Jackal
THE SHIFTING SANDS AND BLISTERING HEAT IN THE deserts are much too harsh for those who hold no ancestry that belongs there. When we first set out on the expedition, we worried that we, too, may fall victim to the hardships that awaited us in the dunes.
Not a one of us had much experience in the wilds outside of Skyfall. Were it not for the sharp-witted Jackal we met not long after docking in Port Ostral, we certainly never would have gotten as far as we did. We could not possibly have asked for a better guide-- his perception was impeccable, keeping us safe from dangers that would have gone completely unnoticed to us and led to our untimely demise! May the gods bless that man's ears and eyes, that they never fade with age, as the Star is better for having souls like his about her.
--Resphira Rheidam, Antiquarian of Stargrasp Spire
Jackals are said to have bloodlines tied to the mostly-forgotten deities of the lost civilizations of the desert. In fact, the majority of the Jackal populace still lives among the sands that their ancestors have traversed since sometime just after the Great Starfall. While they are not especially rare or solitary creatures, there are not many instances in which two Jackals seem to find a home close to one another, and even less often are they tied to the same place for an extended period of time. Naturally curious and restless, Jackals will almost inevitably head off on their own adventures not long after reaching adulthood.
Agile Adventurers
Jackals are built almost perfectly for a life of flying solo, and staying on the move. They average around the same height of humans or slightly taller, standing a few inches over 5 feet, to approximately 6 and a half feet tall, with relatively strong or dextrous builds weighing from around 130 to 250 pounds.
While there is no true limit to what a Jackal may look like, a majority of them appear as with dark or tanned skin, and similarly dark hair. From somewhere near the top of their heads they sport tall, pointed, alert ears that often remain upright, but may press backwards against the head in times of distress. Additionally most Jackals have relatively expressive middle-length to long tails, often similar to those of Tabaxi, though sometimes more appropriately rigid for their canid bloodline. They reach adulthood in their mid-teens, and most live up to a century.
Well-Traveled Wanderers
Because of their affinity for more harsh living and traveling conditions, Jackals make for naturally gifted trackers, gatherers, and survival guides, and can often be found at the edges of settlements peddling their skills to other travelers and adventurers regardless of the lands they may currently call home. Though they may be a strange sight in certain areas of the world, they are almost never an unwelcome one, and Jackals can be found just
about anywhere if one knows where exactly to look for them.
While they tend to be most comfortable in warmer, arid climates, even a younger Jackal may have spent plenty of time traveling through various environments, and solitary or even pack-bound Jackals have been seen relatively regularly even in the frozen forests and mountains of the northwest.
Additionally, even pack-bound or settled Jackals often cant quite stifle their sense of wanderlust, and any given one may have a plan in place, ready to pack up everything that they own and head out at a moment's notice-- or to leave it all behind and start somewhere new, completely fresh.
Jackal Names
Typical Jackal names consist of a given name and a clan or family name, and a traveling Jackal may often adopt a "title" name that is used with strangers. The given name is often slightly longer, something that "tells a story" in the Jackal's culture. The clan or family name is usually inherited from either one of the parents, though it is not uncommon for pack-bound Jackals of no blood relation to adopt a new clan name of their own. If not tied to an existing clan name, a pack of Jackals may opt to use the etymologies of the civilizations they live in or near for their clan, taking human, elven, dwarven, or other surnames in place of a traditional clan name.
With strangers, a Jackal will often share only part of their given name, using their "title" as a surname. If you are provided with a Jackal's full given name and clan name, it is a sign of deep trust and kinship. (Example: Set'tarek Kakabalra'ayi may introduce himself as Tarek Kuvitsa when greeting a stranger.)
K, kh, m, n, r, and s are the most common consonants in Jackal names, and they may also contain hyphens or apostraphes to separate certain words in their "story".
When in doubt or in search of a meaning for your "story" in a traditional name, the real-world etymologies of ancient Sanskrit and ancient Egyptian are your friends. Truly, any solitary Jackal may have a name completely unlike the traditional styles listed below. There are no limits to what you can choose-- just remember that if you borrow from others, be sure to always borrow respectfully, and do not treat another person's culture as a joke.
Male Names: Sekani (Kani), Ataziya (Ziya), Hekatem (Atem), Aamritt (Ritt), Set'tarek (Sett), Azha-ralaa (Rala), Jaba'ari (Ari), Na-sa-kabu (Kabu), Shauf-sa'karta (Shau), Nekhtarhebi (Hebi)
Female Names: Kamala (Kam), Amonetta (Nett), Kebechet (Keb), Eman-isra (Isra), Zahara (Hara), Meri-en-sekar (Merry), Khara-ta'nekha (Khara), Kaphiri (Phi), Panya'sati (Sati)
Traditionsl Clan Names: M'an-alzalam, Ru'ya-alnujum, Kakabalra'ayi, Inykhnum, Baken-khonso'u
Title Names: Qadir, Sahar, Tal'at, Almara, Dakhil, Alsae'y, Mushkila, Satie, Muharij, Paravat, Kuvitsa, Savismaya
Jackal Traits
Your ancient bloodline leaves your character with a number of traits in common with all other Jackals.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2.
Age. A Jackal reaches adulthood at the age of 16 and generally lives up to a single century.
Alignment. Most Jackals lean towards Chaotic, Neutral, and Good alignments. They tend to be kind-natured and helpful, though they are not always above dealing with the shadier aspects of settlements they find themselves near.
Size. Jackals average between 5 and 6 and a half feet tall, and weigh between 130 and 250 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Speed. You are accustomed to moving quickly when traveling. Your base walking speed is 40 ft, and you ignore the effects of non-magical difficult terrain.
Darkvision. Accustomed to life on the move at all hours of the day, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Beast Strike. Even when found without a weapon, Jackals can always rely on themselves. Your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Beast Sense. You have keen eyes and ears, made for keeping you and others safe while traveling. You have proficiency in the Perception skill.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Celestial, the language of heavenly beings. A Jackal's knowledge of this rare, ancient and melodic tongue is one of the major contributions to the wide belief in the rumors of their tie to old gods and powerful outsiders. Though many Jackals do not practice in speaking Celestial while living or traveling among common folk, it is common to see it used by passing Jackals to offer short song-like greetings to one another.
Subrace. Having been spread widely throughout the world since ancient times, some Jackals may have adapted to the conditions of the environments they or their ancestors were raised in. While the majority of Jackals inevitably trace their lineage back to the deserts of the Scorchlands, there are plenty of clans that migrated to the bustling cities of the world, the frost-covered lands of the northwest, the secluded settlements of the forests, or a life beneath the mountains.
Scorchlands Jackal
Jackals of the Scorchlands are most used to long, difficult journeys through hot environments, whether arid or humid. Limited access to sources of food or water in the desert between towns or oases has led desert-dwelling Jackals to display a hardier nature than most, and has additionally turned them into excellent trackers among the dunes. These Jackals know how to survive for extended periods of time either on their own or in a group, and are highly sought after as guides to anyone that may need to travel through the shifting sands on foot.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.
Desert Dweller. You are resistant to fire damage, and extremely hot weather does not effect you.
Adapt and Survive. You may select one proficiency from either the Survival or Nature skills.
Extra Language. You can speak, read, and write one additional language of your choice. Jackals typically learn the languages of other peoples they deal with, including obscure dialects. They may additionally borrow words from other languages for things which may not have existing counterparts in their own dialect.
Urbanite Jackal
Jackals who find themselves living within or on the outskirts of the more populated cities often spend a considerably larger amount of their time connecting with the others around them than their more wild counterparts are keen to do. Because of this, Urbanite Jackals are often found to be naturally silver-tongued, and may even pick up trades of their own if they plan to remain settled for an extended period of time. These trades may include anything from mastering alchemy to woodcarving, or working as an apprentice at the front desk of an existing shop or market, but often also delve into the art of performance.
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1.
Smooth Talker. You may select one proficiency from either the Performance or Persuasion skills.
Tools of the Trade. You may select one proficiency in either one set of artisan's tools of your choice, or one musical instrument.
Extra Language. You can speak, read, and write two additional languages of your choice. Jackals typically learn the languages of other peoples they deal with, including obscure dialects. They may additionally borrow words from other languages for things which may not have existing counterparts in their own dialect.
Greatwoods Jackal
Jackals hailing from the forests tend to live on the outskirts, or within traveling distance of elven towns and cities. They often trade use of their skills and wares carried from their journeys with the elven people, and some may spend many years studying the ways of forest-dwelling folk. Because of this, Greatwoods Jackals find great ease in identifying various parts of the natural world around them, and are more likely to recognize more nuanced arcane or historical information they may have picked up within elven civilizations.
The natural cunning of certain Greatwoods Jackals may even serve as an excellent tool in dealing with fae-folk, and their existing connection to history and the language of ancient higher beings may additionally lead to their ability to pick up on the Sylvan tongue.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1.
Friend of the Forest Folk. You may select one proficiency from either the Arcana or Nature skills.
Above the Canopy. Accustomed to scaling the trees of the forests you grew up in, your claws are stronger than most other Jackals. You have a climbing speed of 25 feet.
Extra Language. You can speak, read, and write one extra language of your choice from between Elvish or Sylvan, the languages most commonly spoken among the people of the forest settlements you know best.
Worldspine Jackal
Jackals who choose the difficult lifestyle of calling the frozen forests and ice fields their home tend to develop thicker coats of hair on their ears and tail to prevent them from getting frostbitten. As it is much more difficult to locate important resources by gathering in the deep cold, many Worldspine Jackals turn to hunting, or even raising hardy animals of their own in order to survive. These Jackals often remain quite solitary, but may be found engaging in trade of excess meat or pelts with settlements outside of their hunting areas.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
Snowy Settler. You are resistant to cold damage, and extremely frigid weather does not effect you.
Tracker and Tamer. You may select one proficiency from either the Animal Handling or Survival skills.
Extra Language. You can speak, read, and write one additional language of your choice. Jackals typically learn the languages of other peoples they deal with, including obscure dialects. They may additionally borrow words from other languages for things which may not have existing counterparts in their own dialect.
Deeproads Jackal
Quite possibly the strangest place to find a Jackal is in the dark depths of the subterranean world, but it is nonetheless one of the many places they wander. Deeproads Jackals have spent long enough beneath the surface of the world to know the ins and outs of navigating the mazes of tunnels both man-made and natural, and often find themselves dealing closely with dwarves, gnomes, dark elves, and other creatures that find their homes in the caves below mountainous regions. These Jackals often have experience in navigating or removing rockfall, or in mining precious resources alongside dwarven companions, and tend to be a bit bulkier than those living on the surface.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.
Heavy Lifting. You have proficiency in the Athletics skill. Additionally, you count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Mapping by Memory You have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks when navigating subterranean territory, and can usually find your way back to safety with relative ease.
Superior Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 120 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Light Sensitivity. You have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when trying to perceive something in an area of bright light.
Extra Language. You can speak, read, and write one extra language of your choice from between Dwarvish, Gnomish, and Undercommon, the languages most commonly spoken among the people of the subterranean cities you know best.