Editing Maenad (section)

==In D&D==
[[File:Maenad 3e.jpg|thumb|right|250px|A D&D maenad using its warscream power.]]
In [[Dungeons & Dragons]], maenads are a race of [[psionics|innately psionic]] humanoids, and arguably an offshoot of the [[human]] race who appeared in the Expanded Psionics Handbook for [[Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition]]. They have a reputation for being wildly emotional, but in the flesh are typically perceived as extremely reserved. The dichotomy is explained thus; maenads are a race possessed of extremely strong emotions, and their culture has developed around the mentality of embracing strict self-control as a means to hold the turmoil at bay. Should their control be breached, the result is spectacular, violent, or spectacularly violent - their culture has embraced a strong martial bent, as combat training and ritualized duels are useful outlets for their bottled-up passions.

In a nod to the creatures they take their names from, the origins of their innate ferocity is unknown, but blamed on a misdeed by some now-forgotten deity, with some versions of the tale describing them as having originally been a race of more bestial creatures who only found peace by turning their mad frenzy on their creator-god, with control finally being attainable after its death.

For this reason, the typical maenad seems discreet, calm, restrained and undemonstrative, a side-effect of their cultural reliance on discipline and enforced mental calm. A side-effect is that they are are unwilling to use a sentence when a word will do, and happier still with a gesture if words can be dispensed with altogether. Physically, they resemble tall, wiry humans, averaging over 6ft tall and 200 pounds, with dark hair on their heads and completely hairless bodies. Their skin is flecked with bits of living, psi-reactive crystal, which partially explains their innate psionic traits, and a side-effect is that it gives them a peculiar "sparkling dusting" appearance, as if they were sprinkled with gem dust - in the right light, a maenad's skin has a striking luster. Their fine features and innate grace gives them an almost [[elf]]in cast, and it wouldn't be too hard for a maenad to pass as a [[half-elf]] or a human with distant elf ancestry.

Culturally, maenad [[alignment]] is arguably closest to preferring the Lawful alignments, at least if you associate "lawful" with "self-control" (because nobody ever agrees on what Lawful or Chaotic actually ''means''). They do tend to value and protect others as well, which does give them a cultural tendency towards Good alignments.

Maenad populations tend to be small and secluded; they are a coastal people, for the most part, constructing well-hidden villages that use their surroundings to disguise their dwellings. It's rare for a maenad village to be larger than 300 souls. The sea has a strong psychological resonance with maenads, and it's very important to their culture; most maenads depend predominantly on seafood for their diet, supplementing it with occasional hunting from the inland and whatever crops can be grown close to the coastline. Even their religion is typically centered on sea-related gods. When they interact with other races, it's most commonly trading fish, pearls, or psi-sculpted crystals.

When it comes to socializing with other races, maenads are most comfortable with [[human]]s, finding that race’s various temperaments not too dissimilar to their own. They respect the [[dwarf|dwarves’]] ability to hold a grudge. Maenads are particularly taken with [[elf|elves]]; the elves’ lightness of being is a balm to the maenad spirit. Maenads don’t dislike [[halfling]]s, [[gnome]]s, or [[xeph]]s, but have a hard time understanding their capricious ways. Maenads encountered away from their villages are almost exclusively [[adventurer]]s or mercenaries. Some maenads take up adventuring out of a desire to travel and see the world. Others become adventurers because they tend to get along easier with those less given to inner rage than with others like themselves.

Maenads speak a language governed by strict rules of grammar. Chants play an important part in their songmaking and literature. They use the Elven alphabet for their script. Their names are given and used much like human names. Every maenad has at least one given name and a family name.
* Male Names: Alberik, Alrik, Basilius, Erland, Gunnar, Isak, Ragnor, Rurik, and Tor.
* Female Names: Agaton, Annalina, Blenda, Eleonora, Gala, Lena, Malin, Ragnara, and Vedis.
* Family Names: Coebelliantus, Hjalmar, Kolbjorn, Perchnosius, Torborn, Valborg, Valentin, Xaljorn.

===Maenad PC Stats===
::No ability score modifiers
::Medium
::Base Land Speed 30 feet
::Naturally Psionic: 2 bonus psi power points at 1st level.
::Psi-Like Ability: A maenad can unleash a catastropic shriek of rage 1/day, which duplicates the effects of a Sonic damage Energy Ray psi-power with a manifester level equal to 1/2 Hit Dice (minimum 1st) and a Charisma-based save DC.
::Outburst (Ex): Once per day, a maenad can unleash their inner madness, reducing [[Intelligence]] and [[Wisdom]] by -2 but gaining +2 [[Strength]]. They can maintain this state for up to 4 rounds.
::[[Favored Class]]: [[Wilder]]
::[[Level Adjustment]]: +0

===Athasian Maenads===
[[File:RacesDramagAthasmaenads.jpeg|thumb]]
When [[Dragon Magazine]] #319 used the Expanded Psionics Handbook as the basis to do a semi-official 3.5 update of [[Dark Sun]], maenads were one of the ExPH races added to the setting, alongside [[elan]]s. Athasian maenads are an extraplanar race, brought to the world of Athas in the year of Priest's Contemplation when the Sorcerer-King Adropinus escaped from his banishment to the Black, bringing the maenads with him from some other world to facilitate his conquest of Balic. Subsequently ignored by him, they have begun to spread across the Tablelands, and many are beginning to turn on their former master, disillusioned by his cruelty and despising the wretched world that he has trapped them on. These maenads, like their ExPH counterparts, get on best with the [[human]]s, [[dwarf|dwarves]] and [[elf|elves]] of Athas, but they regard [[halfling]]s as silly, and take other races as they find them, although they have a hard time understanding [[aarakocra]] and [[thri-kreen]].

Athasian Maenad PCs are identical to standard ones, but gain +2 [[Strength]] and +4 [[Charisma]], giving them a [[Level Adjustment]] of +1 (Note: Everyone, humans included, in this conversion are ''at least'' LA+1).