Culatan

Formerly called and based on the Abeil from the Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition Monster Manual 2.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Culatans are a humanoid, bee-like race. A Culatan stands over six feet tall and has four slender but sinewy legs and two arms, each with four digits. Their bodies have bristly fur, colored in alternating bands of black and yellow. The creature's head and face feature black, faceted eyes and long antennae. Like a bee, a Culatan has translucent wings.

Genetics and Reproduction

Culatans reproduce through the queen of their colony, who mates with each of her male vassals and other outstanding males within her colony. The queen then fertilizes her eggs at random, resulting in offspring with a variety of fathers. Exceptional females in the colony gain the ability to reproduce if they so desire. A group of workers within the tasked with caring for the offspring.

Growth Rate & Stages

Culatans hatch from their eggs as larvae. This stage of their life lasts about ten years, during which they molt several times as they grow. The worker caste cares for them through this stage. After the larval stage, the Culatan enters the pupal stage, which lasts about twenty years. During this stage, they develop into their adult form, undergoing a metamorphosis like that of a butterfly.
Once the pupal stage is complete, the Culatan emerges as an adult. They enter their assigned caste and begin working within the hive. The lifespan of an adult Culatan is approximately 470 years. During this time, they continue to work in their assigned caste and contribute to the survival of the hive.
When a Culatan reaches the end of their lifespan, they enter the Elder stage. This stage lasts about 10 years and is marked by a decrease in physical abilities and an increase in the Culatan's connection to the hive mind. Elders play a crucial role in the hive, providing guidance and wisdom to younger Culatans. At the end of their lifespan, a Culatan will usually die of old age or disease. Their bodies are returned to the Hive to be recycled and used to create new structures and resources for the Hive's continued survival.

Ecology and Habitats

The optimal environment for the Culatan would be a region with abundant natural resources such as fertile land, abundant water sources, and a diverse array of plant and animal life. They prefer areas with moderate climates and ample sunlight to sustain their crops and support the well-being of their hives. Culatan hives are often found in remote areas such as dense forests, grasslands, or near mountains. The hive will seek out a location that offers natural defenses, such as a natural barrier like a ravine or cliff face, to protect the hive from potential threats.

Biological Cycle

The Culatan connect with nature and as such adapt to the passage of time and seasonal changes. They tend to be more active during the warmer months when flowers and crops are in bloom, while becoming more reclusive during the colder winter months when resources are scarce.
Their hive mind and psionic abilities allow them to sense and adapt to changes in the environment. They can sense fluctuations in the weather and adjust their foraging and gathering patterns to ensure their survival. They are also able to predict changes in their local ecosystem and take steps to mitigate any negative effects on their hive.
Besides seasonal changes, the passage of time also affects the Culatan in significant ways. As they age, their roles within the hive may change, and they may be assigned different tasks that better suit their abilities. Older Culatans may also become mentors to younger members of the hive, passing on their knowledge and experience.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

The Culatan have a deep connection to nature and seek to live in harmony with the environment. They tend to settle in areas with abundant natural resources and take great care to preserve and manage the region's bounty. This is essential for the survival and sustenance of their hive, allowing them to obtain food and resources without expanding their territory beyond what is necessary.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

The Culatan's antennae give them an exceptional sense of smell.

Civilization and Culture

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Culatan society is divided into several castes, assigned by the queen at birth, each with its own responsibilities within the hive. Workers produce and store honey, using the excess fat from the process to create a strong wax used in the construction of the hive. Gatherers roam the claimed lands, tending crops and gathering food, while Guardians patrol the territory, watching for potential threats and keeping other civilizations from encroaching on their lands. Vassals work under the queen, tending to her every need.
A single queen with powerful psionic abilities leads each hive, making her the center of the hive mind. She assigns roles to each Culatan at birth based on the current needs of the hive. Yet, the Queen doesn't make decisions alone, but instead uses the hive mind to gauge how each Culatan feels about any given issue.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

A Culatan who chooses a life of adventure must sever their connection to the hive mind and undergo a painful procedure to remove their stinger. Despite the challenges, some Culatans decide to endure these sacrifices for the chance to live a life free from the constraints of the hive.
Culatan hives have a population that is over 75% female. When assigned roles at birth, males are more likely to become Guardians or Vassals, while females are more likely to become Workers or Gatherers. Only a small number of females become Vassals, and are groomed to potentially become queens themselves in the event of the death of the current queen or a schism within the hive.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

The Culatan have xenophobic tendencies, preferring to avoid contact with outsiders whenever possible. They often take a defensive approach to foreign visitors, and will chase them away if they perceive a potential threat. Yet, persistent and helpful individuals who show good intentions may be welcomed by a hive. But, those who prove to have bad intentions will find the entire hive to be their enemy. Due to their insular nature, the Culatan have limited knowledge of other races. They hold Elves in high regard, seeing them as kindred spirits who share their reverence for the natural world.
The Culatans have a long-standing and bitter rivalry with the Micidian. Despite some similarities in society and physical form, the two races are fundamentally different in nature. The Culatans value isolation and a low profile, while the Micidian are expansionists, always seeking to claim new territory. Whenever a Micidian colony encroaches on Culatan lands, conflict between the two races is almost inevitable.

Lifespan

500 years

Average Height

80 to 90 inches

Average Weight

100 to 200 pounds

Culatan

Culatan Racial Traits

All Culatan are humanoids with the insectoid subtype. All Culatan have the following traits:
Abilities: +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma
Medium Size: Culatan are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to size.
Normal Speed: Culatan have a base speed of 30 feet.
Scent (Ex): Culatans gain the scent ability.
Armored (Ex): Culatans' hardened carapace grants them a +2 natural armor bonus.
Stubborn (Ex): The Culatans’ link to the hive mind (active or not) grants them a +2 racial bonus on Will saves to resist spells and spell-like abilities of the enchantment (charm) and enchantment (compulsion) subschools. If a culatan fails such a save, she receives another save 1 round later to prematurely end the effect (assuming the spell or spell-like ability has a duration greater than 1 round). This second save is made at the same DC as the first. If the culatan has a similar ability from another source (such as a rogue’s slippery mind class feature), she can only use one of these abilities per round, but can try the other on the second round if the first reroll ability fails.
Frenzy (Ex): Culatan have a natural ferocity within them. Once per day, when taking damage, a culatan flies into a frenzy for 1 minute, gaining a +2 racial bonus to Strength and Constitution, but a -2 penalty to AC. If linked to the hivemind, nearby Culatan will also begin to frenzy.
Swarming (Ex): Culatans are used to living and fighting communally with others of their kind. Up to two culatans can share the same square at the same time. If two culatans that are occupying the same square attack the same foe, they are considered to be flanking that foe as if they were in two opposite squares.
Stinger† (Ex): Culatans have a stinger they can use to make attacks of opportunity with a reach of 5 feet. This sting is a natural attack that deals 1d8 points of damage plus the culatan’s Strength modifier and also delivers their venom.
Venom† (Ex): When successfully striking an opponent with her stinger, a culatan may choose to inject them with her venom as a swift action. She can do this a number times per day equal to her Constitution modifier.

Weakening Venom: Injury; save Fort DC 10 + 1/2 the culatan's Hit Dice + the culatan's Constitution modifier; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d2 Str; cure 1 save.

Vestigial Wings (Ex): Culatans have wings that do not provide the lift required for actual flight, but do have enough power to aid flight attained by some other method, and grant a +4 racial bonus on Fly checks.
Quadruped (Ex): Micidians possess four legs and two arms, granting them a +4 racial bonus to CMD against trip attempts. Their carrying capacity is 50% greater than that of non-quadrupeds of the same size.
Languages: Culatan begin play speaking Common and Sylvan. Culatan with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Auran, Elven, Gnome, Goblin, and Halfling
†These abilities are omitted from Player Character Culatan and Culatan adventurer NPCs.

Alternate Racial Traits

Paralytic Venom†: Some hunting tribes of culatan have developed a variation of their venom that paralyzes their prey, see below. This trait modifies the venom racial trait.

Paralytic Venom: Injury; save Fort DC 10 + 1/2 the culatan's Hit Dice + the culatan's Constitution modifier; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d2 Dex; cure 1 save.

Furred Body: Culatan in colder regions have a thinner carapace that is coated in a thick layer of fur, providing extra protection against the cold. These culatan have only +1 natural armor but gain energy resistance 5 to cold. This replaces the armored racial trait.

Favored Class Options

The following options are available to all culatan who have the listed favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the favored class reward.
Cleric: Add +1/3 to the amount of damage dealt or damage healed when the cleric uses channel energy.
Fighter: Choose the disarm or reposition combat maneuver. Add +1/3 to the fighter’s CMB when attempting this maneuver (maximum bonus of +4).
Hunter: The hunter’s animal companion gains a +1/4 luck bonus on saving throws. If the hunter replaces her animal companion, the new companion gains this bonus.
Paladin: Add +1/2 hit point to the paladin’s lay on hands ability (whether using it to heal or harm).
Ranger: Choose a weapon from the following list: longbow, longsword, rapier, shortbow, or short sword. Add +1/2 on critical hit confirmation rolls made while using that weapon (maximum bonus of +4). This bonus does not stack with Critical Focus.
Warpriest: Gain a +1/3 bonus on the damage dealt or healed with the warpriest’s channel energy ability.