Folken (Barbarian Archetype)

Folken are souls who travel the world, living as expats in foreign lands. They bring with them, by choice or by necessity, their culture and their superstitions. They enjoy exotic strange foods, wear different styles of clothing, speak with thick accents, and wield previously unencountered weapons.

Folken often come from lands where life is harsh yet simple. While folken often come across as parodies or caricatures of Scandinavian, European, or even New World cultures they are often possessed of certain simple truths and a sense of honor far more valorous than those exalted men who look down upon them for their strange habits. It is a folken’s lot in life to contend with the biases of others and overcome the prejudices he faces in the new land he finds himself in. Rocks, with enough pressure, become diamonds.

Native Tongue (Ex): At 1st level, the folken selects one language as his native tongue. When the foken speaks another language he speaks with a very heavy accent and may butcher certain common phrases or address people incorrectly. While this, on the surface, is a detriment, creatures who attempt to Bluff a folken or Intimidate him take a -4 penalty on such roll unless the attempt is made in his native tongue.

Stranger in a Strange Land (Ex): At 3rd level, a folken gains a +1 bonus on all Knowledge checks pertaining to his homeland and an equal morale bonus on critical confirmation rolls with one weapon native or iconic to his culture/homeland. These bonuses increase by +1 every 3 levels thereafter (6th, 9th, 12th, 15th, and 18th level).

This replaces trap sense.

Superstitious Hex (Su): At 2nd level, a folken learns one witch hex that requires a standard action to activate. A folken may always use a hex while raging, even if he would not normally be allowed to do so. The DC to resist a folken’s hex is equal to 10 + 1/2 the folken’s level + the folken’s Constitution modifier. Hexes with aspects based on Intelligence are instead based on Constitution. At 5th level a folken can use any superstitious hex that typically requires a standard action as a swift action. If the folken elects to still take the standard action, the DC to resist the hex improves by 2. At 14th level, a folken selects a second hex. This may either be normal hex or a major hex.

This replaces uncanny dodge, improved uncanny dodge, and indomitable will.

Folken Oddities (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, a folken gains an oddity from the list below. He gains another folken oddity for every two levels of folken attained after 2nd level. Unless otherwise noted, a folken cannot select an individual oddity more than once.

He may select a rage power from the following list in place of a folken talent: auspicious markUC, boasting tauntAPG, brawlerUC, come and get meAPG, crippling blowUC, deadly accuracyUC, disruptiveAGP, eater of magicUC, flesh woundAPG, ghost ragerUC, good for what ails youAPG, hurling (lesser)APG, hurling APG, hurling (greater)APG, hurling chargeAPG, increased damage reduction, inspire ferocityAPG, intimidating glare, lethal accuracyUC, liquid courageAPG, mighty swing, moment of clarity, powerful blow, quick reflexes, raging climber, raging leaper, raging swimmer, reckless abandonAPG, roaring drunkUC, rolling dodge, roused anger, smasherAPG, spell sunderUC, spellbreakerAPG, staggering drunkAPG, strength surge, sunder enchantmentUC, superstition, surprise accuracy, swift foot, unexpected strike, witch hunter.

In addition to the normal requirements of using a rage power, if it uses a weapon (example: when making extra attacks of opportunity while raging via the quick reflexes rage power) the folken must also be using the weapon specified in his stranger in a strange land class feature.

  • Acquired Taste (Ex): Thanks to a steady diet of unique and unpalatable foods the folken gains a uniquely strong constitution. He gains a +4 bonus to his Constitution score for the purposes of determining the effectiveness of folken class features (including rounds of rage) and the DC of folken abilities. In addition, he is immune to the stench universal monster rule.
  • Fiery Speaker (Ex/Sp): While speaking in his native tongue, a folken can boil the blood and ignite the flame of passion in the hearts of men. While speaking in his native tongue to those who understand his language he may make a Diplomacy check (DC 20) as a swift action to grant an ally who shares his language the benefits of the rage spell for a number of rounds equal to 1 + the number of rounds he exceeded the DC by. Doing this consumes 2 rounds of rage.
  • For Love of Country (Ex): While in rage, a folken becomes immune to mind affecting effects. In addition, he gains a +2 morale bonus to his AC against attacks made by any humanoid creatures who are native to his homeland.
  • Traditional Weapon (Ex): In the lands that the folken are from they have an exotic weapon that is so bizarre and weird that most would consider it useless in the art of war. For example, a king of old won his title by wielding a large fish from the market and now warriors wield leather sacks stuffed with lead in the shape of a halibut. A folken who takes this talent may create a new exotic weapon and becomes proficient in its use/gains exotic weapon proficiency for that weapon. It has the following damage profiles and 4 non-magical weapon properties (such as brace, double, performance, reach, etc). These properties must be appropriate to the weapon type (only a two-handed weapon should have reach). In place of a weapon property, a traditional weapon can substitute its critical multiplier for either 18-20/x2 or 19-20 x3, increase the damage dice of the weapon by 1 step (this may only be done once), or give it a range of 20 feet. A traditional weapon also gains the bonus from the folken’s stranger in a strange land class feature. This may be taken multiple times and each time it creates a new weapon.
Table: Folken Traditional Weapon
Name Cost Dmg (S) Dmg (M) Critical Range
Light Traditional Weapon 5 gp 1d4 1d6 19-20/x2 -
One-Handed Traditional Weapon 20 gp 1d6 1d8 19-20/x2 -
Two-Handed Traditional Weapon 50 gp 1d8 1d10 19-20/x2 -
Two-Handed Ranged Traditional Weapon 30 gp 1d6 1d8 19-20/x2 100 ft.
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