lbs. +(2d10×5 lbs.)
(95 - 185lbs.)

Gillmen are the remnants of a race of surface-dwelling humanoids whose homeland was drowned in a great cataclysm at the hands of the aboleth. The aboleths rescued a few survivors, warping them into an amphibious race to serve as emissaries to the surface world. Modern gillmen remain reclusive and suspicious, scarred by both the loss of their ancient heritage and the sure knowledge that aboleths do nothing without expecting to profit from it. Physically gillmen have expressive brows, pale skin, dark hair, and bright purple eyes. Three slim gills mark each side of their necks, near the shoulder, but they are otherwise close enough in appearance to humans that they can pass as such (for a time) without fear of detection.

Standard Racial Traits

  • Ability Score Racial Traits: Gillmen are vigorous and beautiful, but their domination by the aboleths has made them weak-willed. They gain +2 Constitution, +2 Charisma, and –2 Wisdom.
  • Type: Gillmen are humanoids with the aquatic subtype.
  • Size: Gillmen are Medium creatures and thus have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
  • Base Speed: Gillmen have a base speed of 30 feet on land. As aquatic creatures, they also have a swim speed of 30 feet, can move in water without making Swim checks, and always treat Swim as a class skill.
  • Languages: Gillmen begin play speaking Common and Aboleth. Gillmen with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Aklo, Aquan, Draconic, and Elven. See the Linguistics skill page for more information about these languages.

Defense Racial Traits

  • Enchantment Resistance: Gillmen gain a +2 racial bonus to saving throws against non-aboleth enchantment spells and effects, but take a –2 penalty on such saving throws against aboleth sources.

Weakness Racial Traits

  • Water Dependent A gillman's body requires constant submersion in fresh or salt water. Gillmen who spend more than one day without fully submerging themselves in water risk internal organ failure, painful cracking of the skin, and death within 4d6 hours.

Other Racial Traits

  • Amphibious: Gillmen can breathe both water and air.

Alternate Racial Traits

The following alternate racial traits may be selected in place of one or more of the standard racial traits above. Consult your GM before selecting any of these new options.

  • Deep Gillman: Some gillmen live in the deeper ocean and almost never visit the land above the sea. Such gillmen gain darkvision to a range of 60 feet and resist cold 5, in order to survive the lightless depths. This racial trait replaces amphibious and enchantment resistance. Source PCS:ISR
  • Riverfolk Some gillmen groups live in colonies along vast riverways, and have adapted to living on land for much longer periods. Gillmen with this trait have a thin coating of natural oil that keeps their skin from cracking even without water. However, this natural oil also makes such gillmen particularly susceptible to flames, and they gain vulnerability to fire. This racial trait replaces water dependent.
  • Slimehunter Gillmen with this trait are from lineages that have fought against aboleths since the aberrations rescued their human ancestors. They receive a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against aboleth spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities. This racial trait replaces enchantment resistance.
  • Throwback Some gillmen are throwbacks to their land-dwelling human ancestors. Gillmen with this racial trait do not have the amphibious trait, have the human subtype instead of the aquatic subtype, have no swim speed or bonuses to the Swim skill, cannot breathe water, and do not have the water dependent racial trait.

Favored Class Options

The following favored class options are available to all characters of this race who have the listed favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the favored class reward.

  • Fighter Add +1 to the fighter's CMD when resisting two combat maneuvers of the character's choice.
  • Rogue The rogue gains 1/6 of a new rogue talent.
  • Sorcerer Add one spell known from the sorcerer spell list. This spell must be at least one level below the highest spell level the sorcerer can cast.
  • Wizard Add one spell from the wizard spell list to the wizard's spellbook. This spell must be at least one level below the highest spell level he can cast.

3rd Party Publisher Favored Class Options

  • Aegis: Add resistance to cold +1/2 to the aegis’ astral suit. This does not stack with the energy resistance (cold) customization option. [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]
  • Alchemist: Add one formula from the alchemist’s formula list to the character’s formulae book. This formula must be at least one level below the highest formulae level the alchemist can create. [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]
  • Antipaladin: If the fiendish servant has a swim speed, add +1 foot to the fiendish servant’s swim speed. In combat this option has no effect unless the antipaladin has selected it 5 times (or another increment of 5); a speed of 34 feet is effectively the same as 30 feet, for example. [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]
  • Arcanist: Add one spell from the arcanist spell list to the arcanist’s spellbook. This spell must be at least one level below the highest spell level she can cast. [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]
  • Barbarian: Add +1/2 on critical hit confirmation rolls for attacks made underwater (maximum bonus of +4). This bonus does not stack with Critical Focus. [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]
  • Bard: Add +1/2 to the bard’s saving bonus against nonaboleth enchantment spells and effects. [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]
  • Bloodrager: Add a +1 bonus on caster level checks to cast spells underwater. [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]
  • Brawler: Add +1/2 on critical hit confirmation rolls for attacks made underwater (maximum bonus of +4). This bonus does not stack with Critical Focus. [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]
  • Cavalier: Add +1/4 to the cavalier’s banner bonus. [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]
  • Cleric: Whenever the cleric uses her channel energy ability to heal, all healed creatures receive a bonus to the Swim skill equal to 1/2 for 1 minute. Each additional time the cleric selects this ability, the bonus increases by +1/2. [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]
  • Cryptic: The cryptic gains +1/6 of a new insight. [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]
  • Dread: The dread gains +1/6 of a new terror. [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]
  • Druid: Add +1 foot to the druid’s swim speed. In combat this option has no effect unless the druid has selected it 5 times (or another increment of 5); a speed of 34 feet is effectively the same as 30 feet, for example. [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]
  • Gunslinger: Add +1/4 point to the gunslinger’s grit points. [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]
  • Hunter: Add +1 foot to the hunter’s swim speed. In combat this option has no effect unless the hunter has selected it 5 times (or another increment of 5); a speed of 34 feet is effectively the same as 30 feet, for example. [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]
  • Inquisitor: Add +1/2 on Intimidate, Knowledge, and Sense Motive checks made against creatures with the aquatic or water subtype. [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]
  • Investigator: Add one formula from the investigator’s formula list to the character’s formulae book. This formula must be at least one level below the highest formulae level the investigator can create. [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]
  • Magus: Add +1/4 point to the magus’ arcane pool. [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]
  • Marksman: Add +1/3 to damage rolls made with ranged or thrown weapons when expending focus on Psionic Shot. [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]
  • Monk: Add +1/4 point to the monk’s ki pool. [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]
  • Ninja: Add +1/4 point to the ninja’s ki pool. [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]
  • Oracle: Add a +1 bonus on caster level checks to overcome the spell resistance of creatures with the aquatic or water subtype. [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]
  • Paladin: If the mount has a swim speed, add +1 foot to the paladin’s mount’s swim speed. In combat this option has no effect unless the paladin has selected it 5 times (or another increment of 5); a speed of 34 feet is effectively the same as 30 feet, for example. [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]
  • Psion: Add +1/2 power known from the psion power list. This power must be at least one level below the highest power level the psion can manifest. [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]
  • Psychic Warrior: Add +1 foot to the psychic warrior’s swim speed. In combat this option has no effect unless the psychic warrior has selected it 5 times (or another increment of 5); a speed of 34 feet is effectively the same as 30 feet, for example. [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]
  • Ranger: Add a +1/3 bonus to the ranger’s favored terrain (water). [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]
  • Samurai: Add +1/4 number of times per day the samurai can use his resolve ability. [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]
  • Shaman: Add a +1 bonus on caster level checks to overcome the spell resistance of creatures with the aquatic or water subtype. [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]
  • Skald: Add +1/2 to the bard’s bonus against non-aboleth enchantment spells and effects. [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]
  • Slayer: The slayer gains +1/6 of a new slayer talent.  [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]
  • Soulknife: The soulknife gains +1/6 of a new blade skill. [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]
  • Summoner: If the summoner’s eidolon has an aquatic UM base form, add +5 feet to the range of the summoner’s life link ability. [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]
  • Swashbuckler: Increase the total number of points in the swashbuckler’s panache pool by +1/4. [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]
  • Tactician: Add +1/4 to the tactician’s strategy daily uses. [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]
  • Time Thief: Add +1/6 of an additional d4 to one skill check or ability check when you spend a mote to boost such a check. [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]
  • Time Warden: Add one spell known from the time warden spell list. This spell must be at least one level below the highest spell level the time warden can cast. [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]
  • Vitalist: Add +1/2 power known from the vitalist power list. This power must be at least one level below the highest power level the vitalist can manifest and may not be changed when the vitalist regains his daily power points. [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]
  • Warpriest: Whenever the warpriest uses her channel energy ability to heal, all healed creatures receive a bonus to the Swim skill equal to 1/2 for 1 minute. Each additional time the warpriest selects this ability, the bonus increases by +1/2. [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]
  • Wilder: Add +1/3 power known from the wilder power list. This power must be at least one level below the highest power level the wilder can manifest. [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]
  • Witch: Add a +1 bonus on caster level checks to overcome the spell resistance of creatures with the aquatic or water subtype. [JBE:BoHR:AFCO]

Racial Archetype

The following racial archetype is available to gillmen:

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Race Guide © 2012, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Dennis Baker, Jesse Benner, Benjamin Bruck, Jason Bulmahn, Adam Daigle, Jim Groves, Tim Hitchcock, Hal MacLean, Jason Nelson, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Owen K.C. Stephens, Todd Stewart, and Russ Taylor.

Book of Heroic Races: Advanced Favored Class Options. © 2014, Jon Brazer Enterprises