Rat, Awakened (race)
Type: As animals, Rats have Low Light vision.
Rat Body: Rats are tiny sized. They lack limbs capable of fine manipulation. An Awakened Rat can speak, and they live as long as humans. They gain +4 racial bonus on Balance, Hide and Move Silently checks. They can use Dex instead of Str for Climb checks.
A Rat's land speed is 15 feet, and they also have a Climb and Swim speed equal to their land speed.
Ability Score Modifiers: Rats are fast and quite aware of the massive world around them, but weak and shy. Rats have -2 Str, +2 Dex, +2 Wis and -2 Cha.
Heroic Fool: An awakened Rat think of themselves as meant for something greater than their common brethern when, in reality, they just happen to know how to speak and think better. This tends to make them forget their own survival instincts. They take hits head on and recklessly throw themselves into danger, confident of their delusionacal superiority.
At 1st level, the Rat counts as a small creature when such would not be benefical for it instead of tiny. So for example they only gain +4 size bonus for hiding and +1 size bonus to attack rolls and AC, but still take -8 in grapple checks and have the carrying capacity of a tiny creature.
At 3 HD some good sense has managed to sneak into the Rat's Brain, and they lose this ability, counting as tiny sized all the time.
Scent: The Rat has the Extraordinary Scent ability.
Agile Biter: A Rat has a Bite primary natural attack dealing 1d3 base damage for tiny size and gains Weapon Finesse as a bonus feat even if it doesn't meet the prerequisites.
Rat Race: Despite being basically at the bottom ladder of critters, rats can still develop some amazing characteristics. A Rat can pick one ability from the below list. It takes a Swift action to activate it and they last 1 round. The specific choice can be changed every day.
Companion- Some rats can become quite friendly. If it enters the space of an allied creature of bigger size it can climb on them and Hide as a free action, counting the ally as cover. If the allied creature moves while this ability is active the Rat goes along. If the allied creature performs a melee attack while this ability is active the Rat can move into the opponent's space as a free action without provoking attacks of opportunity. If the Rat was hiding the enemy gets a new Spot check but if they fail they're unaware of the Rat's presence.
Plague Carrier-If you're infected with a disease but make the Fort save, your bite now inflicts that disease, with a DC of 10+1/2 HD+Con mod. You lose the old disease when you make your Fort save against a new disease or stop spending a Swift action every turn to maintain this (although it remains while you sleep).
Flexible Body- Some rats can squeeze through spaces much smaller than their size would suggest. The Rat gains Slight Build.
Reaving Rodent- Some rats can chew even through stone and metal. The Rat's Bite attack reach increases to 5 feet if smaller and it ignores all DR and hardness.
Running Rat- The Rat doubles their movement speeds when using the Whitdraw or Run action or when under a Fear effect.
Tough Metabolism- Some rats can survive diseases and poison that would kill beings a lot larger, swim for days and overall tough to die by undirect means. The Rat gains a +3 racial bonus on Fort saves.
Versatile Paws- The Rat becomes able to perform fine manipulation, including performing spell somatic components and holding weapons and shields assumed they're crafted for its size.
Rat Reputation
Prerequisites: Rat Race racial ability.
Benefit: Choose a Rat Race benefit. It becomes permanent.
Special: You can take this option multiple times, each one picking a new Rat Race effect to become permanent. Rat Reputation can be taken as a Fighter bonus feat. A Rogue can swap Trapfinding for Rat Reputation. A wizard or sorceror can swap their 1st level familiar ability for Rat Reputation. A cleric can swap their Turn Undead ability for Rat Reputation. A druid can swap their animal companion for Rat Reputation.
Cute Rat
Despite prefering to run away when faced with other beings, rats are social creatures and can warm up to others. Although most often than not such rats end forgeting their survival instincts and used as foods or experiment subjects. A Cute Rat's racial modifiers change to -2 Str, +2 Dex, -2 Wis, +2 Cha.
Since so much discussion going around this one, and since it's a core monster, decided to give it a go.
Seems like Bhu was a bit faster, but I don't feel like crunching the rat and dire rat in a single package, also his version missing several details, I'll drop a more detailed critique later. Gah so much stuff to update...
Anyway rats are CR 1/8 so that's not even worth a class level, the reason why I made it a base race. Rat Race to spiff it up so you're not forced to be a rogue and little else.
So if you want to play the classic nasty rodent, the Rat's for you!
