Yutu (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

Yutu (Chinese: jade rabbit) is the name of the moon rabbit in Chinese mythology. The rabbit is associated with the moon in Korean, Japanese, and Aztec myth. A combination of wisdom, innocence, playfulness, and devotion characterizes most mythical rabbits.

Background

A fox told a tanuki, a rabbit, and a monkey that if they practiced charity on the day of the full moon, they would get a miraculous reward. When an old woman begged for food, the monkey gathered fruits from the trees, while the tanuki pilfered a chicken and a pot of sake. The rabbit, who knew only how to gather grass, instead offered her own body, throwing herself into a fire. The rabbit, however, was not burnt. The fire turned out to be the reflection of the moon, where the likeness of the rabbit remains for all to see. The old woman revealed himself to be a goddess and raised the first yutu to stand. Since that day, the descendants of the first yutu have walked on two legs and served the moon and gods faithfully.

Description

Yutu, also known as usagi or rabbit-folk, are humanoids with the physical characteristics of rabbits, much like tengu have the features of crows. They are known for their generosity and devotion.

Physical Description: Rabbit-folk are short, about 4'10, with the distinctive ears and tails of rabbits. Most also have human-like hair, marked incisors, and long digitigrade feet, but these trait is not universal. Beyond these common traits, yutu vary from human to very animal-like in appearance, some having skin, others fur, some having humanoid faces and others rabbit-like snouts or somewhere in between. Both animal-like and human-like rabbit-folk share the full color range of their human and animal parts, with very pale and and very dark colors both somewhat more common than in either rabbits or humans.

Society: Yutu live in tight communities, usually under conditions humans would consider cramped. They have a great need of social interaction and physical contact, tough this can be restrained and codified in structured societies. Generally serious workers, most yutu are simple farmers, with a special talent for gardening and cultivating rare plants. Ordered and predictable, yutu are generally appreciated by neighbors and often end up in positions of responsibility if not leadership.

Family: Yutu are born in litters and capable of very quick population growth, but normally only a few alpha does in a community are breeders. Mothers of successful litters become elders and are authority figures in yutu society. They may advice on day-to-day decisions, but their true responsibility lies in strategic decisions for the community and in maintaining the relationships with gods and spirits. The remaining population support these family groups and pursue individual careers with little distinction between genders. Kittens around the age of six seek mentors among the entire adult population, what looks to outsiders like a parent-child relation is often really an apprenticeship.

Relations: With a mix of tolerance and friendliness, yutu get along well with most other races. Their seriousness can annoy gnomes, while halflings sometimes resent their honesty. Elves look down fondly on yutu, while dwarfs like how yutu let themselves be worked to the bone and drunk under the table. Even predatory creatures, like catfolk and gnolls, often appreciate yutu for their willingness to sacrifice, never realizing how dangerously well-organized a group of yutu can be until they have gone too far. While popular in most camps, yutu do not command respect or awe and are rarely leaders or politicians.

Alignment and Religion: Rabbit-folk are serious, devoted, and hard-working with a natural tendency towards lawful and good alignments. They can devote their loyalty to others even over alignment differences; a lawful yutu makes a good servant for a chaotic nobleman. Likewise, they show little alignment prejudice in matters of faith; they often worship patrons much more chaotic than themselves. Gods of the moon gain their special devotion and love. Many yutu honor their ancestors, champions and alpha does of the past, sometimes becoming ancestor worshipers.

Adventurers: Their loyal natures make yutu respond to calls of duty; the most common reason for a yutu to leave their society is for service in response to an obligation. Such yutu rarely return to their home and serve for life. If the cause for their call is lost, such as if a noble patron dies, they may become wanderers and adventurers. Others adventure in the service of their patron, being trusted to represent their interests far from home.

Male Names: Bai, Eiji, Gen, Hanasuke, Hatsu, Hirohito, Hirooshi, Hisao, Ichiro, Jiro, Makoto, Saburo, Shiro, Xueqin, Yusheng.

Female Names: Aiko, Aki, Anzu, Chikako, Hanako, Haya, Huilang, Kaiya, Kikue, Linh, Mingyu, Nuwa, Tami, Tu, Umeko, Yanyu, Yu.

Standard Racial Traits

• Ability Score Racial Traits: +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma.
• Size: Rabbit-folk are Medium creatures and gain no special advantages or disadvantages from size.
• Type: Yutu are humanoids with the yutu subtype.
• Base Speed: 30 ft.
• Languages: Yutu begin play speaking Common and Yutu. Yutu with high intelligence scores can choose from the following: Catfolk, Dwarf, Elven, Gnome, Halfling, Sylvan, and Tengu.
• Random Starting Age: Base age 12 years
  Barbarian, Rogue, Sorcerer +1d4
  Bard, Fighter, Paladin, Ranger +1d6
  Cleric, Druid, Monk, Wizard +2d6.
• Aging Effects: Middle Age 35. Old 60. Venerable 90. Max 90+3d20.
• Height and Weight (not including ears): Male Height 4'5 Weight 120 lbs. Modifier 2d4 Weight Multiplier x2 lbs.,
  Female Height 4'3 Weight 115 lbs. Modifier 2d4 Weight Multiplier x3 lbs.

Offense and Defensive Racial Traits

• Parting Kick (2 RP): When doing the withdraw action, a yutu can make a trip combat maneuver as a swift action before moving. This does not trigger an attack of opportunity. A yutu with the Greater Trip feat do not cause the target of such a trip to trigger attacks of opportunity.

Movement Racial Traits

• Sprinter (1 RP): Yutu gain a 10-foot racial bonus to their speed when using the charge, run, or withdraw actions.
• Jumper (2 RP) Yutu are always considered to have a running start when making Acrobatics checks to jump.

Skill Racial Traits

• Disarming Humility (2 RP): Yutu are forthright and disarming, which wins them allies in the long run. They gain a +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy checks.

Senses Racial Traits

• Limited Tremorsense (2 RP): Through a combination of scent, hearing, and sensitive paws, yutu can sense the presence of creatures and objects in contact with the ground up to 30 ft. away, even if the creatures are invisible or have full concealment. This is not a precise sense; the yutu knows where creatures are, but still suffer normal concealment miss chance. Creatures can use Stealth normally against the Yutu by threading carefully.

Alternate Racial Traits

• Agile Feet (2 RP): The yutu gains Dodge as a bonus feat. This replaces jumper.
• Burrowing (2 RP) The yatu has a burrow speed of 10 feet., but only in soil. A yutu using burrow speed leaves a tunnel, but this tunnel is unstable and likely to collapse in 24 hours unless properly supported. This replaces disarming humility.
• Flee Forward (2 RP) The yutu gains a +2 racial bonus on combat maneuver checks made to overrun an opponent and does not trigger an attack of opportunity when doing so. This bonus only applies while the yutu is on the ground. This replaces parting kick.
• Tall Ears (4 RP): The yutu has tall ears that add at least a foot to its total height. These yutu have low-light vision and gain a racial +2 bonus on Perception checks, increased to +4 on Perception checks related to hearing and spotting hidden enemies. This replaces limited tremorsense and jumper.
• Stability (1 RP): The yutu gains a +4 racial bonus to their Combat Maneuver Defense when resisting a bull rush or trip attempt while standing on the ground. This replaces sprinter.

Yutu in Greyhawk

Yutu are relatively common in Nippon and the Nippon Territories, and exist Zindia and the Celestial empire. Individual yutu may travel to other parts of the world in the service of an employer.

Race Traits

Yutu can choose among the following race traits.

Bunny Hop (Race) Acrobatics is a class skill for you. You gain a +4 trait bonus on Acrobatics checks to jump.

Directional Hearing (Race) You are good at finding the direction of sounds. You gain a a +2 trait bonus to Perception checks against hidden and invisible enemies and to determine the direction of sounds.

Forager (Race) Like your ancient forebears, you can subsist on many kinds of green plants. You gain a +4 trait bonus on Survival checks to find food.

Gnaw (Race) You can ignore hardness 5 or lower on the first natural attack made each round. Hardness 6 or higher has the full normal effect.

Stomper (Race) You can stomp the ground to create vibrations easily picked up with tremorsense, and can send messages to others with such senses up to a hundred times the range of their tremorsense (3,000 ft. for most yutu). The Yutu language has special expressions transmitted this way; they can transmit fairly complex messages if both know the language.

Tunneler (Race) You can burrow through sand and soft earth at a speed of 5 ft., leaving a tunnel behind. This tunnel will collapse in an hour unless supports are added. If you have the burrowing racial trait, add 5 ft. to your burrowing speed and the tunnels you create do not collapse.

Favored Class Bonuses

Yutu bring insight and patient work to any profession.

Alchemist: Yutu alchemists are often apothecaries— their focus is on medicine. The yutu gains 1/4 new discovery. The yutu must select the infusion discovery if he doesn't already know it.

Barbarian: Yutu barbarians are usually primitives. Add +1/4 to Stealth and Survival checks.

Bard: Yutu love bards, but few are called. Add +1/5 to the bonus granted by inspire competence.

Brawler: Yutu see this as a difficult warrior tradition to master, demanding a perfect balance between conflicting essences. Increase the number of times per day the yutu can use martial flexibility by 1/4.

Cavalier: Yutu consider service as a cavalier highly honorable. Add + 1/6 to the number of challenges the yutu can make in a day.

Cleric: Yutu clerics focus on divination and are greatly honored, many female clerics become alphas. When casting divination spells with a percentage chance of success, like augury, add 1% to the chance of success (maximum 99%). This can exceed the maximum success chance given in the spell description. When this bonus reaches +10%, instead add 1/5 to caster level checks.

Druid: Yutu druids are more gardeners than champions of the wild. For yutu druids whose nature bond gives them domains, select one druid domain power at 1st level that is normally usable a number of times per day equal to 3 + the druid’s Wisdom modifier. The druid adds +½ to the number of uses per day of that domain power. For yutu druids whose nature bond gives them an animal companion, add +1 skill rank to the animal companion. If the yutu ever replaces her animal companion, the new companion gains these bonus skill ranks.

Fencer: Yutu make agile fencers. Add + 1/2 to Acrobatics checks.

Fighter: The discipline of the fighter suits yutu well!. Add + 1/5 to attack rolls when the yutu attacks an outflanked opponent. A creature the yutu flanks with also gains this bonus.

Gunslinger: Yutu gunslingers are careful and tend their weapons like heirlooms. 1/5 times per day, when a firearm the yutu uses misfires, he can re-roll the attack roll. This second roll can never hit, but the gun only misfires if the second roll also indicates a misfire.

Hunter: Patience is the mark of the hunter. Add +1 skill rank to the animal companion. If the yutu ever replaces her animal companion, the new companion gains these bonus skill ranks.

Investigator: Yutu make excellent investigators, but are often relegated to being deputies. Select 1/4 class skill. The investigator can use inspiration with this skill without expending a point of inspiration.

Inquisitor: Yutu inquisitors are fact-finders rather than judges. Add one spell known from the inquisitor’s spell list. This spell must be of a spell level the yutu can cast and from the divination school.

Kineticist: Yutu kineticists martyr themselves. A yutu kineticist uses the elemental overflow ability as if he was 1/4 level higher than his actual kineticist level. At an effective level of 25, whenever the kineticist has at least 9 points of burn, elemental overflow bonuses increase to a +6 size bonus to all physical ability scores.

Magus: Yutu make disciplined magi, if not brilliant ones. Select one known magus arcana usable only once per day. The magus adds +1/6 to the number of times it can be used per day. Once that magus arcana is usable twice per day, the magus must select a different magus arcana.

Monk: Yutu excel as monks, sometimes to the point of losing their family identity. Add +1/2 to Acrobatics checks.

Occultist: Yutu occultists tend to focus on everyday items like tools or articles of clothing. Add 1/6 new implement.

Paladin: Yutu paladins are light troops, often bowmen. When wearing light or no armor and with light encumbrance, add +1/4 dodge bonus to AC.

Psychic: Yutu psychics often have the mien of clerics and become community leaders. Female psychics may become alphas. When casting divination spells with a percentage chance of success, like augury, add 1% to the chance of success (maximum 99%). This can exceed the maximum success chance given in the spell description. When this bonus reaches +10%, instead add 1/5 to caster level checks.

Quartermaster: Yutu quartermasters are specialists. Gain 1/4 of the Advanced Deed feat.

Ranger: Yutu rangers are defenders of civilization. Yutu rangers gain a bonus to hunter's bond. Those who bond with their companions gain 1/6 bonus tactical feat that he fulfills the prerequisites for. When granting his favored enemy bonus to companions, the companions also gain the use of these feats, without needing to fulfill prerequisites. Those who bond with an animal companion add +1 skill rank to the animal companion. If the yutu ever replaces her animal companion, the new companion gains these bonus skill ranks.

Rogue: Yutu rogues tend to err on the side of law. Add +1/4 to Craft, Disable Device, Profession, and Perform checks.

Shaman: Shamans hold a central position in yutu tribal communities and female shamans often become alphas. When casting divination spells with a percentage chance of success, like augury, add 1% to the chance of success (maximum 99%). This can exceed the maximum success chance given in the spell description. When this bonus reaches +10%, instead add 1/5 to caster level checks.

Slayer: Most yutu slayers work for an organization or cause. Add 1/4 to Acrobatics and Survival checks.

Sacerdote: (From Legendary Classes Sacerdote by Purple Duck Games) Yutu are rarely respected enough to become sacerdotes, but the few that exist are exceptional. Add 1/2 new spell from the knowledge domain to the sacerdote's domain spell list, beginning with level 1 and working up. Cannot be picked if the sacerdote already knows this domain.

Sorcerer: Yutu are rare but devoted sorcerers. Add one spell known from the sorcerer spell list. This spell must be of a spell level the yutu can cast and from the illusion school.

Spiritualist: Yutu make powerful but unhappy spiritualists, as they are feared rather than respected. Add one spell known from the spiritualist spell list. This spell must be from the divination school.

Summoner: Yutu often see their eidolons as companions or even masters, rather than servants. Add one spell known from the summoner spell list. This spell must be of a spell level the yutu can cast and from the divination school or the conjuration (calling or summoning) subschools.

Swashbuckler: Less flashy, faster, more disciplined. Substance over style. Increase the total number of points in the swashbuckler’s panache pool by 1/4.

Warpriest: Train, train, train! When wearing light or no armor and with light encumbrance, add +1/4 dodge bonus to AC.

Witch: Yutu can be awed into serving almost any patron. Add one spell from the witch spell list to her familiar. This spell must be of a spell level the yutu can cast and from the divination or necromancy schools.

Wizard: Yutu make very dutiful apprentices, making for a fair number of yutu wizards. Add 1/2 spell from the cleric spell list to the yutu's spell list and spellbook at its cleric spell level. This spell must be of a spell level the yutu can cast and from the divination school.

External Links

• Yutu @ Wikipedia.

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