A perfect race for your Star Wars Saga Edition: The Tau

Several years ago, Daniel Saier combined the d20 Modern game mechanics (supported by d20 Future) with Warhammer 40,000 to create a unique and wonderful fan-made RPG, which he unleashed upon the internet for fans to enjoy, use and even change if they so desired.

As a big fan of the Star Wars Saga Edition and die-hard Tau player, it wasn’t a hard decision to want to include the Tau, as well as their allied races into our own SWSE games. But even though d20 Modern is a fun system overall, it does suffer from some problems – so with a little work, anyone can do some conversion to Star Wars Saga Edition since Daniel laid out so much extensive ground work.

Starting today and continuing over the next several days, I am going to “reprint” the Daniel’s original d20 conversion stats for the Tau (along with some adjustments and edits) in order to get this fine work back out into the spotlight, and hopefully motivate people to see how great this race (and their allied races) are just about a perfect fit for a Star Wars campaign.

The Tau are a species that have risen to power in the 41st millennium. A new species that was discovered 6000 years ago when they were still a primitive emerging race. The Tau are divided according to their caste, Fire, Water, Earth, Air or Ethereal. Also the species known as the Kroot has become part of the Tau empire. All 6 of these types will be covered in this section.

General Features

These special features apply to all castes of Tau.

Scent (Ex): “They smelt bitter, an aroma as unvaried and unsubtle as it was unpleasant, so unlike the rich pheromone language the Tau enjoyed,”

– thoughts of famed Aun’el T’au Ko’vash.

The Nasal Slit of the Tau is far better developed than the human or even the canine smell organs to the point that they can actually detect pheromones of fear emanating off of humans and animals. This grants them the Scent special ability.

Psychic Null (Ex): “…the Tau found it difficult to comprehend the hallucinogenic effects [the warp] had on other races and the terrible threat it could represent to psykers. Such talents were a mystery to the Tau as they had no psychic abilities whatsoever, their minds barely even registering in the warp at all.”

The tau are a psychically null race. They get a +2 natural bonus on saves against psychic powers and are unable to take psychic feats, talents or classes.

Tau Fire Caste

The Tau Fire Caste is the one we are most used to dealing with in Warhammer 40,000 as they run the military but they do not in fact represent the majority of the tau population.

The Tau Fire Caste is the one we are most used to dealing with in Warhammer 40,000 as they run the military but they do not in fact represent the majority of the tau population.

Size: Medium

Ability Score Adjustments: -2 Strength, +2 Wisdom. Tau of the Fire Caste are physically weaker than humans but have a better sense of intuition.

Skill Adjustments: None

Starting Feats: 2

Ranks

• Level 1–4 Character :: Average Rank is a Shas’lo or translated Warrior
• Level 5–8 Character :: Average Rank is Shas’ui or translated Veteran
• Level 9–12 Character :: Average Rank is Shas’vre or translated Hero
• Level 13–16 Character :: Average Rank is Shas’el or translated Noble/Knight
• Level 17–20 Character :: Average Rank is Shas’o or translated Commander

Tau Water Caste

The Water Caste are the diplomats and traders in Tau society.

Ability Score Adjustments: -2 Strength, +2 Charisma. Tau of the Water Caste are physically weaker than humans but are better at interpersonal relations.

Skill Adjustments: None

Starting Feats: 2

Ranks

• Level 1–4 Character :: Average Rank is a Por’lo or translated Bureaucrat
• Level 5–8 Character :: Average Rank is Por’ui or translated Envoy
• Level 9–12 Character :: Average Rank is Por’vre or translated Magister
• Level 13–16 Character :: Average Rank is Por’el or translated Diplomat
• Level 17–20 Character :: Average Rank is Por’o or translated Ambassador

Tau Air Caste

The Air Caste are the pilots and space travelers in Tau society

Ability Score Adjustments: -2 Strength, -2 Constitution, +2 Dexterity. Tau of the Air Caste are physically weaker than humans but have better reflexes.

Skill Adjustments: None

Starting Feats: 2

Bonus Feats: Zero-G Training, Starship Operation, Starship Gunnery.

Ranks

• Level 1–4 Character :: Average Rank is a Kor’lo or translated Messenger
• Level 5–8 Character :: Average Rank is Kor’ui or translated Carrier
• Level 9–12 Character :: Average Rank is Kor’vre or translated Pilot
• Level 13–16 Character :: Average Rank is Kor’el or translated Captain
• Level 17–20 Character :: Average Rank is Kor’o or translated Admiral

Tau Earth Caste

The farmers and the workers in Tau society.

Ability Score Adjustments: -2 Strength, +2 Intelligence. Tau of the Earth Caste are physically weaker than humans but are better engineers and craftsmen.

Skill Adjustments: None

Starting Feats: 2

Ranks

• Level 1–4 Character :: Average Rank is a Fio’lo or translated Worker
• Level 5–8 Character :: Average Rank is Fio’ui or translated Senior
• Level 9–12 Character :: Average Rank is Fio’vre or translated Overseer
• Level 13–16 Character :: Average Rank is Fio’el or translated Engineer
• Level 17–20 Character :: Average Rank is Fio’o or translated Planner

Tau Ethereal Caste

The mystical rulers of the Tau empire. By some force they can command all Tau.

Ability Score Adjustments: -2 Strength, +2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma. Tau of the Ethereal Caste are physically weaker than humans but are better engineers and craftsmen.

Skill Adjustments: None

Starting Feats: 2

Special: Tau Ethereal Caste get a +2 innate bonus to Leadership and Will saves. All non-ethereal Tau that are within Scent range of an ethereal get a +4 bonus to Will.

Ranks

• Level 1–4 Character :: Average Rank is a Aun’lo or translated Prince
• Level 5–8 Character :: Average Rank is Aun’ui or translated Prelate
• Level 9–12 Character :: Average Rank is Aun’vre or translated King
• Level 13–16 Character :: Average Rank is Aun’el or translated Holiness
• Level 17–20 Character :: Average Rank is Aun’o or translated Highest / Highness

Level Adjustment: +1, a Tau Ethereal is the least balanced of the Tau but is still more balanced than many of the other races.

Kroot

Carnivorous creatures who feed on their fallen enemies to aid their guided evolution.

Size: Medium
Speed: 30ft

Ability Score Adjustments: +4 Strength, -2 Intelligence, -4 Charisma. Kroot are physically very strong but unintelligent and not attractive. Moreover they produce excrement by sweating heavily which has rather negative effects on their charisma.

Skill Adjustments: -4 at first level. -1 per level.

Starting Feats: 1

Natural Armour: DR/DRT of 3/+1.

Level Adjustment: +0, a Kroot is fairly well balanced for a human or tau party.

Special Rules

Flesheater: The character can gain sustenance from raw flesh. Although he doesn’t need to, he can eat the flesh of a freshly dead target in place of a normal meal. In this way the character never needs to go hungry. If a Kroot Shaper is presence he may command the flesh eating, for it is through this act that Kroot evolve.