The nagaji are a race of ophidian humanoids with scaled skin that mimics the dramatic appearance of true nagas. Like serpents, they have forked tongues and lidless eyes, giving them an unblinking gaze that most other races find unnerving. Their physical forms are otherwise humanlike, raising wary speculation about their origins. It is widely believed that true nagas created them as a servitor race, through crossbreeding, magic, or both, and indeed nagaji revere nagas as living gods. Nagaji often inspire awe and fear among other humanoids, as much for their mysterious ancestry as for their talent for both swords and sorcery.

Bred in the ancient past by nagas seeking a servitor race that combined the loyalty of a slave with the versatility of the human form, the nagaji have long since developed into a vibrant and proud race.

Physical Description: The reptilian nagaji have scaly flesh—these scales are typically green, gray, or brown in hue, with colorful ridges of red, blue, or orange on their skulls or backs. Their ears and noses are flat, almost to the point of being nonexistent, while their eyes are those of serpents, ranging widely in color but tending toward golds, reds, yellows, and other warm hues.

Society: Nagaji society places honor, devotion, and dedication above all else. Less charitable observers from outside such societies might call the nagaji “born slaves,” but the nagaji do not think of themselves as slaves to their naga overlords, and point to the fact that they are free to make their own life decisions. Furthermore, when a naga oversteps its bounds as ruler of its people, the nagaji are no strangers to resistance or outright rebellion.

Relations: For their part, nagaji regard humans as violent expansionists not to be trusted as political neighbors or allies. They tend to see kitsune and tengus as too capricious and mischievous to trust, but they grudgingly respect the samsarans’ wisdom. Wayangs are mistrusted as well, for their apparent lack of a strong national heritage worries and confounds the nagaji.

Alignment and Religion: Most nagaji are lawful neutral, but nagaji of any alignment are possible. While many non-nagaji believe they worship their naga lords as gods, this is not true—yet religion does play a secondary role in nagaji society to civic obedience.

Adventurers: Nagaji are often drawn to lives of adventure out of a desire to prove themselves to their naga masters, or to prove their own worth outside of this racial obligation. Strong of body and personality, nagaji excel as sorcerers, fighters, and for the right personality, serve exceptionally well as paladins.

Female Names: Hskori, Korovati, Reomava, Resavati, Sellaweti, Yesmava, Zehameti

Male Names: Hskoro, Iltame, Nagagorjo, Rasamoro, Seme, Sulmavate, Yesmoro

Standard Racial Traits

• Ability Score Racial Traits: Nagaji are strong and have forceful personalities, but tend to ignore logic and mock scholastic pursuits. They gain +2 Strength, +2 Charisma, and –2 Intelligence.
• Size: Nagaji are Medium creatures and thus have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Type: Nagaji are humanoids with the reptilian subtype.
• Base Speed: Nagaji have a base speed of 30 feet.
• Languages: Nagaji begin play speaking Common and Draconic. Nagaji with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: any human tongue, Abyssal, Aklo, Celestial, Draconic, Giant, Infernal, and Sylvan. See the Linguistics skill page for more information about these languages.

Defense Racial Traits

• Armored Scales: Nagaji have a +1 natural armor bonus from their scaly flesh.
• Resistant (Ex) Nagaji receive a +2 racial saving throw bonus against mind-affecting effects and poison.

Feat and Skill Racial Traits

• Serpent's Sense (Ex) Nagaji receive a +2 racial bonus on Handle Animal checks against reptiles, and a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks.

Senses Racial Traits

• Low-Light Vision: Nagaji have low-light vision allowing them to see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.

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.

• Hypnotic Gaze (Sp): The nagaji's gaze is so intense it stops others in their tracks. Once per day, it can attempt to hypnotize a single target, as per the spell hypnotism (caster level equal to the nagaji's Hit Dice). The DC of this effect is equal to 11 + the nagaji's Charisma modifier. The effects of the hypnotic gaze only last a single round. This racial trait replaces serpent's sense.
• Serpent Affinity: Nagaji clerics with this racial trait and the Scalykind domain use their domain powers and spells at +1 caster level. This increase is a racial bonus. This racial trait replaces resistant. Source PCS:ISR

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.

• Alchemist: Add +1 on Craft (alchemy) checks to craft poison and +1/3 on the DCs of poisons the alchemist creates.
• Cavalier: Add 1 foot to the base speed of the cavalier’s mount. This has no effect in combat unless the cavalier has selected this reward five times (or another increment of five). If the cavalier ever replaces this mount, the new mount gains this bonus to its speed. Source PPC:BotB
• Fighter: Add +1 to the fighter's CMD when resisting a grapple or trip attempt.
• Mesmerist: Add 1/5 to the Hit-Die limit and the total number of Hit Die affected with each enchantment or illusion spell the mesmerist casts. This bonus stacks with the mesmerist’s mental potency class feature and is applicable under the same conditions as that ability. Source PPC:BotB
• Monk: Add +1/4 point to the monk's ki pool.
• Oracle: Add 1/6 to the oracle’s level for the purpose of determining the effects of one revelation. Source PPC:BotB
• Paladin: Add 1/2 minute to the duration of the paladin’s divine bond with her weapon. Source PPC:BotB
• Ranger: Add 1 skill rank to the ranger’s constrictor snake or viper snake animal companion. Source PPC:BotB
• Slayer: Gain 1/6 of a new slayer talent. Source PPC:BotB
• Sorcerer: Add 1/2 to the sorcerer’s caster level when determining the duration of transmutation spells she casts that target the sorcerer or spells she casts with the poison descriptor. Source PPC:BotB
• Summoner: Add +1 hit point to the summoner's eidolon.
• Warpriest: Add 1/2 to the number of times per day the warpriest can use blessings, although he can use these additional blessings only for Charm, Magic, Nobility, Rune, or Scalykind blessings. Source PPC:BotB

Racial Archetype

The following racial archetype is available to nagaji:

Racial Feats

The following feats are available to a nagaji character who meets the prerequisites.

• Spit Venom