Batarian
Prerequisites:
Must be chaotic path, May never return to Batarian Space (Outcast Defect)
Wound point die: 1d10
Control modifier: +0
Size: Medium
Land Speed: 30 ft.
Ability Modifiers: +2 Constitution, +2 Charisma.
Medical Class: Group II (humanoids)
A race of four-eyed bipeds native to the world of Khar'shan, the batarians are a disreputable species that chose to isolate itself from the rest of the galaxy. The Beta-delta quadrant border Terminus systems are infested with batarian pirate gangs and slaving rings, fueling the stereotype of the batarian thug. It should be noted that these criminals do not represent average citizens, who are forbidden to leave batarian space by their omnipresent and paranoid government.
Despite several disagreements with the Citadel, most batarians prefer profitable pursuits such as drug running and slave grabs to out-and-out warfare. They have a reputation for being shrewd businessmen and merchants, though in more lawless regions of the galaxy like the gamma and delta quadrant, negotiations with a batarian are likely to be conducted at gunpoint.
Special Abilities
Batarians, being one of the only bipedal race with two sets of eyes, have learned to use their unique trait to their advantage.
+2 To Perception Checks
It is unnerving for other races to talk to them due to the fact that they do not know where to look. For Batarians it is impossible to "look them in the eye" so to speak, so most negotiations start with the batarians having a small advantage.
+2 Racial Bonus to Sense Motive and Intimidate
Gain Palman Contract trait and Outcast Defect without them taking a slot
History
When the batarians achieved spaceflight, they discovered concealed Prothean ruins on Bira, a moon of Verush, that allowed them to develop FTL travel. It is a batarian point of pride that, since the ruins were damaged by earthquakes, they had less information to go on than other spacefaring races. The Citadel Council granted the batarians an embassy on the Citadel sometime after the volus did, approximately a century after the batarians and Council had made first contact.
Despite being welcomed into the galactic community, batarian aggression provoked several crises in galactic relations over the years. Sometime around 1785 CE, a batarian fleet bombarded the salarian colony world of Mannovai; in 1913, the Batarian Hegemony annexed the independent asari colony of Esan.
Culture
Batarians place an extremely high value on social caste and appearance, and overstepping one's place is frowned upon. Casting aspersions on the monetary worth of a social better is considered a serious insult. Batarians strongly believe that species with fewer than four eyes are less intelligent; they often gain the upper hand in interspecies arguments because other races find it difficult to know which eyes to focus on when speaking to them.
Slavery is an integral part of the batarian caste system, despite being illegal according to Council law. The custom is so deeply ingrained in batarian culture that batarians consider the Council's anti-slavery standing to be prejudicial. Rogue batarian slave rings are feared throughout the galaxy, especially among colonists on remote worlds, which are often raided by batarian slavers. Victims of such raids are usually implanted with control devices in their skulls, a painful operation since the slavers rarely make use of anesthetic. The batarians are also known to enslave addicts of the biotic drug red sand when they can no longer afford to support their habit.
Body language is an important part of batarian society. For example, tilting one's head to the left is a sign of admiration and respect. When a batarian tilts his head to the right it is a sign that he is, or considers himself to be, superior to the one that the gesture was directed at. Therefore, this gesture can also be interpreted as an insult.
Government
The rest of the galaxy views the batarians as an ignorable problem. Their government, known as the Batarian Hegemony, is still hostile to the Systems Alliance, but beneath the notice of the powerful Council races. It is not known what the average batarian thinks about their enforced isolation, as the Department of Information Control ensures that only government-approved news enters or leaves batarian space. Given the batarian government's oppressive nature, it is speculated their supreme leadership is autocratic or totalitarian in nature, although the batarian homeworld of Khar'shan remains divided into various competing nation-states.
Military
Little is known about the batarian military. Citadel sanctions have left the Batarian Hegemony a paper tiger of an empire, one that fights rivals through deniable terrorist actions rather than the wars of its heyday centuries ago. The Batarian Hegemony does not trust private industry to create their military hardware. Most batarian military hardware is produced by a corporation called Batarian State Arms, a vast nationalized institution infamous for its waste and corruption. It produces various offensive and defensive products that are sold primarily in the beta-delta quadrant border Terminus Systems. The batarian fleet is known to operate at least one dreadnought; as a non-Citadel race, they are not bound by the Treaty of Farixen and may have more. They also field smaller vessels, including the Hensa class of cruisers.The batarian military has a special forces division known as the Special Intervention Unit. All that is known about the SIU is that their training program is brutal. After the Blue Suns hired a group of former SIU operatives to run a hostile environment training camp on the planet Xetic, an investigation by Illium authorities into the camp found that the mortality rate was as high as 18%; however, an independent Blue Suns inquiry found that the batarian operatives' harsh training techniques were consistent with those employed in the SIU training program. Other known branches of the batarian military include the Batarian External Forces, which Captain Ka'hairal Balak is a high ranking member of.
Physical Attributes:
Batarian Blood is Red Batarians are a rather long lived race, they're lifespan surpasses 200 years of age.An average batarian stands at just over 6"0".
Batarians weigh just about the same as a human. Thier body structure is very similar despite appearances.
Biology
Batarians are an anthropoidal race like humans and asari. Their faces are covered with short, fine hairs that grow longer and thicker around the mouth. A flat stripe of ridged cartilage runs along the tops of their skulls and down the backs of their necks. They have ears pointy at the upper end, though on occasion along the edges as well. The part of their faces commonly associated with the nose among humans and asari is instead an inverted flat triangle symmetrically ridged vertically. Their most distinctive physical feature is their four eyes, an uncommon trait among other races. One pair is set wide in prominent bony sockets protruding from the corners of their face. The second set of eyes is smaller and closer together, set higher on the face, just beneath the middle of the forehead. The eyes are uniformly dark orbs, with no discernible irises or pupils. Batarians exhibit a wide range of skin tones and colors. General batarian complexions include reddish-brown, greenish, yellow-greenish to yellow-brownish, light brown, and teal. Some batarians possess striped colorations on their heads. Observed patterns include multiple chin stripes, a single strip running from the lower lip, or a thin dagger of color above the nose. These patterns are usually colored blue, black, or red, while the nose pattern is invariably red.
DM-RP: 12
Ability Scores: Flexible +2 RP
Outcast Defect for free and Slot +2 RP
Perception Bonus 2 RP
Sense motive bonus 2 RP
Intimidate bonus 2 RP
Palman Contact for free and Slot: 2 RP