Deryni

[Bynw]

The Deryni (der-in-nee)

The Deryni Race is Copyright Katherine Kurtz

The Deryni (both singular and plural) are a race virtually indistinguishable from humans, save for their innate psionic abilities. These gifts tend to separate the Deryni from ordinary humans, making them suspected and feared, but also respected.

Deryni look outwardly exactly like humans. In fact, Deryni are fertile with humans, but their children are always either human or Deryni. There are no "half-Deryni," although some Deryni of "pure" bloodline look down upon so-called "half-breeds." Deryni psionic gifts only show up in roughly a quarter of their children with humans. Humans with Deryni relatives are sometimes treated with quiet pity for their psionic "blindness." On the other hand, Deryni children of humans may suffer difficulty growing up in human communities, particularly before they learn to control their psionic talents (and censor the things they learn from them).There is no physical means of telling an Deryni from a human, although psionically their mental "signature" is unique.

RACIAL TRAITS

• Medium: As Medium creatures, Deryni have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.

• Deryni base land speed is 30 feet.

• Natural Psionic: All Deryni are psionically gifted. They have the benefits of the Psionic Ability, Truth-Read, and Handfire feats for free at 1st level, in addition to the normal feats granted by their class and level.

• Psionic Talent: Deryni have 4 extra skill points at 1st level, usable only to acquire psionic skills, and 1 bonus skill point per additional level, also usable only to acquire psionic skills.

• Untrained Skills: Deryni can use the following psionic skills untrained in addition to any psionic skills that can normally be used untrained:  Enhance Senses, Mental Shields, Move Object, Sense Minds.

• Additionally all psionic skills are considered to be class skills for the Deryni regardless of the class they choose.  The Deryni do favor the Mentalist Class.