Maenad are a race born of divine rage and pain. Their emotional states are akin to a tempest, even as they struggle to retain an outward façade of calm. Small in number, they breed true with themselves and sometimes with humans. any children born of a Human-Maenad pairing have an equal chance of being a member of either parent race. There are no Half-Maenads, as one parentage is dominant.
When the god of arcane magic, Uthirian, committed suicide, his spellstorm ripped through his followers battling in Northire. The arcane practitioners lost their magic, and were infected with insanity and rage. It also slightly changed their physical bodies, making the typical Northiran ethnic build more solid and taller. When they calmed, their former enemies found that their memories were gone, but that their former arcane potential had left a void filled naturally by psionics.
Maenad culture is incredibly similar to old Northiran with a few differences. Maenad's can appear stilted and formal to some other races, and many consider them a little too reserved. This is a cultural adaptation to the raging emotions inside them, as they speak and act in such away to make their intentions perfectly clear and logical to prevent causing offense.
Maenad's have spread out, but are still more common in areas formerly held by Northire. They are also common in Maryx, secretly holding the reigns through a network of psionic thrallherds controlling from behind the scenes.
Wilders are especially common amongst Maenad psionic characters, as the emotional release is appealing to many of them.
+2 to one ability score: Maenads gain a +2 bonus to one ability score chosen at creation, to represent their varied nature.
Medium: Maenads are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Maenads have a base speed of 30 feet.
Naturally Psionic: Maenads gain the Wild Talent feat as a bonus feat at 1st level. If a maenad takes levels in a psionic class, he instead gains the Psionic Talent feat.
Maenad Psionics: Maenad gain the following psi-like ability. 1/day—energy ray. A maenad can deal only sonic damage with this ability. It is accompanied by a tremendous scream of rage. The manifester level is equal to 1/2 Hit Dice (minimum 1st). The DC for this power is equal to 10 + the power's level + the maenad's Charisma modifier.
Sonic Affinity: Maenads add a +1 to the DC of any spell or power with the sonic descriptor.
Outburst: Maenads can dampen their mental processes for an increase in raw power called an outburst. As a result, they take a -2 penalty to Intelligence and Wisdom but gain a +2 bonus to Strength. The character must spend one power point at the beginning of each round during an outburst and may stop an outburst at any time.
Inner Rage: Maenads are able to rage one additional round per day should they have the rage ability and they gain an additional round per day every odd character level. In addition to using these rounds for rage, maenads may use them to fuel their outburst, instead of power points.
Psionic Aptitude: When a maenad takes a level in a favored class, he can choose to gain an additional power point instead of a hit point or skill point.
Calming Training: Maened gain a +2 racial bonus to Autohypnosis tests, and a +1 bonus to will saves that effect their emotional states.
Weapon Familiarity: Maenads are proficient with flails. Maenads treat any weapon with the word “maenad” in the name as a martial weapon rather than an exotic one.
Languages: Maenads begin play speaking Common and Maenad.
I definitely want to play one of these.
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