PDA

View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next The Shad - Planescape



M Placeholder
2015-11-12, 11:36 AM
http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20111224125335/sfery/images/f/fe/Shad.gif

The Chant

The shad are small humanoids, with grey skin and are very wiry and thin. The most notable features are their large, golden eyes and their huge ears, which are decorated with earrings, symbolizing clan, relations, feats and occupation. Their hair is usually short, and they have a flat, stubby nose and a wide mouth. The shad generally wear plain, austere clothing that is decorated by precious stones that have need collected on their travels.

A shad has a body that is double jointed and has a lot of cartilage, therefore making it incredibly flexible and able to contort itself into openings 6 inches by 6 inches. This ability has helped them survive on the plane of earth, and makes them hard to bond . As dao slavers are one of the main threats to the shad, this ability is crucial to their survival. As a shad gets older, it’s not uncommon for it to carry a large number of scars, due to the stresses of squeezing through tunnels and run-ins with creatures that see them as vermin.

Other skills that have helped them to survive are a remarkable ability to withstand poison, paralysis and disease. Despite all this, shad live short, tough lives. An individual that lives to see 60 is fortunate, and due to the hostility of the inhabitants of the plane of earth, there is a high mortality rate- something that is carried over to those that try and colonise new areas, as they are rarely welcomed with open arms anywhere. This leads in turn to a high birth rate among the shad, and a great number of their race are wanderers and explorers, looking for a new safe haven for their clan.

Shad live in a clan oriented society. Due to the twofold demands of their home plane and the intent of most of the creatures towards them, they rarely stay in one area for a long period of time, and most tribes are nomadic. Those who travel beyond the plane of earth will try to settle down in an area, but will more often than not be forced to move on, as many of the races they meet have the same attitude towards them as the inhabitants of The Anvil. The shad have difficulty learning common, which makes it doubly difficult to interact with other races. The shad also have extreme difficulty with trusting other races - for good reason. However, once the shad have got past the distrust, they make good friends. It may take a while, but shad can make good allies – trustworthy, steadfast and loyal.

A shad tribe will travel the Plane of Earth in search of essentials for 14 hours, and then rest in one of the many caverns of that plane, in order to rest, mend weapons and tools, and reiterate family bonds. Shad rarely use fire and usually catnap in small spaces that they contort themselves into. If a shad is in an adventuring party, it is not uncommon for one to rest in a set of drawers or in a chest, while the rest of the party seek softer material.

Shad tell the story of their race though their bardic storytelling – a shad saying is that a bard or druid can recount a thousand stories. A Get together of the clans is a time for great celebration, and can last for days. At the end of another day of survival in the harsh landscape, the shad will often come together and tell tales of endurance.

A shad clan is usually led by a druid. Druids are respected among the shad for their ability to grow food from fungi and plant life using very limited resources. Diet consists mostly of flora, though the shad will make use of meat from suitable foes, which are few in The Anvil. Druidic lore runs deep in the shad, and while life in The Anvil may be brutal, many still stay on the plane. Perhaps it is defiance in the face of hostility, or maybe the mission of the druid’s guild still holds sway.

One aspect of the shad that disgusts other races is cannibalism. When a shad dies of natural causes or an attack by one of their myriad enemies, the shad put the body to good use by eating the flesh of the deceased, and use the bones as tools, ligaments for binding and hair for clothing. It is not unknown for a shad to start cutting up the body of a companion as soon as mourning has finished – to them, a dead body is a resource. This is often the source of revulsion for other races, but the shad have to make lemonade out of lemons more often than not.

The shad speak a dialect of druidic, learned from the creators of the original caverns. The shad find it difficult to learn the common language. The dialect of druidic spoken has many terms that describe the features of The Anvil in very specific detail – a trait that is essential for survival.

Shad also employ what other races call “Shad Graffiti” – a system of pictures, glyphs and numbers that tell of features that help survival, such as lakes, food stashes and forbidden places.

A shad is given a name at birth, from the old druidic language, and a second name at the age of 10, during a coming of age ceremony. The shad use last names that describe a role in the community, an area of The Anvil that they were born in, or a description of the shad. All names are gender neutral.

The shad tend to revere nature, and worshipping a power is rare. Of those that do, powers of travel, protection, and nature are the ones that the shad are drawn to.
In terms of the factions, the Society of Sensation and the Believers of the Source are ones that are popular, perhaps due to the short lifespans of the shad. In terms of the sects, there are a number in the Verdant Guild.

Those shad who have been exiled for selfish and unbecoming behaviour against their clan often join The Dispossessed.

The shad would like to settle down and live in peace. Most inhabitants of The Anvil will not let that happen, so adventurers and explorers are an essential part of shad life. The search for a new land is one of the main reasons for exploring, as is a sense of curiosity. Moreover, since the shad have lifespans that are often a fraction of the longer lived races and have little concept of the afterlife, many adventurers travel in the hope of seeing the multiverse and experiencing all it has to offer.

Roleplaying the shad

The crucible of The Anvil has made you strong, and in enduring, you will grow even stronger. Your strength will help you and your companions through what the planes will throw at you. You will see that the shad will survive, and in your travels, your experiences and your tribulations, you will teach future generations to thrive. The tales told in the rock and the tales told to your clan will ensure that. Life is short – as a result, you seek to enjoy it as much it forces you to endure. And when you seek out new horizons for your clan, seek the places that will offer you tranquillity – for your companions, for your clan, and for the shad.


As a shad, you have -

Ability Score Increase – Your Dexterity Score increases by 2 and your constitution score increases by 1
Size – Shad are between 3.5 and 5ft in height and weigh between 40 and 60 pounds. Your size is small.
Age – the shad live short lives. A shad reaches adulthood at age 15, and rarely lives past 50.
Speed – your base walking speed is 25 feet
Darkvision – you are accustomed to life underground, and you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You cannot discern colour in the darkness, only shades of grey.
Eye of the needle – Due to your ability to contort your body, you can fit through an opening 6” by 6”
Tempered by The Anvil – you have advantage versus poison and petrification saves, and resistance against Poison damage.
Hard to grasp – Due to your dexterity and contortion abilities, shad are notoriously hard to subdue. You have advantage on grapple checks made against you and to dexterity checks to escape the restrainted condition.
Sanctuary Recollection – the memories of your lost homeland resonate through the generations. You can add half your proficiency bonus on all Nature checks regarding plants.
Language – You can speak Druidic and Planar Common.

The Shad first appeared in the Planescape Monstrous Compendium Volume III, and were a playable race in the 3.5 Planeswalker update.

Picture by Tony DiTerlizzi

M Placeholder
2015-11-12, 11:38 AM
Shad Feats

Coming Soon...

Shad Backgrounds

Coming Soon....