Shobhad
SFS Note Large PCs do not have an increased reach natively, though some feats may increase their reach.
Shobhads, or shobhad-neh as they refer to themselves collectively, are nomadic people native to the planet Akiton. Though other species speculate shobhads might be descendants of planar travelers or even mutant offspring of another species, shobhads know they've been part of Akiton forever. These enormous four-armed humanoids see themselves as Akiton's original children and wander its surface in a millennia-long journey.
Shobhads originate on the planet Akiton and have lived on that cold, arid planet since time immemorial, mastering its monster-infested deserts and unforgiving glacial formations with determination, stoicism, and pride.
Simultaneously fierce and reserved, shobhads are implacable in battle and quiet at rest. These common personality traits, combined with their imposing physiques, have given them a reputation for being unwelcoming and dangerous, though it's more accurate to describe them as cautious and reserved. Shobhads generally have little use for outsiders, but their shared history with the ysoki of Akiton has created strong bonds between the two species, and shobhad spacefarers often prefer melee weapons, armor, and spacesuits created by ysoki artisans.
Shobhads are renowned for their expert marksmanship with their longrifles, highly accurate and powerful ballistic weapons that shobhads, with their four arms, are uniquely suited to wielding. While these signature weapons are the pride of any shobhad who wields one, they're far from the only one they utilize, and powerful shobhad warriors eagerly wield a variety of two-handed weapons ranging from fangblades and hammers to flamethrowers and machine guns. Even caught offguard without a weapon, shobhads are respected across the Pact Worlds for their brutal but effective unarmed martial arts.
If you want a character that is physically imposing, at home in the wilderness, and possessed of a demeanor that is quiet, collected, and intimidating, you should play a shobhad.
Simultaneously fierce and reserved, shobhads are implacable in battle and quiet at rest. These common personality traits, combined with their imposing physiques, have given them a reputation for being unwelcoming and dangerous, though it's more accurate to describe them as cautious and reserved. Shobhads generally have little use for outsiders, but their shared history with the ysoki of Akiton has created strong bonds between the two species, and shobhad spacefarers often prefer melee weapons, armor, and spacesuits created by ysoki artisans.
Shobhads are renowned for their expert marksmanship with their longrifles, highly accurate and powerful ballistic weapons that shobhads, with their four arms, are uniquely suited to wielding. While these signature weapons are the pride of any shobhad who wields one, they're far from the only one they utilize, and powerful shobhad warriors eagerly wield a variety of two-handed weapons ranging from fangblades and hammers to flamethrowers and machine guns. Even caught offguard without a weapon, shobhads are respected across the Pact Worlds for their brutal but effective unarmed martial arts.
If you want a character that is physically imposing, at home in the wilderness, and possessed of a demeanor that is quiet, collected, and intimidating, you should play a shobhad.
You Might…
- Prefer untamed and open spaces over crowded cities or other heavily populated areas.
- Excel at hobbies that keep your hands occupied, such as carving, knitting, or sculpting.
- Take pride in the care and upkeep of your equipment and personal possessions, scorning those who don't respect their own possessions.
Others Probably…
- Treat you with uneasy respect, having heard wild rumors of your people's “warlike” nature.
- Value you as a guide or protector, appreciating your great strength and keen insight.
- Mistake your quiet nature and implacable mien for scornfulness or arrogance.
Physical Description
Shobhads have an impressive physical stature, standing between 10 and 12 feet tall with a muscular build. Their skin includes a range of colors from dusty gray, vibrant green, and faded turquoise. They have four powerful arms, which they which they use to wield a variety of weapons that would typically be too large or cumbersome for other species, multi-armed or otherwise. Shobhads are hairless and have pronounced, tusk-like canines in their lower jaw.
Shobhad-neh on Akiton typically go lightly clothed, preferring equipment harnesses and practical clothing that allows them to strike a balance between ease of movement during their long journeys and protection from Akiton's harsh conditions. They're naturally inured to Akiton's biting cold and thus give little consideration in their dress when it comes to the cold. Typically, only religious leaders wear notably ornate clothing.
Fondness for practicality doesn't equate with plainness, though. Shobhads appreciate artistry but frown upon frivolity and consider material excess a sign of foolishness, selfishness, and dishonor. Thus, shobhads enjoy practical art—weapons, clothing, equipment, and other useful items crafted with care and lovingly decorated in ways that enhance (or at least don't impede) use. Shobhad crafters are known for their attention to detail, timeless designs, and understated artistic flourishes. Shobhad-neh favor hand-made objects and equipment over mass-produced equivalents, often handing beloved objects down through the generations. Shobhads practice a unique type of braidwork that their four hands are uniquely suited to. This braidwork often includes unique knots and weaves indicating a given shobhad's clan, home of origin, and other lineal details.
Shobhad-neh on Akiton typically go lightly clothed, preferring equipment harnesses and practical clothing that allows them to strike a balance between ease of movement during their long journeys and protection from Akiton's harsh conditions. They're naturally inured to Akiton's biting cold and thus give little consideration in their dress when it comes to the cold. Typically, only religious leaders wear notably ornate clothing.
Fondness for practicality doesn't equate with plainness, though. Shobhads appreciate artistry but frown upon frivolity and consider material excess a sign of foolishness, selfishness, and dishonor. Thus, shobhads enjoy practical art—weapons, clothing, equipment, and other useful items crafted with care and lovingly decorated in ways that enhance (or at least don't impede) use. Shobhad crafters are known for their attention to detail, timeless designs, and understated artistic flourishes. Shobhad-neh favor hand-made objects and equipment over mass-produced equivalents, often handing beloved objects down through the generations. Shobhads practice a unique type of braidwork that their four hands are uniquely suited to. This braidwork often includes unique knots and weaves indicating a given shobhad's clan, home of origin, and other lineal details.
Society
On their home world of Akiton, shobhads live in nomadic clans, varying in size from a handful of hardy warriors to dozens of sprawling families, which range across Akiton's wild regions. Most follow traditional routes through their ancestral territory, moving with the seasons to avoid inclement weather, follow game, or harvest food. The slow encroachment of foreign civilization and the sudden incursion of raiders, thieves, and corporations upon their territory is a threat to the shobhad-neh way of life, which they take very seriously—a threat often met with armed resistance. In fact, these foreign intrusions are one of the only surefire ways to unite rival shobhad clans together. In the face of outside threats, even millennia-long grudges and blood feuds are put aside—shobhad-neh before shobhad.
Traditionally, leadership of shobhad clans is divided into secular and religious responsibilities. Clan leaders, known as ne-jaks, handle issues like territory or property disputes, the choosing of scouts and campsites, rationing of resources, and other such affairs. Animistic religious leaders, called ne-tals, consult with spirits and perform auguries to provide guidance on clan unions, perform marriages, act as midwives, and conduct funeral rites.
Typically, the responsibilities of ne-jaks and ne-tals do not overlap, though a clan's ne-tal can call for a vote among the elders of a clan to depose a ne-jak if they believe that the secular leader is guiding the clan down a dangerous or inappropriate path, or if age and infirmity are preventing the ne-jak from performing their duties adequately. Such action is rarely necessary since shobhad are taught from a young age to value the clan over the individual. This outlook means that few shobhads choose to permanently leave their clan without some major incident or event to drive them away. Banishment, disaster, inter-clan marriage, starvation, and war number among the most common instigating events, as does the destruction of a clan by outside forces. Shobhads who feel called to travel, adventure, or see the wider galaxy tend to work as scouts or traders, while those looking for a more permanent division tend to break away from their clan alongside a few other clanmates, splitting into a new clan. The relationship between clans and such splinter clans varies depending upon the reason for the split and the method by which it was achieved.
Shobhads combine fierce independence with a deep reverence for their clan, people, and home world. They believe it's an individual's responsibility to give more to their community than they receive from it; this philosophy works well among their wandering nomadic clans but often makes individual shobhads uneasy in highly populated areas. In cities where food, water, transportation, and other necessities are readily available and often freely dispersed, it can be hard for a shobhad to understand how they can possibly contribute more than they are being given. This issue has led to many other species incorrectly believing that shobhads are antisocial or even opposed to concepts of civilization, though the truth is almost the opposite; some shobhads merely struggle with understanding how they can appropriately fit into a social structure that doesn't create opportunities for them to contribute in traditional ways.
Traditionally, leadership of shobhad clans is divided into secular and religious responsibilities. Clan leaders, known as ne-jaks, handle issues like territory or property disputes, the choosing of scouts and campsites, rationing of resources, and other such affairs. Animistic religious leaders, called ne-tals, consult with spirits and perform auguries to provide guidance on clan unions, perform marriages, act as midwives, and conduct funeral rites.
Typically, the responsibilities of ne-jaks and ne-tals do not overlap, though a clan's ne-tal can call for a vote among the elders of a clan to depose a ne-jak if they believe that the secular leader is guiding the clan down a dangerous or inappropriate path, or if age and infirmity are preventing the ne-jak from performing their duties adequately. Such action is rarely necessary since shobhad are taught from a young age to value the clan over the individual. This outlook means that few shobhads choose to permanently leave their clan without some major incident or event to drive them away. Banishment, disaster, inter-clan marriage, starvation, and war number among the most common instigating events, as does the destruction of a clan by outside forces. Shobhads who feel called to travel, adventure, or see the wider galaxy tend to work as scouts or traders, while those looking for a more permanent division tend to break away from their clan alongside a few other clanmates, splitting into a new clan. The relationship between clans and such splinter clans varies depending upon the reason for the split and the method by which it was achieved.
Shobhads combine fierce independence with a deep reverence for their clan, people, and home world. They believe it's an individual's responsibility to give more to their community than they receive from it; this philosophy works well among their wandering nomadic clans but often makes individual shobhads uneasy in highly populated areas. In cities where food, water, transportation, and other necessities are readily available and often freely dispersed, it can be hard for a shobhad to understand how they can possibly contribute more than they are being given. This issue has led to many other species incorrectly believing that shobhads are antisocial or even opposed to concepts of civilization, though the truth is almost the opposite; some shobhads merely struggle with understanding how they can appropriately fit into a social structure that doesn't create opportunities for them to contribute in traditional ways.
Beliefs
Shobhad religious beliefs are primarily animistic, with a faith in spirits and apparitions that embody a wide variety of concepts, creatures, and locations. Traditional Akitonian shobhads believe that even planets have a soul and that success in life comes from understanding and embodying that essence. The planet Akiton, they say, has a quiet and unforgiving soul that demands a quiet and unforgiving people, though most shobhads know better than to take this philosophy to an extreme that would alienate them from their people or from necessary allies. While shobhad-neh have mystics who excel at communicating with the many and varied spirits of different locales and planets, most shobhads pay at least a small showing of respect when entering a new region or visiting a religious site, believing that disrespecting any spirit (no matter how small, insignificant, strange, or foreign) can lead to lasting misfortune.
Their respect for spirits is also an element of their preference for the longrifle. While shobhads do not shy from meeting an enemy in combat, there is a cultural misgiving related to killing an enemy who can see you with a ranged weapon. Tied to ancient views on honor and their spiritual nature, many shobhad believe, or at least worry, that the spirit of an opponent killed unfairly might follow them and bring bad luck. Thus, the shobhad longrifle is a weapon with exceptional range and accuracy capable of ending a life before their prey or foe can ever get a clear look at the sniper's face. Though some might view this as pure superstition, the existence of the spirits shobhad-neh revere can be seen in the magic of their religious leaders, and the skill and longevity of their snipers is a revered tradition across the Pact Worlds, which hints at a grain of empirical truth to the idea.
In addition to their traditional beliefs, many modern shobhads choose to worship gods, with Weydan a notable favorite. Those shobhads who live in large urban centers, were not raised in a clan, or have left behind their traditional way of life display a wider diversity in religions, favoring Besmara, Damoritosh, the Devourer, Elotiru, Ibra, Lao Shu Po, or even Zon-Shelyn.
Popular Edicts master the skills necessary for survival so that you do not become a burden to others, show reverence for the world that gave you life
Popular Anathema disrespect Akiton or another planet you call home through exploitative abuse of its resources, take more than you give to a community
Their respect for spirits is also an element of their preference for the longrifle. While shobhads do not shy from meeting an enemy in combat, there is a cultural misgiving related to killing an enemy who can see you with a ranged weapon. Tied to ancient views on honor and their spiritual nature, many shobhad believe, or at least worry, that the spirit of an opponent killed unfairly might follow them and bring bad luck. Thus, the shobhad longrifle is a weapon with exceptional range and accuracy capable of ending a life before their prey or foe can ever get a clear look at the sniper's face. Though some might view this as pure superstition, the existence of the spirits shobhad-neh revere can be seen in the magic of their religious leaders, and the skill and longevity of their snipers is a revered tradition across the Pact Worlds, which hints at a grain of empirical truth to the idea.
In addition to their traditional beliefs, many modern shobhads choose to worship gods, with Weydan a notable favorite. Those shobhads who live in large urban centers, were not raised in a clan, or have left behind their traditional way of life display a wider diversity in religions, favoring Besmara, Damoritosh, the Devourer, Elotiru, Ibra, Lao Shu Po, or even Zon-Shelyn.
Popular Edicts master the skills necessary for survival so that you do not become a burden to others, show reverence for the world that gave you life
Popular Anathema disrespect Akiton or another planet you call home through exploitative abuse of its resources, take more than you give to a community
Sample Names
Aruk, Bo-Shek, Do-Jat, Jah-Tor, Katso, Naz-Er, Samdak, Tan-Takneh, Virek-Nol, Zaren-Ka
Shobhad Mechanics
Hit Points
8
Size
Large
Speed
25 feet
Attribute Boosts
Strength, Wisdom, Free
Attribute Flaw
Charisma
Languages
Akitonian
Common
Shobhad
One regional language of your choice.Additional languages equal to your Intelligence modifier (if it's positive). Choose from the list of common languages and any other languages to which you have access (such as the languages prevalent on your home world).
Cold-Adapted
You are naturally acclimated to Akiton's frigid climes. You treat environmental cold effects as if they were one step less extreme (incredible cold becomes extreme, extreme cold becomes severe, and so on).
Four-Armed
You have four arms, which allows you to wield and hold up to four hands' worth of weapons and equipment. At any time, one pair of hands is designated as your active hands. You can change this designation from one pair of hands to another by taking the Switch Hands action. Unless otherwise indicated, you wield items only with your active hands. For more information on playing characters with more than two hands, see Hands.