Moreau

MoreauMoreau are known by many names: called Shifters by the common folk, Hengeyokai in the Empire of Seven Dragons, or Weres by those who mistake them for lycanthropes. The exact origins of this race remain unknown, and the information pieced together by the various sages and scholars who have studied them tends to go suspiciously missing. Moreau are a naturally secretive and elusive race, though some few of them answer the call to become adventurers.

Though they often appear human, all moreau are intrinsically linked to a single type of animal and gain traits of that animal, carrying some minor animalistic features. Particularly powerful moreau may even learn to change their form, shapeshifting into their linked animal. Though many have debated the question, none outside of their own knows whether the animal or the human is their natural form.

Open Game Content
+2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma
Their animal instincts and heightened senses give moreau an improved perception of the world, but their bestial and sometimes skittish natures make it difficult for them to get along with others.
Medium Humanoid (Human, Shapechanger)
Moreau have some relationship to humans and frequently intermingle with them. Spells, effects, powers, and abilities which affect or target humans can also affect or target the Moreau, and they can use magic items as if they were human. They also have the shapechanger subtype.
Movement Speed
A Moreau's base land speed is 30 ft.
Animal Kind
Each moreau must choose one animal kind from the following list. This choice affects all of their other racial abilities. A moreau may choose: Boar, Carp, Cat, Dog, Hare, Monkey, Owl, or Tanuki.
Wild Empathy (Ex)
A moreau can use Handle Animal improve the attitude of an animal particularly well. When using Handle Animal for a wild empathy check with an animal related to their own animal kind, a Moreau may use their Hit Dice in place of their Handle Animal skill rank.
Wild Shift (Su)

Once per day, a moreau can spend a swift action to shift herself partially into animal form, gaining some of the traits of her linked animal. Her wild shift lasts for 1 hour or until she dismisses it. A moreau only has access to a single wild shift form based on her animal type (see below for wild shift traits).

A moreau gains an additional bonus from selecting Wild feats. Each wild feat she gains gives her one additional daily use of her racial wild shift ability.

This ability is considered the same as the druid’s wild shift, and the benefits granted by the two do not stack. For example, a Hare Moreau can’t use both her racial wild shift and the druid’s Plain Stride wild shift at the same time, though she could benefit from any of the other wild shifts available from druid as normal. A moreau druid can also use wild shift uses from both sources to activate either her racial or druid wild shift abilities as she chooses.

Languages
Automatic: Common. Bonus: Any (other than secret languages).
Preferred Classes
Moreau tend to prefer taking levels in Druid, Ranger, or Shaman.

Moreau Animals

Open Game Content

Boar (Thick Hide)

While shifted, the moreau’s natural armor increases by 2.
She also gains a +2 bonus to her Constitution.

Carp (Deep Dive)

While shifted, the moreau gains a swim speed equal to her base land speed, which grants a +8 racial bonus on Athletics checks made while swimming. She can also hold her breath three times as long as normal before she risks drowning.
She also gains a +2 bonus to her Constitution.

Cat (Tiger Claw)

While shifted, the moreau gains two claws as a primary natural weapon which deal 1d4 damage. She can use one claw as a secondary attack while wielding a weapon in her other hand with a –5 penalty on her attack roll.
She also gains a +2 bonus to her Dexterity.

Dog (Fang Rip)

While shifted, the moreau gains a bite attack as a primary natural weapon which deals 1d6 damage. She can use this as a secondary attack while wielding a weapon with a –5 penalty on her attack roll.
She also gains a +2 bonus to her Strength.

Hare (Plain Stride)

While shifted, the moreau’s base land speed increases by 10 feet.
She also gains a +2 bonus to her Dexterity.

Monkey (Arboreal)

While shifted, the moreau gains a climb speed equal to one half her base land speed, which grants her a +8 racial bonus on all Athletics checks made while climbing.
She also gains +2 to her Strength.

Owl (Night Sight)

While shifted, the moreau gains low-light vision and darkvision 90 ft.
She also gains a +2 bonus to her Wisdom.

Tanuki (Tracker)

While shifted, the moreau gains low-light vision and the Scent special ability.
She also gains a +2 bonus to her Wisdom.