Harssaf
HD: d8
| Lvl | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special |
| 1 | +1 | +0 | +2 | +2 | Desert Body, Blades of Shifting Sands, +1 Dex |
| 2 | +2 | +0 | +3 | +3 | Desert Vision, Skin of Burning Sands +1 Con |
| 3 | +3 | +1 | +3 | +3 | Improved Skin of Burning Sands, Flaming Aura, +1 Dex |
| 4 | +4 | +1 | +4 | +4 | Mirage Shield, Sand Pulse, +1 Con |
| 5 | +5 | +1 | +4 | +4 | Sand Form, Master of the Blazing Ambush, +1 Dex |
Class Skills: (2 + Int modifier, x4 at first level) Climb, Hide, Jump, Knowledge (Nature), Listen, Move Silently, Spot
Proficiencies: Harssafs gain proficiency with all simple weapons, with the Kukri, and with Light armor, but not with shields.
Class Features:Desert Body (Ex): Harssafs lose all other racial bonuses and gain monstruous humanoid traits (basically dark vision 60 feet). They are Medium-sized Monstrous Humanoids with a base speed of 30 feet.
In addition, they gain a bonus to Natural Armor equal to their Con modifier.
Blades of Shifting Sands (Su): Harssafs are deadly warriors, specializing in the use of dual blades and blazing heat to assault their enemies. As a free action, the it may conjure twin kukris out of the shifting sands that compose their bodies, instantly forming in his hands. These deal damage as normal kukris (Base slashing damage of 1d4, 18-20/x2; but see below), though the Harssaf may elect to apply its Dexterity modifier to attacks and damage in place of its Strength.
Furthermore, when the Harssaf makes an additional attack as part of a full-attack action with his off-hand kukri, both attacks use his full attack bonus, taking no penalties for wielding two weapons. Any further attacks, such as those from a high base attack bonus, take penalties as normal. Attacks with any other weapons also take normal penalties to attack.
Once a sand-kukri is formed, it remains as long as the Harssaf wills it to do so, though he may not have more than two sand-kukris formed at any given time; He may return the blades to sand as a free action. The blades can be broken (they have hardness 10 and 10 hit points); however, the Harssaf can simply create another as a free action. Even if the Harssaf finds himself inside places where magical effects do not normally function (such as within an antimagic field), he can attempt to sustain his sand-kukris by making a DC 20 Will save. On a successful save, the Harssaf maintains his kukri for a number of rounds equal to his HD before he needs to check again. On an unsuccessful attempt, the blade returns to mundane sand.
Stat boosts: The Harssaf gains a +1 to its Dexterity score at levels 1, 3, and 5 of this class, and a +1 to Con at levels 2 and 4, for a total bonus of +3 Dex and +2 Con at fifth level.
Desert Vision (Ex): Harssafs are used to traveling in the blinding environs of the hot desert, and have adapted to see clearly there. At 2nd level, the Harssaf becomes immune to blindness effects, and gains a +1 bonus to Spot and Listen checks, +1/2 HD. It also gains blindsense out to 30 feet.
Skin of Burning Sands (Ex): The rough, grainy skin of Harssafs makes makes them seem as though they are composed of the fire and sand of their home terrain. The Harssaf gains the Fire subtype, becoming immune to damage from Fire but becoming vulnerable to cold, taking 50% more damage from sources of cold damage.
Improved Skin of Burning Sands (Ex): At third level, the Harssaf gains DR/bludgeoning equal to 1/2 HD (improving to magic & bludgeoning at 8 HD), as well as Fast Healing equal to 1/2 HD.
Flaming Aura (Su): At-will as a free action, a harssaf can generate an intense fiery heat. This aura takes the form of a miragelike shimmering around a harssaf's body. Any creature that merely touches him while the aura is active, or is struck by his melee attacks takes an extra 1d6 points of fire damage. Sustained contact results in the fire damage being taken each round. Only metallic weapons or the harssaf's sand-kukris conduct this heat, though harssafs rarely wield wooden weapons when they use this ability since doing so typically renders the weapons useless after a few rounds.
The damage from this ability increases by 1d6 for every additional 5 HD that the Harssaf gains.
At 6 HD, the aura extends. Creatures that approach within 5 ft. take 1d6 points of fire damage for every round they remain within range. For every additional 6 HD you gain, the damage increases by 1d6.
Mirage Shield (Ex): The desert is home to deceitful magics and treacherous backstabbers, and Harssafs have built up defenses against these. At fourth level, the Harssaf gains spell resistance equal to 11 + HD, and gains
Lightning Reflexes as a bonus feat.
Sand Pulse (Su): Once per day per 3 HD as a standard action, the Harssaf can generate a sand pulse in a 30-foot radius spread centered on itself. All creatures within the area must make a Reflex save (DC equal to 10+1/2 HD+Con Mod) or take 1d6/HD points of damage from the high-powered blast of sand and be blinded for 1d4+1/4 HD rounds. Success negates the blindness and halves the damage.
Creatures that do not rely on eyes to see are unaffected by the blindness but can still take damage from the sand pulse. Harssafs are immune to the sand pulses of other harssafs.
Sand Form (Su): At will as a standard action, a Harssaf can assume the form of a pile of mobile sand. This ability works as the Gaseous Form spell, except the Harssaf is composed of sand instead of vapor and it cannot fly, though they are affected as though by a continuous
Spider Climb effect (As the spell) as long as they are in Sand Form; the Harssaf may resume their normal form as the same action used to assume Sand Form. Harssafs in sand form slither along the ground and can fit through gaps or crevices less than one-quarter inch wide. At 8 HD, they may assume Sand Form as a move Action. At 11 HD, they may assume this form as a Swift action, and at 14 HD, they may assume it as an Immediate Action. At 10 HD, they may fly as normal for the spell.
Master of the Blazing Ambush (Ex): At fifth level, the Harssaf has become a prized member of his clan and a paragon example of his race. His flaming aura burns hotter than the Desert sun, and so all fire damage that he deals bypasses 1/2 of a creature's fire resistance, although creature immune to fire still take no extra damage.
Beginning at 10 HD, even a creature immune to fire takes 1/2 fire damage from a Harssaf, up to a maximum equal to the Harssaf's HD.
CommentsI was intrigued by the Harssaf years ago when searching through monsters suited for player characters. The high level adjustment meant I had no desire to sit so far behind my fellow players. Now, you don't have to worry about that!
I increased a lot of the damage potential and gave the Harssaf the ability to form its own supernatural weapons, and altered many of the abilities so that they would scale with level. Changed the bonus Alertness feat into a scaling bonus to spot/listen, though kept Lightning Reflexes as a bonus feat rather than giving a scaling bonus to reflex.
All-in-all, other than Blades of Shifting Sands and Master of the Blazing Ambush, most of the creature's built-in abilities are standard "monster class" abilities, including Nat. Armor, DR, SR, Fast Healing, and improved mobility options.
