This site is games | books | films

Patupaiarehe

By Gottfried Lindauer (1839-1926) - http://www.lindaueronline.co.nz/maori-portraits/tukukino, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17196655, Patupaiarehe
By Gottfried Lindauer (1839-1926) – http://www.lindaueronline.co.nz/maori-portraits/tukukino, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17196655

Maori lore is full of references to these elusive beings; tall, lank eldritch beings with great inventiveness and a supreme dislike for both the sun and cooked food. Their legends includes such traits as hypnotic song, an extreme distaste for cooked food and greater inventiveness than the Maori themselves.

Originally Posted by Mulletmanalive of the Giant in the Playground Forums.

On this Thread

In the bushes, a way off, you can see a tall, slender being that looks like an albino Maori with a shock of red hair. the strange figure moves slowly and makes few sounds as he moves, though the silence is very detectable. he carries a spear and when he notices your presence, looks at you with the disdain fishermen reserve for barnacles.

Patupaiarehe are a breed from which the Maori have learned much and still live in fear of. They lure away Maori women with magical music as part of their rites of passage. Some of these women are never seen again and many are with child when they return. Fortunately for the Maori, most of the time, Patupaiarehe remain in their forests and thanks to their hatred of cooked food, stay far away from their villages.

Patupaiarehe Hunter
Medium Humanoid [Patupaiarehe] Warrior 2
Hit Dice2d8 (9 hp)
Initiative+1
Speed30ft (6 squares)
Armor Class11 (+1 Dexterity), touch 11, flat-footed 10
Base Attack/Grapple+2/+2
Attack/Full AttackBow +3 Ranged (2d8-, Crit x3, Range 100ft) OR Spear +2 (1d8, Crit x3)
Space/Reach5ft/5ft
Special AttacksSiren [Standard action; Perform check at -1 per 5ft to target vs Level Check. Target moves 5ft closer per point the test is passed by]
Special QualitiesBlindsense 5ft, Light Blindness, Low Light Vision x8 in poor lighting, Nature’s Purity, Tweening, Xenophobia
SavesFort +3, Ref +1, Will +0
AbilitiesStrength 10, Dexterity 13, Constitution 10, Intelligence 12, Wisdom 11, Charisma 15
SkillsHide +5, Perform +3, Spot +5, Survival +5
FeatsTrack, SirenB
EnvironmentJungle
OrganizationHunt (2-5), Tribe (5-70)
Challenge Rating2
Treasure1d4 Mundane Items, 1d2 Alchemical Items
AlignmentUsually Neutral
AdvancementBy Class [Favoured:
bard]
Level Adjustment+1

Combat

Patupaiarehe attack in concert with their hunts mates, always under the cover of darkness. They usually pepper an area they intend to fight in with simple traps such as primative caltrops and spike pits.

Ability descriptions: see below

Racial Traits: Patupaiarehe are a physically capable race, without peer in many respects and the males are taught bewitching skills as part of their rites of passage. In many cases, it is only their specie’s utter disdain for that which men make of themselves, of sunlight and cooked food, that keeps them from waging war most horrid. Fortunately, while prone to viciousness and duelling, they are not prone to making trouble in numbers, ever keen to keep men and their burnt offerings from entering their twilight woods.

Patupaiarehe have the following racial traits:

  • +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, +4 Charisma. Patupaiarehe are swift, inventive and possessed of overwhelming force of personality. To say that they are scary is something of an understatement.
  • Medium. As medium creatures, patupaiarehe suffer no benefits or penalties for their size.
  • Fæ blood: Patupaiarehe, while possessing some of the traits of the fæ, are mortal and thus have souls. They forfeit many of the powers that could have been theirs, in exchange for living and breathing and a true emotional range. Whenever it would be beneficial to them, patupaiarehe count as being fæ and thus can travel the Hedge
    without fear.
  • Tweening: While not full fæ, the patupaiarehe have the ability to penetrate the Hedge and move between their homes in the twilight estates and the real world. During the times of dusk and dawn, a patupaiarehe may use a Shift action to enter or leave the Hedge and may then move around within it. They do not get more able to move
    between the Hedge and other realms as they advance and use this primarily to come out at night so that they may hunt.
  • Survivalists: All patupaiarehe have solid skills in fieldcraft, gaining a +2 bonus on Survival checks.
  • Siren: Male patupaiarehe gain the Siren feat as a bonus feat, even if they do not meet the prerequisites. Females have the choice of Banal or Siren, whether they meet the prerequisites or not.
  • Midnight Eyes: all patupaiarehe gain the benefits of Greater Low Light Vision, being able to see ten times as far in the dark than humans. They still cannot see in pitch darkness but move with such confidence that they seem almost able to. This is represented by Blindsense 5ft, provided by their skin’s sensitivity to pressure changes. They lose this for 1d8 rounds if they suffer even 1 point of Fire damage.
  • Light Blindness: Patupaiarehe simply can’t see by the light of day. They are basically blind under any conditions that are not at least shadowy. They suffer a -10 penalty on Perception checks and cannot see more than 20ft. In combat, their enemies count as having concealment [20% miss chance].
  • Nature’s Purity: Being so connected to nature, patupaiarehe can only eat food as they find it. They find cooked material literally toxic; the mere smell of cooking forces them to make a Fortitude save, DC 8 + their level, or be Nauseated. Those that save are merely sickened. Should they consume cooked matter, they treat it as a poison [3d6 damage and Nauseated (Fort saves, DC 8 + level, every 10 minutes, Shake It Off does not apply)].
  • Xenophobic: While obsessed with Mana themselves, patupaiarehe refuse to accept that any other being has Mana. They themselves have a Mana/Social rank of 1d4 + ½ their level and always ignore the mana/social rank of others. If their own is ignored or simply not understood, they must make a Will save, DC 4 + their level, or attack
    the foe for one round, to the best of their ability.
  • Level adjustment: +1
  • Combat Potential: +1

Lore

Patupaiarehe are subject to being from a very specific region. Outsiders suffer a -20 on their Lore checks unless they have a suitable Knowledge Specialisation. Gather Information is unaffected

DCLore
2We stay out of the forests at night
7Patupaiarehe lurk in the night forests. They have keen eyes an are brutal hunters
12If you hear music from the woods at night, plug your ears and pray to whatever you believe in
17It is Patupaiarehe matings that produce the red haired children of our tribes. Their mothers are permanently at the jungle witches’ call.
22Cooked food is sickening to the Patupaiarehe. They are revolted by the smell and are actually poisoned by it.
27If you make a point of ignoring a Patupaiarehe’s mana, they have a tendency to get angry and be reckless, especially the young ones
Scroll to Top