pathFinal Fantasy

While it often comes as a surprise to some, many of the “higher breeds” of chocobo are actually highly intelligent, often possessing true sentience. As a result, it also often comes as a surprise for many to learn that a smaller subspecies of sentient chocobo exist. Nicknamed “chocobuddies” by the humanoid races (They consider themselves chocobos), these intelligent creatures are more than capable of existing within humanoid society, as not only are they are capable of speech, they also have defined phalanges (wing bones) which are capable of approximating fingers, albeit clumsy ones.

Age, Height and Weight

Standard Racial Traits

Ability Score Racial Traits: ChocoBuddies are hardy and easy to get along with, but they tend to be rather clumsy. They gain +2 Constitution, +2 Charisma and -2 Dexterity.
Type: ChocoBuddies are Magical Beasts with the avian subtype. Being magical beasts, chocobuddies have Darkvision 60ft and low-light vision.
Size: ChocoBuddies are medium creatures and thus receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Base Speed: ChocoBuddies have a base speed of 30 feet.
Languages: ChocoBuddies begin play speaking Common and Chocobo. ChocoBuddies with high intelligence scores can choose from the following: Aegyllan, Draconic, Moogle, Vanu, Vieran and Yagudo.

Defensive Racial Traits:

Feather Coated: A chocobuddy is covered in thick feathers and down which helps to cushion incoming blows, granting them a +1 bonus to natural armour.

Feat and Skill Racial Traits:

Plumage: A chocobuddy’s plumage comes in all sorts of colours, each one granting them a different benefit. Depending on their plumage colour, the chocobuddy gains a bonus to a particular skill:

It should be noted that a chocobuddy’s plumage is not absolute. Some chocobuddies have splashes of other colours, primarily on the torso, crest (Head feathers) or tail feathers.

Movement Racial Traits:

Sprinter: Chocobuddies gain a 10-foot racial bonus to their speed when using the charge, run, or withdraw actions.

Flutter: Though far from capable of true flight, many chocobuddies can flutter their wings as a sort of "enhanced jump". Provided they are not holding anything, wearing light or no armour and not carrying more than a light load, a chocobuddy can fly 15ft with clumsy maneuverability as a move action once per round. A chocobuddy must end their flight solidly supported or they fall. Additionally, as long as a chocobuddy is able to fly, they gain a +4 bonus on acrobatics checks.

Offense Racial Traits:

Natural Attacks: Chocobuddies have three natural attacks: A bite that deals 1d4 points of damage and two talons that deal 1d4 points of damage each.

Senses Racial Traits:

Scent: In addition to darkvision and low-light vision, chocobuddies have the scent ability.

Weakness Racial Traits:

Clumsy Digits: Though their phalanges (Wing bones) are developed enough to approximate fingers in most situations, they are nevertheless not as precise as mammalian digits at fine manipulation. ChocoBuddies take a -2 penalty on Craft, Disable Device, Perform (except oratory and singing) and Sleight of Hand checks as well as Linguistics checks to create a forgery.

Other Racial Traits:

Chocobo Form: Despite their non-humanoid bodyshape, armour specifically designed for a chocobuddy incurs no additional cost. Unfortunately, it is practically impossible to modify existing armour to fit a chocobuddy. Wonderous items, however, will magically adjust themselves to fit a chocobuddy. A chocobuddy can make use of the same wondrous items as humanoids. ChocoBuddies take a -1 penalty to attack rolls when using manufactured weapons. Masterwork weapons can be designed to be more suitable for their anatomy, negating the penalty (Which is in addition to the normal +1 bonus for using a masterwork weapon. “Weapons'' that don’t have a masterwork version, such as a chemist’s bombs, are exempt from the penalty). However non-chocobuddies using such a weapon take a -1 penalty.

Choco Kin: ChocoBuddies are an offshoot of chocobo, as such they can use magic items that are normally only usable by chocobo, but they are also subject to harmful effects that specifically affect chocobo. However chocobuddies do not, inherently, gain any benefit from consuming chocobo food, though they do consider them to be delicious.

Alternative Racial Traits

The following alternate racial traits may be selected in place of one or more of the standard racial traits above. Consult your GM before selecting any of these new options.

Climber: Some chocobuddies are excellent climbers, able to scramble up the side of a tree without issue. ChocoBuddies with this racial trait possess a climb speed of 20 feet (along with the +8 racial bonus on Climb checks a climb speed affords). This racial trait replaces sprinter.

Fat Chocobo: Some chocobuddies are… bulkier than others. For some reason. This often makes them much harder to move. Chocobuddies with this racial trait weigh twice as much and gain a +4 racial bonus to their CMD when resisting Bull Rush, Drag, Reposition and Trip attempts while standing on the ground. This racial trait replaces sprinter.

Jailbird: Sneaky and underhanded, these grey-plumed chocobuddies are often seen wearing a striped shirt and a mask. A chocobuddy with this racial trait does not take the usual -2 penalty on disable device or sleight of hand checks from their clumsy digits trait. This racial trait replaces plumage and modifies clumsy digits.

Ridable: Though somewhat rare, there are chocobuddies who are trained to function as a mount. A chocobuddy with this racial trait provides its rider with a +2 circumstance bonus on Ride checks and may always attempt to use Aid Another to assist its rider. This racial trait replaces the skill bonus from plumage (They still choose a colour.)

Small Build: While most chocobuddies stand close to hume height, there are many chocobuddies who stand much shorter. A chocobuddy with this racial trait is a small creature (+1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks. Their bite and talon attacks drop to 1d3s). This racial trait modifies their size. (Small chocobuddies are roughly equal to male moogles in size and weight).

Water Runner: Instead of possessing great speed, some chocobuddies can run along the surface of water for a brief moment. Whenever a chocobuddy with this racial trait uses the charge or run actions, they can move on water as though it were a solid surface. They must end their movement solidly supported or they fall into the water and must start swimming. This racial trait replaces sprinter.

Favoured Class Bonuses

Beastmaster: Add +1/2 to the damage dealt by the beastmaster’s animal companion’s natural attacks.
Black Mage: Add +1 to the Black Mage’s Aetheric Reservoir capacity. This can be taken before the Black Mage gains the class feature, but does not do anything until then.
Dark Knight: Add an additional +1/2 point to the damage dealt by destroy.
Knight: Add +1 to the number of rounds the knight may remain in defensive stance each day.
Red Mage: Add +1/4 point to the red mage's arcane pool points.
Thief: Add a +1/2 bonus on Stealth checks.
White Mage: Add +1 to the White Mage’s Aetheric Reservoir capacity. This can be taken before the White Mage gains the class feature, but does not do anything until then.