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JBPuffin
2017-09-15, 03:56 PM
The Shardmind - Psionic Edition
https://worldbuilderblog.me/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/bd740-shardmind.jpg
Obtained from PHB...I think? Official WotC art, whatever the case

I'm working through some modifications for 5e for the next campaign I'll run, whenever that is, and I realized I definitely wanted a shardmind that actually has psionic powers. So, a shardmind that gets a talent from the Mystic! Enjoy! (This ought to be Volo's material rather than PHB material.)

Cataclysmic Origins
Shardminds were created when the Living Gate, a construct of psionically-resonant gemstones made to block the Far Realm out of the Material and Astral Planes, was opened and consequently shattered as abominations poured through it. No one knows who opened it – some say an adventurer with too much curiosity, others a long-forgotten god, further still the aberrations themselves exploiting a weakness in the structure – but it is known that it took several gods to create the next line of defense, using the very same shards that now lay strewn around the gaping hole in the Realms. The gods massed as many shards as they could into a single chunk and tossed it into the Material Plane, a crystalline meteor carrying salvation…
Activation
When the meteor struck, it scattered its load across the Material Plane: crystalline seeds bearing the fledgling minds of shardminds. These crystals do not develop into an operational shardmind, however, until a person comes within five feet of a shard. Once this happens, over the course of a minute the shard digs itself through whatever stone or such surrounds it until it’s in the same open area as the target. It then scans the awakener’s mind and combines that information with that of dead shardminds whose memories have become part of a “knowledge bank” they all share. Then the crystal absorbs some rock, soil, and particles in the air and uses them to build a body for its newly-formed conscious. Shardminds thus arrive in the world as adults fully prepared for a life of adventuring and protecting the world from extraterrestrial monstrosities…or mostly prepared.
Rationally Emotional
The most bizarre part of the race must be their relationship with emotions. Psionic energy, being such a powerful conduit for feelings, allows them to experience them; however, as constructs after a fashion, they know precisely why they feel what they do and get a choice as to how they react. This dichotomy is, without a doubt, the distinguishing trait between two shardminds – where one may remain stone-faced in the face of certain death, another might burst into tears at every dead body they find, and a third might do both. Balancing the blend is a shardmind’s primary challenge in social interactions.
Shardmind Names: Shardminds do not have genders, although some manipulate their crystals to appear masculine or feminine. They draw on forgotten languages for their names, many almost unintelligible to a common person.
Names: Amata, Arshaka, Arwia, Balashi, Bashanu, Belessunu, Dipana, Erishti, Eshunu, Hunzu, Iltani, Ishmea, Kuaya, Kubaba, Kuri, Manishtu, Naram, Nuraya, Seluku, Tabni, Ubashu, Utua, Zakiti

Ability Scores: Your Intelligence increases by 2, and your Constitution increases by 1.
Age: Shardminds do not age physically, but their minds do; after 500 years to the day, a single shard is shot into the earth beneath them to await a new awakening, and the rest disintegrates, scattering nutrients into the land around it.
Alignment: Due to their initial existence as a fortification of natural law, all shardminds feel a draw towards a lawful good alignment. The “good” aspect is far more malleable – even the most vile follows a set of internal rules created by either their past lives or those of the humanoids forming their conscience.
Size: Shardminds stand 5 to 6 feet tall, aping the human form to a degree; when fully condensed, they’re quite heavy, but usually they keep space between their constituent crystals, leaving them around 100 to 150 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Crystal Construct: You are a creature of psychic energy and stone; as a result, you don’t need to eat, breathe, or sleep. To gain the benefits of a long rest, you can spend 8 hours engaged in light activity, rather than sleeping during any of it.
Innate Psionics: As a creation of psionic energy, you have a measure of power you can leverage. You know one psionic talent of your choice. Intelligence is your psionic ability for this talent.
Psionic Speech: You can speak telepathically to any creature within 30 feet of you. The creature understands you only if the two of you share a language. You can speak telepathically in this way to one creature at a time.
Shard Storm: You have immense control over each individual crystal which makes up your form. As a bonus action, you may lash out against any number of creatures of your choice within 5 feet of you. Each target makes a Dexterity saving throw; the DC is equal to 8+your proficiency bonus+your Constitution modifier. A creature takes 3d4 slashing damage on a failed save and half damage on a successful one. Additionally, creatures which fail this save are pushed 5 feet in whichever direction renders them more than 5 feet away from you. The damage increases to 4d4 at 6th level, 5d4 at 11th level, and 6d4 at 16th level. After you use your shard storm, you can’t use it again until you complete a short or long rest.
Languages: You read, speak, and write Common, Deep Speech, and one extra language of your choice.