#wildborn

Wildborn

[PT. Wildborn. End PT]

A descriptor for oneself where they see themselves born as wild or born to be wild... made with nonhumans and therians in mind but if you feel like it could fit you in one shape way or form, then bygones be bygones, have fun with it

“As the grandson of a wild witch, Tristan knows better than most the fate of those who rebel against the system, and ever since first attending Hexside has done his best to conform. Yet it does nothing to stop his peers from reminding him of his heritage at every turn, almost as if expecting he’ll follow the same path. Through Beastkeeping, he hoped to retain a semblance of the wild freedom of his childhood, but as he is soon to discover, that will hardly be enough...”

Finally got around to doing some concept sketches of Tristan’s grandfather, Adar! Well, technically, it’s his Thunderbird form I’m sketching—I haven’t exactly figured out how he looks as a witch, and even then, his witch form would only be seen at the tail end of Tristan’s arc, so I’m not focusing on it too much. Still not 100% on colors and design, but I do like what I have as a basis! 😃

 It’s a common trope for so-called “primitive” cultures to consider civilization to be soft and weak. While the wise will argue that there are different kinds of strength, there is a ring of truth to that opinion. After all, where else but in the wilderness from which all life spawned is one’s mettle tested and forged without mercy?

A testament to the flexibility and strength of nearly any ancestries ancestors, some barbarian cultures are so far-removed from the advances of civilization that they live as if still in the stone age. If it can be made by hand from gathered materials, they have it, but these so-called wildborn have done without the written word or carved stone. To them, metal weapons are unfamiliar relics of civilized weapons.

The exact reason why these people lack what even other barbarian cultures have could be due to isolation, or perhaps a great calamity caused them to lose the skills they once had, or perhaps they simply lacked the material to experiment and discover. Whatever the reason, they make up for their lack of knowledge by demonstrating how durable members of their species really are.

 Given their lack of materials, these warriors favor their fists, as well as simplistic weapons and armor that can be made without forging and the like. Not to say they cannot use metal weapons, but wearing armor and wielding weapons outside this narrow group is incredibly awkward to them. Additionally, they cannot read or write, seeing no need for such things unless they branch into another profession and take the time to do so.

Enduring survivalists, wildborn are skilled hunters and gatherers, and train themselves to better survive in different temperature extremes.

Rather than gain rage powers, these barbarians can choose to gain bonus feats representing training to better survive in harmony with the environment, including just being better at surviving it’s hardships.

Tiredness and bruising cannot phase these warriors for long, for they absorb nonlethal blows easily, and recover from them quickly.

The rage powers associated with this archetype include the beast totem, as well as various rage powers that boost their mobility by granting them various enhanced movement options while raging.

This archetype certainly rewards you with enhanced survival utility, but the fact you’re limited to hide armor and a certain subcategory of simple weapons does limit your build options a bit, but the barbarian is already a class that rewards great output with little investment. I’d recommend doing a deep dive on spear or quarterstaff-related builds.

 There’s a common stereotype with barbarians to assumed a Conan baseline of a mighty human, and while there are elements in this archetype that speak to the “humans are secretly the space orcs” argument with the focus on enduring what other races could not, I can definitely see this archetype being used with any race. After all, even elves had to have had a stone age of some kind, right?

  Two years ago, the champion of the Blue Roc tribe was felled in a single blow by an outsider in metal armor that he had challenged. Now, the son of that champion plans to leave home and search civilization for that stranger and give him back his spear, right through the chest. However, civilized lands hold strange sights and dangers of their own.

 Though elves are seen as guardians of the wild places, most are fairly civilized. However, those of Sap Ice Forest, victims of the great Soulburn catastrophe, have lost much of their culture and become vicious and primitive survivalists.

“Among the Wildborn tribe, the Merge is considered to be the height of the already intimate bond between a witch and spirit—the combining of souls to form one single entity, with both parties in command. The result is a corporeal body that mirrors the animal form of the spirit, while also blending in the traits of their chosen witch. In Tristan’s case, his Merge with Anam takes on the Hellhound’s body and markings signature to his kind, hybridized with Tristan’s faun legs and hair color.”