Wildren

Behold, the holy product of a sacred union betwixt dwarf and badger!

Wildren are an extraplanar race hailing from the Wilderness of the Beastlands, a plane on the Great Wheel multiverse from Dungeons & Dragons - they should not be confused with the Wilden, a race of humanoid plants hailing from the Feywild in the World Axis multiverse of Dungeons & Dragons. They are widely regarded on /tg/ as one of the most outright /d/ races to ever get into D&D, and many would argue that they are actually worse than just playing a straight-forward beastfolk race.

Go on...

See, wildren are the result of the prominent association in D&D between the dwarf race and the badger - there's a reason that werebadgers are the dwarf analogues to werewolves - and the Planescape lore of the Beastlands, namely that any petitioner or planar migrant there ultimately transforms into a celestial animal (an angelic version of an animal that retains humanoid-level sapience). Thusly, the Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition "Planar Handbook" decided that this meant it was A-okay to officially state that there are all kinds of beastfolk-esque races native to that plane that result from interbreeding going on between the still-mostly-humanoid residents and the full-fledged celestial animals.

...Not a pretty picture, is it?

Wildren originate from dens on the layer Karasuthra, the layer of the Beastlands dedicated to burrowing animals, and are the result of interbreeding between planar dwarves and celestial badgers. They build elaborate underground burrows, with inherited instincts from both sides of their racial lineage compelling them to defend their homes to the death. They are "edgy and easily riled", as well as being prone to being short-tempered and vengeful, but are also loyal to their friends and, on rare occasions, even playful - still, they generally live solitary lives as simple hunter-gatherers, joining together mostly to mate and rear children. They are most savage and feral when on the defensive, though they are still quite formidable on the attack.

The typical wildren looks like a dwarf covered in short, grizzled dark fur, with a broad white stripe of fur running from the bridge of the nose over the top of the head and down to the base of the skull. A wildren’s arms are unnaturally large and well-muscled, and her fingers end in hard claws 2 to 3 inches long. Wildren constantly emit a fetid odor. On average, wildren are slightly taller and slightly lighter than dwarves. They reach adulthood at the same age as dwarves but mature more rapidly thereafter. It’s possible for a wildren to live for more than 500 years, but the race’s average life span is about 200 years shorter than that. Their natural language is a strange blend of Common, Dwarven and badger vocalizations, a weird hodgepodge that can be roughly understood by any such race. Wildren usually have only a spoken name, other wise recognizing one another by scent. (They often see nonwildren in the same light and are confused by individuals with more than one name—and even more confused by individuals who wear perfume or cologne.)

• Male Names: Arl, Brum, Durrl, Grunnur, Morrm, Nall, Vruk.
• Female Names: Brayarr, Dierrel, Hugk, Mrall, Purruk, Vap.

Most wildren spend their lives hunting in the perpetual night of Karasuthra. After a mating pair has raised a child to adulthood, they drive it from the burrow, forcing it to seek its own fortune. These wildren usually dig their own burrows far from their birthplace, but some never settle down, moving from layer to layer of the Beastlands in search of a new “family.” Only these unsettled wildren become adventurers; without a home, but missing the camaraderie of family, they join up with other homeless (in other words, adventuring) characters to relive some of that experience. They come to see life as one long hunting expedition and can travel far afield in search of adventure. They are most comfortable on planes where wildlife is abundant, especially if the ground lends itself to the creation of a burrow. Though the average wildren finds beings of other races strange and threatening, adventuring wildren generally feel that way only toward the evil races. Wildren of any kind are most uncomfortable in cities, though they can cope if provided with a burrowlike place to sleep.

They generally are irreligious, though they tend to respect wilderness gods (especially those with an affinity for badgers), and are much more likely to become druids than clerics.

PC Stats

+4 Constitution, –2 Dexterity, –2 Charisma. Wildren are extremely durable, but they are slow to react and have a reserved personality.

Outsider: Wildren are native to the Wilderness of the Beastlands, and thus have the outsider type. They gain the extraplanar subtype when not in the Beastlands. They are not subject to spells or effects that affect only humanoids, such as charm person and dominate person.

Medium: As Medium creatures, wildren have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.

A wildren’s base land speed is 20 feet. She can move at this speed even when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load (unlike other creatures, whose speed is reduced in such situations).

Wildren have a burrow speed of 10 feet. In soil or loose dirt, a wildren can build a warren large enough for one Medium creature in the space of 1 hour.

Wildren have darkvision out to 60 feet.

Wildren have the scent ability. See page 314 of the Monster Manual for details.

Wildren have two primary claw attacks that are natural weapons, dealing points of damage equal to 1d4 + the wildren’s Str bonus.

Fury (Ex): Once per day, a wildren who has taken at least 1 point of damage can choose to enter a brief state of ragelike fury at the beginning of her next turn. In this state, a wildren gains +4 to Strength and –2 to Armor Class. The fury lasts for 1 round, and a wildren cannot end her fury voluntarily. The effect of this ability stacks with similar effects (such as the barbarian’s rage class feature).

Stability (Ex): Wildren are exceptionally stable on their feet. A wildren has a +4 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped when standing on the ground (but not when climbing, flying, riding, or otherwise not standing firmly on the ground).

Automatic Languages: Wildren speak Common and Dwarven, and are able to communicate with badgers as though under the effect of a speak with animals spell that affects only badgers. Bonus Languages: Sylvan, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, Terran.

Favored Class: Barbarian.

Level adjustment +1.