Steel Mirror
2016-12-11, 04:48 AM
A long time ago, I set out to make some homebrew races for a campaign I was running that let players step a little further towards the monster manual end of things than the standard PHB options. That game is long over, but I recently dug up some of my notes and decided to put the finishing touches on several of my ideas. This race, the oni, is one of them.
Unlike their common portrayals in lots of media (including the Monster Manual), these oni are not actually demonic or evil in any way, though their fierce appearance and boisterous personalities have gotten them that reputation. Rather, these oni are a people who love to party, love to fight, and love to mix those two things together. They are also a race which is split into two groups, the red oni and the blue oni. If you want to read a bit of their culture, you can open up the fluff spoiler and read it there. If you don't care about that but are passingly curious about the mechanics I gave them, the Oni Traits spoiler is for you!
I appreciate any and all comments that you have. My goal was for this race to be interesting and distinct from the races that already exist, but still balanced when compared to them. Thanks for taking a look!
Oni
https://s18.postimg.org/z5r7g2r7t/Red_Oni_Blue_Oni_joshcorpuz85.jpg
Artist Credit: JoshCorpuz85 (http://joshcorpuz85.deviantart.com/) on deviantart
”Sometimes, I can’t believe the two of you are sisters,” said the cleric.
Across from him Ryoko yawned wide, one red arm effortlessly extended with her massive greataxe clasped in hand. The weapon almost scraped the roof of the ancient room that the group was waiting in, while nearby her sister Ari sat surrounded by a trio of torches, flipping madly through some dusty old tome.
"I know, right?" Ryoko said, finishing her yawn and resting the axe negligently over her shoulder. "She got all the brains, but it's okay cuz I got the looks." She took a pull from her wineskin and burped loudly with satisfaction.
Her sister sighed and rubbed her forehead between her two short blue horns. “Could you...not? I’m trying to translate these runes so that we can bypass this magical statue without poisoning our thief again, and without al-” Ari’s complaint was cut short by a massive booming noise and the pattering of shattered gravel as the statue in question exploded into chunks of pulverized stone.
“Oops,” said Ryoko. “I got bored by your prattling and accidentally destroyed the statue. So, I guess, problem solved!”
In the passage behind them, the sudden droning of millions of wings and the clicking of ravenous mandibles echoed through the corridors. And it was getting closer. “Without poisoning our thief again, AND without alerting the carrion swarms that we sneaked past earlier of our presence in the temple,” Ari said, completing her earlier statement through gritted teeth.
“Oh. Right. Well,” said the red sister, bouncing her axe from hand to hand. “I think I have a solution for that problem, too.”
The blue sister let out a long suffering sigh, then said, “Right, fine. Just let me get a few spells ready…”
Oni are among the most physically imposing people in the kingdoms. With their looming build, horns, pointed teeth, and exotic skin coloration, it is no wonder that early tales cast them as demons and ogres. They are also a people mysteriously divided in two, with red and blue oni often hailing from the same family but having distinct physical and personality traits.
Left to their own devices, Oni prefer to create smaller towns that rarely grow larger than a few hundred people, but many have adapted to the great cities of the kingdoms and can be found all over. They tend to find work in physically demanding professions such as mining, logging, construction, and airship building, though they also make powerful warriors and sorcery runs strong in their blood.
Children of the Sun and Moon
Legend says that the first oni were beasts who lived below the ground and didn’t know the sky. One day, the mightiest warrior of her generation grew curious and cracked the stone above her head so that she could walk onto the surface. She saw the Sun above and he saw her, and he fell in love, as he had never seen anything like her before. The Sun’s love marked her so that she could stand in the light, and he promised to make the whole world his gift if she and her clan came to the surface to live with him.
She went back below the earth and spoke of what she had seen, of a beautiful sky bright with a fire that didn’t burn, and her clan could see that she was changed. But they were afraid of what they did not understand, so they sent the wisest man in the clan, her brother, to make sure it was safe.
He emerged from the crack she had made and into the cool moonlight, and he looked in vain for the bright fire in the sky. The Moon saw him and fell in love, because she had never seen anything like him before. The Moon marked him with her power to let him see in the night, and promised to make the entire world her gift to him and his clan if they came to the surface to live with her.
When he came back to his people, he argued with his sister about what they had seen. The oni who believed the brother became the favored of the Moon, those who preferred the sister’s tale became the favored of the Sun.
Thus the first oni were divided into red and blue. But because the Sun and the Moon had both promised the world to their beloved, neither was able to completely fulfill their promise. Ever since, the oni have been destined to struggle against the beasts and the elements and the other races of the surface. Legend says that one day the oni people will prove themselves worthy to both the Sun and the Moon. On that day the promises of both will be fulfilled, and the oni will inherit the world.
The Red and the Blue
Oni are born with pale skin, but go through a gradual transformation as they reach young adulthood. Their skin and hair colors slowly deepen, becoming tinged with either reddish or bluish hues which intensify as they age. According to traditional oni religion this reflects their being chosen by either the Lord Sun or Lady Moon, though other explanations, from environmental influences to inheritable factors to subconscious choice have been proposed. The truth is that nobody knows for certain, and even identical twins can undergo opposing transformations.
What is known is that each group tends to embody distinct personality traits (whether oni develop them as a result of their color or their color is determined as a result of their personality is an endless debate). Red oni are focused on passion and the whims of immediate gratification. They are formidable in a conflict but exuberant and uninhibited in celebration, constantly seeking extremes and hunting for new sensations. Blue oni, on the other hand, are driven by ambition and a fascination with the world’s infinite variety. They still enjoy celebration, though this usually takes the form of appreciating the finer things in life rather than indulging wildly.
These personality traits are not universal, and there are plenty of patient red oni and party animal blue oni. More often than not, though, a oni will fulfill many of the expected personality types of his or her respective group.
Oni Culture
Despite their fearsome appearances, oni are no more inclined to war or evil than the other races of the kingdoms, though red oni are notoriously quarrelsome and given to brawling over perceived slights. They make up for it by being equally willing to let bygones be bygones, especially if you’re willing to buy them a drink.
If someone does threaten a oni community with war, however, they are more than able to oblige. Red oni are known for producing powerful warriors, especially berserkers, who charge into battle wearing stylized war masks featuring grotesquely exaggerated oni features in order to intimidate enemies. Blue oni can become terrifying assassins and mages, particularly warlocks.
Oni of any color love a good party, and they are known throughout the kingdoms for throwing good festivals and for doing so given even the smallest excuse. Oni love alcohol and love drinking, and any good oni would match up his village’s berry and grain spirits against the greatest dwarven brews and elven wines in the world. Their capacity for drink is legendary, and not for nothing is the expression "drunk as an oni" a common byword for boisterous inebriation throughout the land.
Oni Names
Male Names: Amon, Ao, Iblis, Ken, Maro, Ravan
Female Names: Akai, Bethe, Kali, Mara, Rem, Ryoko
Family Names: Aduna, Irawan, Kusuma, Sumadi, Vishwa
Oni Traits
Oni are physically imposing and socially outgoing, larger than life in all aspects of their existence.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2 and your Charisma score increases by 1.
Age. Oni mature and age at about the same rate as humans.
Alignment. Oni are pragmatic but principled, and are so spread out in the world that they can be found in any career and creed. Red oni tend towards chaos and blue towards being lawful, but otherwise they run the complete gamut.
Size. Oni are tall and very powerfully built, seven and a half feet tall is not unheard of and they can weigh in excess of 350 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your walking speed is 30 feet.
Oni War Training. You gain proficiency in light and medium armor as well as mauls.
Iron Stomach. Whenever you roll a 1 on a Constitution saving throw, treat the result as a 20 instead.
Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Giant.
Subrace. Though not technically subraces, choose either red oni or blue oni.
Red OniOni chosen by the sun have various shades of red skin. Their hair tends to be lighter than their skin, and can be anything from coppery blonde to fiery red. They are typically more spontaneous, proud, competitive, and gregarious than those chosen by the Moon.
Burning Eyes. You have advantage on saving throws against being blinded, and magic can’t blind you.
Lesser Regeneration. If your hit point total is half your maximum or lower, you can spend a reaction to activate lesser regeneration. While this ability is active, you regain a number of hit points equal to 1 + your Constitution modifier (minimum 1) at the start of your turn if you have at least 1 hit point. Lesser regeneration lasts for three rounds at 1st level, four rounds starting at 3rd level, and five rounds starting at 5th level. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.
Blue OniOni who were marked by the moon have bluish or greenish skin and hair, and their eyes glint in the dark with reflected light, like a cat’s. They tend to be more analytical, traditional, ambitious, and refined than those chosen by the Sun.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light.
Overwhelming. After rolling for damage, you may choose to reroll any number of damage dice and take the new results instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.
Unlike their common portrayals in lots of media (including the Monster Manual), these oni are not actually demonic or evil in any way, though their fierce appearance and boisterous personalities have gotten them that reputation. Rather, these oni are a people who love to party, love to fight, and love to mix those two things together. They are also a race which is split into two groups, the red oni and the blue oni. If you want to read a bit of their culture, you can open up the fluff spoiler and read it there. If you don't care about that but are passingly curious about the mechanics I gave them, the Oni Traits spoiler is for you!
I appreciate any and all comments that you have. My goal was for this race to be interesting and distinct from the races that already exist, but still balanced when compared to them. Thanks for taking a look!
Oni
https://s18.postimg.org/z5r7g2r7t/Red_Oni_Blue_Oni_joshcorpuz85.jpg
Artist Credit: JoshCorpuz85 (http://joshcorpuz85.deviantart.com/) on deviantart
”Sometimes, I can’t believe the two of you are sisters,” said the cleric.
Across from him Ryoko yawned wide, one red arm effortlessly extended with her massive greataxe clasped in hand. The weapon almost scraped the roof of the ancient room that the group was waiting in, while nearby her sister Ari sat surrounded by a trio of torches, flipping madly through some dusty old tome.
"I know, right?" Ryoko said, finishing her yawn and resting the axe negligently over her shoulder. "She got all the brains, but it's okay cuz I got the looks." She took a pull from her wineskin and burped loudly with satisfaction.
Her sister sighed and rubbed her forehead between her two short blue horns. “Could you...not? I’m trying to translate these runes so that we can bypass this magical statue without poisoning our thief again, and without al-” Ari’s complaint was cut short by a massive booming noise and the pattering of shattered gravel as the statue in question exploded into chunks of pulverized stone.
“Oops,” said Ryoko. “I got bored by your prattling and accidentally destroyed the statue. So, I guess, problem solved!”
In the passage behind them, the sudden droning of millions of wings and the clicking of ravenous mandibles echoed through the corridors. And it was getting closer. “Without poisoning our thief again, AND without alerting the carrion swarms that we sneaked past earlier of our presence in the temple,” Ari said, completing her earlier statement through gritted teeth.
“Oh. Right. Well,” said the red sister, bouncing her axe from hand to hand. “I think I have a solution for that problem, too.”
The blue sister let out a long suffering sigh, then said, “Right, fine. Just let me get a few spells ready…”
Oni are among the most physically imposing people in the kingdoms. With their looming build, horns, pointed teeth, and exotic skin coloration, it is no wonder that early tales cast them as demons and ogres. They are also a people mysteriously divided in two, with red and blue oni often hailing from the same family but having distinct physical and personality traits.
Left to their own devices, Oni prefer to create smaller towns that rarely grow larger than a few hundred people, but many have adapted to the great cities of the kingdoms and can be found all over. They tend to find work in physically demanding professions such as mining, logging, construction, and airship building, though they also make powerful warriors and sorcery runs strong in their blood.
Children of the Sun and Moon
Legend says that the first oni were beasts who lived below the ground and didn’t know the sky. One day, the mightiest warrior of her generation grew curious and cracked the stone above her head so that she could walk onto the surface. She saw the Sun above and he saw her, and he fell in love, as he had never seen anything like her before. The Sun’s love marked her so that she could stand in the light, and he promised to make the whole world his gift if she and her clan came to the surface to live with him.
She went back below the earth and spoke of what she had seen, of a beautiful sky bright with a fire that didn’t burn, and her clan could see that she was changed. But they were afraid of what they did not understand, so they sent the wisest man in the clan, her brother, to make sure it was safe.
He emerged from the crack she had made and into the cool moonlight, and he looked in vain for the bright fire in the sky. The Moon saw him and fell in love, because she had never seen anything like him before. The Moon marked him with her power to let him see in the night, and promised to make the entire world her gift to him and his clan if they came to the surface to live with her.
When he came back to his people, he argued with his sister about what they had seen. The oni who believed the brother became the favored of the Moon, those who preferred the sister’s tale became the favored of the Sun.
Thus the first oni were divided into red and blue. But because the Sun and the Moon had both promised the world to their beloved, neither was able to completely fulfill their promise. Ever since, the oni have been destined to struggle against the beasts and the elements and the other races of the surface. Legend says that one day the oni people will prove themselves worthy to both the Sun and the Moon. On that day the promises of both will be fulfilled, and the oni will inherit the world.
The Red and the Blue
Oni are born with pale skin, but go through a gradual transformation as they reach young adulthood. Their skin and hair colors slowly deepen, becoming tinged with either reddish or bluish hues which intensify as they age. According to traditional oni religion this reflects their being chosen by either the Lord Sun or Lady Moon, though other explanations, from environmental influences to inheritable factors to subconscious choice have been proposed. The truth is that nobody knows for certain, and even identical twins can undergo opposing transformations.
What is known is that each group tends to embody distinct personality traits (whether oni develop them as a result of their color or their color is determined as a result of their personality is an endless debate). Red oni are focused on passion and the whims of immediate gratification. They are formidable in a conflict but exuberant and uninhibited in celebration, constantly seeking extremes and hunting for new sensations. Blue oni, on the other hand, are driven by ambition and a fascination with the world’s infinite variety. They still enjoy celebration, though this usually takes the form of appreciating the finer things in life rather than indulging wildly.
These personality traits are not universal, and there are plenty of patient red oni and party animal blue oni. More often than not, though, a oni will fulfill many of the expected personality types of his or her respective group.
Oni Culture
Despite their fearsome appearances, oni are no more inclined to war or evil than the other races of the kingdoms, though red oni are notoriously quarrelsome and given to brawling over perceived slights. They make up for it by being equally willing to let bygones be bygones, especially if you’re willing to buy them a drink.
If someone does threaten a oni community with war, however, they are more than able to oblige. Red oni are known for producing powerful warriors, especially berserkers, who charge into battle wearing stylized war masks featuring grotesquely exaggerated oni features in order to intimidate enemies. Blue oni can become terrifying assassins and mages, particularly warlocks.
Oni of any color love a good party, and they are known throughout the kingdoms for throwing good festivals and for doing so given even the smallest excuse. Oni love alcohol and love drinking, and any good oni would match up his village’s berry and grain spirits against the greatest dwarven brews and elven wines in the world. Their capacity for drink is legendary, and not for nothing is the expression "drunk as an oni" a common byword for boisterous inebriation throughout the land.
Oni Names
Male Names: Amon, Ao, Iblis, Ken, Maro, Ravan
Female Names: Akai, Bethe, Kali, Mara, Rem, Ryoko
Family Names: Aduna, Irawan, Kusuma, Sumadi, Vishwa
Oni Traits
Oni are physically imposing and socially outgoing, larger than life in all aspects of their existence.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2 and your Charisma score increases by 1.
Age. Oni mature and age at about the same rate as humans.
Alignment. Oni are pragmatic but principled, and are so spread out in the world that they can be found in any career and creed. Red oni tend towards chaos and blue towards being lawful, but otherwise they run the complete gamut.
Size. Oni are tall and very powerfully built, seven and a half feet tall is not unheard of and they can weigh in excess of 350 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your walking speed is 30 feet.
Oni War Training. You gain proficiency in light and medium armor as well as mauls.
Iron Stomach. Whenever you roll a 1 on a Constitution saving throw, treat the result as a 20 instead.
Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Giant.
Subrace. Though not technically subraces, choose either red oni or blue oni.
Red OniOni chosen by the sun have various shades of red skin. Their hair tends to be lighter than their skin, and can be anything from coppery blonde to fiery red. They are typically more spontaneous, proud, competitive, and gregarious than those chosen by the Moon.
Burning Eyes. You have advantage on saving throws against being blinded, and magic can’t blind you.
Lesser Regeneration. If your hit point total is half your maximum or lower, you can spend a reaction to activate lesser regeneration. While this ability is active, you regain a number of hit points equal to 1 + your Constitution modifier (minimum 1) at the start of your turn if you have at least 1 hit point. Lesser regeneration lasts for three rounds at 1st level, four rounds starting at 3rd level, and five rounds starting at 5th level. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.
Blue OniOni who were marked by the moon have bluish or greenish skin and hair, and their eyes glint in the dark with reflected light, like a cat’s. They tend to be more analytical, traditional, ambitious, and refined than those chosen by the Sun.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light.
Overwhelming. After rolling for damage, you may choose to reroll any number of damage dice and take the new results instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.