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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Werelings, Small Shapeshifters, 5e Homebrew Race V2



eleazzaar
2015-04-02, 09:08 AM
Weather due to arcane experimentation, wild magic, or polymorphed romance, some of the small races have a spellcaster’s familiar as an ancestor. For some, this ancestry manifests as the ability to change form to a small animal.
It is loosely based on the old 3.5 Tibbit, but with versions for 11 different familiar animals.

Feedback is welcome....

Part of Eleazar’s D&D 5eHomebrew Race Compendium. (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1m7qG9BDQEH1pIykhmUb88f1--ghHvJZlV5QBJUtzTR4/edit#heading=h.2p924npi0t56) The most up-to-date version will be here.




Werelings

(Version 2: more detail, sensible balance, less clutter)
Due to arcane experimentation, wild magic, or perhaps polymorphed romance, some of the small races have a spellcaster’s familiar as an ancestor. When this heritage runs true, it grant the ability to change shape into that of a small animal.

Werelings are quite rare, and when seen changing form are too often assumed to be afflicted with lycanthropy. For this reason werelings usually keep their form changing abilities secret. Many werelings live as ordinary members of their apparent humanoid race. Others live apart in isolated settlements where they can change form freely without arousing fear or suspicion. Still other werelings live feral and wild among the animals, seldom leaving their animal form.

Note: Points on the left are roughly based on JamesMusicus’s guide:
http://zappyman2.wix.com/musicushomebrew#!homebrew-races/c8co
Comments and Feedback are desired.

Wereling Traits:
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2. If your animal form does not fly, your choice of your Wisdom, Intelligence, or Charisma score increases by 1.

Age. Werelings mature at the same rate as their humanoid ancestry. The form changing magic however is not kind to their body, and they seldom live much beyond 100 years, a much briefer span than full halflings and gnomes enjoy.

Alignment. Werelings may be of any alignment, and often are aligned differently than their surrounding community. There is a strain of natural wildness in them that pulls them away from lawful alignments.

Size. Your size is small. When in humanoid form your weight and height are appropriate for the race you appear to be.

Ordinary Appearance. Choose halfling, gnome, goblin, or kobold for your humanoid ancestry. When in humanoid form, you appear to be an ordinary member of that race— even to identifying magic. However you gain no racial abilities or bonuses from that race.
Werelings usually have some slight resemblance to their animal form. A raven wereling might have a prominent nose and glossy black hair, while a toad wereling might have a wide mouth and flat feet.
Rarely a wereling in humanoid form will have a stronger resemblance to their familiar ancestor, and have difficulty passing as an ordinary humanoid.

Animal Form. A wereling has two physical forms. A wereling changes to his animal form according to a druid’s Wild Shape feature with the following differences:

A wereling only has one animal form.
A wereling can remain in animal form for as long as it wishes.
A wereling can change form three times before taking a long or short rest. Changing from humanoid to animal and changing from animal to humanoid both count as a use of this feature. At level 5 the limit increases to 5 times per rest. At level 10, you can change forms an unlimited number of times.
A wereling in animal form uses the hit points and hit dice determined by your humanoid form. When killed or rendered unconscious your form does not change.
A wereling’s form changing uses are counted separately from a druid’s uses of Wild Shape.



Telepathic Bond. Due to their ancestry, werelings have a certain affinity for spellcasters. They have a slight, instinctive fascination with such people. Should a wereling form a relationship with a full caster who does not have a familiar, the wereling may form a telepathic bond with the spellcaster. The bond allows two benefits:

While within 100 feet of each other the wereling and spellcaster may choose to communicate telepathically, verbally or with emotions or images.
When beyond 100 feet, but still in the same plane, each knows the general direction to the other.
This bond is broken if the spellcaster obtains a familiar. Either the wereling or the spellcaster may end the bond, but there wereling may not form another telepathic bond for a week.



Languages. In humanoid form, you can speak, read, and write Common, and the racial language of your humanoid ancestry. You can also speak the animal language granted by your familiar ancestor.
In animal form, you can read all languages you know, but only speak the animal languages granted by your familiar ancestor, (unless your familiar ancestor was a raven).
The animals with which you communicate are limited by their intelligence.


Familiar Ancestor:
A wereling’s familiar ancestor grants it certain unusual abilities while in humanoid form. Choose one familiar ancestor. This choice cannot be changed.

Rules for Flying Animal Forms:
Even in animal form, flight is extremely difficult and takes years of practice to equal the natural skill of birds and bats.

At Level 1 a wereling can only fly 15 ft before it must land or at least briefly touch down, or else it tires and spirals safely to the ground. If you haves movement remaining a wereling can continue to fly after landing on something.
At level 4 this limit is extended to 25 ft.
At level 8 this limit extends to 50 ft.
Finally at level 12 the wereling masters flight and can fly as well as the base animal.



Bat
Bat-blooded werelings often have large ears and long, delicate fingers.

Ability Score Decrease. Your Constitution score decreases by 1.

Echolocation. You have blindsight within 30 feet, as long as you are not deafened.

Animal Language. You have the ability through sound and gesture to communicate with Bats.


Cat ( Tibbits )
Cat-blooded werelings often have an insufferably smug attitude, thin moustache, and faint stripes in their hair.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1.

Catfall. You can fall 30 feet without taking damage, and have advantage on rolls to land on your feet. Falling damage is calculated after the first 30 feet, so a fall of 40ft would cause 1d6 bludgeoning.

Animal Language. You have the ability through sound and gesture to communicate with Felines.


Crab
Crab-blooded werelings are often squat and wide, with receding foreheads, and large hands.

Natural Armor. You have a naturally tough skin. When unarmored, your AC is equal to 13 + your dexterity modifier.

Animal Language. You have the ability through sound and gesture to communicate with Crustaceans (Crabs, Lobsters, and Shrimp).


Hawk
Hawk-blooded werelings often have a piercing gaze, an aquiline nose, and gleaming hair.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1.

Ability Score Decrease. Your Constitution score decreases by 1.

Keen Sight. You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight, in bright daylight.

Animal Language. You have the ability through sound and gesture to communicate with Raptors (Hawks and Eagles).


Lizard
Lizard-blooded werelings are often long and lean, with little hair and bulging eyes.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Animal Language. You have the ability through sound and gesture to communicate with Lizards.


Poisonous Snake
Snake-blooded werelings often have an unblinking gaze, tend towards baldness, and have unusually pointed canines.

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Snake Bite. You have a non-proficient bite attack which deals 1 point poison damage. As an action you may poison a weapon for 1d4 poison, which last for 1 minute.

Animal Language. You have the ability through sound and gesture to communicate with Snakes.


Owl
Owl-blooded werelings often have wide, flat faces, large eyes, and a small nose and mouth.

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Ability Score Decrease. Your Constitution score decreases by 1.

Lesser Darkvision. You have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 30 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Animal Language. You have the ability through sound and gesture to communicate with Owls.


Rat
A rat-blooded wereling often has a pointed face, large, widely spaced eyes and a whisker-like moustache.

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1.

Keen Nose. Due to your keen sense of smell, you gain advantage on Investigation or Perception checks to find something within 20 ft that has a distinct smell (such as living beings, chemicals or food).

Animal Language. You have the ability through sound and gesture to communicate with Rodents.


Raven
A raven-blooded wereling often have a prominent nose, dark eyes and very glossy black hair.

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1.

Ability Score Decrease. Your Constitution score decreases by 1.

Chatterbox. While in raven form you may speak any language you know.

Animal Language. You have the ability through sound and gesture to communicate with Corvids (Ravens, Crows, Magpies, and Jays).


Spider
Spider-blooded werelings often have unusually long limbs and fingers and small, fat bodies.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.

Uncanny Climbing. You may use Dexterity instead of Strength for Climbing and Jumping rolls. While climbing you move at full speed.

Animal Language. You have the ability through sound and gesture to communicate with Spiders and Scorpions.


Toad
Toad-blooded werelings often are squat, with a wide mouth, protuberant eyes, and large flat feet.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.

Almost Amphibious. A toad wereling can absorb some oxygen through his skin. This allows the wereling to hold his breath three times as long. If a toad wereling runs out of breath underwater water it merely falls unconscious-- he does not drown.

Animal Language. You have the ability through sound and gesture to communicate with Frogs and Toads.


Weasel
Weasel-blooded werelings often have pointed faces, short limbs, and long, lean bodies.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.

Heedless Rush. As a bonus action, move up to your speed towards a hostile creature you can see. Before the end of your next turn, your next attack is at disadvantage.

Animal Language. You have the ability through sound and gesture to communicate with Mustelids (Weasels, Ferrets, Minks, and Wolverines).






Werelings
Due perhaps to arcane experimentation, wild magic, or polymorphed romance, some of the small races have a spellcaster’s familiar as an ancestor. This ancestry may manifest as the ability to change form to a small animal.

Werelings are quite rare, and when seen changing form are too often assumed to be afflicted with Lycanthropy. For this reason werelings usually keep their form-changing abilities secret. Many werelings live as ordinary members of their apparent demihuman race. Others live apart in isolated settlements where they can change form freely without arousing fear or suspicion. Still other werelings live feral and wild among animals, seldom changing to demihuman form.

Note: Points on the left are roughly based on JamesMusicus’s guide:
http://zappyman2.wix.com/musicushomebrew#!homebrew-races/c8co
Comments and Feedback are desired. Feel free to comment in this document if you wish...

Wereling Traits:
Ability Score Increase: (2)
+ 1 Dex
+1 Attribute of Choice (Dex cannot be raised to +3 through wereling bonuses)

Small: (-1)
25ft movement, disadvantage on heavy weapon attack

Ordinary Appearance: (0)
Choose halfling, gnome, goblin, or kobold for your demihuman ancestry. When in demihuman form, you appear to be an ordinary member of that race, however you gain no racial abilities or bonuses from that race. Magic that identifies race will identify you as a member of the race of your demihuman ancestry.
However, werelings usually have some slight resemblance to their animal form. A raven wereling might have a prominent nose and glossy black hair, while a toad wereling might have a wide mouth and flat feet.
Rarely a wereling will have features in demihuman form more strongly reminiscent of the animal ancestor, such as slit yellow eyes on a cat-blooded wereling, or faintly scaled skin on a lizard-blooded wereling, or a tail. Such individuals may have difficulty passing as an ordinary demihuman.

Animal Form (2.5)
A wereling has two physical forms, neither is more “real” or “true” than the other. A wereling changes to his animal form according to a druid’s Wild Shape feature, (without archetype features) with the following differences:

A wereling only has one animal form.
A wereling can remain in animal form for as long as it wishes.
A wereling can change form three times before taking a long or short rest. Changing from demihuman to animal and changing from animal to demihuman both count as a use of this feature. At level 5 the limit increases to 5 times per rest. At level 10, you can change forms an unlimited number of times.
A wereling in animal form uses the hit points and hit dice determined by your demihuman form. When killed or rendered unconscious your form does not change.
A wereling’s animal form changing does not count towards a druid’s use of wild shape.
Just like the druid’s Wild Shape, a wereling cannot cast spells while in animal form, but they can maintain concentration.



Familiar’s Bond (.5)
Due to their familiar ancestry, werelings can sense the use of the “Find Familiar” ritual within one mile, however the wereling is not compelled to answer the summons. A wereling can offer the caster it’s services as a familiar, however the bond does not work quite the same way. The wereling is under no special compulsion to obey the caster, and is not limited from doing anything he might have done without the bond.
Falling to zero hitpoints and dying is not altered by the bond. The wereling familiar cannot be dismissed or re-summoned. A wereling familiar cannot change it’s animal form for another.
Telepathy, seeing through the wereling familiar’s eyes, and delivering touch spells work as normal for a familiar. None of the other features of a familiar bond will apply to a wereling.
Either the wereling or the caster can end the familiar bond at will. The partnership is a difficult one as most casters prefer a familiar with less free will, and many werelings prefer to be free.
Language:
In demihuman form, you can speak, read, and write Common, and the racial language of your demihuman ancestry (if any). You can also speak the animal languages granted by your familiar ancestor.
In animal form, you can read all languages you know, but only speak the animal languages granted by your familiar ancestor, (unless your familiar ancestor was a raven).


Familiar Ancestor:
A wereling’s familiar ancestor grants it certain unusual abilities even while in demihuman form. Choose one familiar ancestor. This choice cannot be changed.

Rules for Flying Familiar Ancestors:
Even in animal form, flight is extremely difficult and takes years of practice to equal the natural skill of birds and bats.

At Level 1 a wereling can only fly 15 ft before it must land or at least briefly touch down, or else it tires and spirals safely to the ground. If you haves movement remaining a wereling can continue to fly after landing on something.
At level 4 this limit is extended to 25 ft.
At level 8 this limit extends to 50 ft.
Finally at level 12 the wereling masters flight and can fly as well as the base animal.




Bat
Bat-blooded werelings often have large ears and long, delicate fingers.
-2 -2 Con Negative Abilities were removed this edition
1.5 Echolocation: Blindsight 30ft except when deafened
.25 Speak with Bats

Cat ( Tibbits )
+1 Cha
.5 Catfall: You can fall 30 feet without taking damage, and have advantage on rolls to land on your feet. Falling damage is calculated after the first 30 feet, so a fall of 40ft would cause 1d6 bludgeoning.
.5 Proficiency Acrobatics
.25 Speak with Felines

Crab
Crab-blooded werelings are often squat and wide, with receding foreheads.

1.5 Natural Armor. You have a natural tough skin. When unarmored, your AC is equal to 13 + your dexterity modifier.
.5 Almost Amphibious: A crab wereling can get some oxygen by breathing water. This allows the wereling to hold his breath twice as long. If a crab wereling runs out of breath in water it merely falls unconscious. He cannot drown in water.
.25 Speak with Crustaceans (Crabs, Lobsters, and Shrimp)

Hawk
1 +1 Cha
-2 -2 Con
.5 Keen sight: Perception Proficiency, and advantage on any rolls to see things at a distance
.25 Speak with Raptors (Hawks and Eagles)

Lizard
1 +1 Dex
1 35ft Move speed
.25 Speak with Lizards

Owl
Owl-blooded werelings often have wide, flat faces, large eyes, and a small nose and mouth.
1 +1 Wis
-2 -2 Con
.5 Darkvision 60
.25 Speak with Owls

Poisonous Snake
Snake-blooded werelings often have an unblinking gaze and unusually pointed canines.
1 +1 Wis
.5 Cantrip: Poison Spray
.5 Darkvision
.25 Speak with Snakes

Rat
A rat-blooded wereling often has a pointed face, large, widely spaced eyes and a wisker-like moustache.
1 +1 Int
1 Inquisitive: You gain advantage on rolls to find hidden things.
.25 Speak with Rodents

Raven
A raven-blooded wereling often have a prominent nose and very glossy black hair.
1 +1 Int
-2 -2 Con
.5 Can speak demihuman languages in raven form
.25 Speak with Corvids (Ravens, Crows, Magpies, and Jays)

Spider
Spider-blooded werelings, often have unusually long limbs and small, fat bodies.
1 +1 Dex
1 Uncanny Climbing: Climb at full speed, climb rolls at advantage
.25 Speak with Spiders

Toad
Toad-blooded werelings often are squat, with a wide mouth, protuberant eyes, and large flat feet.
1 +1 Con
.5 Poison Resistance
.5 Almost Amphibious: A toad wereling can absorb some oxygen through his skin. This allows the wereling to hold his breath twice as long. If a toad wereling runs out of breath in water it merely falls unconscious. He cannot drown in water.
.25 Speak with Frogs and Toads

Weasel
Weasel-blooded werelings often have pointed faces, short limbs, and long, lean bodies.
1 +1 Str
1 Aggressive: As a bonus action, move up to your speed towards a Hostile creature you can see.
.25 Speak with Mustelids (Weasels, Ferrets, Minks, and Wolverines)

Rfkannen
2015-04-02, 11:10 AM
THe link isnt working for me, cool idea though.

eleazzaar
2015-04-02, 11:25 AM
THe link isnt working for me, cool idea though.

Sorry, i messed that up. I think it should work now, but I have little experience with Google Docs, it is possible i've messed it up.

Gritmonger
2015-04-02, 09:28 PM
I'm seeing minuses to attributes, which isn't so much a thing anymore in 5th edition...

eleazzaar
2015-04-02, 10:15 PM
BTW, i'm also interested in feedback on the name.


I'm seeing minuses to attributes, which isn't so much a thing anymore in 5th edition...

I know 5E races don't use atribute negatives, but there's nothing really problematic with them-- they are easy to understand, and don't break anything.

I'm trying to balance the significant advantage that flight provides for flying forms without loosing the special ability in humanoid form, or having to have different base races.

grnwoodtree
2015-05-08, 02:52 PM
Thanks for this. I wanted to have some evil shapeshifting sailors from Calimport in my next encounter and this will work perfectly.

sajro
2015-05-08, 02:56 PM
I can't talk for everyone but for me atleast I do not like the need to go to a different site to see the details and descriptions of homebrew. :)

ImSAMazing
2015-05-08, 03:20 PM
I suggest you just put it in here, and then update it with feedback you get.

eleazzaar
2015-05-25, 07:32 PM
Significantly reworked the race, with clearer abilities, a lower/better power balance, and proper phrasing for everything.