Noctural
Medium-sized Humanoid (Nactrol)
Hit Dice	2d8 (9 hp’s)	
Initiative	+4 (Improved Initiative)	
Speed	30 ft	
AC	12 (+2 leather armor)	
Attacks	Claws +2, Bite +2 or By weapon +2 melee; or By weapon +0 ranged	
Damage	Claws 1d4+2, Bite +2, or By weapon +2 (melee only)	
Face/Reach	5 x 5ft/ 5ft	
Special Attacks	Leap	
Special Qualities	Low-light Vision, Darkvision (60 ft), Fearless	
Saves	Fort +0, Ref +2, Will –1	
Abilities	Str 14, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 8, Wis 8, Cha 10	
Skills	Climb +3, Jump +3, Listen +1, Spot +3	
Feats	Improved Initiative	
Climate/Terrain	Temperate woodlands	
Organization	Tribes of up to 50 members led by a Chieftan (4th level Ranger)	
Challenge Rating	1	
Treasure	Half-standard	
Alignment	Usually Neutral 	
Advancement Range	By character class	

Nocturals are a species of humanoids that have the heads of owls.  They are a primitive people that live in tune with nature and distrust other species.
	Nocturals stand between five and a half to seven feet tall.  Their heads look like those of a common barn owl.  Both males and females have feathers on their heads that are brown in color with black spots.  The feathers around their large eyes are white to gray in color.  They also have downy feathers on their lower arms and on the backs of their necks.  Nocturals have light brown skin.  Their hands consist of three fingers and a thumb, while their feet have three toes and a small spur at their heels.  All fingers and toes are a tipped with a sharp claw.  Nocturals wear simple clothing made from leaves, grasses, scraps of cloth, hides, and sometimes wood.  Leather is reserved only for the tribe’s warriors.
	Nocturals speak their own language, but only a handful of others speak any other language.  When speaking another language, they can be hard to understand since their voices are high-pitched and squwakish.

Combat:
Nocturals readily go to battle with anyone trespassing on their lands or abusing nature.  They are excellent at quick attacks, leaping from the brush and attacking before their foes even know they are being attacked.  The common weapon among nocturals is a shortspear, and those in support roles will attack with javelins or longbows.  

Leap: Nocturals have powerful legs that allow them to leap great distances.  They can leap up to 15 ft up and 30 ft forward.  Leaping at a foe counts as a charge attack and therefore will take extra damage if a weapon is set for the charge.

Skills: +2 bonus to Spot checks.

Fearless: Nocturals are known for their bravery.  Their courage is supernatural in strength, and it is very rare that a noctural warrior gives in to fear.  All nocturals gain a +4 bonus to saves against fear-effects.

Society:
Nocturals live a simple life in their woodland homes.  Males are commonly hunters and warriors, with females being gatherers and caregivers of the children.  However, some females have become hunters and warriors as well, but all of those females have been without children to care for.  They live in nests that resemble thatch huts in the lower branches of some of the larger trees in their woodland homes.  Nocturals defend these homes with their lives.
	Each tribe is led by a chieftan.  The chieftan is chosen in a series of contests that judge everything from strength to intelligence.  The chieftan rules until he is too old to effectively lead the tribe’s warriors into battle.  Almost always, the chieftan is a male, but females are not forbidden in taking part in the trials unless they have children to care for.
	Nocutrals revere their women.  They see the ability to bear and care for children as the greatest gift from their gods.  Their young are born live, not as an egg as the many false tales state.  A mother breast-feeds her young for the first year of life.  After a year, the chick’s beak has become hard and sharp from the soft and flexible state they are born in.  A female who is barren is looked up on with pity and sadness.  Those barren females commonly commit suicide, but some take the path of the warrior and hunter.  They attack the most dangerous foes and take on the most extreme odds.  Their death wish is seen as a more honorable way to dealing with the inability to become a mother.
	Nocturals worship a large pantheon of gods that are more like spirits.  There are spirits of the sun, moon, wind, fire, water, and so on.  Each individual or family may revere one specific spirit over another, but all spirits are highly respected.

Characters:
Nocturals are most commonly rangers, but druids are also well represented among their kind and serve as healers and religious leaders.  Paladins and wizards are nearly unheard of.