Vespertine
Description: Vespertines are a small humanoid beast race descended from bats that lost their ability to fly due to their size. They tend to be between 3 and 4 feet tall, and weigh between 60 and 90 pounds. Their fur is usually brown, grey, or black, though white fur is not unheard of. They always have black beady eyes. Vespertines live in large tribal communities, and usually make their homes in caves in the middle of rainforests. Vespertine communities are sometimes hostile, but always in self-defense and not aggressively.
Vespertines have an omnivorous diet of insects and fruit. Vespertines tend to dress plainly, in cloth or leather. Vespertines reach adulthood at 10 years, and have a lifespan of between 30 and 40 years.
Vespertines speak their own language, Vespertinean, and most know Common. Vespertines do not tend toward any particular class, and generally prefer to use diplomacy before entering combat. They are varied in their skills, having capable fighters, clerics, magic-users, and thieves among them. Vespertines have a reputation for being cheerful and sociable, but also sometimes disloyal and scheming.
Restrictions: Vespertines may become any single class, as well as Fighter/Magic-Users and Magic-User/Thieves. They are required to have a minimum Charisma of 9, and a maximum Strength of 17 due to their small stature. Vespertines never roll larger than a d6 for hit points, regardless of class. Vespertines may not use Large weapons, and must hold Medium weapons with both hands. Vespertines suffer a -1 attack penalty in bright sunlight or within the radius of a spell causing magical light.
Special Abilities: Vespertines can use sonar to "see" in total darkness, which mechanically works like 60' of Darkvision. This implies also that being deafened or silenced removes Darkvision, and also reduces vision to 10'. When attacked in melee by creatures larger than man-sized, Vespertines gain a +2 bonus to their Armor Class.
Saving Throws: Vespertines save at +4 vs. Death Ray or Poison, Magic Wands, Paralysis or Petrify, and Spells, and at +3 vs. Dragon Breath.
