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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Player Race: Mender (PEACH)



Madfellow
2016-05-30, 09:12 AM
Hey, all. This is actually my very first time creating a homebrew for 5th edition, which seems crazy to me based on how long I've been following and using the system.

Anyway, this idea came about as a product of the ACKS (Adventurer Conqueror King System) campaign that I've been playing in for about two years now. Generally speaking, I'm not a fan of the system, but it does have a few golden nuggets. One of those is that spellcasters that make it to level 11 automatically learn how to create golems and other constructs, and are given a fair bit of leeway to create whatever kind of automaton they might want or need to. I was having a hard time getting invested in the campaign, so my DM encouraged me to come up with some kind of long-term plan for my character (a cleric, btw) to work toward. So I perused the books a bit, found the golem creation rules, and thought to myself, "Okay, what would my character do with these?"

Without further ado, I present the menders:


Mender
“We are the product of a broken world. By our hands, it will be made whole again.”

There are many who would have called the creation of the menders a fool’s endeavor, and some would even have called it madness. But their creator, Bishop Garret, would not be deterred. He believed he could fix the world’s problems, heal the sick, and bring peace to those living in strife. After all, is that not the sworn duty of all clergymen? But he was but one man, and even with his many followers, he could not reach every ailing soul. What then could he do?

He needed more. Not more power, no, and not more followers. He needed more people who could channel the gods’ might, who could make a difference in the world. It was then that the idea took hold of him. If the gods could create men in their own image, could a man create something in his own image? So he worked, he toiled, he locked himself away in libraries and workshops, until finally he cracked it. He attributed his breakthrough to divine intervention, a spark of inspiration that led him to the spark of life itself. Thus, the first menders were made.

Children of Clay
Menders were designed to be as similar in appearance to humans as possible. For the most part, their creator succeeded in this. However their skin has a slightly grayish tint to it, their eyes especially so, and they are entirely hairless. At first Bishop Garret attempted to cover this flaw with wigs, but his creations found this solution distasteful. Instead, most prefer to simply wear hoods over their heads.

Menders can’t reproduce in the traditional sense; new menders are built, not born. Creating one is similar to creating a magic item, requiring considerable time and resources. A team of clerics maintains production in Garret’s workshop at Castle Redgate, and are able to create a new mender every three weeks. An infrastructure has developed around these children to foster them, educate them, and incorporate them into society.

Great Expectations
At first, the very existence of these artificial beings was a closely guarded secret. However, as their numbers grew eventually the secret got out. The kingdom was thrown into an uproar, and the religious community was furious with the bishop for his prideful experimentation, even threatening him with excommunication. A great council was called by the king to determine what was to be done with Garret and his creations.

The bishop and a few selected menders spoke to their own defense, as did some of Garret’s influential allies. After weeks of tense deliberation, a slim majority of the clergy were convinced that this endeavor was not an affront to the gods, and Garret was permitted to continue his work. This too the bishop attributed to divine intervention. Since then, the menders have slowly assimilated into human society, though there are many who view them simply as tools to be bought or sold.

Like their father, many menders feel a compulsion to fix things, especially people, and they become tense and fidget in the presence of decay. This compulsion, this sense of a greater purpose, has driven a few menders to a life of adventure. For some, it is self-discovery that they seek, an opportunity to see more of the world to learn how they fit into it. For others, they simply seek the chance to fix as many broken lives as they can reach. Some may seek to prove to their peers that they are truly equals worthy of respect, not simply instruments to be used. Such a life is often stressful, but also, perhaps, rewarding.



Traits
All menders share the following traits.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution increases by 1 and your Wisdom increases by 2.
Age. Menders do not mature or age physically; they rise from their creator’s workbench fully formed, capable of walking and talking from birth. Young menders have the curiosity and innocence of children, maturing mentally and emotionally in much the same way humans do. Though they don’t show it outwardly, their bodies start to break down after a century or so.
Alignment. Menders are created with a natural inclination toward the good and lawful alignments. However, they are free-willed and fully capable of rejecting these innate tendencies.
Name. Menders are usually named after certain virtues, like Bravery or Charity. Each mender also has a three-digit number to distinguish it from others that might have the same name, almost like a surname. All mender names are unisex, appropriate for either gender.
Size. Menders are usually built with the same proportions as humans. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Formed of Clay. Your skin is harder than ordinary flesh, granting you a +1 bonus to Armor Class, and you are immune to disease.
Mending Touch. You know the spare the dying cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the cure wounds spell once per day as a 2nd-level spell. Once you reach 5th level, you can also cast the lesser restoration spell once per day. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Trance. Menders don’t need to sleep. Instead, you enter an inactive state for 4 hours each day. You do not dream in this state, and you are fully aware of your surroundings.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Celestial.


This is, of course, assuming that he lives long enough to see retirement. We're approaching the endgame at this point, and we have a giant battle against an orc horde to look forward to. And my character has already died like five times. :smalltongue:

Belac93
2016-05-30, 09:52 AM
I feel like giving the mending cantrip instead of spare the dying would make more sense. I know that they want to heal people, but they do 'mend' other things. Plus, they also already get healing powers.

Cure wounds at third level should probably only be a level 1 spell. No race gives level 2 spells at level 2.

Ninja_Prawn
2016-05-30, 10:09 AM
No race gives level 2 spells at level 3.

Tiefling does - it gives Hellish Rebuke II.

Overall, I'd say that this race is balanced, but it may lack for a bit of interest. The casting is good because it offers an active ability that they can use whenever, but the +2 Wisdom means that most people will end up playing classes that already have those abilities, so it kind of doubles up on something they already have. Unless they go for monk, I guess.

And +1 AC is very good... but it's kind of boring. It doesn't, you know, do anything.

Madfellow
2016-05-30, 10:58 AM
I feel like giving the mending cantrip instead of spare the dying would make more sense. I know that they want to heal people, but they do 'mend' other things. Plus, they also already get healing powers.


Overall, I'd say that this race is balanced, but it may lack for a bit of interest. The casting is good because it offers an active ability that they can use whenever, but the +2 Wisdom means that most people will end up playing classes that already have those abilities, so it kind of doubles up on something they already have. Unless they go for monk, I guess.

And +1 AC is very good... but it's kind of boring. It doesn't, you know, do anything.

Hmm... okay, what if I swap out Spare the Dying for Mending, and swap out Trance for Medicine Proficiency? Too good?

Ninja_Prawn
2016-05-30, 01:06 PM
Hmm... okay, what if I swap out Spare the Dying for Mending, and swap out Trance for Medicine Proficiency? Too good?

I'd say it's a slight upgrade, but it doesn't take the race into 'too good' territory.