Base Requirements

• Races: Any
• Sub-Classes: Any
• Ability Requirements: Muscle 11, Health 15
• Alignments: Any
• Starting Cash: None (see below)

Weapon Proficiencies

• Weapon Slots: By class
• Bonus Weapon Proficiencies: none
• Required Weapon Proficiencies: none
• Allowed Weapons: blowgun, long bow, short bow, club, dagger, javelin, knife, quarterstaff, sling, or spear
• Allowed Armors: By class (see below)

Non-Weapon Proficiencies:

• Non-weapon Slots: By class
• Available Categories: By class, plus Survival
• Bonus Non-weapon Proficiencies: Direction Sense, Endurance, Fire-Building, Survival, Weather Sense
• Required Proficiencies: none
• Recommended Proficiencies: Animal Handling, Animal Lore, Animal Training, Boating, Bowyer/Fletcher, Crude Weaponsmithing, Fire-Building, Fishing, Healing, Herbalism, Hunting, Local History, Jumping, Mountaineering, Musical Instrument, Religion, Riding (Land-based), Rope Use, Running, Set Snares, Swimming, Tightrope Walking, Tracking, Tumbling
• Forbidden Proficiencies: Any Craft related to metal-working (Armorer, Blacksmith, Weaponsmith, etc.), All Social Proficiencies, All Academic Proficiencies

Overview: The Savage is a tribesman, technologically and culturally far more primitive than even the Barbarian or Tribal Protector, who is very much in tune with the natural world. Although these tribes commonly maintain functional civilizations for thousands of years, their traditions, dress, and customs are so simple that most outsiders consider them unsophisticated brutes.

There are a variety of Savage tribes around the world, ranging from pacifistic societies of farmers and herders to bloodthirsty headhunters and barbarians. All, however, are sharply attuned to the natural world, sharing a deep respect for animal and plant life and an innate understanding of the mysteries of nature. Savage tribes can be found throughout Faerun, but are especially common in the Cold Lands, the Savage North, The Ride, Rashamen, and the areas around the Vilhoun Reach. They even exist in territory on the fringes of such “civilized” places as Cormyr and Waterdeep.

Description: Savages generally dress in simple hides or skins, or perhaps large leaves sewn together. Many savage tribes do not hold with more “civilized” ideas of modesty and may be found wearing only a loin cloth (regardless of gender), or nothing at all if from a warm climate. More northern tribes usually dress in heavy furs, harvested from the native fauna of their region.

Role-Playing: In a campaign, the savage character has a couple of roles. His particular skills and benefits are of use to the average adventuring party. In a campaign, the Savage takes the role of an outsider, baffled and intimidated by the mysteries of the “civilized” world. Products of technology, such as oil lanterns and crossbows, both fascinate and frighten him. While he is at home in the darkest jungles or most treacherous mountains, he is extremely uncomfortable in cities and towns. If the Savage is from a relatively pacifistic tribe, he might serve as the conscience of his party, questioning their eagerness to kill, their obsession with wealth, their selfishness, and their inequitable system of justice.

Special Abilities:

• The Savage gains a number of special abilities, resembling spells. These special abilities are not truly magic, and Detect magic will not detect them; they are natural to the Savage and do not require verbal, somatic, or material components, even if such are required from the normal spell.
  • Alarm. This is only usable by the Savage when he is resting or sleeping in a quiet place. The ability does not sound an alarm like the spell; it merely alerts the Savage to intrusion (if he is already awake) or awakens him (if he is asleep). It is not cast upon a particular place; it alerts him to activity within 10 feet of the place where he lies (as if he were at the center of the 20-foot cube of effect of the actual spell). This ability is always active whenever the Savage is resting.
  • Detect Magic. The Savage is in tune with nature and can feel when there is something magical in the vicinity, as the spell detect magic. This ability can be used once per day per experience level of the Savage (i.e., a 5th-level savage could use his ability five times per day).
  • The Savage can manufacture a protective talisman once per week. The talisman is a small pouch of herbs hung on a leather cord which is worn around the subject’s neck. The talisman gives protection from evil to the wearer, as the spell. The talisman offers continual protection for a full day, after which time the herbs disintegrate. Dispel magic or a similar spell permanently cancels the magic of that particular talisman. The savage requires no less than one hour to manufacture a talisman.

Special Disadvantages:

• The Savage gets no gold (0 gp) with which to purchase his weapons and equipment. Instead, he may take up to four weapons made of bone, stone, or wood (no metal). He may assemble an equipment list of up to ten additional items, subject to the DM’s approval, which he will have accumulated during his years with the tribe; they must be items which members of a savage tribe could have made (things such as pouches, clothing, food, rope, fishing gear, sheathes for weapons, and so forth—no mirrors, lanterns, iron cooking pots, and the like.) With the DM’s permission, if the tribe is a river-tribe or a riding tribe, he may have either a riding horse (with saddle-blanket, halter, bit and bridle) or a small canoe. After the campaign starts, the character will inevitably come across the concepts of money; it’s up to the player how he reacts to them (he could either like the idea and try to accumulate the stuff as his allies do, or put it down to civilized corruption and stay away from it).
• The Savage is uncomfortable in civilized clothes and armor. When wearing any sort of clothing more cumbersome and concealing than his normal tribal dress, he suffers a –1 to all attack, damage and nonweapon proficiency rolls. Likewise, he can wear any type of armor, but is so uncomfortable in it that he will suffer a –3 to all attack, damage, and nonweapon proficiency rolls while wearing any sort of armor at all.
• The Savage’s strange appearance and manners make strangers wary of him. Therefore, he suffers a -2 reaction adjustment from all NPCs not from his own tribe (PCs can react as they wish.)

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