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VertDeLion
2016-08-13, 03:59 AM
Hello, I'm about to start my first D&D 5e campaign as a DM, and I was hoping for some feedback on the custom races I made for characters to choose from. The word 'Beastian' is used often in the following descriptions, referring to humanoids with animalistic properties.

Wolf-beastians who live in forest clans. The Clan Alpha leads a whole clan, while a Pack Alpha commands hunting parties or battalions of no more than twelve. They stand hunched at around 5'4-5'8
Age Ferrogans mature at around 15 years and live to around 60-80
Alignment Ferrogan are wild and beastial. They tend towards either chaotic or neutral alignments.
Speed Your walking speed is 30
Languages Ferrogan can speak comon and wolfish. They also learn draconic and infernal twice as fast as other races due to their similarly guttural dialects.
Wolf Weapon Training Ferrogan are proficient in gauntlets, axes, one-handed swords, nets and bolas.
Traits
ASI Your strength increases by 2, and your dexterity increases by 1.
Unarmed Ferocity Ferrogans get +1 to attack and damage rolls made with unarmed or gauntlet attacks, and can choose to deal slashing damage instead of bludgeoning.
Blindsight Using their keen sense of smell and hearing, ferrogan have blindsight of 30ft. In addition, they have advantage in perception checks that require smelling or hearing.
Dire Hour Upon taking damage that would drop you to 0 or less health without killing you, you may make a Constitution saving throw (DC 13). On a successful save, you may immediately make a weapon attack against a target within weapon reach of you without moving before falling unconscious. You cannot use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Lion/tiger beastians who live in tribal states. They are proud and quick to anger if insulted. Otherwise, they tend to maintain their cool. Tigards stand tall at 5'8-6'10, though some have been measure to stand as tall as 7 feet.
Age Tigards mature at 16-18 years, and can live up to 150 years old
Alignment Many tigards lean towards good, and a very few follow a chaotic alignment.
Speed Your walking speed is 30 feet,as is your climbing speed.
Languages Tigards can speak common and purrsian(placeholder)
Traits
ASI Your strength score increases by 2, and your constitution score increases by 1.
Darkvision Tigards have excellent sight. They can see up to 60ft in dim light as if it was bright light, and in darkness as if it was dim light. You can only see shades of gray in darkness.
Light Sleeper When resting or sleeping naturally, you do not have disadvantage on perception rolls on something sneaking up on you, and creatures ambushing you do not have advantage.
Graceful Footsteps When moving while stealthed, you move 10 feet faster. In addition, while you are on even, man-made ground, you have advantages against being unwillingly moved such as being shoved or knocked prone.
Lion Brutality Your critical attacks deal +1 damage.

Fox-beastians strengthened with great spiritual power. They are level-headed and pragmatic, and their actions are guided by the Great Spirits. What they lack in physical strength they make up for in magical power. They stand between 5'6-6 feet tall.
Age Kitsune reach maturity at around 20 years, and can live up to 500 years old. However, an eight tails may live longer, and 9 tails may live for a millenia or more.
Alignment Many kitsune strive towards the greater good for knowledge and wisdom, aligning closer to good or neutral.
Speed Your walking speed is 35
Languages Kitsune speak common and kishan, which is a dialect of sylvan. In addition, it takes half the normal time for a kitsune to learn elvish and primordial.
Fox Weapon Training Kitsune are proficient in single-edged swords without the heavy property, staves and longbows.
Traits
ASI Your wisdom score increases by 2 and your charisma score increases by 1. However, your constitution score drops by 1.
Zen Technique You may choose to concentrate on your weapon as an action, and concentration is maintained until broken. You may break concentration at any time. While concentrating on a weapon that does not have the heavy property, you may use your wisdom modifier for the attack rolls instead of your strength or dexterity. Concentrating on your weapon follows the same rules as concentrating on a spell.
Spellcasting You know the Dancing Lights and Produce Flame cantrips, with the exception of the lights and flames produced are blue. At the third level, you may cast Faerie Fire once per short or long rest using this feature. At the fifth level, you may cast Blade Ward once per short or long rest using this feature. Wisdom is the spellcasting ability for these spells.
Kitsune Tails All kitsune are born with one tail and grow another when they reach maturity. As they accomplish more in life, they gain additional tails. With additional tails, a kitusne grows more powerful. The tails of the kitsune are granted by the DM independent from level gains, based on the play of the character. It is completely possible to go through the entire game without gaining a single tail. You start with no more than 4 tails.
5 TailsYou may cast Fox Fire once per long rest as a bonus action. {Fox Fire} Four orbs of blue flames appear surrounding your body. When a creature makes a melee attack against you, that creature must make a dexterity saving throw, taking Xd6 + wisdom force damage (where X is half your class level, rounded down) on a failed save. This consumes one of the orbs whether the saving throw is successful or not. As an action, you may make a ranged spell attack to command one of the orbs to fly at a target up to 60 feet away. The orbs last for 1 minute and may be dispelled at will.
7 Tails Ifyour class has access to spell slots, you get one additional spell slot for each spell level accessible up to the fifth level. Otherwise, you get +1 to all attack rolls.
8 Tails You gain +1 toe each your wisdom and charisma scores. In addition, the limit of those two abilities increases to 24.
9 Tails You do not die of old age, nor does your body suffer the limitations of getting old. Your {Fox Fire} ability may be cast once per short or long rest, and making a ranged spell attack with the orbs may be done as an action or bonus action. In addition, you gain truesight up to 20ft and Once per long rest, you may cast Astral Projection without material components. If you do, you cannot take any other creatures with you.

Halfling breed of kitsune and mortal human parentage, the name literally means "false fox". Kitsune-nise appear as young humans, looking no older than teen years or early adulthood, but with fox ears and their signature kitsune tails. They are also smaller in stature, standing between 4'5-5'3 feet.
Age Kitsune-nise mature quickly, reaching adulthood at around 12-14 years and live to around 80-90 years old.
Alignment Their exclusion from kitsune society lead many kitsune-nise to seek out trouble and cause pranks rather than pursue wisdom and knowledge. They lean toweards more chaotic natures.
Speed Your walking speed is 35
Languages Kitsune-nise speak common and kishan, which is a dialect of sylvan. In addition, it takes half the normal time for a kitsune to learn elvish and gnomish.
Traits
ASI Your dexterity score increases by 2 and your charisma score increases by 1. However, your constitution score decreases by 1.
Fox Magic You know the Dancing Lights and cantrip, with the exception that the lights produced are blue. At the 3rd level, you learn the Thaumaturgy cantrip, and you learn Presdigitagion at the fifth level.
Also, kitsune-nise can magically retract their tails and ears to appear humanoid at will. However, doing so requires Concentration. Casting a spell that requires concentration reveals your tails and ears, and being struck by an attack may reveal them.
In addition, once per long rest, you may use your action to polymorph yourself into a fox. While in this form, you follow the same rules as a druid's Wild Shape, except the longest you may retain thsi form is a number of minutes equal to your charisma score, plus your proficiency bonus.
Fox Tails Kitsune-nise share the fox tail trait with their full blooded beastian counterparts. However, the maximum number of tails a kitsune-nise can grow is seven tails. (See Kitsune tab for tail feats)
Tricksters Kitsune-nise have advantage on deception and performance checks when tricking or lying.
Quick to Flee When you take the disengage action, or when you are running away from danger, you may move an additional 10ft per turn.

Spider beastians, appearing as tall, slender humans with their outer flesh covered in equal parts skin and chitin. They have pure black eyes, and many have built resistance to venoms thanks to their frequent exposure to driders. Aaranos stand tall at around 5'9-6'9ft
Age Aaranos age at the same rate as humans, but live about two decades longer.
Alignment While many of the more well known aaranos are evildoers, Aaranos, like humans, cover a broad spectrum of both good and evil alignments.
Speed Your walking speed is 30, as is your climbing speed. You can also cling to vertical surfaces and ceilings provided it isn't made of smooth metal or glass.
Languages Aaranos can speak common and undercommon
Traits
ASI Your dexterity score increases by 2 and your intelligence score increases by 1.
Dark Vision Aaranos have excellent vision in the dark. They can see up to 60ft in dim light as if it was bright light, and in darkness as if it was dim light. You can only see shades of gray in darkness.
Exoskeleton You take -1 damage from bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage from nonmagic sources. At the 11th level, the damage reduction increases to -2. This cannot reduce a weapon's damage attack below 1.
Venom Resilience You have advantage on checks and saving throws against being poisoned, and have resistance to poison and acid damage.

Sometimes called Seafolk, or Merfolk Erectus, these coastal merfolk have evolved legs and webbed feet instead of tails and fins, allowing them to walk on land as well as swim in water. They maintain their spined fins on their arms, head and back. They are very calm and welcoming of others, but are very strickt in their justice against neerdowells. Shallows merfolk stand straight at 5'5-5'8 feet, plus an extra half a foot for their fins.
Age Shallows merfolk reach maturity between 16-18 years, and live between 120-150 years.
Alignment Many seafolk maintain a neutral alignment
Languages Shallows merfolk can speak common and aquan.
Speed Shallows merfolk have a swim speed of 50. Their ground walking speed is 15+ their dexterity score.
Merfolk Weapon Training Merfolk are proficient in spears, tridents, nets and crossbows.
Traits
ASI Your wisdom score increases by 2, and your dexterity score increases by 1.
Deepvision Shallows merfolk have dark vision up to 60 feet, allowing them to see in dim light as if it was bright light, and darkness as if it was dim light. This range is doubled underwater.
Amphibious Shallows merfolk breathe both air and water. However, if they spend too much time on land without being exposed to water (including bathing, drinking, or standing in rain), they suffer the effects of level 1 exhaustion until they are rehydrated.
Icy Water You have resistance to cold damage and adapt well to cold climates.
Magic of the Sea You know the Prestigitation cantrip. Once you reach the 4th level, you may cast Moonbeam once per day using this feature. Once you reach the 7th level, you may cast Suggestion once per day using this feature. Wisdom is the ability modifier for these spells.

Lizard beastians born of egg clutches. Those eggs that are baptized in dragonfire before they are hatched become dragonborn instead. They still stand well over 6 feet tall like their dragonborn kin, but are lighter and more agile.
Age Scaleborn age the same as dragonborn, achieving adulthood at age 15 and live to be around 80.
Alignment Scaleborn tend to extremes, making a conscious chice for one side or another in the cosmic war between good and evil. Most scaleborn are good, but those who lean towards evil can be terrible villains.
Speed Your base walking speed is 30ft
Languages Scaleborn can write and speak Common and Draconic
Traits
ASI Your strength, dexterity and intelligence scores each increase by 1.
Evolved Resistance Your starting health at the first level is increased by 1. At the 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th level, your hit points increase by an additional 2 points.
Reserved Stamina It takes you twice as long to suffer exhaustion from lack of food, water or sleep. In addition, you may use your action to suppress the effects of up to two levels of exhaustion for a number of minutes equal to your Constitution modifier plus 1 (minimum 1 minute). Once you do so, you must complete a long rest before using this feature again. This suppresses the effects of exhaustion but does not cure it.
Natural Advantage Choose one of the following features:
Swift Step Your base walking speed is 40
Aquatic Adaptation You have a swim speed of 30 and can hold your breath for an extra 2 minutes.
Surface Crawler You have a climb speed of 30 and can scale vertical and inverted surfaces that aren't made of smooth metal or glass. If you stop on the surface, you must succeed on a strength saving throw (DC: 12) or fall off.

Angels who's fallen from their graceful perch upon their ophanim cities. Their metal halos that normally surround their faces have been shattered, revealing eyes of steely silver to bluish white. Their bodies have also been reduced to under 5 feet tall, and their wings have been shorn off as punishment.
Age While angels are themselves immortal, sephirot have had their immortality stripped from them. While most sephirot are already fully mature, rare born sephirot-nephilim mature early at around 12 years, and live up to 200 years.
Alignment Most sephirot lean towards good or lawful alignments in an attempt to regain their angelic status. However, some were fallen for a reason, and keep to their mortal ways, maintaining their new alignment.
Speed Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Languages Sephirot can write and speak Common and Celestial.
Traits
ASI Your intelligence score increases by 2 and your charisma score increases by 1.
Celestial Alignment You have resistance to necrotic and radiant damage.
Angelic Wings If any effect grants you levitation or flying effects, a pair of illusionary gossimer angle wings appear on your back, but have no effect to your flight. If any other effect gives you wings, the wings will always appear angelic.
At the DM's discretion, you gain angel wings and gain a flying speed equal to your current speed. You can create these wings as a bonus action on your turn and can be dispelled as a bonus action. This would be based on your actions in your setting and whether or not it's worthy of redemption.
Beget Purity You have advantages on Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma saving throws made to resist or shake off nondamaging magical effects.
Martyr for the Greater You know the Guidance cantrip. In addition, upon recieving an Ability Score Improvement as part of levelling up, you may instead put one point into one ability score, up to a maximum of 20. If you do, you bestow an ally within range, allowing them to put one point into one of their ability scores, up to a maximum of 20. Upon reaching the 20th level, you gain feats based on the number of times you've bestowed an ally in an attepth to repent for your sins, as well as any other rewards listed below that tier.

1: You acquire the Boon of Fortitude, increasing your maximum health by 40.

2: You acquire the Boon of Recovery. Once per long rest, you may use a bonus action to regain half your hit point maximum as health.

3: If your class has access to spell slots, you gain the Boon of Spell Recall. Once per long rest, you may cast any spell you know without expending a spell slot. Otherwise, you gain the Boon of Superior Advantage. Once per long rest, you may treat a weapon attack roll of 10 or higher as a critical success.

4: You acquire the Boon of Immortality. You stop aging, you are immune to any effect that would age you, and you can't die from old age.

5: You gain six ability points, distributed as you choose, towards your ability scores.

6: You acquire the Boon of Celestials. Pick two ability scores. Those scores increase to 22. You are also considered a celestial being, and have your halo around your eyes restored.

JNAProductions
2016-08-13, 10:58 AM
Ferrogans-Blindsight is way too powerful. Remove it.

Tigard-No advantage when hidden is most of a feat. Remove that. In addition, you can already move full speed while stealthed, so this is just +10' speed so long as you're rolling Stealth. Don't remove it... But change it. Because right now, it makes no sense. In addition, make the climbing speed 20'.

Kitsune-The tails are pretty OP. But they are wholly DM dependent... Honestly, I would make a Kistune Prestige Class centered around growing more tails instead of making it racial.

Kitsune Nise-Tricksters should just give proficiency in Deception, not advantage.

Aaranos-Seem fine. A bit odd, but fine.

Shallows Merfolk-Speed should be 15+Dex, max 30. THey shouldn't be FASTER than landlubbers. Otherwise, seems fine.

Scaleborn-Swift Step should be 35', not 40. Surface Crawler should give a 20' climb speed.

Sephirot-This is just... It's not a race. It's a gorram class. I would HIGHLY recommend completely reworking this race, as it stands, it's just way too funky. (And not good funky.) Cool idea, though.

Overall! I think you've done good work here. Everything needs minor adjustments, but nothing is beyond salvaging. Props to you.

VertDeLion
2016-08-16, 11:26 PM
Ferrogans-Blindsight is way too powerful. Remove it.

Tigard-No advantage when hidden is most of a feat. Remove that. In addition, you can already move full speed while stealthed, so this is just +10' speed so long as you're rolling Stealth. Don't remove it... But change it. Because right now, it makes no sense. In addition, make the climbing speed 20'.

Kitsune-The tails are pretty OP. But they are wholly DM dependent... Honestly, I would make a Kistune Prestige Class centered around growing more tails instead of making it racial.

Kitsune Nise-Tricksters should just give proficiency in Deception, not advantage.

Aaranos-Seem fine. A bit odd, but fine.

Shallows Merfolk-Speed should be 15+Dex, max 30. THey shouldn't be FASTER than landlubbers. Otherwise, seems fine.

Scaleborn-Swift Step should be 35', not 40. Surface Crawler should give a 20' climb speed.

Sephirot-This is just... It's not a race. It's a gorram class. I would HIGHLY recommend completely reworking this race, as it stands, it's just way too funky. (And not good funky.) Cool idea, though.

Overall! I think you've done good work here. Everything needs minor adjustments, but nothing is beyond salvaging. Props to you.

Ferrogans is now KEEN SENSES "you have advantages on perception checks relying on smell or hearing.

Kitsune-nise have been adjusted based on suggestion.

Tigards: at the time of writing, i read the PHB as requiring to move slower to move stealthily. I may have misread that. LIGHT SLEEPER has been removed. GRACEFUL FOOTSTEPS changed to: You have resistance to falling damage and always land on your feet. In addition, while you are on even, man-made ground, you have advantages against being unwillingly moved such as being shoved or being knocked prone.

Scaleborn and Merfolk have been adjusted.

Sephirot has been removed. It was just a request from one of my friends anyways.

JNAProductions
2016-08-16, 11:32 PM
Ferrogans is now KEEN SENSES "you have advantages on perception checks relying on smell or hearing.

Kitsune-nise have been adjusted based on suggestion.

Tigards: at the time of writing, i read the PHB as requiring to move slower to move stealthily. I may have misread that. LIGHT SLEEPER has been removed. GRACEFUL FOOTSTEPS changed to: You have resistance to falling damage and always land on your feet. In addition, while you are on even, man-made ground, you have advantages against being unwillingly moved such as being shoved or being knocked prone.

Scaleborn and Merfolk have been adjusted.

Sephirot has been removed. It was just a request from one of my friends anyways.

Good, good... My master plan comes closer to fruition... :P

Good job on the races! With the adjustments made, I think these things are pretty much ready for playtesting!