Husker: Race (1e)

"'Beyond the dusty plains and scrap piles of the greater wasteland; deep within the radiation-plagued ruins of the exclusion zones, there is a race of reclusive philosophers and oracles known as the huskers. Not much is known of these strange people or their spiritual ways, as what lies behind their bizarre masks is kept a secure secret from all outsiders. Stranger yet is their ability to manipulate the otherworldly powers of their homes, leading to many considering them messiahs, as well as devils.'"Huskers (also known as Hollow-Men, Listeners, and Those-Who-See-More) are a subspecies of mutant humanoids that evolved from humans who found shelter in close proximity to the targets of nuclear weapons during the Nuclear War of 1993. Through constant and brutal subjection to radiation, the huskers were the strange result of years of mutation and evolution. As generations of huskers lived and died in the exclusion zones, the species became more spiritual and entwined with their odd homelands.

In the modern wasteland, huskers are found wandering the land in search of spiritual awakenings and answers to life's greatest questions. They worship a vague and apparently omnipotent entity known as the Wasteland Spirit, and are often recognized by the gas masks they wear; a traditional garb of spiritual importance known as a pneuma.

Huskers are one of the main playable races provided in the first edition Apocalypso Handbook.

General Information
Main article: Husker

First edition huskers are generally one of the more complex playable races in the game, including rules for dire preconditions for survival, as well as first-level access to pneumatic invocations. Generally speaking, they are not made to soak up damage or output high amounts of physical damage, but can be used to support other players. If one were to play their cards right, a person playing a husker could use their racial features to become a fearsome opponent in combat. As a husker, it is important to think outside the box.

Racial Features
 Ability Score Increase:  As a husker, your Intelligence score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.

 Movement Rate:  As a husker, your movement rate is 30 feet.

 Vast Knowledge:  You gain proficiency in two Intelligence skills of your choice, in addition to the Mysticism skill.

 Meditation:  Instead of sleeping, you enter a state of deep focus that allows you to rest while remaining semi-conscious. Additionally, you only require 4 hours of sleep to feel well-rested.

 Pneuma:  You wear a specially-crafted type of gas mask that represents the connection between your soul and the wasteland. If you remove the mask, your connection to wasteland magic is severed, and you slowly begin to grow ill. Every 12 hours, you will suffer one level of exhaustion until you are able to replace your Pneuma. It is important to remember that a Pneuma cannot be replaced by any gas mask, and that it must be blessed by a husker Augur. After being separated from your Pneuma for too long, you will ultimately die.

 Wasteland Magic:  You have a pool of strange power that you can draw from that is equal to 1 + your Intelligence modifier. Using this pool, you can cast from a list of spells noted in Pneumatic Invocations. To regain spent pneuma points, you can meditate, recovering 2 points per 4 hours.