Sylphs
System: Pathfinder | SRD | Source: Advanced Race Guide
Born from the descendants of humans and beings of elemental air such as djinn, sylphs are a shy and reclusive race consumed by intense curiosity. Sylphs spend their lives blending into the crowd, remaining unnoticed as they spy and eavesdrop on the people around them. They call this hobby "listening to the wind," and for many sylphs it becomes an obsession. Sylphs rely on their capable, calculating intellects and on knowledge gleaned from eavesdropping to deliver them from danger.
Description
Physical Description
Sylphs tend to be pale and thin to the point of appearing delicate, but their skinny bodies are often more resilient than they look. Many sylphs can easily pass for humans with some effort, though the complex blue markings that swirl across their skin reveal their elemental ancestry. Sylphs also bear more subtle signs of their heritage, such as a slight breeze following them wherever they go. These signs become more pronounced as a sylph experiences intense passion or anger, spontaneous gusts of wind tousling the sylph's hair or hot blusters knocking small items off of shelves.
Society
Sylphs are usually born to human parents, and so are raised according to human customs. Most sylphs dislike the attention they receive growing up in human society, so it's common for them to leave home soon after coming of age. They rarely abandon civilization altogether, however, preferring instead to find some new city or settlement where they can go unnoticed among (and spy upon) the masses. A sylph who happens upon another sylph unnoticed instantly becomes obsessed with her kin, spying on and learning as much about the other as she possibly can. Only after weighing all the pros and cons and formulating plans for every potential outcome will the sylph introduce herself to the other. Rarely, two sylphs will discover each other's presence in a community at the same time. What ensues th
Relations
Sylphs enjoy prying into the affairs of most other races, but have little taste for actually associating with most of them. Sylphs can relate on some level with elves, who share their tendency toward aloofness, but often spoil any possible relationship by violating the elven sense of privacy. Dwarves distrust sylphs intensely, considering them flighty and unreliable. They form excellent partnerships with halflings, relying on the short folk's courage and people skills to cover their own shortcomings. Sylphs are amused by the annoyed reactions they provoke in ifrits, and find oreads too boring to give them much attention.
Alignment and Religion
Sylphs have little regard for laws and traditions, for such strictures often prohibit the very things sylphs love—subterfuge and secrecy. This doesn't mean sylphs are opposed to law, merely that they use the most expedient means available to accomplish their goals, legal or not. Most sylphs are thus neutrally aligned. Sylphs are naturally drawn to mystery cults, and to deities who focus on secrets, travel, or knowledge.
Adventurers
An inborn urge to get to the bottom of things drives many sylphs to the adventuring life. A sylph who runs across the trail of a mystery will never be satisfied until she has uncovered every thread of evidence, followed up on every lead, and found the very heart of the trouble. Such sylphs make plenty of enemies by poking around into other peoples' affairs, and usually turn to their roguish talents or wizardry to defend themselves.
Male Names
Akaash, Eydan, Hanuun, Siival, Vasaam.
Female Names
Inam, Keeya, Lissi, Nava, Radaya, Tena.
Racial Traits
+2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Constitution
Native Outsider
Medium
Normal Speed
Darkvision
Spell-Like Ability
Energy Resistance
Air Affinity
Languages
Alternate Racial Traits
Air Insight (replaces air affinity)
Breeze-Kissed
Like the Wind (replaces energy resistance)
Sky Speaker (replaces the sylph's spell-like ability racial trait)
Storm in the Blood (replaces air affinity)
Thunderous Resilience (replaces energy resistance)
Weather Savvy (replaces the sylph's spell-like ability racial trait)
Whispering Wind (replaces the sylph's spell-like ability racial trait)
Favored Class Options
Cleric
Add a +1/2 bonus on Knowledge (planes) checks relating to the Plane of Air and creatures with the air subtype.
Druid
Add a +1/2 bonus on Knowledge (nature) checks relating to weather and flying animals.
Inquisitor
Add a +1/2 bonus on Stealth checks while motionless and on opposed Perception checks.
Oracle
Add +1/2 to the oracle's level for the purpose of determining the effects of one revelation.
Rogue
Add a +1/2 bonus on Acrobatics checks to jump and a +1/2 bonus on Sense Motive checks.
Sorcerer
Choose a bloodline power from the djinni or elemental (air) bloodline that the sorcerer can use. The sorcerer treats her class level as though it were +1/2 higher (to a maximum of +4) when determining the effects of that power.
Witch
Add a +1/2 bonus on Stealth checks and Perception checks made by the witch's familiar. If the sylph ever replaces her familiar, the new familiar gains these bonus skill ranks.
Wizard
Select one arcane school power from the air or wood elemental schools that the wizard can currently use. The wizard treats her class level as though it were +1/2 higher (to a maximum of +4) when determining the effects of that power.
Source: Advanced Race Guide
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