Fenghuang

Physical Description
A little shorter than humans and leaner of build, these birds are covered in the bright colors of the sun. Yellows, oranges, and reds make up their fiery coat. While they lack fingers, their beaks are quite capable of manipulating objects with equal grace. Their eyes come in a wide spectrum of colors, from hot to cool shades. Their talons are not as graceful as one would demand of humanoid fingers, but can grasp and carry things while they are flying.

Society
The Fenghuang do not gather in great cities. Nomadic by nature, they wander the world, taking in all its wonders and terrors with equal enthusiasm. When two meet, they may bond for a time, and a clutch of eggs can result. Only one of these eggs hatches into a chick, but it is impossible for them to know which, so all are treated with great care. Rare twin births do occur, to the great celebration of their parents. After the chicks are capable of flight, their parents often part ways, with the chick staying with one or the other, at their own choosing.

Relations
Fenghuang are typically a social species and adore interacting with others. They are fast friends and usually of good spirits. They offer song, stories, and warm company in return for food and lodging in their travels. Not being born to societies as some others, they occasionally stoop to thievery if they perceive the item being taken will not be missed. In the rare possibility of a fenghuang community, items will transfer from nest to nest without asking or hard feelings, simply being taken when needed and abandoned when not.

Alignment and Religion
Fenghuang tend towards the Chaotic, but also favor Neutrality. Their tendency to take what they need can put them in conflict with more ‘civilized’ people. Though they will return what is taken if asked, this does little to soothe the hurt feelings of their victims. Despite this, they are also a good people, who will go out of their way to lend a helping wing to those who appear in genuine need.

Adventurers
Rare is the fenghuang who is not an adventurer of some sort. Consumed with a need to see and experience new things, they are drawn to the nomadic styles of adventuring and testing their mettle against all the world can throw at them. Being slight of body, they prefer professions that allow them to deal with their foes from afar. That many such disciplines also enhance their understandings of the wonders of the world is a blessed bonus indeed.

Male Names: Hong, Hui, Jiayi, Junjie, Peizhi, Peng.

Female Names: Ai, Baozhai, Lifen, Lihua, Mingzhu.

Racial Traits
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, –2 Constitution. The Fenghuang are built delicately, but move with a distinct grace in mannerism and motion.

Type: Fenghuangs are fey with the fenghuang subtype.

Size: Fenghuangs are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.

Base Speed: Fenghuangs have a base speed of 30 ft, and Fenghuangs have winged flight of 30 ft. with a clumsy maneuverability. Fenghuang cannot fly in medium or heavy armor or while encumbered.

Languages: Fenghuangs begin play speaking Common and Sylvan. Fenghuangs with high Intelligence scores can learn any language (except for secret languages).

Low-Light Vision: Fenghuang can see twice as far as a human in conditions of low-light.

Natural Envoy: Whenever fenghaung put a rank in the Linguistics skill, they learn two languages instead of one.

Curiosity: Fenghaung are drawn to seeking out and sharing stories. They gain a +4 bonus on Diplomacy checks to gather information, and Knowledge (history) and Knowledge (local) become class skills for them. If they gain a class that has either of these Knowledge skills as class skills, they gain a +2 racial bonus on those skills instead.

Fingerless: Fenghuangs possess two wings and two talons, but no hands or fingers. They can wear rings on their talons, and gloves become anklets automatically while they wear them. They may carry things in their talons, and their mouth can be used as a single hand for wielding a weapon or other tasks. This does not impede their ability to speak or use verbal components/abilities. A fenghaung may substitute at least one talon and wing and beak movements for the somatic requirements of spells.

Author's Note: Fenghuang do not have a second "hand", only their one mouth, and as such cannot benefit from effects which require them to have a free offhand (such as swashbuckler's precise strike, Equipment sphere's Duelist's Grip, or other similar effects). For effects which require or target a creature's arms (forelimbs, etc.), the fenghuang treats their wings as limbs for these purposes (such as the Alteration sphere claws trait from the base sphere).

Fire Nature: Fenghuangs are naturally attuned to flames, starting play with fire resistance 5.

Alternate Racial Traits
Ice Born: Sometimes, a fenghaung connects to cold instead of flame. These fenghaung are a rare breed with icy colored feathers, and their births are considered occasions of significance. An ice born changes their resistance from fire to frost.

Frenzied Dancer (Barbarian)
The passion of the fenghuang can spill over into battle, sending them into legendary fits of fury and rage when they match claws and swords against others.

Dance of Battle
Moving as if in the throes of a passionate fit, the fenghuang enjoy a +1 dodge bonus to their AC against attacks of opportunity. This increases by +1 per 5 character levels.

This replaces fast movement.

Flexible Rage
Once per day, starting at level 2, a fenghuang may, as a swift action, gain one rage power they qualify to have. This remains for one minute per level.

This replaces the rage power gained at level 2.

Armored Flight (Combat, Racial) [Fenghuang]
You have long practiced the ability to fly with greater loads.

Prerequisite: Fenghaung subtype, fly speed.

Benefit: You can now fly in medium or heavy armor, or while encumbered.

Elemental Heart (Racial) [Fenghuang]
Your attachment to the forces of flame deepens with your power.

Prerequisite: Fenghaung subtype, energy resistance.

Benefit: Increase the energy resistance given by your elemental nature by an amount equal to your character level.

Elemental Rebirth (Racial) [Fenghuang]
Like the phoenixes of legend, you are difficult to keep down.

Prerequisite: Fenghaung subtype, energy resistance, Elemental Heart, character level 12th

Benefit: If your body is immersed in the element you have resistance to via the elemental nature racial trait within a day of your death, you are revived as per raise dead, gaining two permanent negative levels as normal. If you are slain by this element, this ability activates automatically in 1d4 rounds.

Elemental Touch (Combat, Racial) [Fenghuang]
The elemental energies within you can escape through your attacks, helping express your fury.

Prerequisite: Fenghaung subtype, energy resistance.

Benefit: When attacking with a natural or manufactured melee weapon, you deal 1d6 damage of fire or cold damage as appropriate. This does not stack with weapon qualities such as flaming or frost.

Razor Beak (Combat, Racial) [Fenghuang]
Your beak isn’t just for speaking and grasping, but for defense as well.

Prerequisite: Fenghuang subtype.

Benefit: You gain a bite attack that deals standard damage for your size (1d6 medium, 1d4 small).

Razor Talons (Combat, Racial) [Fenghuang]
Though not built for fine manipulation, your talons can serve well enough as a last line of defense.

Prerequisite: Fenghuang subtype.

Benefit: You gain two talon attacks that deal standard damage for your size (1d4 at medium). These are primary attacks that may only be taken while airborn.