AGOGI
“Self, unimportant.” - a common Agogi courtesy and acknowledgment ritual (similar to “you're welcome”)
Easily weighing over three stones (A stone is 14 lbs, unless this is some different measure that’s specified somewhere else) and towering over humans; Agogi are veritable mountains of muscle, covered in leathery reptilian skin and often possessed of a seemingly gruff personality. Unfortunately, this means they are often dismissed as monstrous brutes by the ignorant, a perception that belies a race notable for an extremely altruistic society. Rather than believing in the virtue of benevolence or having a secret agenda of ingratiation, the Agogi believe helping others and being useful to their community strengthens themselves as much as their neighbors and will eventually raise them up as equals among other races. Even evil Agogi can see this communitarianism as a way to raise their social ranking among others that might look down on their monstrous self. By taking advantage of the training and resources offered by the community, the poor will eventually contribute more themselves.
Raising children of any race is a biological drive for them, as Agogi hope they will imprint on them and assist their community when capable. As such, Agogi orphanages or private nannies are becoming extremely popular in even the staunchest human-centrist cities.
The altruistic drive of the Agogi sometimes works against them, as they can be exploited (when not being rejected outright based on their appearance) though their ability to supportively organize means that they are usually able to leverage what power they do have in a situation; ranging from worker strikes, to a community-wide exodus, to -in rare cases- concerted violence.
HUGE AND HUNGRY
With shoulders wide enough to carry their community and skin tough enough to endure all of its hardships, the Agogi are proud of their strength and weight even as they are sensitive to the fact that it is these very features that sometime contribute to the unease of [1] [JP2] weaker races. As a practical and moral matter, Agogi are usually dedicated to etiquette, taking efforts to be as unimposing and polite as possible (though they’re limited somewhat due to a racial proclivity towards not just cultural, but biological sincerity). Even with considerable care, they can often disturb the surroundings they share with smaller races with little effort; leading to the Salt in Wounds cliché about the ‘Agogi in an apothecaryapothopcery.’ Unless specifically designed to accommodate them, most humanoid furnishings and building layouts force them to slouch, compress, or otherwise carry themselves as small as possible.
Hairless, the Agogi's leathery skin is studded with tiny bumps comprised [JP3] of two to three colors. The most common colors are various shades of green, rust, black and mustard. Some have been found with rarer tones that included gold, red and white. In old age, the skin becomes mottled and hangs loose. Their jaw line is extremely wide, with the corners of their mouths almost reaching their temples. Agogi are sometimes thought to be toothless, but in actuality their tiny serrated teeth are underneath a gum flap which is lacerated during feeding to produce their signature toxic red saliva. Besides aiding in swallowing food , their saliva poisons enemies with a combination of venom that lowers blood pressure and virulent bacteria
Recommend removing, as blood pressure and bacteria aren't really fantasy concepts.
. While Agogi do have claws present on their hands and feet as well as a nub-like vestigial tail, they are too stunted to be of any effective combat use.
With only a few taste buds in the back of their throat, the Agogi can eat almost anything, with some communities living almost entirely off carrion and their own dead (much to the horror of other races). Agogi- lead communities often have a monthly feasting festival, with an emphasis on fresh offerings. This festival doubles as a ritual for pastoralists (a druidic circle of Agogi) and eating competition.
AGOGI PERSONALITY
Since the mouth is the most dangerous part of the Agogi, they have a societal impulse of being laconic, often speaking concisely (or even avoiding speaking) to the point of bordering on terse. Some Agogi hide their mouths with veils or mud muzzles, forcing them to speak softly and quietly to avoid breaking the covering. since it is the most dangerous part of their body. This care to avoid threatening facial and verbal cues is another reason why the namestone is so important. With it, Agogi can have full communication with their bonded without opening their mouths.
Agogi tend to lean towards neutral good, as adherence to laws that clash with their social norms and mores don’t sit right with them. They typically have a greater devotion to helping others in their community over helping a leader or king. While eveil Agogi are rare, if they are clever enough to hide their base motivations they can amass considerable power and/or do tremendous damage to an altruistic Agogi community before being found out.
SACRED NAMES (Suggest moving to before personality, so the concept of Namestones ins introduced before being spoken of)
Separate from their ‘common’ names (which are usually related to physical characteristics, professions, or even ideals which can change over time), the Agogi believe that knowledge of one's true name is a very sacred trust. When an Agogi shares their name with an individual, there is an exchange of gifts called namestones (typically a textured gem or other mineral). Agogi keep someone's namestone in their dual-chambered stomach, as the weight and texture remind them of their namefriend's constant presence. An exchanged name will typically happen only a handful of times in an Agogi's life. This is as close as traditional Agogi come to marriage, as their communal norms extend to erotic and romantic relationships.
The deeds of namefriends (whether Agogi or of another race) reflect on both parties. Perhaps even more pronounced than how a parent would feel the pride (and sometimes shame) of their children's actions is the bond between an Agogi and their namestone friend. The nefarious (or in the case of evil Agogi, embarrassing) deeds of a namefriend can be enough to warrant an end to their association, or the Agogi might kill their disgraced namefriend to reclaim their sacred name (in addition to potentially taking a quest/pilgrimage to make amends for the ill actions).
Example common names: Mudmaw, Bluetongue, Deadhorse, Almslord, Heartguard, Clutchmother, K.C. (initialism for “King's Counsel”), Ironeye
Example sacred names: Rak’sa, Ke’kas, Pim’bur, Me’gua, Sat’ria, Pen’hir, Ul’ama, Ah’li
AGOGI ADVENTURERS
Agogi adventurers are usually motivated by a desire to pursue the accumulation of wealth in order reinvest a sizable portion in their chosen community, or based on a compelling need of their community. Good Agogi will sponsor apprenticeships or build communal buildings like feast halls and baths with their spoils, while more selfish Agogi might invest in monuments and great works to be worthy of remembrance once they’ve left for further adventure. Agogi adventurers are also often have their career launched based on the need to help a specific namefriend or —
Should be an em dash
-on the opposite end of the spectrum—
- to right wrongs committed by/recover a name stone from a former namefriend.
Their childrearing and communitarian instincts can cause Agogi to “adopt” adventuring parties as their own clutch, wishing to travel with them in order to ensure their safety, watch them grow as individuals worthy of their pride, or ensure the party continues to serve a path deemed by the Agogi as best for their community.
AGOGI TRAITS (5E)
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Age. Agogi reach maturity around age 13 and rarely live longer than 75 years.
Alignment. Most Agogi tend towards neutral good. Their altruistic society means that they are driven by helping others, serving their chosen community.
Size. Agogi are powerfully built reptilian humanoids. With most around seven feet tall and weighing over 300lbs, they push the limits of most conventional housing. Your size is (barely) Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Bite: Your massive mouth serves as a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Extreme Omnivore: You require more food than other Medium creatures to support your massive body, raising the daily requirements to avoid exhaustion to four pounds of food. However, you can consume nearly anything that can provide sustenance, gaining an advantage on saving throws against disease, ingested poisons, mutations, and becoming nauseated or sickened.
Dual Chambered Stomach: An Agogi can swallow objects to spit out later, storing them in a thick, pouch-like chamber that protects against sharp objects, their own digestive juices, and blocks the Detect Magic spell from detecting magic items being stored internally. The capacity is equal to a pouch (as per Adventuring Gear), holding up to 1/5 cubic foot/6 pounds of gear. “Retrieving” a stored item is an action (albeit a disgusting one), while swallowing is a reaction in the case of stored water or potions.
Lexical Difficulty: You can speak, read, and write Common and Draconic.
VARAN SUBRACE
Carrion Scent: You have a natural ability to sniff out carrion. You have advantage on Perception checks, but only for corpses (including undead) and badly wounded creatures (creatures with 25% or fewer hit points).
Sprinter: You gain a +10 ft. racial bonus to your speed when using the dash or disengage actions.
Toxic Saliva: You can envenom your bite or a weapon that you wield with toxic saliva. Applying venom in this way is a reaction. The venom uses the following stats: Agogi Saliva: Injury; save 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus; A creature takes 2d6 damage on a failed save, and half as much damage on a successful one. The damage increases to 3d6 at 6th level, 4d6 at 11th level, and 5d6 at 16th level. After you use your toxic saliva, you can’t use it again until you complete a short or long rest.
AVANI SUBRACE
Swimmer: You are able to swim at your normal movement speed instead of half speed, and you add double your proficiency bonus on all swim checks instead of your normal Athletics proficiency.
Amphibious: You can breathe both air and water.
Deep Sight: You are specially adapted to the lightless depths of the oceans, but not to air-filled environments. You have darkvision of 120ft while underwater, but do not gain this benefit out of water.
d8 Personality Traits
1 I love children, playing games, giving gifts, and aspire to raise a huge brood of my own.
2 Bathing in sunlight is one of the grandest joys, I do so whenever possible.
3 Pinching pennies means kin at home don’t feel their stomach’s pinch.
4 I find clothes unnecessary, and will get away with wearing as little as possible (and will complain proportionally to how much I need to wear).
5 Once I’ve shared a meal with someone, I trust them with my life.
6 Even for an Agogi, I’m into food… always looking to try a new dish (appreciating distinct textures if not tastes).
7 I’m fascinated by non-Agogi customs and will ask about any practice that interests me.
8 One thing I will talk -at length- about is my family Have you heard about my 8th cousin 6th removed?
d6 Ideals
1 Carry the Weight: I do not pray for lighter burdens, but for broader shoulders. (Good)
1 Obey the Law: The law should be studied and obeyed, even when flawed it allows greater cooperation between all. (Lawful)
3 Cleave to the Clutch: Agogi should live with the Agogi, all other races are waiting to exploit us. (Evil)
4 Adapt to the World: As we spread, we must adapt & learn new ways of being. (Chaotic)
5 Balance the Scales: I support those who support me, in direct proportion. (Neutral)
6 Live the Glory: I want my clutch to raise monuments to me, tell the story of me for ten to the ten generations. (Any)
d6 Bonds
1. I will direct a river of gold back home to my clutch.
2. My clutch owes debts to those who aided us, and I am bound to pay them.
3. By learning and growing in power, I can better serve my home.
4. Those who wronged me and mine will suffer for their transgression.
5. I make amends for the deeds, reclaim my namestone of my namefriend.
6. The world is full of knowledge, and I must travel and learn in order to best serve my people.
d6 Flaws
1 I trust those I should not.
2 I lose sight of my mission whenever I see suffering of any kind.
3 I seem to always say the wrong thing when I’m being honest.
4. I have trouble holding onto my coin, having grown up with no need for it.
5. I damage or destroy surroundings, sensitive equipment, and more without meaning to.
6 I wounded (or killed) one of my kin, and was exiled for it.
AGOGI TRAITS (PATHFINDER)
+4 Strength, -2 Dexterity, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma Agogi are mountains of muscle, but they are reserved and their culture doesn't have higher education.
● Medium: Agogi are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
● Normal Speed: Agogi have a base speed of 30 feet
● Bite: Agogi have a natural bite attack, dealing 1d4 + 1–1/2 times their Strength bonus. The bite is a primary attack, or a secondary attack if the creature is wielding manufactured weapons.
● Extreme Omnivore: Agogi can only go without food for one day before suffering starvation effects. However, they can eat nearly anything that can provide sustenance, gaining a +4 racial bonus on saving throws against disease, ingested poisons, mutations, and becoming nauseated or sickened.
● Dual Chambered Stomach: An Agogi can swallow objects to spit out later, storing them in a thick, pouch-like chamber that protects against sharp objects, their own digestive juices, and blocks the Detect Magic spell from detecting magic items being stored internally. The capacity is equal to a belt pouch holding up to 10 lb. or 1/5 cubic ft. of items. “Retrieving” a stored item is a standard action (albeit a disgusting one), while swallowing is a free action in the case of stored water or potions.
● Sprinter: Agogi gain a +10 ft. racial bonus to their speed when using the charge, run, or withdraw actions.
● Toxic Saliva: A number of times per day equal to their Constitution modifier (minimum 1/day), an Agog can envenom their bite or a weapon that they wield with their toxic saliva. Applying venom in this way is a swift action. The venom uses the following stats: Agogi Saliva: Injury; save Fort DC 10 + 1/2 your Hit Dice + your Constitution modifier; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d2 Dex; cure 1 save.
● Carrion Scent: Agogi have a natural ability to sniff out carrion. This functions like the scent ability, but only for corpses (including undead) and badly wounded creatures (creatures with 25% or fewer hit points).
● Lexical Difficulty: Agogi start with their racial language of Draconic only and can only learn up to three other languages, one of which must be Common.
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● FURTHER CONTENT TO BE EXPLORED:
● Namestone
● A magic item the Agogi stores in their stomach that allows them to communicate with their namestone friend telepathically.
● Pastoralist or Pastoral Druid
● Agogi specific druid class that focuses on support and creating bonds with the adventuring party.
● Ritual Gorging
● Racial feat (or maybe class ability for pastoral druid) that allows the Agogi to consume a single meal equal to 80% of their body weight per month in return for magical effects. They cannot consume any other food, including potions, during that month.
Requested prose- proud of the first sentence, specifically the phrase 'biological sincerity,' would like to keep in the final draft if possible
[JP2]Agreed. I rejiggered for flow but kept your turns of phrase
[JP3]Removed bit about sensory aids: because you can’t mention stuff like that unless you give it a specific game mechanic (otherwise players will argue with their GMs about it)
Dihercen