Moleman [OSR Class]

I've never much cared for halflings. I couldn't even tell you why. After all, I love The Hobbit and I even like Kender. But as a D&D race/class they never much thrilled me. So, as I piece together the Deep Down Below as a FLAILSNAILS setting, I decided to reskin halflings as molemen.

The molemen are shamelessly influenced by John Hodgman's The Areas of My Expertise. This is not the first time I've stolen his molemen.

Moleman

The Right Honorable Hsss'kiphur,
Moleman of Renown

Molemen are natives of the subterranean realms of the Deep Down Below. These three-foot tall creatures resemble humanoid naked mole rats. They have large teeth, tiny black eyes, iron-hard claws, and hairless pink skin covered with a thin layer of mucus. Despite their hideous appearance, molemen possess a sophisticated culture that values industry and learnedness. Their ideas of natural rights and representative democracy are alien to most other cultures. Molemen are fond of powdered wigs and frock coats.

In addition to their own hideous hissing, clicking language, molemen speak common, dwarf, and morlock.

Moleman Racial Class

Requirements: DEX 9, CON 9

Prime Requisite: STR and DEX

Hit Die: d6

Maximum Level: 8

Weapons: As halfling

Armor: Any, plus shields

Fights as: Fighter

Saves as: halfling

Special Abilities

Claw/Claw: A moleman posses large, iron-hard claws on the tips of his fingers. Instead of using a weapon, he can make two claw attacks each round against one target with his normal to-hit chance. Each claw inflicts 1d4 points of damage. In non-combat situations, the claws function as high-quality picks and shovels.

Phosphorescent Mucus: Unlike most subterranean races, molemen do not possess infravision. Instead they secret a luminous mucus from their skin. Once per day, a moleman can secret enough mucus to effectively reproduce the effect of a light spell with a caster level equal to the moleman's level. Like light, the moleman can even blind opponents by targeting an enemy's eyes with a glob of slime. At 5^th level, this ability upgrades to where the mucus reproduces the effects of continual light.

Sneaky: If he remains silent and motionless, a moleman can hide in shadows and behind cover with amazing effectiveness. The moleman's chance of remaining unseen is 5-in-6 underground, indoors, or in dungeons, or 2-in-6 in outdoor or wilderness environments.

Small: Because of their small size, a moleman enjoys a -2 bonus to their AC when fighting larger-than-man-sized creatures.

Reching 8^th Level: When a moleman reaches level 8, he has the option of founding a new moleman warren. These warrens are usually located deep underground in caverns and tunnels secured from the wandering monsters of the Deep Down Below. The moleman usually digs these first tunnels with his own claws, but the warren quickly expands as other moleman migrate to the new settlement. The founding moleman serves of governor of the new settlement, but if he rules poorly or foolishly he may be voted out of office.

Experience	Level	Title	Hit Dice (1d6)
0	1	Grubling	1
2,100	2	Wormer	2
4,200	3	Digger	3
8.400	4	Tunneler	4
16,800	5	Glowfellow	5
33,600	6	Moleman	6
67,200	7	Moleman of Note	7
134,000	8	Moleman of Renown	8