The Massassi and Kissai are two subspecies of the original Sith race of Korriban. The Kissai are the priests and spiritual leaders who indoctrinate their comrades in the teachings of the Sith. The Massassi are ferocious, selfless soldiers led by the great Sith Lords. When the Sith Empire goes to war with the Republic for the first time, the Massassi fill the ranks of the Sith armies and starfleets.
The Massassi are fearsome, ruthless and efficient soldiers. They use traditional Sith weapons and armor-primarily the lanvarok and alchemically hardened armor. They also prefer to use simple martial weapons. In addition to their focus on war and fighting, the Massassi are also loyal and organized. Even though they are not extremely intelligent, they can be trained well enough to carry out complex battle plans and maintain their equipment, starships, and weaponry.
The Kissai serve the Sith directly, but the Sith Lord Naga Sadow has other ideas for the Massassi caste. The Kissai are largely left on Ziost as the servants of other Sith Lords, but Sadow uses Sith alchemy to transform the Massassi into his hulking, brutish sold iers. His Massassi crews labor under his command on Yavin 4, building temples and providing the means for him to hide his ship and practice his dark arts. After Sadow’s death, they become a primitive, tribal society worshiping one of Sadow's creations as a dark god.
A thousand years after Sadow and the Massassi arrive on Yavin 4, Exar Kun discovers the ancient Sith secrets in the temples. He uses the Massassi to fight the Jedi across the galaxy. Eventually, Kun consumes the life force of every Massassi on Yavin 4 in his transformation into a dark side spirit. A few Massassi are taken offworld prior to Kun’s final decimation of their society. Some remain loyal and find their way back to the new Sith Empire, but a few resentful individuals drift into the darker fringes of society, looking to live their own lives or seeking revenge against the Sith.
Common Characteristics
Personality: Massassi are fea rsome, loyal, and formidable fighters. They live to serve their Sith masters. On their own, Massassi dedicate themselves strongly to whatever life they choose.
Physical Description: Massassi and Kissai have glowing yellow eyes and crimson hides. They are humanoid with distinctly sharp, predatory features. The Massassi are large, hulking beings who appear brutish—a trait that disguises their intelligence. See Massassi Growth Stages table below.
Homeworld: Korriban, later Ziost
Languages: Massassi and Kissai speak the Sith language.
Example Names: Baelgren, Kelgath, Vissrar, Zythmnr
Adventurers: Massassi adventurers are rare in the Republic, even during the fall of the Sith Empire. Most beings in the galaxy would not recognize a Massassi or a Kissai on first glance, even though adventurers from these subspecies draw attention to themselves. Massassi and Kissai do not become Jedi during this time, but one might have received formal Force training at the hands of a Sith Master. Such training is forbidden, though, even among the Sith. Kissai are nobles and scoundrels, and Massassi prefer the soldier and scout classes.
| Massassi Growth Stages | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child | Young Adult | Adult | Middle Age | Old | Venerable |
| 10 Years | 11−13 Years | 14−25 Years | 26−35 Years | 36−50 Years | 51+ Years |
Species Traits
Massassi share the following species traits:
Ability Modifiers: +4 Strength, −2 Intelligence, −2 Wisdom, −2 Charisma.
Medium Size: Medium creatures have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Speed: Massassi base speed is 6 squares.
Conditional Bonus Feat: Massassi are skilled t rackers. A Massassi with Survival as a trained skill gains Skill Focus (Survival) as a bonus feat.
Duty Bound: Once per encounter when the Massassi receives a morale bonus of any kind from any source, the Massassi gains bonus hit points equal to 4 × the Massassi’s level until the end of the encounter.
Primitive: Massassi do not gain Weapon Proficiency (heavy weapons, pistols, or rifles) as starting feats at 1st level, even if their class normally grants them.
Warrior’s Awareness: Massassai grow up in a violent and warlike society, so they constantly watch for threats. Once per encounter as a reaction a Massassai can gain the benefit of the Uncanny Dodge I and Uncanny Dodge II talents (see page 49 of the Sago Edition core rulebook) until the beginning of the Massassai’s next turn.
Weapon Familiarity: Massassi treat the lanvarok as a simple weapon instead of an exotic weapon
Automatic Languages: