Game Mechanics Summary: Base Movement of 10//, Base AC of 10, strongly good-aligned, powerful empathic abilities, high dexterity, limited flight at 36// (Class A), strong in Faith and Charisma, weak physically, good long-range vision at expense of close-range vision, fearful of enclosed spaces.
Changelings are a strange race indeed. From a genetic standpoint, Changelings are very closely related to humans. Like other races of Gaianar, the changelings have their roots in humanity. However, this race was created by way of divine intervention of the True One, the supreme God of Good worshipped on Gaianar. During a period of spiritual darkness in a history that shall never be forgotten, there was one community of Humans who stayed loyal to the Lord of Light while the rest of the world gave their souls freely to the False One and the Viper Lord. Even when all the other civilizations had forgotten about the Light, the civilization on the Isle of Gales remained faithful. And so it was from this one island that belief in the Light was reseeded throughout many areas of Gaianar. It was this new race, the Changelings, which carried the standard of this Light.
A Changeling can truly be said to lead a double life. An immature or early adolescent Changeling looks, for all intents and purposes, Human. Upon reaching late adolescence, however, a maturing Changeling undergoes a physical and mental metamorphosis in which the higher aspects of the race first manifest (hence being called a "Changeling"). This transformation is known collectively as "The Change" or "The Awakening". It is said that a Changeling is a little more than man, a little less than Angel.
An average adult Changeling stands slightly shorter than many of their Human counterparts, but is much taller than Dwarves. As a mean, an adult male Changeling stands about 5'5".
Some of a Changeling's more distinguishing physical features are their bright silver hair and eyes of sky blue, indigo, or dark violet speckled with silver. But the difference between human and Changeling goes much deeper than physical appearance. One of the gifts given to the Changeling race is the ability of limited flight. Without the aid of a hang glider or paraglider, a Changeling can fly for a period of several minutes (one round per two points of Endurance, rounded up) before having to recoup their strength. Aided by a hang glider (or similar craft) a Changeling can stay aloft indefinitely.
A Changeling's ability to fly is bought at the expense of Strength. As a Changeling's bones are hollow and their muscle tissue less dense than their Human counterparts, the Changelings have a racial maximum strength of 15. Their physical weakness is compensated by their high Dexterity, which may be as much as 21. A Changeling flies at 36// (three times a man's running speed) with Maneuverability Class A (can come to a stop, hover, then turn full circle in the same action).
Being aerial oriented, Changelings have excellent long-range vision and are able to identify individuals up to one mile distant. Their close range vision is somewhat blurry however. This results in a -20% penalty for finding objects, hidden doors, traps, unless wearing corrective lenses that compensate (during which time the long range vision bonuses are lost.)
By their very nature, Changelings are most comfortable in outdoor spaces. Changelings like high, mountainous regions as well as the vast open sea. But tunnels, caves, dungeons, and pits are quite a different story. So much do Changelings dread closed-in places that each member of this race is born with an incurable claustrophobia (of intensity 1d4). If a Changeling enters such an environment he or she must roll once every five turns to see if a panic attack results. A panicked Changeling can be calmed by either an invocation that specifically removes fear, or by establishing an empathic rapport with another character that is not afraid.
Among other race related bonuses, Changelings receive only half damage from falling.
Due of their acute far vision and blurry near vision, Changelings earn a +1 to hit when firing missile weapons but suffer a -1 penalty to attack in melee range.
Changelings are empowered with minor empathic abilities. They have a 20% chance of establishing empathic rapport with humanoids 60' (6//) or closer. This percentage is halved when trying to contact humanoids farther away than 6// feet. A Changeling's innate empathic ability also gives them the ability to shield themselves from supernatural attacks that specifically affect the mind. When attacked in such a manner, a Changeling has a 20% chance to resist such an onslaught.
Related to their empathy. Changelings can sense the presence of any intelligent life form within 60 feet (1d20 >3 for success). Intelligence is defined as anything more than animal intelligence (3 or better). Sense presence does not detect alignment or intent, or even what kind of creature is being sensed, and it cannot detect corporeal Undead. However, a Changeling using sense presence can usually tell the difference between party members and other creatures.
Sense presence can determine distance and direction of creatures being sensed. Invisibility spells do not shield a creature from a Changeling's sense presence ability. While a Changeling can sense through trees and wooden barriers, walls of stone or metal can shield an animal or humanoid from the Changeling's detection.
A note on Changeling culture and crafting: whereas the Dwarven race has become specialized in metal and stone, the Changelings have found a love for wood crafting. Changeling architecture is a wonder to see, as well as their wood sculpture. Changelings make all carpentry and artistic ability checks at +1.
In race relations, Changelings and Dwarves get along quite well; each race creates what the other cannot. Dwarves trade with Changelings for wooden items, food, herbs and spices. Changelings trade with Dwarves for metal items, ale, and rare minerals. Because neither race wants the other race's territory, there has never been a war between the Dwarves and the Changelings.
Changeling culture is something akin to the Amish. They are very community-minded, and operate under predictable and time-honored social mores. Like the Amish, if a Changeling family's house burns down, the rest of the community pitches in to build a new house. They also have no love of technology. When the technological age came to an end, the Isle of Gales were the only ones who didn't starve, and this is because they never became obsessed with technology and gadgetry. For a Changeling, if an old way works, why invent a new way? This is one of the few bones of contention they have with the Dwarves, who love inventing things.
The Changeling empathic power alters their perception of the world. For instance, most Changelings don't understand why other races obsess about sex. The empathic gift allows pair-bonded Changelings know each other's soul; a level of intimacy that makes sex seem like a handshake. They don't kill without cause because they feel it when people around them die. The Sense Presence is both a blessing and a hindrance. They know life and death intimately. It matters to them who live and who die. The sensing of life force is why so many are drawn to careers like Ranger and Priest.
A Changeling Warrior will kill, but usually in self-defense. As a race they don't start wars, but when wars are waged against them, they finish them. They will hunt down those who kill without cause. They have a sense of societal justice that declares that those who take life or spoil life or create Unlife must pay. And Changelings do make criminals pay. Their prisons are rarely full, however, because of the Changeling solution to crime. By using the collective empathic power of a dozen Changelings, a criminal's mind can be laid bare and his or her personally disassembled thought by thought. Then the empathic surgeons craft a new (and non-criminal) personality from scratch. Thus they have no death penalty, but the unmaking of one's personality is sufficient crime deterrent.
Changelings love to fly. They don't have wings, so it is a pure spiritual force that lifts them into the air. A Changeling in flight feels the greatest connection with the world around him. They feel one with the sunlight, clouds, and sky - as if they could transcend the flesh altogether and become fully Angelic.
The Changelings are a gift to Gaianar, a creation of the True One. They know all too well that their responsibilities to the world greatly exceed that of the other races, which is why the chaos and evil in the world are particularly troubling to them.
The Changelings are so strongly tied to the Light; almost every Changeling is of good alignment. A life span of the average Changeling is 280 years.