Ovisian

Were there any race that would better fit the word 'sheeple' than the ovisians, they are yet to be seen. These people, as both their name and their nicknames would suggest, are a rapidly growing lot, a trait they share with the farm animal they so resemble, and take great pride in. Though they are not known for being an especially intelligent folk, they make up for this with sheer willpower and the drive to push forward, come any difficulty from a small misfortune to an earth-shaking calamity.

Physical Description: Standing at a modest height that usually goes no taller than just shy of four feet, ovisians are no bigger than an actual sheep that were to stand on its hind legs. A largely human shape makes for most of their body, though they happen to plump up rather nicely if they have ample resources. From the top of their head to the bottom of their neck is a mane of thick, curly wool, which also appears on their forearms and everything below the middle of their thighs; males can have more hair elsewhere, usually on their backs and their torsos, and they all are colored as is a typical sheep, hair color ranging from snow white to charcoal black, though most are somewhere in between. Their legs bear more resemblance to their animal likenesses than the rest of them, cloven hooves and all, to the point that some people mistake them for fauns, or perhaps satyrs, at first glance. A short tail, no more than a couple inches long, decorates the backside. Males, and very occasionally, a female, grow horns, which curl much in the same manner as that of a ram. Tradition dictates that the tips of the horns are blunted, and many of those who happen to be more artistic carve shapes and symbols into them, much like any other person would get a tattoo or piercing.

Society: Just as a genuine sheep would, the ovisians travel in nomadic herds, almost never staying in one place, save those where the land's boon is plentiful enough for them to take residence. Incredibly faithful, they are most often herded by religious leadership, following and doing as they're told with a near-blind trust placed upon the shoulders of their pious representatives. One of their more well-known traits is a willingness to sacrifice oneself for the benefit of all, and will not hesitate to end their own lives if it would result in the survival and prosperity of the rest of the flock; after all, what is one lost life, should it be the saving grace of many?

Relations: As it were, their size and relative stupidity makes ovisians something of a target of either mockery, pity, or predations by the other races, or any combination thereof. Despite their mutual regard for tradition and order, dwarves have a hard time with being able to appreciate the openness of the ovisians, seeing the lack of settlement as a gaping vulnerability. Elves, on the other hand, would gladly follow them in their wanderlust, were it not for the fact that their own far superior intellect makes them consider the sheepfolk hardly worth their time. Halflings and gnomes sympathize with them for their size, and the former tend to make better temporary companions, as they both share nomadic lifestyles. Half-orcs, should they not be vicious bullies to the smaller ones, are viewed much in the same way as an intelligent guard dog, someone big and strong whose tendency for violence can be seen as helpful in dealing with enemies that they simply could not defeat or evade on their own. Humans are typically the ones they have the best relationships with. This stems from the fact that ovisians are rather poor crafters, and the sheer diversity of the skillsets possessed by most humans leads to good relations through trade, the humans bringing things like weapons, armor, and tools in return for whatever the ovisians have available, usually textiles and a wide variety of victuals, especially their varied and exotic cheeses. The only races consistently shunned and feared by ovisians are those with a deep connection to the lupine, werewolves being amongst the worst of the worst in their eyes. The lycanthropes are the subject of many a horror story that gets passed from generation to generation.

Alignment and Religion: Above all else, ovisians are notoriously zealous in the depths to which their religion is followed. They almost universally worship one known as The Great Goat, although females who have the capacity for free-thinking tend to call their patron deity The Great Goatess. Those who go rogue and worship another god or goddess are usually cast out as heathens, though rarely are they killed, unless the idol of their worship is one most foul, such as Zon-Kuthon, Lamashtu, or Rovagug, at which point the heretic may be beaten either to death, or at least to the point that they leave and never come back. Such religious fervor lends itself perfectly to a lawful alignment, mostly being lawful neutral, though some may be lawful good. Seldom are there ovisians who are distinctly evil.

Of note, there is a curious oddity related to their religion. Clerics, inquisitors, paladins, and oracles, as well as a few other divine spellcasters, who preach the name of The Great Goat age half as fast as those of lesser faith, and since the standard ovisian is mature by ten years and considered middle-aged by twenty, it is, by their standards, quite an extended lifespan. Most ovisians see this as a blessing from their god, and often take roles not unlike that of a protective shepherd because of it, watching over their flock.

Adventurers: Rare is the ovisian who dares to break away from the rest of their herd to live the rugged life of an adventurer. Those that do usually take advantage of their deftness and strength of will to make up for their lacking mental capacity, taking on the mantle of a ranger or druid should they wander the more rural areas, or becoming fighters or paladins if they locate themselves closer to civilization. Arcane spellcasters, however, are uncommon. Many other adventurers are thankful for their ability to work in sync with others, as well as the fact that they have little to no reluctance when resorting to putting themselves in danger for the survival of the rest of the group. Atop this is that they happen to have low-maintenance diets (being vegetarian, an ovisian can live comfortably on little more than grass, leaves, and other grains and vegetables, though they would hardly pass up a glass of milk or wedge of cheese). However, many of their other habits, such as their religious bent, tend to get bothersome to those who can only put up with so much.

Ovisian Racial Traits

+2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, -2 Intelligence: While they are nimble and wise, ovisians are not known for birthing many particularly bright individuals. They also happen to be rather strong, compared to most other small races.

Small: Ovisians are Small creatures and gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a -1 penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.

Quick Feet (Ex): Unlike the other short folk, ovisians can keep up with taller races, thanks to their springy legs, and have a base speed of 30 ft.

Ram's Skull (Ex): Ovisians can make a headbutt as a natural attack, treating it as a slam (1d4).

Closer to the Gods (Sp): Their deep connection with divinity grants all ovisians a +1 bonus to the DC of all divine spells cast by them. They are also granted the ability to cast bless, endure elements, and create food and water 1/day as spell-like abilities (caster level equal to the ovisian's character level). These are considered to be divine spells for all purposes, and can help qualify for prestige classes, feats, and anything else that has divine spellcasting as a requirement.

Ineptitude (Ex): Devoutness may come naturally to an ovisian, but unfortunately, fashioning their own equipment does not. All ovisians have a -2 penalty to Craft (blacksmithing), Craft (armorsmithing), and Craft (weaponsmithing) checks.

Languages: Ovisians begin play speaking Common and Capran. Ovisians with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Auran, Celestial, Elven, Sylvan, and Terran. The ovisians who take to an adventuring life are most often literate, although the majority of those who stay with the herd cannot read or write, only speak.

(All credit goes to this guy)