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The Haruchai
 
As we left the bar a bitter chill had settled into the village of Endport.
The Captain turned up his collar to the cold and muttered
 
"'S cold enough ta raise the nipples on a Haruchai wench, though she'd
probably use them ta slice open your belly."
 
"Scu..urp..Scuz me..hic" I said with my usual eloquence. The blast of cold
air had served to wake me up a bit, but the 9 pots of ale were showing
their effects despite my best efforts to drink everyone ever born under the
table.
 
"Tha Haruchai, lad!" the Captain nearly knocked me off the edge of the
pier. I hit the border rope and fought to regain my balance as well as my
lunch, and he continued. "Only the most vicious, bloodthirsty, honorable,
and straight minded race ever to roam this or any other land."
 
Through the fog that clouded my brain I heard my self ask "...vicious,
bloodthirsty, HONORABLE??" Even this close to death, my storytellers
instincts were still at work.
 
"A course!" he said, slapping me on the back again. I cursed those
storyteller's instincts and hoped that my intestines were well anchored in
my stomach, because one more slap would send them streaming out the
fool hole in my head that I use for a mouth.
 
Somehow, I survived that night. And here is what I remember of the story
the Captain told me of the race called the Haruchai...
 
-----------
 
The mountains north of the Oshimo river contain one of the most
forbidding places known to the races of Marjhann. Eternal winters keep
the high altitudes at below freezing temperatures year round. Wood is
scarce and food scarcer-still.
 
In these unlikely conditions a race of man makes it's home. They are
known as the Haruchai, or stone warriors. The Haruchai live in the
shallow caves that can be found throughout the area and hunt whatever
game can be found in the forbidding environment.
 
Only the wisest of sages may know exactly why this race remains in a
land so fraught with dangers and impossible conditions, and these
learned men will not part with the knowledge. Suffice to say that the
Haruchai remain because it is the land they call home, and they will
know no other.
 
As if the terrain and climate weren't enough to keep this race busy, the
Haruchai have been embattled in a bitter Clan war for as long as they
have existed. Five different factions each vie for the best territory, for
wood, for food, for anything that might sustain their kind. So the stone
warriors war not only with nature, but themselves as well.

But raw materials are too valuable to be frittered away on machines of
war, so these men use no weapons in their combat. They attack with their
bare hands and feet, and with deadly force.
 
So a Haruchai's life consists entirely of training the body and mind to
fight for life. If there can be any reason that this poor storyteller might
guess for their remaining in that mountain region, it might be due to the
fear that moving to a lower clime would make them lazy as a people, and
thus open to attack by one of the rival clans. But this is only an
uneducated guess.
 
Whatever their own reasons, the Haruchai have little dealings with other
men. They remain exclusively in their mountainous home, and the only
time a Haruchai is met outside this land is when he/she has been outcast
or sent on a mission of vital importance.
 
************************
Player's Notes:
     The Haruchai is a race/class. One may not be separated from the
other. The race is basically human, with the adjustments/requirements
shown below.
 
A Haruchai will have the following minimum scores:
Strength       15
Constitution   15
Dexterity of   12
 
They use a d8 to determine hit points.
 
They begin with 3 weapon proficiency slots and gain an additional one
every 3 levels
 
Haruchai begin with 3 weapon and non-weapon proficiencies. They gain
one new weapon each 3 levels, but one new non-weapon prof. every 4
levels.  There is a -3 non proficiency penalty for weapon use. They use the
Warrior's table to determine THAC0, but use the Rogue's table for saving
throws.
 
Regardless of the proficiency slots actually available, each  Haruchai
character will have the following non-weapon  proficiencies: Firebuilding,
directions sense, survival- mountain  region, hunting, and
mountaineering. If more slots are available  due to intelligence, they may
be filled from the "General" or  "Fighter" tables in the PH. If the actual
slots a character would  receive number fewer, that character begins with
all the NWP's  listed above, but receives no new available slots until the
"debt"  has been paid.
 
Haruchai may not use a weapon of any sort. Using any weapon other
than their own body parts incurs a -3 non-proficiency penalty.
 
The  Haruchai may wear any armor, but received the following penalties
"to hit" and "damage" rolls:
-1 for padded or for using a small  shield,
-2 for leather or using a large shield or wearing a helm,
-3 for chain,
-4 for splint or banded,
-5 for field plate armor, and
-6 for wearing full plate armor.
 
So a Haruchai character wearing a  helm and chain mail and using a
small shield would be at -5 total  to hit and damage (-1 for helm, -3 for
chain mail, -1 for a small  shield.)
 
A Haruchai character has become proficient and specialized in the
Martial Arts, as  defined in the Warrior's manual or Priest's Manual.
Specifics are  available to players upon request.
 
Experience levels:
1    0
2    2,250
3    4,500
4    9,000
5    18,000
6    36,000
7    75,000
8    150,000
9    300,000
10   600,000
 
Attacks per round:
Level     attacks/round
1-4       2/round
5-9       5/2 rounds
10 & up   3/round
 
Special Abilities:
Haruchai will always take their personal reaction adjustment into
account, even when fighting in a group. This enables them to have  the
possibility to strike first in a given round, even if the group  they are
traveling with will strike last.
 
Haruchai save at +1 vs cold based spells and attacks.
 
Because of their highly combative and mountain upbringing, Haruchai
have the following thief-like abilities:
Climb walls    40%
Move silently  25%
Hide in shadows35%
 
Base percentages for success are noted. In addition, these percentages go
up 5% every two levels, to a maximum of 90% in each area. Modifiers for
dexterity apply.
 
Haruchai can choose to parry instead of attack in any given round. This
is done in a variety of ways, including dodging, blocking the attackers
arm so that the weapon cannot strike, snatching a missile weapon before
it hits, etc. A successful roll "to hit" is required to parry. If the attempt
to parry fails, the attacker must still make a successful "to hit" roll to
strike.
 
At first level (as noted above) , they will be proficient and also specialize
in Martial Arts. This will give them a +1 to hit and damage, plus a +1
"chart bonus"
 
At second level, they have one remaining proficiency that raises their
bonuses to +2 hit, damage, and chart. This goes to +3 at 3rd level, +4
at 6th level, and +5 at 9th level.
 
At 6th level, the Haruchai's attacks are treated as +1 magical weapons
when determining strikes against creatures hit only by magical weapons.