Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 9 2.0
The Pahtra are a vibrant and fiercely independent feline humanoid species, known for their competitive spirit, love of music, and unwavering pursuit of freedom. Ascending from Orgulma, a low-gravity jungle world deep within the Outer Sphere, the Pahtra forged their identity through generations of struggle and defiance against oppressive forces. Unlike the grim determination of the Grolak or the scholarly reclusion of the Shisk, Pahtra culture thrives on self-expression, grace, and the inherent rhythm they perceive in the cosmos. Their every movement is a dance, every battle a performance, and every act of defiance a note in the grand symphony of galactic liberation.
Core Identity: Freedom, Competition, and the Cosmic Symphony Pahtra are defined by their deep-seated reverence for freedom, both personal and collective. They are highly competitive, believing that true potential is forged through struggle and that standing out from one's peers is a mark of honor. Their existence is viewed as a "great song," with each individual's life adding unique melodies and rhythms to the galactic symphony that began at the dawn of time. This philosophy permeates every aspect of their culture, from their revered mystics who divine futures from fur patterns to their martial combat, which they categorize as a form of "battle dance." For the Pahtra, the Rift is not merely a dangerous dimension, but a chaotic, vibrant score, its unpredictable currents echoing the untamed spirit of the universe and the constant, necessary struggle for self-expression against encroaching order.
If you want a character who is physically graceful, driven by a love of freedom and competition, expresses themselves through art and combat, and possesses an intuitive understanding of cosmic rhythms, you should play a Pahtra!
YOU MIGHT...
Seek out challenges to test your skills and prove your worth.
Express your emotions and beliefs through music, dance, or other artistic forms.
Champion the cause of freedom and liberation for yourself and others.
Trust your instincts and intuition, especially when navigating unpredictable situations.
OTHERS PROBABLY...
Are captivated by your grace and vibrant personality.
Underestimate your ferocity in combat, mistaking your artistic nature for weakness.
Seek your unique perspective on cosmic events or natural phenomena.
Are wary of your independent streak and disdain for rigid authority.
Physical Description
Pahtra are lithe, agile feline humanoids, typically standing between 5 and 6 feet tall, with sleek, muscular physiques. Their bodies are covered in soft, short fur that comes in a wide array of colors and patterns, often reflecting their individual artistic expression or their heritage. They possess expressive feline features, including keen, often golden or emerald eyes with vertical pupils, and prominent, tufted ears that are highly sensitive to sound. Their muzzles are adorned with long, sensitive whiskers that can detect subtle air currents and even electromagnetic fields. A long, prehensile tail provides balance and expresses mood.
Their hands and feet are nimble, ending in retractable claws that can be used for both climbing and combat. Pahtra often wear light, flowing garments that allow for maximum freedom of movement, and they frequently incorporate musical instruments or artistic tools into their attire. Body art, such as intricate fur patterns or subtle bioluminescent markings, is a common form of self-expression.
Society
Pahtra society is steeped in tradition yet constantly evolving through competitive drives and artistic expression. Their communities are often found on worlds with challenging, unpredictable environments, where adaptation and quick thinking are paramount. They bear litters of children and often prefer communal child-rearing, allowing parents to retain their individuality and pursue their passions. While most are asexual, they seek loving, lifelong relationships based on deep emotional and intellectual connection, often expressed through shared artistic endeavors or competitive pursuits.
Pahtra culture is vibrant and expressive, filled with music, dance, and healthy competition. Their martial arts are highly stylized, often resembling intricate "battle dances" that combine grace with deadly efficiency. Mystics play a significant role, capable of divining futures from fur patterns or sensing the "song of magic" in the cosmos. Their deep-seated reverence for freedom makes them fiercely loyal allies to those who champion liberation and cunning, unpredictable foes to those who seek to suppress it.
Outer Sphere (Homeworlds & Contested Zones): The Pahtra originally ascended from low-gravity jungle worlds within the Outer Sphere, environments wracked by natural phenomena and scarred by historical conflicts. Their cities are often seamlessly integrated with the surrounding wildlands, designed for agility and defense. Before their full ascension, many Pahtra fought generations-spanning wars for independence against aggressive expansionist powers (perhaps the Genesis Ascendancy or even splinter groups of the Grolak Marauder Hordes). These struggles solidified their competitive spirit and deep love for self-determination. They approach the Resource Wars of the Outer Sphere as a brutal but necessary proving ground, an arena to test their mettle and secure their place in the cosmic dance.
Frontier (Explorers & Liberators): Pahtra venturing into the Frontier are often driven by a desire to liberate oppressed peoples, explore uncharted territories, or find new stages for their unique blend of martial arts and mysticism. Their exploratory vessels are agile and well-suited to navigating unpredictable environmental hazards, often incorporating their bioengineering and understanding of natural rhythms into their design. They might establish hidden bases on untamed worlds, using their survival skills and keen senses to thrive where others would falter.
Inner Sphere (Performers & Rebels): Direct Pahtra presence in the Inner Sphere is less about colonization and more about influence through culture and covert operations. They view the Inner Sphere's established powers, notably the Commission, with a healthy skepticism, seeing them as too rigid or complacent. Pahtra found here are often celebrated performers, mystics, or highly skilled operatives seeking to undermine tyrannical structures or support underground liberation movements, subtly weaving their ideals of freedom into the very fabric of established society. Their disdain for technological over-reliance means their interactions with species like Humans or even the Shisk can be fraught with misunderstandings, as they value instinct and artistry over cold data or mechanical precision.
Connection to the Rift and Unorthodox Technology
The Pahtra possess an intuitive understanding of natural rhythms and energies, which they apply to both their martial arts and their "unorthodox technology." This isn't the complex crystalline structures of the Shisk or the vast bio-engineered forms of the Khi'Myr, but rather a more primal, adapted form of science. Their planet's magnetic storms likely stunted traditional technological growth, forcing them to innovate with ceramics, bio-engineering (in a more practical, less communal sense than the Barathu), chemistry, and a strong integration of magic.
Their mysticism often involves "sensing the song of magic," allowing them to perceive the flow of the Rift not as a chaotic void but as a complex, ever-shifting melody. Many Pahtra mystics are skilled at reading the "fur patterns" of newborns to divine potential, suggesting a deep, almost genetic, connection to their innate abilities and the cosmic dance of fate. The Rift-Storm Cataclysm was seen as a brutal disruption to the cosmic symphony. This discordant note tested their resilience but ultimately allowed new, stronger melodies to emerge from the chaos, reinforcing their belief that struggle brings out true potential.
Beliefs
Pahtra beliefs are centered on the concept of freedom, the pursuit of individual potential through competition, and the idea that existence is a "great song" or cosmic symphony. They often revere deities or primal forces that embody liberation, artistic expression, and the untamed spirit of the universe, such as Tranelte (Desna) or Fulilme (Shelyn).
They believe that every individual's life adds a unique melody to this cosmic symphony and that true fulfillment comes from expressing oneself authentically and striving for excellence. The Rift-Storm Cataclysm was not a tragedy to them but a chaotic, vibrant score that tested their resilience and ultimately allowed new, stronger melodies to emerge from the disruption, reinforcing their belief that struggle brings out true potential.
Popular Edicts: Seek personal and collective freedom, express yourself creatively, embrace healthy competition, trust your instincts, fight against oppression, and add your unique melody to the cosmic song.
Popular Anathema: Submit to tyranny, suppress others' self-expression, avoid challenges, betray your allies in the pursuit of freedom, and allow your spirit to be caged.
Pahtra Mechanics
Hit Points: 8
Size: Medium
Speed: 25 feet
Ability Boosts: Dexterity, Charisma, and one Free Ability Boost.
Ability Flaw: Constitution.
Languages: Common, Pahtra. You can learn additional languages equal to 1 + your Intelligence modifier (if it's positive). Choose from the list of common languages and any other languages to which you have access.
Traits:
Darkvision: You can see in darkness and dim light just as well as you can see in bright light, though your vision in darkness is in black and white.
Keen Senses (Hearing & Electromagnetic): Your senses are exceptionally sharp, particularly your hearing and your ability to detect subtle electromagnetic fields. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Perception checks to pinpoint the location of unseen creatures within 30 feet using sound. Additionally, you gain an electromagnetic sense as an imprecise sense out to 15 feet, allowing you to detect nearby living and technological creatures.
Pahtra Heritages
At 1st level, choose one of the following Pahtra heritages.
Hunter-Stalker Pahtra: You descend from a long line of hunters, and your fur is especially well suited to blending into multiple environments. As long as you are in a natural and undeveloped environment, you gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Stealth checks to Hide and Seek, to Survival checks to Subsist, and to your Survival DC to Cover Tracks.
Krreyvash Pahtra: You or your ancestors chose to endure experimental bioengineering to help fight against oppression. Choose a 1st-level biotech augmentation. The selected augmentation is permanently part of your body and does not count against the maximum number of augmentations you can implant. You don’t pay the cost for this augmentation. You can swap out this bonus augmentation by paying the appropriate cost for a new augmentation at any time.
Meyel’s Chosen Pahtra: You have an undeniable streak of luck that you believe is a blessing from your ancestral god, Meyel. The first time each day that you critically fail a saving throw you immediately reroll the saving throw as a free action; this is a fortune effect.
Pouncer Pahtra: You excelled in the war games of your youth, and you’ve trained hard to maintain your athletic ability. Your speed increases by 5 feet. In addition, you don’t automatically fail your checks to High Jump or Long Jump if you don’t Stride at least 10 feet first.
Sand Roamer Pahtra: Your ancestors roamed blasted terrain. You are shorter and stockier than most Pahtras, with wide, tufted ears and fur-covered paw pads. Your size is Small instead of Medium. You ignore difficult terrain and uneven ground caused by sand. In addition, environmental heat effects are one step less extreme for you (incredible heat becomes extreme, extreme heat becomes severe, and so on), and you can go 10 times as long as normal before you are affected by starvation or thirst.
Rime Walker Pahtra: You’ve adapted to cold environments with a multilayer fluffy fur coat and extra body fat. You gain cold resistance equal to half your level (minimum 1). You treat environmental cold effects as if they were one step less extreme (incredible cold becomes extreme, extreme heat becomes severe, and so on).
Pahtra Ancestry Feats
You can select Pahtra ancestry feats from the following options.
1st Level Feats
Competitive Spirit [reaction] Feat 1 (Pahtra): Frequency once per hour. Trigger: An ally attempts a skill check with a skill that you have trained or better proficiency rank in. You push yourself to be the best by competing with the triggering ally. Until the end of your next turn, you can attempt the same skill check to perform the same action or activity that the triggering ally performed. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to this skill check. If you achieve at least one degree of success higher than the triggering ally, this use of Competitive Spirit doesn’t count toward its frequency. If you roll a critical failure on this skill check, you take a –1 circumstance penalty to all skill checks attempted with that skill for the next hour as you try new techniques to improve your future attempts.
Harmonic Sensitivity Feat 1 (Pahtra): You’ve developed keen sensory organs that have an amazing sensitivity to sound—and you know how to put them to use. You become trained in Performance or gain the Assurance skill feat with Performance if you are already trained in that skill. In addition, you can accurately recall a melody or lyrics you’ve heard within the last week, granting you a +2 circumstance bonus to all Deception and Performance checks that involve mimicking speech or a specific sound.
Long Whiskered Feat 1 (Pahtra): Your whiskers function as advanced electroreceptors, allowing you to orient yourself more easily. At the end of each round in which you are untethered, attempt a DC 15 flat check. On a success, you ignore the clumsy and off-guard conditions imposed by being in zero-g for 1 minute.
Pahtra Lore Feat 1 (Pahtra): You gain the trained proficiency rank in Acrobatics and Performance. If you would automatically become trained in one of those skills (from your background or class, for example), you instead become trained in a skill of your choice. You also gain the Additional Lore general feat for Pahtra Lore.
Predatory Feat 1 (Pahtra): Battle is a dance, and you’ve honed your body into an instrument as exquisite as it is deadly. When you select this feat, you gain your choice of a claw unarmed attack or a jaws unarmed attack. Both of these attacks are in the brawling weapon group. A claw unarmed attack deals 1d6 slashing damage and has the agile, finesse, Pahtra, and unarmed traits. A jaws unarmed attack deals 1d6 piercing damage and has the finesse, grapple, Pahtra, and unarmed traits. At 5th level, whenever you get a critical hit with one of these attacks, you get its critical specialization effect. Special You can take this feat a second time. If you do, select the second attack from the options above.
5th Level Feats
Battleblessed Feat 5 (Pahtra): You’re an accomplished battledancer and warrior, blessed by seers, honed by ancestral tradition, and capable of feats beyond the natural abilities of your peers. You gain tailwind as a 1st-rank primal innate spell that you can cast once per day.
Climbing Claws Feat 5 (Pahtra): You can extend your claws to aid you in climbing. You gain a climb Speed equal to your land Speed.
Electromagnetic Whiskers Feat 5 (Pahtra): Prerequisites Long Whiskered. You have honed your whiskers’ sensitivity to the degree that you can sense the movement of the weak electric fields emitted by potential enemies. You gain electromagnetic sense as an imprecise sense out to 15 feet. Electromagnetic sense allows you to detect nearby living and technological creatures, but you may have to use the Seek action to find an undetected creature in an environment with too much electromagnetic radiation, such as inside the engine room of a spaceship or near a powerful source of radio waves.
9th Level Feats
Harmonic Shielding Feat 9 (Pahtra): Prerequisites Harmonic Sensitivity. Your hypersensitivity to soundwaves has conditioned your body to resist loud noises and shield you from their harmful effects. You gain sonic resistance equal to half your level. If you roll a success on a saving throw against a sonic effect, you get a critical success instead.
Meyel’s Melody Feat 9 (Pahtra): Prerequisites Meyel’s chosen heritage. Divine rhythm pulses through your blood. You gain a +2 status bonus to Performance checks. In addition, you can use Performance to Create a Diversion, Make an Impression, or Demoralize. If you listen to music while resting, you regain a number of additional Hit Points equal to your level.
Sense Magic’s Song Feat 9 (Pahtra): Prerequisites trained in Arcana, Nature, Occultism, or Religion. You hear the thrum of magic as if it were a swirling, shifting melody, a harmonic chord, or a percussive beat, pulsing in tune with your heart. You can detect the presence of magic as though you were always using a 1st-rank detect magic spell. This detects magic within a 30-foot emanation. At 13th level, the rank of detect magic increases to 3rd. At 17th level, the rank of detect magic increases to 4th.
13th Level Feats
Attune to Nature’s Song [one-action] Feat 13 (Pahtra): Requirements You are outdoors in a natural, undeveloped environment. You open your senses to your surroundings, attuning to the underlying song of your environment and syncing your own body’s rhythm to its beat. For 1 minute, you ignore non-magical difficult terrain and you treat non-magical greater difficult terrain in that area as difficult terrain. If you enter a different biome than you’re currently located in, or if you enter a building or other constructed structure, these benefits immediately end.
Subvert World’s Rhythm Feat 13 (Pahtra): Prerequisites expert in Performance. Whether through intense musical training, magical insight, or the goddess Meyel’s divine blessing, you can sense the rhythm of the world around you and tug on time’s chords to manipulate its melody and flow. You gain haste and slow as 3rd-rank primal innate spells. You can cast each of these spells once per day.
17th Level Feats
Dirge for the Fallen Feat 17 (Uncommon, Pahtra): You perform a mournful dirge tinged with supernatural grief that compels the dead to rise and the wounded to heal. You can cast the resurrect ritual once per year as the primary caster using Performance for the primary check.
Electromagnetic Mastery Feat 17 (Pahtra): Prerequisites Electromagnetic Whiskers. You have learned how to hone your whiskers to their maximum potential. Your electromagnetic sense becomes a precise sense with a range of 15 feet.
Here are a few adventure hooks designed to appeal to a Pahtra Player Character, leveraging their unique traits, homeworld lore, and cultural values:
Adventure Hooks for Pahtra Player Characters
The Stolen Symphony of the Void:
Hook: A renowned Pahtra musician or a collective of artists has had their "Cosmic Symphony" – a unique, Mana-infused musical composition that subtly influences local Rift-currents – stolen or corrupted. The theft is traced to a rigid, order-obsessed faction (perhaps a splinter group of the Shisk seeking to "categorize" chaos or a Commission black-ops unit aiming to "control" unpredictable energies) who believe the symphony's influence on the Rift is dangerous and must be suppressed.
Pahtra Appeal: This hook directly challenges the Pahtra's core identity, including their artistic expression, connection to the "Cosmic Symphony," and reverence for freedom. The PC would be driven to retrieve the symphony and restore its chaotic beauty, potentially leading to a "battle dance" against structured opponents or a race against time to prevent the symphony's complete destruction. Their "Harmonic Sensitivity" and "Sense Magic's Song" feats would be invaluable.
The Grand Galactic Battle Dance:
Hook: A legendary, multi-species combat tournament, the "Grand Galactic Battle Dance," is announced across the Outer Sphere, promising immense fame, wealth, and the opportunity to showcase one's prowess. However, the organizers (perhaps a Grolak warlord seeking to test new recruits for their Marauder Hordes, or a Human entertainment magnate pushing for extreme, exploitative spectacles) are manipulating the rules or the arena itself, making it unfairly dangerous or compromising the spirit of true competition.
Pahtra Appeal: This hook directly taps into the Pahtra's competitive spirit and their martial arts as a "battle dance." The PC is invited (or feels compelled) to participate, not just for personal glory, but to expose the corruption and ensure the competition remains a true test of skill and spirit, embodying the Pahtra ideal of fair struggle and self-expression. Their "Competitive Spirit" and "Pouncer Pahtra" heritage would be highly relevant.
Orgulma's Fading Echo:
Hook: A distress signal from a remote, uncontacted Pahtra settlement on Orgulma, their low-gravity jungle homeworld, indicates a severe ecological crisis. The jungle's vibrant Mana-signature is fading, and the low-gravity environment is becoming unstable, threatening to collapse the ecosystem. Initial investigations suggest the cause is a deep-seated Rift-Taint slowly consuming the planet's Mana, or perhaps a rogue Genesis Ascendancy bio-engineering project gone awry.
Pahtra Appeal: This is a deeply personal hook, appealing to the Pahtra's connection to their ancestral home and their understanding of cosmic rhythms. The PC, driven by a desire to heal their world, must journey back to Orgulma, using their survival skills (especially if they have the "Hunter-Stalker Pahtra" heritage) and intuitive understanding of Mana to find a way to heal the planet. This might require a "Dirge for the Fallen" ritual or a dangerous "Subvert World's Rhythm" spell to stabilize the environment, potentially confronting the source of the Rift-Taint.
The Whispering Whiskers & The Silent Siphon:
Hook: A series of mysterious disappearances or strange behavioral changes are reported among a community of Spark-Kin (or other sentient, but often overlooked, species) in a bustling Inner Sphere space station. Traditional investigative methods fail, but the Pahtra PC's "Electromagnetic Whiskers" begin to pick up subtle, unsettling energy signatures – a "silent siphon" of psychic energy.
Pahtra Appeal: This hook leverages the Pahtra's unique sensory abilities and their freedom-loving spirit. The subtle energy signatures lead to a hidden, manipulative presence (perhaps a Vaelen "Shadow Weaver" or a Cerebral Nexus experimenting on minds) that is subtly influencing the station's inhabitants or siphoning their psychic energy. The Pahtra PC must use their keen senses and intuitive understanding of emotional rhythms to uncover the truth, liberate the affected individuals, and expose the manipulator, fighting for those who cannot fight for themselves.
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