The Misty's Shadows Homebrewed Humanoids - PEACH

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

So, you're doubtlessly wondering what the hell is going on. Well, to put things simply, I've got a huge array (70+, at last counting) of homebrewed races for 5e that I want to get critiqued, plus plans for future races beyond that. For obvious reasons, I can't post each race here individually; I'd drown us all. But, at the same time, I can't hope to get any reviews or comments if I put them all in one thread - wall of text to the nth degree. So, I tried to compromise and instead make a relatively small group of splinter topics that I can post them under in more manageable numbers.

To see these races in their natural habitat, follow the linked google-doc: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XovWm65MSmIzQWSMDMXo0_aIpZgq9YSa2KkpO3kThS4/edit#

To see the index of all my 5e homebrew, follow this linked thread: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?516554-The-Misty-Shadow-s-Absurd-Amount-of-5e-Homebrew-PEACH

This is something of a catch-all topic for my racial homebrewing threads. Anything that doesn't fit in one of the others, will fit here. So far, that makes it one of the smaller threads, but I do want to update the Spellscales of 3.5's Races of the Dragon at one point, so that is something to look towards.

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

The Vyrkoloka was a dhampyr-esque race introduced in 4th edition's Heroes of the Shadowfell. Cursed by lingering taints of vampirism, the Vyrkolokas are a fallen clan of nobles with many blood-fueled powers.

Vyrloka
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Charisma, +1 Strength OR +1 Dexterity
Size: Medium
Speed: 35 feet
Vision: Darkvision
Taint of the Grave: A Vyrkloka has Resistance to Necrotic Damage.
Goremonger: When a Vyrloka reduces an enemy creature to 0 hit points, it can use its Reaction to acquire one of the following benefits; Dash towards the nearest enemy in sight, heal missing hit points equal to the creature’s CR, or gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls until the end of its next turn.

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

Pathfinder's Changelings might lead to a confusion with Eberron's lesser doppelgangers based on their name, but the idea of hags having mostly but not quite human offspring was one that resonated with me, and so I eagerly sought to convert them. In addition to wanting peoples' opinions on whether this iteration is balanced or not, I've been wondering if maybe I should redo the concept to make use of the five Hag races that are actually "canon" to 5e; Green Hag, Sea Hag, Annis Hag, Night Hag and Bhuer Hag.

Haglings
Also known as “changelings”, haglings are the mortal daughters of hags, unearthly visions of loveliness who are tainted by their fae ancestry; hags seek to lure their progeny into accepting “the call” and becoming new generations of hags.

Hagling Racial Core:
Ability Modifier: +2 Charisma
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 feet
Vision: Darkvision 60 feet
Claws: A hagling’s Unarmed Strikes do d4 slashing damage.
Haggish Ancestry: A hagling belongs to the lineage of a particular kind of hag. Choose one of the Hag Ancestry options to determine the rest of your racial modifiers and abilities. The options are Annis Hag, Green Hag, Sea Hag, Night Hag, Blood Hag, Mute Hag, Storm Hag, Mute Hag, and Winter Hag.

Annis Hag Ancestry:
Ability Modifier: +1 Strength
Claws of Iron: An annis hagling does 1d6 slashing damage with her unarmed strikes instead of 1d4.
Hulking Witch: An annis hagling that reaches 3rd level may cast the Enlarge/Reduce spell once per long rest, targeting only herself, and only in its Enlarge format. Charisma is the spellcasting ability for this spell.
Unholy Hide: Once per short rest, an annis hagling may grant herself resistance to nonmagical, non-silvered slashing weapons for 1 minute.

Green Hag Ancestry:
Ability Modifier: +1 Wisdom
Mimicry: A green hagling may attempt to mimic the voice of a humanoid or the call of an animal. Listeners can attempt to pierce this deception by making a Wisdom (Insight) check. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + the hagling's Charisma modifier + the hagling's proficiency bonus.
Deceptive Charms: A green hagling knows the Dancing Lights, Minor Illusion and Vicious Mockery cantrips.

Sea Hag Ancestry:
Ability Modifier: +1 Constitution
Ocean Born: A sea hagling has a Swim speed of 30 feet and Advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks made to swim under difficult conditions.
Sea Lungs: A sea hagling can breath water and air.
Frightful Glare: The gaze of an angry sea hagling can horrify almost as much as the appearance of her hag mother. Once per short rest, a sea hagling may make a gaze attack against any creature that is within 30 feet; targets must pass a Wisdom check or be Frightened for 1 minute. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + the hagling's Charisma modifier + the hagling's proficiency bonus.

Night Hag Ancestry:
Ability Modifier: +1 Intelligence
Somnambulant Charms: A night hagling can cast Sleep as a 1st level spell once per short rest.
Fiendish Resilience: A night hagling has Resistance to Fire and Cold. Once per long rest, a night hagling may grant herself resistance to non-magical, non-silvered bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage for 1 minute.

Blood Hag Ancestry:
Ability Modifier: +1 Intelligence
Fireproof: A blood hagling has Resistance to Fire.
Crawling Skin: A blood hagling has Advantage on checks made to physically disguise herself.
Burning Hexcraft: A blood hagling has the following spell-like abilities. A 1st level blood hagling has the Control Flames (Elemental Evil Player's Guide) and Fire Bolt cantrips. At 3rd level, she gains the ability to cast Burning Hands once per short rest as a 1st level spell. At 5th level, she gains the ability to cast Aganazzar's Scorcher (Elemental Evil Player's Guide) once per short rest as a 2nd level spell.

Mute Hag Ancestry:
Ability Modifier: +1 Wisdom
Blind: A mute hagling's eyes do not function, leaving them blind, though their mystical heritage enables them to adapt. A mute hagling automatically fails all checks based on sight. However, she has Blindsight 60 feet instead of Darkvision 60 feet. Additionally, she has Advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks made using any of her other senses.
Mute: A mute hagling does not have a voice, at least not one that can be heard with the ears. A mute hagling may communicate with a single creature within 30 feet by use of telepathy, but cannot make any verbal sounds.
Thief of Sight: A mute hagling gains two spell-like abilities, each of which that she may use once per short rest, upon reaching third level. She may use Invisibility (self only) and Blindness (as per Blindness/Deafness, but can only inflict the Blind condition), both as 2nd level spells.

Storm Hag Ancestry:
Ability Modifier: +1 Dexterity
Stormborn: A storm hagling has Resistance to Lightning and Thunder damage.
Claws of the Storm: A storm hagling inflicts Slashing and Lightning damage with her unarmed strikes.
Windherder: A storm hagling knows the Gust and Thunderclap cantrips as spell-like abilities. Both are found in the Elemental Evil Player's Companion.

Winter Hag Ancestry:
Ability Modifier: +1 Constitution
Frostlaced Flesh: A winter hagling has Resistance to cold damage, leaves no tracks in snow, and has Advantage on any checks made to survive in a cold environment.
Breath of Winter: A winter hagling has a breath weapon that she may use once per short rest. This breath weapon is a 15ft cone that inflicts Cold damage and forces those caught within it to make a DC (8 + hagling's Con bonus + hagling's proficiency bonus) Constitution save. Targets that succeed in this save take only half damage. The winter hagling's breath weapon inflicts 2d6 Cold damage, increasing to 3D6 at 6th level, 4d6 at 11th level, and 5d6 at 16th level.

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

Last, but certainly not least, we have the Caliban race. This species was introduced in the 3rd edition campaign setting corebook for Ravenloft; mechanically, it was just a half-orc, but its flavor text was reskinned. Calibans are the Gothic Mutants of the Ravenloft setting, humans born deformed and unsightly due to ancestral sins, curses, prenatal exposure to black magic, and similar dark corruptive encounters. This was awesome flavor, but as Half-Orcs were amongst the worst race in 3e, mechanically, they suffered immensely. All this changed in issue #8 of the Ravenloft fan-work netzine, "Quoth the Raven", where a fan by the username of Shadowking wrote an article called Brutes and Banshees. This buffed the Caliban immensely in two ways; by creating a massive array of diverse mutations to actually give the Caliban, and by creating five distinct subraces of Caliban; Banshees (gothic lovelies of eerie beauty with one foot in the grave), Beasts (manimal type mutants), Brutes (the hideously strong & tough mutants, closest to the "Gothic Half-Orc/Ogre" flavor), Cannibals (living ghouls) and Witchspawn (born warlocks with stereotypical witch/demon's mark type mutations).

Now, the Caliban race is immensely important to me. As a post-apocalyptic fantasy setting, my Malebolge setting needs Calibans for the obvious "mutant" race-slot, so I have got to get these guys and gals working. I can and will gladly share the content of the original Brutes & Banshees article here if folks are unable to referene it in Quoth the Raven, but I desperately want to discuss this race, so PEACH.


Caliban
Human offspring tainted in the womb by dark forces or eldritch taint may be born as unearthly mutants, collectively known as “calibans”. Though many unique mutations or subspecies exist, five particular strains are especially endemic; the eerily lovely Banshees, the manimals known simply as Beasts, hulking orc or ogre-like Brutes, the crypt-crawling rapacious horrors called Cannibals, and the aptly named Witchbreed, with their innate affinity for dark magic. Calibans are most ubiquitous to the Demiplane of Dread.

Caliban Racial Core:
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 feet
Darkvision 60 feet
Freakish Horror: A Caliban automatically has Proficiency in Charisma (Intimidation) checks.
Unnatural Blood: A Caliban belongs to one of the five subraces; Banshee, Bestial, Brute, Cannibal or Witchspawn. Acquire the additional abilities determined by one subrace.

Banshee Subrace:
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Charisma, +1 Intelligence
Cold Blooded: Existing with the chill in the grave racing through their blood, Banshees are hardly touched by mundane cold. A Banshee Caliban has Resistance to Cold.
Deathly Pallor: You have disadvantage on saving throws to resist diseases and poisons.
Ghostly Keening: As an action, you can cause each creature in a 10-foot radius sphere originating from you to make a Wisdom saving throw. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus. A creature takes 1d6 psychic damage and 1d6 thunder damage on a failed save and are frightened by you until the end of your next turn. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage and is not frightened. The psychic and thunder damage increases to 2d6 at 6th level, 3d6 at 11th level, and 4d6 at 16th level. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Bestial Subrace:
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Strength, +1 Wisdom
Feral Instincts: A Beast suffers Disadvantage on Intelligence checks.
Hide of the Beast: A Beast Caliban’s unarmored AC is 11 + Dexterity modifier.
Natural Weapons: A Beast always has some uniquely useful offensive mutation. At character creation, choose one option for modifying your Unarmed Strike damage: inflict Slashing damage, inflict Piercing damage, or boost Bludgeoning damage to a base of 1d4 points. This choice cannot be changed later.
Run With The Pack: A Beast invariably has some mutation that increases its mobility in some way. Choose one of the options below to determine your specific bonus: you cannot alter this selection afterwards.

Loping Fiend: Your base walking speed increases to 35 feet.
Treetop Scrambler: You gain a Climb speed of 20 feet and have Advantage on Strength (Athletics) and Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks. Your base walking speed decreases to 25 feet.
Horror from the Deep: You gain a Swim speed of 30 feet and the Amphibious trait, allowing you to breathe both water and air. Your base walking speed decreases to 20 feet.
Winged Abomination: You gain a Fly speed of 20 feet and suffer Vulnerability to Bludgeoning damage.



Brute Subrace:
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Strength, +1 Constitution
Powerful Build: A Brute counts as one size larger when determining its carrying capacity and the weight it can push, drag, or lift.
Juggernaut: A Brute counts its Strength as +2 higher for dealing damage with Unarmed Strikes, and can add its Proficiency bonus to Strength checks made to break objects.
Savage Grapple: When a Brute successfully grapples an opponent, it can deal damage as though it had made an unarmed strike. Additionally, if it begins its turn grappling an opponent, it has advantage on rolls to attack its grappled opponent with an unarmed strike.
Hot-Blooded: A Brute suffers Disadvantage on saves to avoid having its emotions manipulated.

Cannibal Subrace:
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Dexterity, +1 Constitution
Eater of Vile Things: Cannibals possess Resistance (Poison) and are immune to non-magical diseases. A Cannibal can still become infected with a disease for purposes of carrying it and spreading it to other creatures.
It Will Not Die: A Cannibal passes Death Saving Throws on a 5 or higher, instead of a 10 or higher. It also has Advantage on saving throws made to avoid being rendered Unconscious.
Graveworm: Cannibals possess a Climb speed of 20 feet, can Squeeze through spaces sized for a creature two size categories smaller than they are, suffer no penalties for squeezing through a space sized for a creature one size category smaller than they are, and may crawl at their normal speed.

Witchspawn Subrace:
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Intelligence, +1 Charisma
Hexcrafter: A Witchspawn knows three spells of its choice taken from the Warlock spell list. A cantrip at first level, a 1st level spell at third level, and a 2nd level spell at fifth level. A Witchspawn's racial spells use Intelligence as a casting trait and cast at their default level. A witchspawn's racial cantrip may be used at will. Its racial 1st and 2nd level spells may each be cast once per long rest.
Blood Magic: A Witchspawn may sacrifice hit dice when casting a spell through its Hexcrafter trait to increase its effectiveness as if the witchspawn had increased the spell's slot. Each hit dice sacrificed increases the effective spell slot of the Hexcrafter spell by 1 level.
Spell-Seared Flesh: A Witchspawn is treated as being one size smaller for determining its carrying, pushing and pulling capacity. It also suffers Disadvantage on Constitution checks.

[zeek0]

I rather like your work, so I'm going to give you extensive feedback!

Vyrloka
I would just take the plunge and choosd either dex or str. Dex is your safer option, since everyone can use it.

Hag Core
Claws - I'll mention this once, but it applies to all your homebrew. I think that adding unarmed strike damage is marginally useful. Either you are a monk and the racial feature is not useful, or you have better means to cause damage.

Annis
Hulking Witch - If I remember right, the enlarge/reduce spell description is small. As with any spell you modify, it feels cleaner to just state the new effects.
Unholy Hide - well balanced

Green Hag
Not broken, but not exciting either. Not as strong as the Annis.

Sea Hag
Good abilities and such. Not as strong as Annis.

Night Hag
Both of these abilities are fine on their own, but together are rather strong. Can you add a passive ability instead for one of these?

Blood Hag
Good stuff, I dig the fire theme.

Mute Hag
This is my favorite. I think that the blindness/deafness spell is fine as it is.

Storm Hag
Dealing both slashing and lightning damage is confusing. What if a creature is resistant to slashing damage?

Winter Hag
My favorite ability among the hags is frostlaced flesh. It's interesting and flavorful.

Caliban Core
Nothing to note.

Banshee
Quite fine.

Bestial
I loathe debuffs as racial qualities, because it limits what the race can possibly be played as. I love that orcs can be wizards and dwarves can be sorcerers - nota possibility in 3.5. An example of a beastly intelligencer is Beast from X-Men, and I think that this subrace should allow such irregularities.
Hide of the Beast is almost always useless. Either you have Unarmored Defense, or you have armor.
I have the same sentiments about Natural Weapons. As a ribbon it's great however.
Run with the Pack is wonderful. I think that Horror from the deep doesn't need a speed reduction, or 25 is sufficient. I'm wary of Winged Abomination, especially since it is far and above the best choice. Are the wings fully functional? If not, they can allow you to fly for a round as long as you land at the end, or can only allow gliding.

Brute
Juggernaut is useless for many characters, but is otherwise fine. Do brutes have any social or cultural qualities?

Cannibal
I think Graveworm I your best work in everything I read.

Witchspawn
It might make sense to either choose the specific spells or limit them by type of spell. Otherwise this feature is too much.
Bloodcrafter - Not all spells get benefits from being cast at a higher level, by this may not be a problem.


I have a few general comments:
Take a look at the format and tone. The PHB does this well, and copying it has no shame in it. For example, the format of spell-like abilities is difficult to read, and you use the third person throughout.

Your races focus mostly on the physical. But what does their society or culture do to them? The martial proficiencies of elves is one example. Ribbons like Stonecunning can really make a race or subrace unique.

I'm welcome to discussion, so let me know what you think. I look forward to seeing more of your work.

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

Thank you very much, Zeek0, for being the first to speak up! I enjoy discussing my work, so I'm looking forward to conversing with folks about these and all my other races.

Query; as I actually have a diverse array of races essential for my Malebolge homebrew setting, maybe they should be lumped together in teir own thread?

Anyway, on to replying to your replies!


General Comments:
I know that unarmed strike damage mods are pure ribbons, since they're of little import compared to other features, but they're flavorful.

Social/cultural abilities tend to not be something I do, mainly because I don't think that's a hugely important field for racial traits. Not every culture is the same - my Malebolge orks, for example, are descended from elves alchemically warped into warrior-slaves, but are not the Usually Chaotic Evil barbarian raiders of mainstream orks - and so what's valid for one iteration of the race is not necessarily universally.

Though, really, my primary issue is that I hve trouble coming up with social/cultural abilities and so I'd really like to talk about ways to make that a thing where possible. For calibans though, it's not particularly possible because calibans have no culture of their own; in Ravenloft, they are mutant humans who are shunned, hated and loathed by their non-tainted kin, experiencing all the disgust and abhorrence that Victorian London would give, say, the cast of Freaks.

Yes, formatting is something of a weakness of mine. I could use suggestions on fixing that up.


Haglings
Actually, looking at Enlarge/Reduce in my PHB, saying "you can cast the Enlarge version only, and only on yourself" is pretty much the easier way to say it.

Yeah, that's the problem with my haglings in general; I fear they swing from balanced but bland (Green Hagling, Sea Hagling) to flavorful but overpowered (everything else).

I honestly couldn't think of anything more passive for the Night Hagling than Fiendish Charms, although I agree that it's overpowered. What if Sleep doesn't become availible until it hits 3rd level and is a 1/day thing? And what if Fiendish Resilience simply gives Advantage to saves vs. Charm, Fear and Sleep and allows it to reduce Fire, Frost and Poison damage by the greater of 1 or its Intelligence modifier?

With dual-typed damage, my house-rule is that you need to be resistant to both types in order to apply resistance. Otherwise, you just can't hope to shrug it. But, Claws of the Storm might just need a rework - say, 1 Slashing + Cha modifier Lightning?


Calibans
Yeah, I know where you're coming from with the negative traits. I've always opposed negative ability score modifiers for that reason. I thought that drawback racial traits might be flavorful without the pigeonholing - a Banshee's disadvantage to resisting poison and disease reflects their "consumptive beauty" fluff aspect without being as hindering to a Banshee fighter as the 3.5's -2 Constitution was. But, as you can see, either it needs drastic adjustments, or it needs to be dumped entirely.

Incidentally, if it would be helpful, I don't mind posting the fluff and mechanics for the original 3.5 Calibans here for reworking the race in 5e. As I said, this race is important to me for personal reasons.

Yes, Hide of the Beast and Natural Weapons are meant to be flavorful ribbons; in 3.5, the Beasts got a lot of offensive (Claws, Sharp Teeth, Projectile Vomit, Frog Tongue, etc) and defensive (Bones of Steel, Fur, Giant, Rough Skin, Rubbery, etc) mutations, so it's a natural fit.

Hrrm... for Winged Horror, what if it starts off as a Glide ability, which negates falling damage, and then grows into a flight speed as you level up? Say, 10 feet of flight speed per 5 levels? Although don't forget we have the 50ft fly speed at level 1 Aarakocra, and that the Tiefling can trade its spell-like abilities to have a 30ft fly speed at first level.

Juggernaut was purely intended as a ribbon aspect.

No, Brutes have no social/cultural traits really worth drawing from. As I said above, calibans are outcasts in Ravenloft, shunned and hated for their deformities - there's a reason they suffered a -5 penalty to all social skill checks in 3.5.

The Witchspawn is my biggest problem. Their whole identity is wrapped up in being natural born mages - sorcerers or warlocks, which actually raises the specter that an innate proficiency in Arcana is fitting as a trait for them. But, that makes it hard to choose what spells to actually give them. I'm almost tempted to give them a randomized daily allotment of spells, like the Abyssal Tiefling from WoTC's That Old Black Magic Unearthed Arcana, but I don't think that quite fits. So, yeah, I desperately need help in figuring out how to make these guys work.

For what it's worth, in 3.5, a Witchspawn could have 1d4+1 of these mutations:

Witch Fingers: The caliban has a sixth finger on each of his hands, which constantly twitches of its own accord. He gains +1 to hit with Touch attacks, but -2 to Pick Pocket.
Aberrant: The magic that warps the caliban has wholly distorted his very nature, making him an Aberration rather than a Humanoid like other calibans.
Dwarfism: The caliban is unnaturally small, almost to the point of looking like a shrunken version of the man he could be. He is Small size instead of Medium. Note: this deformity cannot stack with Giant.
Gaunt: The caliban is painfully gaunt no matter how much he eats, gaining DR 3/slashing and piercing weapons at the cost of -1 Con. Note: this deformity cannot stack with Increased Metabolism, Obesity or Twisted Organs.
Hunchback: The caliban has a hunched back, giving him -1 Dex for a +4 effective bonus to Charisma for the purpose of bestowing a curse.
Material Vulnerability: Magic flows strong in the caliban's blood, and he is resistant to physical damage except from a single material, which actually deals him extra damage. The caliban gains DR 3/material (usually iron or silver), but actually suffers 3 extra points of damage when attacked by weapons made of this material. An injection of this material in liquid form might even prove fatal to him.
Pale: The caliban's skin is unnaturally pale and he has an affinity for the dead, granting him +2 to either Psychic (good or neutral) or Reign Undead (neutral or evil) skills at the cost of suffering 1 point of damage for each hour of direct exposure to the sun.
Tail: The caliban has a malformed tail dangling from behind him, granting him +2 to Balance checks.
Touch of Unease: The caliban's skin is pulsing with power from beneath, which can make lesser men faint. Anyone who touches the caliban's bare skin with his own bare skin takes 1 point of subdual damage per round of contact, with no save. Outsiders and Fey are immune to this damage, as creatures of magic. Note: this deformity cannot stack with Slimy.
Twisted Organs: The caliban's innards are all twisted around and located in an unusual alignment (his heart might be down in his gut while his intestines weave around throughout his chest wrapping around the other organs etc.). This makes the Caliban weaker and more susceptible to poison and disease (-1 con) but makes his vital organs harder to find. Any roll to confirm a threat made against the Caliban is at –2 and anyone attempting to Sneak Attack him must make a DC 10 Spot check to find his vulnerable spots and successfully deliver a Sneak Attack (this Spot check is a free action). Note: this deformity cannot stack with Gaunt or Spinnerets.
Witch Nipple: The caliban, even if male, has a third nipple which secretes oily milk. A number of times per equal to half his Constituion modifier, the caliban can let others suckle from this milk, which takes 2 rounds and heals them of 1d6 HP. This is extremely painful for the caliban, and he suffers a -2 penalty to attack roles and skill checks during while breast-feeding. Note: this deformity cannot stack with Touch of Unease or Toxic Blood.
Backwards Eye: The caliban has a third eye in the back of his head. As long as he keeps it clear (no hats, scarves, helmets etc) he has 360 vision and cannot be flanked (except by a rogue 2 levels higher than himself) however the third eye distorts his depth perception giving him a -1 to all ranged attacks while it is open. Note: this deformity cannot stack with Cyclops.
Double Irises: The caliban has 2 pupils in his eyes instead of merely one. He gains +2 to Spot and Search checks but -1 to Wisdom, as he often sees things that shouldn’t be. Note: this deformity cannot stack with Swirling Eyes.
Eyes of Darkness: The caliban's eyes are two pools of pure darkness. He actually uses darkness for sight instead of light, and treats dark areas. This means he uses normal vision in dark areas but his sight is penalized in the light much like a normal human's sight in the dark and he is unable to see anything in areas of pure light (with no shadow of any kind. Note: this deformity cannot stack with Bloodshot Eyes, Bulbous Eyes, Double Irises and Swirling Eyes.
Swirling Eyes: The caliban's eyes constantly swirl in a hypnotic pattern, gaining +2 to Hypnosis checks at the cost of -2 to Spot checks. Note: this deformity cannot stack with Double Irises.
Angelic Visage: The caliban has an extremely beautiful, ever-youthful face, like that of an angelic doll. The caliban has an Outcast Rating of 4 instead of the usual 5, but suffers -2 to Intimidate checks as he is never taken seriously. Note: this deformity cannot stack with Face of Nightmare.
Face of Nightmare: The caliban's face is extremely hideous (either withered, mismatched or truly monstrous), gaining +2 to Intimidate checks but -2 to Diplomacy checks. Note: this deformity cannot stack with Angelic Visage.
Horns: The caliban has a pair of bestial horns jutting from his head, like those of a ram, a deer or even a demon. He gains a single gore attack which deals 1d4 points of damage and 2d4 points of damage when charging. This is considered a natural attack. Any hats or helmets worn by the caliban must be treated accordingly.
Large Ears: The caliban has large, pointed ears and might be mistaken for an elf or half-elf. He gains a +2 bonus to Listen checks, but suffers an extra point of damage from Sonic attacks.
Backwards Feet: The caliban's feet go backwards, and his tracks are altered proportionally. Those attempting to Track him gain a -4 penalty to Wilderness Lore checks unless they are aware of the deformity. Note: this deformity cannot stack with Quadruped.
Hooves: The caliban's legs are hoofed like those of a demon or satyr, granting him +10 speed on land. The caliban cannot wear boots, but instead may make use of magical hooves. Note: this deformity cannot stack with either Frogs Legs, Gorilla Feet or Webbed Limbs.
Deranged: The caliban was born mad. Upon his creation, roll a Madness check. The resulting madness cannot be cured normally. However, the caliban's madness gives him a freakish insight into that which is hidden, gaining +2 to Knowledge (Ravenloft) and Knowledge (Arcana) checks.
Magical Affinity: The caliban picks either a cantrip or a 1st level Wizard/Sorcerer or Druid spell and can use it thrice per day (if it is a cantrip) or once per day (if it is a 1st level spell) as a Sorcerer of his HD. The caliban's deformity is according to its magical affinity. For example, a caliban who can cast Unnerving Gaze has black, pupilless eyes, a caliban who can cast Alter Self has a face which appears to be made of clay, a caliban who can cast Grease has greasy hair and skin, while a caliban who can cast Burning Hands sweats constantly from the hands.
Malformed Twin: During birth, the caliban has partially absorbed his twin into his body. The twisted, half-formed fetus is still attached somewhere to the caliban's body, and they are bonded physically and mentally. The malformed twin still has fragments of his mind and soul in his body, giving the caliban a +2 bonus to Will saves against mind-effecting spells and a +2 to saves against Necromancy spells which target the soul (like Trap the Soul). However, the twin has a dormant sentience within him and longs to truly live through its host. It has the character's mental scores and a randomly determined alignment (roll a 1d3 twice for the twin's moral and ethical alignments), with its own motives and the desire to stay in control. During times of great emotional stress (fear, horror or madness checks or Barbarian rage) the caliban must roll a Will save with a DC equal to 10 + twin's Charisma modifier or the twin takes over its host's mind for 1d8 hours. After this period is over, the Caliban makes another Will save with a DC of 5 + Cha modifier to break free of the twin's control. If he fails the save, the control lasts for 1d4 hours after which the twin can no longer maintain control. After the caliban breaks free, he can remember nothing of the time when the twin is in control.
Mark of the Warlock: The caliban has a strange birthmark shaped like an arcane symbol somewhere on his body. As long as the sign is visible, he gains +1 caster level but -1 to saves against spells.
Forked Tongue: The caliban has a forked tongue like that of a snake, granting him a +4 bonus to Knowledge (Nature) checks used to identify poison through taste and a +1 Fortitude save vs. poison. Note: this deformity cannot stack with Frog Tongue.
Unusual Appetite: The caliban has an unusual appetite, and may feast on rotting meat, bugs, blood and other disgusting foods without suffering any ill effects, and gains +1 to Fortitude saves against poison and disease. However, the caliban constantly reeks of his disgusting foods and gains a -2 penalty to Diplomacy and Bluff checks unless the smell is extremely well hidden.
Voice of Many: The caliban's voice sounds like many voices talking at once, giving him +2 to Bluff checks at the cost of -2 to Diplomacy checks.


You can see why the Witchspawn is presenting me with troubles to convert, yes?

[zeek0]

I'm going to only discuss the Caliban for now, to focus the conversation.

Looking at the subraces a second time, I think I recognize that they are generally underpowered. Especially the Brute subclass, as two of the features are essentially ribbons.

I really like the mutations you listed, since I think it fits well with the theme of the entire class. Could s extend them to the class as a whole?

My idea is to first convert the mutations to 5e (no +2 bits). Then we divide them into categories (face, feet, weapon, composition, etc.). The base class can choose one of any. The brute can choose two additional from the physically oriented categories, and the witchborn from the composition or other bits.

I think that being modular is best; it allows for players to have lots of choices. I could convert the mutations if neeeded.

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

Remember, this is a race, not a class, so keep that in mind, okay? Y'know, just in case that wasn't a slip of the tongue there. ;)

Now, the mutations were actually the cornerstone of the race's identity in its 3.5 fan re-imagining, as I think I mentioned. In essence, the generic caliban was "+2 to 1d3 stats, -2 to 1d3 stats, 1d4+1 mutations", and each subrace gave both a defined set of ability score modifiers and a defined list of thematic mutations.

I heartily recommend reading the entire Brutes & Banshees article: it's in issue #8 of Quoth the Raven, which you can read for free at www.fraternityofshadows.com in their Library section - I can repost the material from that article here, to a degree, but I would rather recommend the article first, for copyright reasons if nothing else.

But, the complete list of 3.5 stats and mutations is also up on https://1d4chan.org/wiki/Caliban - if you just want a look at what everything was like in terms of crunch.

Now, I would love to do the modular mutation thing, if possible. This would even allow us to restore the idea of "build your own breeds", which was discussed in brief at the end of the article.

But... that's a very complex project. I'm game to give it a shot, if you are, but I don't want to be taking advantage of you.

Moreover... I'm not entirely certain that 5e can handle them.

So, what I would like to do is first go with the idea of a "conventional 5e version" of the race - mandate that a player has to be one of the five main breeds, and give static powers based on subrace. Once that's done, then we can tackle a modular "build your own mutant" style of racial writeup. This would gives better options, just in case a DM doesn't like the modular idea for calibans or a player finds selectable mutations to be too much.

Is this an equitable plan to you?

Also, in 3.5, the Mutations were divided into the categories of Arms, Body, Eyes, Face, Legs, Mind and Mouth. Just to give you that little head's up.

[zeek0]

Yes, a slip of the fingers.

I agree with you. After reading the article you recommended, I have a better idea of what themes to shoot for.

Even for 3.5, 60 different mutations is a bit much to read through and choose from.

But I'm still attached to it somehow. How about this? Each subrace gets about eight mutations, which they choose two from. Each list is tailored to the theme of the subrace. (And, perhaps, a base race feature: choose one from any subrace.)

What do you think? Is it still too much?

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

Hmm... that might possibly be a good compromise, though I do think that we should consider the "vanilla subrace" approach as an alternative/first effort as well.

Only problem is...how would you choose which 8 mutations to give the different breeds? All of them had way more than 8 thematic mutations in 3.5.

Hmm... I'm actually not sure that it's entirely impossible to convert them all. I might start going ahead and doing first drafts of the conversions - but do you think the 5e versions should retain the "innate ability matched by innate disadvantage" aspect of the original 3.5, or should they dump it? Dumping it would make it easier to work.

[zeek0]

I understand your retisence. But I do think that many mutations obviously point toward a specific subclass, such as Fur (Bestial) or Hunchback (Witchspawn). And if the core race can choose one from any subrace, it allows the character to have access to all mutations, if only one.

I agree with your statement that having more fundamental subraces is useful - but I think that you already have that. I apologize for meddling and making a strange amount of work.

For the conversions, I would scrap most of the detriments of the mutations, unless they are obvious or balanced by a particularly good ability. The detriment is usually already present anyhow, socially. Also, be sure to remove all that +2 nonsense, since it has no place in 5e.

And I don't mean to butt in too much in your work - it is yours after all. Let me know if I'm too tenacious. It's quality homebrew, and I just have ideas to share.

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

I don't understand what you mean by reticence? I'm just trying to pick your thoughts and find out exactly how you'd actually trim the list of mutations down in the way you're suggesting. What would you actually give each subrace in terms of mutations, that's what I'm trying to find out.

Honestly, I'm not upset at all, and I don't understand why you think that's the case.

Really, I LIKE the idea of adapting the old mutations system, and having somebody interesting in giving a hand in doing so is a wonderful thing to me.

I just would like if, first, we can try and fix up the first draft of the Caliban races for a more "plug 'n' play" sort of setup. The mutations are a wonderful idea, but they'll take time; I'm saying we should do the simpler task first and then move on to creating the more complex rule-set for calibans. Is that okay? I still want both versions, but simple before complex, you follow me?

Also... seriously, you're not butting in. I can't remember the last time I had anyone so interested in actually talking meaningfully about my work. Seriously; I set up a thread to ask for help refining the crunch I need for my Malebolge setting elsewhere, and the only reply I've gotten in a week is some puerile moron giggling about how they think the name looks like "male bulge".

[zeek0]

It's rather difficult to gauge emotions/intent through text only, so I apologize for misreading. I really am interested.

I'm on board to make the vanilla versions before working on the modular model.

(Although, a quick idea is that the vanilla model just has pre-chosen mutations listed. Only a thought.)

And in the interest of honesty, I'll confess that I inwardly giggled at the Malebolge pronunciation. But if I comment on the setting, I promise to make a more proper critique.

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

Glad we cleared that up. So, what ideas do you have for setting up our "vanilla" approach to the caliban subraces? Whilst you work on that, here's my attempt to convert the mutations from 3.5.

Some of these escaped me as to how to convert, but all are open to discussion and reworking, so don't get discouraged, okay? ;)

Additionally, I had a thought. You might remember that in 3.5, there was an "Extra Mutations" feat for calibans, in the article I pointed you towards? Well, aside from perhaps converting that, maybe we could pull off an "Advanced Mutations" feat, which empowers certain and bumps them up. For example, if Fur gives you the "Acclimatized to Extreme Cold" trait, than taking Advanced Mutations might bump it up to full-fledged Cold Resistance. Or from Cold Resistance to Cold Immunity.


Unconverted Mutations
Aberrant: The big deal with this in 3.5 was the type hange from Humanoid to Aberration. With type not providing the same level of inherent strengths as it once did, a simple type change isn't really much more than flavor in 5e. Needs a stronger side effect to ride its tails.

Gaunt/Obese: It's hard to figure out what to do with these.

Hunchback: It's hard to figure out just what to do with this one. In 3.5, it ties into the Ravenloft setting's unique rules for laying curses without needing to cast a 3rd level spell to do so.

Backwards Feet: Although this can obviously impose Disadvantage on attempts to use Perception to track the character, I'm not entirely sure if that's a racial trait decent enough to be more than flavor.

Deranged: Like Hunchback, this is tied very strongly into 3.5 Ravenloft's mechanics. It could have some extra effects in a game using the Sanity mechanics from the 5e DMG, but it needs a more universal trait before it can work in generic 5e.

Magical Affinity: This is tricky not so much because it's hard to figure out what it'd give as because there's too many possibilities. I suppose maybe it could work best as just "you can choose 1 cantrip from any caster list and cast it at-will, using your choice of Int, Wis or Cha"?

Material Vulnerability: The problem with this isn't that it's hard to convert ("You have resistance to Slashing, Piercing and Bludgeoning damage that can only be penetrated by magic as well as 1 material of your choice - silver, gold, wood, stone, bone, etc") but that, well, it's kind of overpowered in 5e, isn't it?

Shedding: This is hard to figure out because not only is it a steadily mounting AC boost, itself something of a taboo in 5e, but it requires a lot of attention to tracking character age.

Short Neck: This was so specific in 3.5 it's hard to figure out what to do with it in 5e.

Cyclops: Simply couldn't think of what this might actually do in 5e.


Deformities of the Arms
Claws: You can do Slashing damage with your unarmed strikes.

Extra Arms: You a second pair of arms that grant you a second "free" action on your turn, which can only be used for an activity that requires the use of your hands. You cannot wield extra weapons in these secondary arms unless you have the Dual Wielding feat. Having tertiary weapons does not grant you an extra attack, it merely grants you different options for attacking.

Multi-Segmented Limbs: You have have Advantage on Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks. Additionally, you can add your Proficiency bonus to Dexterity checks made to escape from restraints or a grappling target.

Suckers: You have a Climb speed of 10 feet and do not need to make climbing checks for difficult surfaces. Additionally, you can apply double your Proficiency bonus to grappling checks.

Witch Fingers: You have advantage on Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) checks. Additionally, if making a Concentration check whilst casting a spell with Somatic components, you can add your Proficiency bonus to the check.


Deformities of the Body
Bones of Steel: Your maximum hit points increase by +3. Further, each time you gain a level, your maximum hit points increase by +1.

Dwarfism: You are Small sized and have Proficiency in Charisma (Performance).

Fur: You have Resistance to Cold Damage.

Giant: You have the Powerful Build trait. Additionally, you increase the damage of melee weapons you wield by +1 point, and gain +1 maximum hit point per level.

Gills: You have the Amphibious trait, allowing you to breathe both air and water.

Increased Metabolism: Your body heals itself much faster than an ordinary human's, but requires more fuel in exchange. When you spend Hit Dice to recover lost hit points, you increase your Constitution modifier by +1 to determine how many hit points you recover and your Constitution modifier is never treated as being lower than +1 for this purpose. You also count your Hit Dice as being +1 higher, and you only need 2 days of recuperating to gain the benefits of doing so. However, you can only go without food for 1 + Constitution modifier days before starting to starve.

Membrane Wings: So long as you are not restrained, paralyzed, encumbered, equipped with medium or heavy armor, or otherwise rendered immobile, you take no damage from falling distances. When falling, you may move forward, covering a horizontal distance equal to half the vertical distance traveled. At 5th level, you gain a Fly speed of 10 feet.

Pale: You have Resistance to Necrotic Damage. Additionally, the spell save DC of Necromancy spells and the Command Undead class feature used by you are increased by +2. However, if you are exposed to direct sunlight without the aid of protective garb, you must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution save at the end of each hour of exposure or gain one level of Exhaustion.

Rough Skin: Your unarmored AC is 13 + your Dexterity modifier; you can use your natural armor to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC, and can apply a shield's benefits whilst using your natural armor.

Rubbery: You can squeeze into spaces sized for Tiny creatures, and reduce Bludgeoning damage that you take by 1 + Constitution modifier (minimum of 1) points.

Skulk: You have Proficiency in Dexterity (Stealth) checks.

Slimy: Opponents suffer Disadvantage on Grapple checks made against you. Additionally, you can Crawl at the same speed with which you can normally walk.

Spinnerets: You can cast Web without verbal or material components once using this trait. After you have used this trait, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.

Tail: You have Advantage on Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks.

Touch of Unease: You can attempt to sicken foes with a mere touch. When you hit a creature with an Unarmed Strike, you can attempt to stun them; the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be Stunned until the end of your next turn. If you have the Stunning Strike class feature, you no longer need to spend ki points to deliver Stunning Strikes, although you can choose to spend 1 ki point to instead stun the victim for a number of rounds equal to your Constitution modifier.

Toxic Blood: You are Resistant to Poison damage. Additionally, by sacrifice a Hit Dice, you can smear a weapon with your toxic blood; this poisoned weapon remains potent for a number of turns equal to 1 + your Constitution modifier. Creatures struck with a poisoned weapon take +1d6 Poison damage and must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be Poisoned for 1 minute. If you have a claw attack or bite attack, your claws & fangs automatically carry this toxin.

Twisted Organs: You can reduce Slashing, Bludgeoning and Piercing damage by an amount equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of -1). Additionally, when you are successfully struck by a Critical Hit, you are allowed to make a Constitution save; if you succeed, then the attack only does normal damage as your aberrant physiology neglects the extra lethality of your assailant's attack.

Witch Nipple: As an action, you can attempt to heal a creature or choice within touch range by spending Hit Dice. Treat this as casting a Cure Wounds spell, with a spell level equal to the number of Hit Dice you sacrifice.


Deformities of the Eyes
Backwards Eye: You have the ability to see both what is in front of you and what is behind you. Creatures cannot gain combat advantage by attacking you from behind.

Bloodshot Eyes: You have Darkvision.

Bulbous Eyes: You have Advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks relating to sight.

Double Iris: You can add your Proficiency bonus to Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Perception) checks made to penetrate illusions.

Eyes of Darkness: Darkness and light are swapped for you; you treat areas of no light as being brightly lit and areas of full light as being completely dark. Dim lighting remains the same for you.

Swirling Eyes: You have Advantage on Charisma (Deception) checks. Additionally, when attempting to inflict the Charmed effect on creatures, increase the DC of their saving throw by +2.


Deformities of the Face
Angelic Visage: You gain Proficiency in Charisma (Deception) and Charisma (Persuasion).

Horns: When making an Unarmed Strike, you can choose to deliver a headbutt attack. This is an Unarmed Strike that inflicts 1d6 + Str modifier Bludgeoning damage and forces the target to succeed on a Constitution save or be Stunned until the end of your next turn. Additionally, you can use your Movement and Attack actions together to make a charge attack, dashing from your starting point to the target of your attack, On a hit, the target takes damage as per a headbutt attack, with an additional +1d6 points of damage per 10 feet charged.

Face of Nightmares: You can apply double your Proficiency bonus to Charisma (Intimidate) checks and have Advantage on saves against the Frightened effect.

Great Nose: You have Advantage on Wisdom (Survival) and Intelligence (Investigation) checks where a keen sense of smell is useful.

Large Ears: You have Advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that relate to hearing.

No Nose: You are immune to gas-based attacks, such as a ghast's Stench ability or a Stinking Cloud spell.


Deformities of the Legs
Frog Legs: When making a Jump, you are always considered to have a running start, and when making a High Jump, you can leap 5 + Strength modifier feet.

Gorilla Feet: You have a Climb speed of 20 feet. Additionally, you can use your hands as feet when that ability would be useful.

Hooves: Your base movement speed increases by +10 feet.

Quadruped: By dropping to all fours, you can increase your base movement speed by +20 feet.

Webbed Limbs: You have a Swim speed equal to your base movement speed.


Deformities of the Mind
Malformed Twin: You can add your Proficiency bonus to Wisdom saves against Charm effects and Fear effects.

Mark of the Warlock: You increase the spell save DC of any spells you cast by +1. (This one maybe needs a broader effect, so it's good for non-caster characters.)


Deformities of the Mouth
Eerie Whispers: You have Proficiency in Charisma (Persuasion).

Forked Tongue: You gain Advantage on Charisma (Deception) checks and are immune to the Poisoned condition.

Frog Tongue: You can an Extra Attack that you can only use to make a Tongue Whip. This is a 10ft ranged attack that allows you to Pull the target towards you on a successful hit.

Projectile Vomit: As an action, you can vomit up a 15ft cone of corrosive bile; those caught in it must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus); on a failed save, they take full damage, and on a successful save, they only take half damage. The vomit attack inflicts 2d6 points of Acid damage, increasing to 3d6 at 6th level, 4d6 at 11th level, and 5d6 at 16th level. After you use this vomit attack, you cannot use it again without completing a short rest or a long rest.

Sharp Teeth: You can use your action to make a bite attack. Treat this as an Unarmed Strike that inflicts 1d6 Piercing damage.

Unusual Appetite: You are immune to the Poisoned condition and have Advantage on Constitution saves against disease.

Voice of Many: You gain Proficiency in Charisma (Deception) and Charisma (Intimidation).

[zeek0]

Here's my idea. Each subrace has eight mutations assigned to it. A subrace chooses two mutations, and the base race chooses a mutation from any subrace but its own. This keeps the character generally thematic, but still varied.

The vanilla version of these subraces have pre-chosen mutations.

I split up the mutations, in case you think this is a good idea. Most are from 3.5, but some are from your original subraces and a few are my own additions (my own additions come with description).

BANSHEE
Angelic Visage
Banshee's Wail
Cold Blooded
Double Irises
Voice of Many
Swirling Eyes
Eerie Whispers
Pale

BEAST
Auquatic. Gills, webbed digits, and an oily substance coating your body help you survive in auquatic environments. You gain a swim speed equal to your movement speed and can breathe both water and air.
Carapace. A thick black carapace covers your body. Your AC can't be less than 15, regardless what kind of armor you are wearing.
Fur
Hooves
Membraneous Wings.
Claws. Your hands and in sharp class. You are never unarmed. You are proficient with your claws, which are finesse and light melee weapons that each deal 1d6 slashing damage.
Spinnerets.
Tail.
Treetop Scrambler.

BRUTE
Bones of Steel
Hot Blooded
Juggernaut. (as goliath's stone endurance)
Massive Limb. One of your arms is massive, ending in a great clumsy fist. You are proficient with this fist, which is a melee weapon that deals 1d8 bludgeoning damage. If you hit a creature with this weapon, you may use your bonus action to attempt to shove it.
Natural Athlete. You gain proficiency in the Athletics skill.
Powerful Build
Savage Grapple
Twisted Organs

CANNIBAL
Bulbous Eyes. (this could give darkvision and better perception)
Face of Nightmare
Graveworm
It Will Not Die
Multi-Segmented Limbs
Skulk. You gain proficiency with the Stealth skill.
Toxic Blood.
Unusual Appetite.

WITCHSPAWN
Backwards Eye
Forked Tongue
Magical Affinity
Malformed Twin
Mark of the Warlock
Touch of Unease
Witch Nipple
Witch Finger

I'm not married to this lineup, and it can be muddled with as need be.

Let me know what you think!

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

Alright, that idea looks pretty good to me. How would you write up those various mutations?

[zeek0]

I think that your work so far has been good! We just need to finish the ones remaining. Do you want to put together the rest, and I'll critique it, or the other way around?

(By the way, I find Witch Nipple to be the most gag-inducing feature I've encountered in D&D.)

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

I'd like if you could give it a try, please; as I said, the ones I didn't convert from the old list, I simply couldn't think of any ideas for, so I'm happy to pick your brains on this lot.

And yes, the Witch Nipple was one of the weirder traits. It stems from the mythical "witch/devil's nipple", which medieval witch hunters believed that witches and warlocks used to suckle their demonic familiars.

[zeek0]

Cool. I'll get you a reply after the weekend; I'm about to go vacationing.

[zeek0]

Alright, I've put it all together.

Your Caliban character has a variety of traits and mutations.
Age. Calibans mature and age faster than humans, but live for the same amount of time. They reach adulthood in their early teens and live less than a century.
Alignment. Most caliban are chaotic; this belief rooted in their treatment by lawful authorities. They tend toward to be neither good nor evil.
Size. Because of their mutations, caliban vary widely in height and build, from less than 5 feet to well over 7 feet tall. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language you picked up in dealings with other creatures.
Subrace. The mutations of caliban are varied, but can be divided into five main kinds: Banshee, Beast, Brute, Cannibal, and Witchspawn. Choose one of these subraces.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by two, and your Intelligence increases by one.
Cold Blooded. Your blood runs preternaturally cold, a mark of your intimacy with death. You can sense the nearby presence of recent death. You are able to discern an aura of death on a body or a location where death occurred. The aura fades completely after 6 hours.
Mutations. Choose two mutations from the list below, and one mutation from a different subrace. Your DM determines if any of your mutations are incompatible.

Angelic Visage. Your face is unnaturally and unnervingly beautiful. You gain proficiency in the Persuasion skill.
Banshee’s Wail. You may emit a keening wail, giving listeners a psychic sense of their impending doom. Creatures within 30 feet that hear the sound must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 10 + your Charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus). On a failed save, creatures within range are frightened for one minute. At the end of each of their turns, they may attempt the save again. On a successful save, the creature breaks free of the Wail.
Double Iris. One of your eyes contains a second iris which is gifted at seeing the unworldly. You gain advantage on checks made to disbelieve illusions by sight. In addition, you can perceive the presence, but not the location of, an invisible creature when it moves.
Eerie Whispers. Your voice naturally speaks at an echoing whisper, that other creatures need to strain to hear. You know the message cantrip.
Hypnotic Eyes. Your eyes seem to have an eerie depth, entrancing those you are listening to. You gain proficiency in the Persuasion skill.
Pale. Your skin is as white as parchment, and almost translucent. Your imminence to death grants you resistance to necrotic damage
Voice of Many. You naturally speak with what sounds like many voices. Your throat contains nine different distinct voices, which you can produce individually or all at once at great volume.


Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by two, and your Wisdom increases by one.
Claws. Your hands end in sharp claws. You are never unarmed. You are proficient with your claws, which are light melee weapons that each deal 1d6 slashing damage.
Mutations. Choose two mutations from the list below, and one mutation from a different subrace. Your DM determines if any of your mutations are incompatible.

Aquatic. Gills, webbed digits, and an oily substance coating your entire body help you survive in any water environment. You gain a swim speed equal to your movement speed and can breathe water as well as air.
Carapace. A thick black carapace covers your body. Your AC can’t be less than 14, regardless what kind of armor you are wearing.
Fur. Thick fur covers your entire body, protecting you from the elements. You are adapted to cold environments. In addition, you have resistance to cold damage.
Hooves. Your legs end in cloven hooves, which increase your movement. Your movement speed becomes 35 feet.
Membraneous Wings. You have misshapen, membranous wings attached to your back. You gain a flying speed equal to your movement speed, but you must end your turn on a surface. If you do not, you fall.
Spinnerets. An organ bulges in your abdomen, which can produce 30 feet of strong rope coated in a viscous solution. For 10 minutes, the rope can be attached to surfaces, and a confined area criss-crossed with the rope is considered to be difficult terrain. The rope decays and is unusable after 8 hours. You cannot produce another rope until after you complete a long rest.
Treetop Scrambler. Your hands and feet are both able to grip surfaces, granting you a climb speed equal to your movement speed.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by two, and your Constitution increases by one.
Juggernaut. You can focus yourself to shrug off injury. When you take damage, you can use your reaction to roll a d12. Add your Constitution modifier to the number rolled, and reduce the damage by the total. After you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Mutations. Choose two mutations from the list below, and one mutation from a different subrace. Your DM determines if any of your mutations are incompatible.

Bones of Steel. Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level.
Hot Blooded. Your blood runs hot and fast. You have advantage on checks against being charmed, and have advantage on checks made to recover from disease.
Massive Limb. One of your arms is massive, ending in a clumsy fist. You are never unarmed. You are proficient with your massive fist, which is a melee weapon that deals 1d8 bludgeoning damage. If you hit a creature with this weapon, you may attempt to shove it.
Mighty Thews. Massive muscles bulge from your frame in unnatural and irregular proportions. You gain proficiency in the Athletics skill.
Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Savage Grapple. When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike on your turn, you can use a bonus action to attempt to grapple the target.
Twisted Organs. Your organs are divided and rearranged, preventing creatures from hitting your weak spots. Enemy creatures cannot gain additional damage from Sneak Attack or a similar ability against you. In addition, you are immune to critical hits.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by two, and your Constitution increases by one.
Graveworm. Your bones are gruesomely supple and pliant, allowing you to squeeze through spaces less than one foot square. In addition, crawling costs you no additional movement.
Mutations. Choose two mutations from the list below, and one mutation from a different subrace. Your DM determines if any of your mutations are incompatible.

Bulbous Eyes. Your eyes bulge out of their sockets, the pupils huge and dialated. You can see in dim light within 60 feet 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. You also advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks related to spotting moving creatures.
Face of Nightmare. Your face is demonic, grotesque, or unspeakably foul. You gain proficiency in the Intimidate skill.
It Will Not Die. Your body continues to function even after most would cease. If damage reduces you to 0 hit points and you fail to die, you are stunned and not unconscious. You must continue to make death saving throws as normal. You may become stabilized, but only by another creature.
Multi-Segmented Limbs. Your limbs contain more than the usual number of elbows and knees. You have proficiency in the Acrobatics skill, and advantage on Dexterity checks made to escape restraints or a grapple.
Skulk. Your steps, breath, and heart make, unnervingly, no noise at all. You become proficient in the Stealth skill.
Toxic Blood. Your very blood is toxic. You may expend a number of hit dice and draw blood. As an action, you may apply this blood to coat one slashing or piercing weapon or up to three pieces of ammunition. A creature hit by the poisoned weapon or ammunition must make a DC 8 + your proficiency bonus Constitution saving throw. If they fail, they take a 1d4 poison damage, plus an additional 1d4 damage for each additional hit dice you expended. This poison dries after one minute, rendering it ineffective. Additionally, you are resistant to poison damage.
Unusual Appetite. You harbor an unusual appetite for insects, rot, and raw flesh. Your body has adjusted to your appetites, granting you immunity to non-magical disease and advantage on checks against poisons.


Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by two, and your Charisma increases by one.
Touch of Unease. Your blood flows with malign magic, which courses blackly near the surface. Any creature that touched by your skin must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for one round. After a saving throw they are immune to the Touch for one minute.
Mutations. Choose two mutations from the list below, and one mutation from a different subrace. Your DM determines if any of your mutations are incompatible.

Backwards Eye. One of your eyes can see backward and through your own skull, constantly whirling in your head seemingly of its own accord. You have vision in all directions, and gain advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks made to see a sneaking target.
Forked Tongue. Your tongue is forked like a snake, a physical symbol of your nature. You are proficient in the Deception skill. In addition, you can identify the effects of a poison by tasting a small quantity on your tongue.
Magical Affinity. You learn one 1st-level spell of your choice from the bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spell lists. Once you cast it, you must finish a long rest before you can cast it again.
Your spellcasting ability for this spell depends on the class you chose: Charisma for bard, sorcerer, or warlock; Wisdom for cleric or druid; or Intelligence for wizard.
The nature of your physical deformity is according to the spell you choose. For example, if you choose ray of sickness your body is always covered in a feverish sweat, and if you choose disguise self your face is blurred and appears as malleable as clay.
Malformed Twin. In the womb you partially absorbed your twin into your body. The twisted, half-formed fetus is still attached to your body, bonded to you psychically and mentally. The malformed twin still has fragments of his mind and soul, granting you advantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saves against effects that specifically target you but not your twin. Work with your DM to determine how conscious and tenacious your twin is in relation to your own mind and personality.
Mark of the Warlock. A strange, large birthmark in the shape of an arcane symbol is somewhere on your body. The mark can absorb magics you are subject to. As a bonus action, choose one magical effect that has been placed on you. If the effect has a level that is equal to or less than half your class level, the effect is immediately removed. The mark may not absorb magics again until you complete a long rest.
Witch Finger. One of your hands has a sixth finger, which hangs limply and is only animated by ambient magic. The finger uncomfortably twitches when a magical effect, creature, or object comes within 15 feet.
Witch Nipple. You have a third nipple, which secretes an oily milk. During a short or long rest you may nurse a target, causing you great pain. Sacrifice a number of hit dice. The suckling creature gains 1d8 hit points for each hit die you expended.


Banshee. Banshee's Wail, Pale, Forked Tongue
Beast. Membraneous Wings, Treetop Scrambler, Twisted Organs
Brute. Bones of Steel, Massive Limb, It Will Not Die
Cannibal. Unusual Appetite, Toxic Blood, Eerie Whispers
Witchspawn. Mark of the Warlock, Backwards Eye, Hooves


Notes:
- This is still a bit rough, and I'm sure that I made some mistakes. Let me know what is overpowered or unimpressive.
- Each subrace has an innate mutation that only they can have (ex: Beast - Claws). Graveworm is less impressive than the others, but I think its made up for since Cannibals get Dexterity and Constitution as stat increases.
- The subraces still need flavor text. You know much more about the lore than I do, so perhaps you'd like to tackle this?

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

Okay, first of all: this is awesome! Wonderful work! I think this is great - my only two concerns are, one, Resistance to Cold Damage automatically gives you Acclimatization to Extreme Cold, and two, Twisted Organs looks overpowered. I mean, flat-out immunity to critical hits? There aren't even enemies who have that ability in 5e anymore, if I recall correctly. Other than that, everything looks wonderful!
<br><br>
Do you think that, together, we could rework the remaining mutations? Because this looks so good, it gives me confidence that we could rebuild the "make a breed" rules from 3.5 using this as a framework!
<br><br>
Also... I have other racial topics linked through my sig. Would it be rude of me to ask if you might take a look at some of them as well? Particularly the Canon Race Variants and Beastfolk Race threads, as those are also important to my homebrew setting.

[zeek0]

I'll fix Fur. For Twisted organs, I think it's fine. Here's some off the cuff math.

A critical hit happens 1/20 times. It basically allows for an extra hit (a 20 would always hit anyway).
So, I don't think this is so different from a +1 AC boost. Both effectively: 1. Take one roll of the die, and 2. Remove one round of damage if fhat number is rolled. Immunity to critical hits is a bit worse, because the 'extra hit' doesn't allow for rider effects or +str.

When I chose these mutations, I tried to select the most interesting. What remains is mutations like Short Neck or No Nose. I wouldn't want to add more mutations just for the sake of it. But there are 40 mutations here already - perhaps that is sufficient?

My connection to the internet is abyssmal (PCV), so I've dowloaded .doc versions of your homebrew. I'll put comments in the documents, and get it back to you within a week.

If you like, I also have homebrew in my sig. Take a look, and critique any of it (it never stops being a work in progress).

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

Firstly, sorry for taking so long to get this to you - my mind's been kind of melted this week.

Secondly, if GDocs are a problem for you - I understand awful connection, believe me - then all my races are posted in threads here on this very forum.

Thirdly, if I'm not misunderstanding you, I would really prefer if you posted your comments on them in the relevant threads; gdocs aren't exactly good to me either, and I find it's much easier to continue a chain of conversation here than in a Gdoc.

But, regardless, I am really grateful for your interest; I had one other poster who expressed interest in my Extraplanar Races thread and then disappeared.

[zeek0]

By the time I got your message, I'd already commented on the downloaded word documents. This method is much easier for me anyhow, since I can only get good internet connection at my district office. Sending lengthy replies on my phone is slow and likely to be lost.

Anyhow, here's the critiqued documents. I found that I like giving feedback (it's the literature teacher in me), and please take my comments to be wholly respectful for your work and such. Much of what you did was inspired, and I'll be glad to put some of it into my homebrew collection after you feel you've finished.

Races (https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BxfCiPA2FPFATmo2cVFoU1JLbUE)

Classes (https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BxfCiPA2FPFAdFRxOGNKbEdXUWs)

Spells (https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BxfCiPA2FPFAMTBYNWdjc3lQRWM)

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

Alright, I can work with what you've done. Question is, how can I give you proper feedback on your feedback? I've actually got to turn your linked docs into Google Docs to read the comments in the first place. Would it be alright if I replied to the comments in the proper threads, as hopefully those'd still be shorter, more easily commented answers?

Edit: Also, because I've had a chance to read some of your more generalized comments...

When I talk about "free actions", I'm referring to the ability of a PC to interact with one object or feature of the environment for free whilst either moving or taking their action (PHB, pg 190). A race with a "bonus free action" can perform two such interactions per round, whilst a feature that "uses a free action" can be used without needing to use up your Move or your Action for the round.

For "dual damage types", I intended to leave the resistance/vulnerability interactions to a DM, but personally, this is what I would do:
* If a target has Vulnerability to one damage type, then it counts as having Vulnerability to the attack.
* If a target has Resistance to only one damage type, that Resistance is ignored.
* If a target has Resistance to both damage types, then they have Resistance to the attack.
* If a target has Immunity to only one damage type, then they have Resistance to the attack.
* If a target has Immunity to both damage types, then they have Immunity to the attack.
* If a target has Immunity one damage type and Resistance to the other, then it has Immunity to the attack.
* If a target has Vulnerability to one damage type and Resistance or Immunity to the other, then it has Vulnerability to the attack.

4th edition made a lot of use of dual-damage types, and frankly was in many ways higher-powered than 5e. I deeply want to convert a lot of 4e spells, so that's kind of going to post issues with balancing.

[zeek0]

Hello!

For the method of giving feedback, it's tricky. Since you can't read the word document comments, it doesn't make much sense to use email (unless you convert the documents before emailing them to me). Here might end up being the best place. Let me know if email is convenient - it seems to be just us two anyhow.

Now onto your comments on my comments...

Thanks for pointing me to pg. 190. It still stands that free actions don't exist as a term in 5e, as supported by the rule book. I would just re-word it so that you get an additional object or environment interaction each turn. Some of these free actions could be converted into things you do immediately, classify as an object interaction, or a bonus action.

I understand that dual damage types aren't my cup I tea, but they are your's. I skipped editions, so I don't have your perspective. I still have some implementation concerns. First, you need to provide the rules you listed above, so that ignorant people who find your homebrew understand. Second, as a DM I don't want to use double damage types, but I want to make your homebrew available. Other DMs may be the same way, and it means that either they take on all of it, or they convert it to a single damage type (and thus weaken the spell more than you intended). Again, this isn't isn't problem of mechanics, but implementation in a wide variety of games.

If you want to make it work without adding more rules, then you *could* do this. Imagine a spell involving 'soulfire' of some such thing, which in 4e might deal fire and psychic damage. In 5e, you can word it so that it deals fire damage, creatures with resistance to fire take normal damage, and those with immunity are resistant. It's less complicated, but also squarely fits into the rules as they exist. Just a thought. Feel free to keep things as they are - especially since you like the dual damage type system.

I just posted an Oath of Justice on this forum, and I'd be glad if you took a glance!

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

It's been a while since I came here, mostly because my network has been too screwy to let me make a post, but the recent release of the Enhanced Edition for Planescape: Torment has made me wonder. Trying to avoid spoilers, one of the important NPCs you eventually need to interact with is actually the daughter of a Night Hag who never was transformed into a "proper" hag (she's also technically a tiefling, or maybe even a half-fiend, as her dad was a cambion). Back in the early 2000s, Dragon Magazine did an article on the Ecology of the Night Hags, saying that essentially Night Hags breed by mating with males, and then have to deliberately transform their offspring into new hags, as opposed to the "you're born think you're a human girl, but you turn into a hag in your late 40s/early 50s" lore for the Prime Material hags at the time.

Now, this lore was pretty obviously what Paizo re-used when they created their Changeling (or, as I call them to avoid confusion, "Hagling") race in Pathfinder. When they did so, however, they claimed Night Hags don't produce Changelings in this manner, and that an untransformed Night Hag's offspring is essentially just another half-fiend.

This answer doesn't really appeal to me. I really like the idea of "Night Haglings" as a potential PC race choice in planar adventures, but I was curious what people thought would be the best way to handle them: a simple 5e Hagling subrace? A new Tiefling variant, ala the Demonic Tiefling from "Unearthed Arcana: That Old Black Magick"? Or a race all in its own right?


In other news... as much as I do love Zeek0's take on the Caliban race, I could have sworn I'd done my own alternative version of them at some point before they posted their current version. Being unable to find it, a certain sense of nagging pride is pushing me to see what I can do if I'm willing to rewrite Calibans from the ground up...

Caliban, Core:
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 feet
Vision: Darkvision 60 feet
Uncanny Valley: Whether through grotesque physical mutations or some spiritual taint, your ability to unnerve others gives you Advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks.
Subrace: Your ability score modifiers and racial traits are determined by the subrace you belong to. Choose between Banshee, Beast, Brute, Cannibal or Witchspawn.

Caliban, Banshee:
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Charisma, +1 Intelligence
Unearthly Voice: Some haunting aspect of your voice simultaneously enthralls and disturbs listeners, giving you Advantage on Charisma (Performance) checks based on song or speech.
Touched by Death: You have an instinctive ability to sense the presence of the dead in some manner. This grants you Advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks made to detect the presence of Undead creatures, and allows you to use your Passive Perception to sense if a creature had died within 60 feet of you during the last 6 hours.
Haunting Wail: As an action, you can voice a ghostly keening that fills the weak-willed with a sense of doom. Creatures within 30 feet that hear the sound must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 8 + your Charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus). On a failed save, creatures within range are frightened for one (1) minute. At the end of each of their turns, they may attempt the save again. On a successful save, the creature breaks free of the Wail.

Caliban, Beast:
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Strength, +1 Wisdom
One Of The Pack: You have Proficiency in Wisdom (Animal Training).
Bestial Mobility: You have Proficiency in Strength (Athletics) and Advantage on Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks.

Caliban, Brute:
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Strength, +1 Constitution
Powerful Build: You are treated as being one size category larger to determine your capacity to carry, push, drag, or lift loads.
Furious Retaliation: When you take damage, you can use your Reaction to make a melee attack against a creature in range with Advantage on the attack roll. After using this trait, you must complete a short rest or long rest before you can use it again.
Crushing Embrace: When you use your Attack action to Grapple a creature, on a successful Grapple, the target takes Bludgeoning damage equal to your Strength bonus. Additionally, each round you maintain the grapple, you can inflict this damage again if you choose.

Caliban, Cannibal:
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Dexterity, +1 Constitution
Eater of Filth: You can consume raw meat, decaying food and other noxious organic substances without issue, allowing to you use such fare to meet your daily food requirements. Additionally, you are immune to non-magical diseases, and have Resistance to Poison Damage.
Noisome Skulker: You have Proficiency in Dexterity (Stealth) and have Advantage on Strength (Acrobatics) checks.

Caliban, Witchspawn:
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Intelligence, +1 Charisma
Arcane Prodigy: You have Proficiency in Intelligence (Arcana).
Loathsome Aura: You project a mystic malaise that unnerves others, subtly throwing them off in battle; when making an Initiative check, increase your result by +1.
Touch of Unease: You can concentrate your aura into a spiritual taint that sickens those whom you touch. As an action, you can make an Unarmed Strike; if you hit your target, they must make a Constitution saving throw (DC8 + your Int modifier + your Proficiency bonus). On a failed save, they are Poisoned until the end of your next turn. After using your Touch of Unease, whether the target passes or fails their saving throw, you lose access to your Loathsome Aura until you complete a short rest or long rest. You cannot use your Touch of Unease ability whilst your Loathsome Aura is inaccessible..


Honestly... much as I love Zeek0's take on Calibans, looking at these, I quite like them too. I'm also thinking that "extra mutations" can be introduced via the feat system, which sounds a fair sacrifice for more potent racial traits, don't folks think?

[zeek0]

Hello again! I like your version as well. My only comment is on skill bonuses. In general, I would offer the skill on its own, without an attribute attached. Rolls for wisdom(athletics) are rather rare.

Also, most races provide proficiencies instead of advantage. Advantage is better for most of the game (avg. +5), but is also usually offered by class features or spells. In essence, it is about dramatically turning a situation to your benefit while proficiency is about training or innate ability.

I don't know how interested you are in this task, but I'd like to write up some race/subrace descriptions. Let me know.

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

Wisdom (Athletics)? What are you...? Oh, frark, how did that happen? Fixed that.

What do you mean by "race/subrace descriptions"? I'm not offended in the least, but could you clarify what you're wanting to do?

[zeek0]

Wisdom (Athletics)? What are you...? Oh, frark, how did that happen? Fixed that.

What do you mean by "race/subrace descriptions"? I'm not offended in the least, but could you clarify what you're wanting to do?

Oh, I just mean the little flavor descriptions that might come after the title (Caliban) and after each subrace title. It would finish the project for me, and I like completion.

And I'm not certain, but I don't think you can get proficiency in, say, Strength (Athletics) - only Athletics. If you could, I wouldn't be sure how to record that on my character sheet. I also dont see the harm in also giving proficiency to, for example, Constitution (Athletics) checks if they come up.

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

Ah, I see. Well, I wouldn't mind if you wanted to do that, but I do feel rather guilty about it - these are my creatures, after all, I should be putting the work in.

As for skills... you're actually supposed to write them like that. Because of the way 5e handles them, skills are actually more optional than anything; they basically amount to specializations you use to apply your Proficiency bonus to various ability score checks. Look at the Drow, Duergar and Kobold; all use the Wisdom (Perception) method rather than just Perception.

[zeek0]

Ah, I see. Well, I wouldn't mind if you wanted to do that, but I do feel rather guilty about it - these are my creatures, after all, I should be putting the work in.

As for skills... you're actually supposed to write them like that. Because of the way 5e handles them, skills are actually more optional than anything; they basically amount to specializations you use to apply your Proficiency bonus to various ability score checks. Look at the Drow, Duergar and Kobold; all use the Wisdom (Perception) method rather than just Perception.

Perhaps we are miscommunicating. You can't gain proficiency in a skill check (with an ability attached), only a skill. The closest to what you are referring to is the Dwarves' Stonecunning. Note that Half-Orcs get the Menacing trait, which grants proficiency in the Intimidation skill as a whole. I admit that granting proficiency in the entire skill isn't always appropriate (as in the case of Stonecunning, a ribbon), but I think that in most cases you can grant proficiency in the skill without reservation.

The Half-Orc is able to apply her Intimidation proficiency not only to Charisma (Intimidation) checks, but to Strength (Intimidation) checks as well. I don't have my PHB in front of me, but this is a possible way for DMs to mix up skills and ability scores as appropriate to the situation. Look to the skills section.

On another note I'm still concerned about granting advantage on skill checks as a racial trait. Advantage is more than twice as powerful as proficiency at low levels, and only becomes less powerful at the highest. It doesn't seem the appropriate way to give bonuses to a race, either mechanically or thematically.

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

Ah, yeah, I think we're miscommunicating. I've always been under the understanding that racial skill proficiencies are supposed to come with the Ability Score (Skill) writeup, because that's how I always see Skills referred to in general in the PHB and Volo's Guide and whatever.

I do see your point, and I guess I can correct that.

Also, I was under the impression that granting Proficiency is actually more powerful than granting Advantage. There's more of a direct boost from Advantage, that's true, but Advantage doesn't stack, so having Proficiency, which grows with the character, arguably pays out more in the long run. At least, I could swear that's how it was explained to me somewhere...

Besides which, free Proficiencies free you from needing to take skill specializations in turn, and work well to represent both an inherent natural talent for something and/or cultural training - for example, a standard Golarion Maftet would be justified in getting free proficiency with the Scimitar skill because their culture places a lot of importance on dual-wielding scimitars.

[zeek0]

Ah, yeah, I think we're miscommunicating. I've always been under the understanding that racial skill proficiencies are supposed to come with the Ability Score (Skill) writeup, because that's how I always see Skills referred to in general in the PHB and Volo's Guide and whatever.

I do see your point, and I guess I can correct that.

Also, I was under the impression that granting Proficiency is actually more powerful than granting Advantage. There's more of a direct boost from Advantage, that's true, but Advantage doesn't stack, so having Proficiency, which grows with the character, arguably pays out more in the long run. At least, I could swear that's how it was explained to me somewhere...

Besides which, free Proficiencies free you from needing to take skill specializations in turn, and work well to represent both an inherent natural talent for something and/or cultural training - for example, a standard Golarion Maftet would be justified in getting free proficiency with the Scimitar skill because their culture places a lot of importance on dual-wielding scimitars.

Most of this is probably quibbling, but I'm quite happy to have this debate. Let me know if I'm just being a nuisance.

(1) Yeah. I think that when providing advantage/disadvantage, you usually apply it to a skill check, but proficiency is always given to a skill.

(2) For advantage, I mostly look at the raw average. See this great website: http://anydice.com/program/b38

The average increase from 1d20 is +3.8. As a heuristic, I judge it to be ~+5, because advantage skews the median more than it skews the average, making for not only higher rolls but more reliable successes.

Now, comparing proficiency and advantage isn't this easy, because they have different roles in the game. But at the simplest, advantage is twice as powerful as advantage during the early levels - this enough should be a red flag.

(2.5) From a role-playing perspective, advantage represents an active seizing of the upper hand, by circumstance or particular ability. Players are less encouraged to seek these situations if they are natively granted advantage.

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

Just bumping this in an effort to bring it back from the depths of the boards. I actually got done taking part in a project to list all of the various races that've appeared throughout D&D elsewhere, so I might have a new race or two for here soon.

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

So, I wasn't sure if Spelljammers' Scro, a kind of elite Nazi-Orc, counted as a humanoid or as a canon racial variant. In the end, I went with putting it over here.

Scro
These infamous world-travelling orc-kin are descendants of a once-mighty orcish army that was defeated by its elven adversaries in the Unhuman Wars. Humiliated and ashamed, these orcs swore to overcome their hated enemies by learning from this defeat. Forsaking Gruumsh and his barbaric ways as instrumental in their downfall, they folllowed the teachings of the Great Leader, an orcish savant named Dukgash, and reinvented themselves with a focus on discipline, strength and excellence in both mind and body, mastering their orcish bloodlust and become a cultured and organized people, though no less warlike than their ancestors. Adventuring scro are typically members of the lowest castes of scro society, those scro unable to live up to to the harsh standards of their people. Whether too scrupulous, unable to control anarchic inclination, or simply lacking the physical or mental toughness that the scro demand, these few orc-kin find that their fates lead to them forming alliances with members of other races.

Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Strength, +1 Wisdom
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 feet
Vision: Darkvision 60 feet
Languages: You are capable of speaking, reading and writing Orcish (or the Scro dialect, if your DM makes a distinction), Elvish and Common.
Powerful Build: You are treated as one size category larger for purposes of determining your capacity to lift, push, pull, drag and carry.
Relentless Endurance: When you are reduced to 0 hitpoints, but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hitpoint instead. You can't use this feature again until you complete a long rest.
Will of Iron: You have Advantage on Wisdom saving throws against Charm and Fear effects.

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

I wasn't sure if this fit better here or in the Beastfolk thread... I decided here because they were always described as very humanoid...

Spellscales were a race introduced in 3.5's "Races of the Dragon" as essentially a solid piece of evidence for the theory that sorcerers had draconic ancestry; a species of very draconic humanoids who were spontaneously born to sorcerous parents. They were also one of 3.5's more lousily designed races, as they were literally only good at being sorcerers - their most unique trait, the Blood Quickening, was based entirely on gaining access to a metamagic feat for the day and they had no other powers.

I struggled with this race for a while, and ultimately I figured I could try giving it access to powers based on the draconic deities, like the 3.5 version. If reworking it to run off of the dragon species would work better, I'm game to try that.

I'm apologizing in advance for the Quickenings; I can and will happily post their entries from the Draconomicon, but some of the Dragon Deities... well, they're not very interesting. Victims of pre-4e's tendency to have gods for the most ridiculous niches you can imagine.


Spellscale
Ability Score Modifier: +2 Charisma, +1 Intelligence
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 feet
Vision: Normal
Born to Magic: You have Proficiency in the Arcana skill.
Blood Quickening: As part of a long rest, you can undertake meditative rituals that align your spiritual energies with one of the draconic deities: Aasterinian, Astilabor, Bahamut, Chronepsis, Falazure, Garyx, Hlal, Io, Lendys, Tamara or Tiamat. This will determine your remaining racial features so long as you remain aligned to that deity.

Quickening of Aasterinian
Tinker: As per the Rock Gnome racial trait of the same name.
Wits of the Messenger: You gain Advantage on Intelligence checks.

Quickening of Astilabor
Defender of the Hoard: Your Passive Perception modifier increases to 12 + Wisdom modifier + other relevant bonuses and penalties.
Taste for Wealth: By spending an action to examine an object, you can sense intuitively just what its worth is in gold pieces.
Know Your Place: You have Advantage on Intelligence checks made to determine the social status of another creature.

Quickening of Bahamut
Lord of the Wind: You can cast the Gust cantrip using this trait. If you are at least 3rd level, you can also cast the Fog Cloud spell, although once you have cast it using this trait, you must take a long rest before you can cast it again. If you are at least 5th level, you can also cast the Gust of Wind spell, although once you have cast it using this trait, you must take a long rest before you can cast it again. All spells cast with this trait use Charisma as their casting ability score.

Quickening of Chronepsis
Eyes of the Watcher: You gain Advantage on all Perception checks and Darkvision 60 feet.
Arbitrator of Fate: You can cast the Spare the Dying cantrip using this trait. Charisma is your casting ability score for doing so.

Quickening of Falazure
Kin to the Dead: You gain Resistance to Necrotic Damage.
Gifts of the Night Dragon: You can cast the Chill Touch cantrip using this trait. Charisma is your casting ability score for doing so.

Quickening of Garyx
Spawn of Flame: You gain Resistance to Fire Damage.
Bringer of Ruin: You can cast the Fire Bolt cantrip using this trait. Charisma is your casting ability score for doing so.

Quickening of Hlal
Tongue of the Jester: You gain Proficiency in Performance and Advantage on Persuasion roles.
Break All Bindings: You have Advantage on any check made to avoid or end being Grappled or Restrained.

Quickening of Io
Heir to the Ninefold Wyrm: You have Advantage on Charisma checks against draconic creatures.
Concordant Magics: You can cast the Blade Ward cantrip using this trait. If you are at least 3rd level, you can cast Chromatic Orb as a 1st level spell with this trait, though once you have done so you must complete a long rest before you can use it again. If you are at least 5th level, you can cast Levitate with this trait, though once you have done so you must complete a long rest before you can use it again. Charisma is your casting ability score for doing so.

Quickening of Lendys
Scent for Sin: As an action, you can make a Perception check against a creature you can see, which the target can resist with a Charisma check. If you succeed, you become aware of the most recent wrong-doings committed by that creature.
Bringer of Justice: Once per short rest, as an action, you can invoke Lendys' wrath as you make an attack against a single target which you know has commited a crime. If the attack hits, increase the damage of the attack by +1 dice. Whether the attack hits or not, you cannot invoke Lendys' wrath until you complete a short rest.

Quickening of Tamara
Boons of Her Beneficence: You can cast the Sacred Flame cantrip with this trait. If you are at least 3rd level, you can cast Cure Wounds as a 1st level spell with this trait once per long rest. If you are at least 5th level, you can cast Gentle Repose as a 2nd level spell with this trait once per long rest. Charisma is your casting ability score for doing so.

Quickening of Tiamat
Tongues of the Dark Queen: When you inflict Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning or Poison damage, increase the damage inflicted by an amount equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of +1).
Tiamat's Wrath: You can cast Chromatic Orb as a 1st level spell once per short rest with this trait. Charisma is your casting ability score for doing so.

[zeek0]

Hello!

I'll give you advice on your posted work perhaps tomorrow, but I'm low on power now and I'll just post what I have.

I made up the flavor text for the Caliban race(!):
“When you were born, your mother begged me to drown you in the river. Sometimes I wish I had.”

I listened to Matron, as she castigated me for venturing out into the streets last evening. I felt that the overcoat I stole away from the ward hid my misshapen features well enough, but there was no use mentioning the fact.

“The other nurses agreed with her of course. Couldn’t stand the sight of you, writhing in the crib as you did. It’s that more than anything else that drove your mother away in the end.”

I hung my head in false shame, remembering the adventures of the night before. I recalled the eastern breeze, easy bouts of laughter, and a cry in the night.

“When no one else would take you, I did. Gods know why. But the city out there – it won’t take you any easier now that you’ve grown. There’s no escaping your nature.”

Nodding in time to her punctuated statements I knew I would steal away again, maybe this time for good. The east wind was calling.

Caliban are misshapen and grotesque humanoids, born into life with bodies that deny sympathy and inspire disgust or hatred. This fact frames their life, gifting them with unnatural abilities and cursing them to be social outsiders.

WROUGHT BY MALIGNITY
Caliban are the product of some evil that twists a humanoid in the womb, deforming their body and mind. This is usually the product of terrible magics performed on an unborn child, but can also be a reflection of the foul manner in which the babe is conceived or the consumption of human flesh during pregnancy. Whatever the cause, a caliban struggles their entire lives to rise above their origins and stake their place in a world which is repelled by them.

STRENGTHENED THROUGH TRANSFORMATION
A caliban’s body is deformed, a reflection of their foul genesis. This manifests in a variety of fashions, but their warped features are easily recognized by other creatures. But not all of these mutations should be counted as detrimental. Some enhance the senses, grant increased strength, or gift the caliban with other unnatural powers. It is these transformations that set caliban apart as not only abhorrent in appearance, but unusual in nature.

OUTCASTS AND VAGABONDS
Most creatures recoil at the sight of a caliban, and believe that their vile outward appearance is a simple reflection of their equally blighted soul. As such, most caliban are exiled from larger society and are forced to live alone or on the fringes. Caliban are common enough amongst beggars, but also grace the halls of thieves, thugs, and confidence men. Still others eschew the society that has cast them out, living in the wilderness or as base bogeyman in the darkness. But caliban do not naturally tend toward evil, and have the potential to become as just, benevolent, and kind as any of their familial kin.

---

BANSHEE
Banshees are best able to pass as normal at a distance, because they seldom have large deformities that set them starkly apart. But up close their terrible beauty inspires only shudders and fear of inevitable death. Banshees are caliban created by unnatural congress with the dead or close association with necrotic energies, and characterized by their intimacy with death.

BEAST
A Beast takes on animalistic features, cursing their bodies to appear unhuman. Created most often through arcane experiment or curse, they might also be the result of inbreeding over the course of many generations. Beyond their savage appearance, a beast has the tenacity and awareness of the wild.

BRUTE
A brute is the very expression of power. They are most often the determined creation of those wishing to marshal strong warriors to their cause, and are conditioned from birth to follow their masters. Their creation distorts their bodies, granting them extreme muscular development alongside exposed bone fragments and mottled flesh. Brutes are usually warped only physically, their minds as unfettered as any of their natural kin.

CANNIBAL
If a woman consumes human flesh during pregnancy, they pass on this hunger to their unborn child. A cannibal is has the visage of a wolf among men, only narrowly restraining their desire for warm meat. Their unnatural speed and stamina make them perfect predators, and few restrain their inborn instinct for the kill.

WITCHSPAWN
Witchspawn are the products of curse and profane magic. Their very body is altered by enchantment, their appearance characterized by weathered skin, thin hair, and a piercing gaze. But their most potent deformities are of the mind, distorting their thoughts but granting them strange mental acuity and power.


Let me know if there's anything I ought to change. I tried to change the flavor from the Quoth the Raven article as little as possible, but I did change it a bit to fit my vision.

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

Great stuff; this really feels like setting-neutral fluff for the Caliban. It's awesome; thanks a lot for sharing it!