Kalashtar in 5e?

[tmjr6]

Hi everyone,

I'll be starting the process of planning for an Eberron campaign, I'm curious what would be the best way to bring this race to 5e? Thanks.

[Arkhios]

Medium: As Medium creatures, kalashtar have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.

Kalashtar base land speed is 30 feet.
+2 racial bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting spells and abilities, including possession: The kalashtar’s dual spirits help them resist spells that target their minds.
+2 racial bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate checks: Kalashtar are masters of social interaction, influencing others through their commanding presence and subtle psychic powers.
+2 racial bonus on Disguise checks made to impersonate a human: Kalashtar have a close physical resemblance to humans.
Kalashtar sleep but they do not dream. As such, they have immunity to the dream and nightmare spells, as well as any other effect that relies on the target’s ability to dream.
Naturally Psionic: Kalashtar gain 1 extra power point per character level, regardless of whether they choose a psionic class.
Psi-Like Abilities: Mindlink (1/day). This ability is like the psionic power manifested by a wilder of 1/2 the kalashtar’s Hit Dice (minimum 1st level).
If you are not using the Expanded Psionics Handbook in your game, use this description of the mindlink power: You forge a telepathic bond with another creature within 30 feet, which must have an Intelligence score of 3 or higher. The bond can be established only with a willing subject, who therefore receives no saving throw and gains no benefit from spell resistance. You can communicate telepathically through the bond even if you do not share a common language. No special power or influence is established as a result of the bond. Once the bond is formed, it works over any distance (although not from one plane to another), but lasts for only 1 round per character level. This is a mind-affecting ability.
Automatic Languages: Common and Quor. Bonus Languages: Draconic and Riedran.
Favored Class: Psion. A multiclass kalashtar’s psion class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.


Racial Traits
Average Height: 5'8"-6'3"
Average Weight: 130-220 lb.

Ability Scores: +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma
Size: Medium
Speed: 6 squares
Vision: Normal
Languages: Common, Telepathy 5 (25 ft. radius from you; two-way communication)
Skill Bonuses: +2 insight, +2 to choice of one other.
Dual Soul: At the start of your turn, you can make a saving throw against each effect currently rendering you dazed or dominated. If you fail the saving throw, you do not make a saving throw against the effect at the end of your turn.
Bastion of Mental Clarity:1/encounter
Immediate Interrupt; trigger: an enemy hits or misses you with an attack against your will.
Close burst 5
Target: you and each all in burst
Effect: Each target gains a +4 power bonus to Will until the end of your next turn.



Going off from those, I'd say this could work:
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1, and your Charisma score increases by 2.*
Age. Kalashtar mature at the same rate as humans.
Alignment. As Kalashtar share the spiritual essence of good-aligned Quori, they tend towards good alignments.
Size. Kalashtar are about the same size and build as humans. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Dual Spirit. The kalashtar’s dual spirits help them resist spells that target their minds. You have advantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws against spells. You also have resistance to psychic damage.
Naturally Psionic. You can cast Enhance Ability spell on yourself, without needing the materials, as any of the following: Eagle's Splendor, Fox's Cunning, or Owl's Wisdom. You must finish a long rest to be able to cast the spell again in this way.
Telepathy. You can communicate telepathically with any creature you can see within 30 feet of you. You don't need to share a language with the creature for it to understand your telepathic utterances, but the creature must be able to understand at least one language.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Quor.

*NOTE: Even though a race is naturally psionic it doesn't mean they absolutely had to possess the innate ability scores suitable for being a member of a psionic class, such as the Mystic.

[JNAProductions]

WHOA! WHOA! WHOA! WHOA!

Psychic Presence is pretty much always-on Enhance Ability (Charisma), for free, forever.

Just... Way too much. Especially when they also get Gnomish Cunning, which is a DAMN GOOD feature.

[Arkhios]

WHOA! WHOA! WHOA! WHOA!

Psychic Presence is pretty much always-on Enhance Ability (Charisma), for free, forever.

Just... Way too much. Especially when they also get Gnomish Cunning, which is a DAMN GOOD feature.

Then, by all means, instead of just stopping by to crush those ideas, maybe you could offer a suggestion to make it less "overpowered", hmm? Being a Titan in the playground and an esteemed homebrewer, I kinda thought you'd do this without asking.

[JNAProductions]

But crushing dreams is fun!

I'd make it Psionic Casting-once per long rest, Enhance Ability (Charisma, or perhaps ANY mental stat) on yourself only. The idea is good-the implementation is not.

[Arkhios]

But crushing dreams is fun!

I'd make it Psionic Casting-once per long rest, Enhance Ability (Charisma, or perhaps ANY mental stat) on yourself only. The idea is good-the implementation is not.

Now, that's better! To be honest, that was a 5-minute draft I made.

[JNAProductions]

Now, that's better! To be honest, that was a 5-minute draft I made.

It's not bad. I don't know much about the Kalashtar, but outside the obvious (which should be fixed soon) it rang as pretty well balanced.

[Arkhios]

It's not bad. I don't know much about the Kalashtar, but outside the obvious (which should be fixed soon) it rang as pretty well balanced.

Wanna see if it's better now, or should I still tune Dual Spirits down a bit? I'd rather keep that one racial trait because it's a defining racial trait for Kalashtar. For further info about the original race, check out the spoilers I put in my original.

[JNAProductions]

It's powerful, but it's also one of only a few racial traits. I think it's fine, as it is now.

[Arkhios]

Great! Let's hope OP likes it. Kalashtar was one of my favorite Eberron races back when it was first released, so I did "update" the race out of certain love for it.

[tmjr6]

Thanks guys, this looks great!