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Squamata

At a glance

Typical size
Medium - 5'4" - 5'10"
Typical lifespan
80-110 years
Features
Cold-Blooded Resilience / Thermal Attunement

Ancestry overview

Sun-kissed reptiles whose scaled skin renews with each season, thriving in heat while the cold slows their primal fire.

Top feature

Cold-Blooded Resilience
You gain +1 Armor Score. Once per week, you can spend 1 Stress to renew your skin, clearing a condition of your choice (Vulnerable, Blinded, or Restrained). You remain immune to that condition until the end of the scene.

Bottom feature

Thermal Attunement
You gain advantage on Agility and Strength tests when in hot climates. In cold climates, you suffer disadvantage on those same tests. Once per session, when in a hot climate, you can spend 1 Stress to gain +2 on an attack or +1 Evasion until the end of the scene.

Physical characteristics

Ectothermic Regulation Scaled Dermal Armor Muscular Tail Vestige Powerful Jaw & Dentition

Examples / variants

About this ancestry

The Squamata are reptilian humanoids whose appearance reflects their specific lineage: crocodilians with thick, armor-like scales; lizards with vibrant earth tones and spotted patterns; chameleons with iridescent, color-shifting hide. Their physiology is fundamentally different from standard humanoids—their blood flows slowly, their bodies adapt to environmental conditions, and their skin serves as both shield and sensor.

A defining biological characteristic of the Squamata is ecdysis—the annual shedding of their entire skin. Once yearly, typically during a period of rest or near their birthday, Squamata undergo a complete skin renewal lasting 4-8 hours. The process leaves them temporarily vulnerable but emerges physically rejuvenated: old scars fade, infections clear, and they feel reborn. This ritual holds deep cultural significance, symbolizing renewal, transformation, and the shedding of past burdens.

Physiologically, Squamata thrive in hot climates—deserts, tropical forests, volcanic regions—where their cold-blooded metabolism reaches optimal efficiency. Conversely, cold environments are their weakness. In freezing temperatures, their metabolism slows, reflexes dull, and they become lethargic. This environmental duality shapes both their geography and psychology; many Squamata are driven explorers seeking warmth or nomads avoiding frozen lands.

Ancestry

Squamata

Sun-kissed reptiles whose scaled skin renews with each season, thriving in heat while the cold slows their primal fire.

Cold-Blooded Resilience: You gain +1 Armor Score. Once per week, you can spend 1 Stress to renew your skin, clearing a condition of your choice (Vulnerable, Blinded, or Restrained). You remain immune to that condition until the end of the scene.

Thermal Attunement: You gain advantage on Agility and Strength tests when in hot climates. In cold climates, you suffer disadvantage on those same tests. Once per session, when in a hot climate, you can spend 1 Stress to gain +2 on an attack or +1 Evasion until the end of the scene.

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