theTraveler456
2018-03-08, 07:53 PM
Hey nerds,
First post here. I'm sort of in the opening stages of creating a pretty detailed and extensive campaign setting, but I got side-tracked and made a race, because... ADHD...
At any rate, I've never really done any 5e homebrewing before, so I'd like some critiques. I'm mainly concerned about game balance of course, but if you have relevant comments about culture, etc. then go for it.
I'm a little concerned about the relative power of the respective subraces, as well as the overall power level of the race. I'm also a little concerned about some of the racial traits being excessively specific. I'm considering making the sacred kheprian's Whispers From the Stars ability universal for the entire race.
Feel free to skip to the bottom where the rules stuff is.
Thanks,
The Traveler
Kheprian
The kheprians (singular kheprian) are a vaguely insectoid race native to the Great Sotaran Desert. Their physical appearance resembles that of a tall, muscular human with exoskeleton plating rather than skin, solid black beetle-like eyes, and insectoid mandibles in place of a mouth. They also lack ears and a nose. In place of hair, the chitin on their heads is adorned with ridges and horns of varying configurations. Kheprian exoskeleton color varies by caste. A kheprian must molt its exoskeleton approximately once a year, and the new chitin is soft for about an hour after molting. Some kheprians tribes take this opportunity to carve designs into the exoskeleton which will persist until the individual’s next molting. It is also common for individuals to eat their own shed exoskeleton.
Males are far more likely to display large horns, but beyond that there is little physical difference between male and female kheprians in appearance, dress, or behavior. Kheprians themselves recognize each other’s sex through pheromones, but they place almost no cultural importance on sex. Gender norms are practically nonexistent and same-sex romantic relationships are extremely common. In fact, the kheprian language has no gender at all, and an individual’s sex is considered relevant only when that individual wishes to have a child. The concept of gender common among other races is utterly alien to a kheprian, and being misgendered by members of other races (which is extremely common) typically doesn’t bother them in the slightest.
Each kheprian has a small set of extra appendages called stridulation arms which lie flush against the insides of their forearms, measure about six inches long, and resemble insect legs. While these appendages are capable of rudimentary manipulation, their primary purpose is speech. By rubbing them against their forearms, kheprians can produce the odd vibrations that comprise their language. Kheprians are physically incapable of speaking mammalian languages, but some learn to understand and write common.
Kheprians live in small, nomadic, desert tribes, usually about 100 individuals. Each tribe travels with a family of dromedons which are not domestic, but rather live side-by-side with the kheprians in a kind of symbiosis. The kheprians provide the dromedons with protection from predators, and the dromedons provide the kheprians with a food source. But the tribe follows the movements of the herd, not the other way around. There are several main types of Kheprians, commonly called castes. They are not separate species, but rather a kheprian’s type is determined randomly at birth, much like their sex. An individual’s role in their tribe is largely determined by this trait.
Because of the difficulty and scarcity of life deep in the desert, kheprian society reveres life above all else. The idea of killing any living organism, even a plant, is abhorrent to a kheprian, and the more complex an organism, the more sacred its life. As a result, a kheprian will go to great lengths to prevent the death of even an evil creature. They will protect their tribes and herds with deadly force only if absolutely unavoidable, and in such cases the entire tribe will mourn their fallen enemies just as they would a member of their own family.
Any intelligent creature that dies among a group of kheprians receives a kheprian funeral, be it friend or foe. Many races and individuals are likely not to appreciate this expression of respect and compassion, however, because a kheprian funeral involves ritual consumption of the deceased remains.
Though other races may find the practice distasteful, kheprians subsist almost exclusively on the dung of other animals, mostly the huge, camel-like creatures known as dromedons. Every major kheprian tribe travels with a particular family of dromedons and collects its dung for food. This monolithic diet is not a biological necessity; in fact, a kheprian can effectively digest almost any organic matter, but killing or damaging a living organism is something to be avoided at all costs in kheprian society. Unfortunate kheprians who were separated from their tribes and herds have been known to starve to death rather than hunt or forage for living food. If such fare is available, kheprians will gladly feed on carrion and other already-dead matter.
Kheprian Traits
Kheprians share the following traits.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2.
Age. Kheprians mature at about the same rate as humans, and live about 150 years. As children, they must molt very frequently because of their growth rate. Their caste traits begin to appear about two years after hatching, starting with chitin color.
Alignment. Because of their rigid social structure and dedication to their tribes, Kheprians tend slightly toward law. Their reverence for life means that they tend very strongly toward good.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Exoskeleton. Your base armor class is increased by 1.
Built to Survive. Your race’s desert existence has made you hardy and adaptable. Almost any living or once-living matter can serve as food for you, including wood, feces, carrion, and poisonous plants like hemlock. However, if you were raised among your own kind, your religious views most likely prohibit you from directly or indirectly contributing to the death of a living organism except under extreme circumstances. You need very little water to survive; as long as you eat one pound of food a day, you do not need to drink.
Stridulation. If you can cast a spell with a verbal component, you do so by producing unique vibrations with your stridulation arms.
Resistance. You are resistant to poison.
Language. You speak Kheprian. You cannot speak any language other than Kheprian, but you can understand any language you would otherwise speak. If you polymorph into a creature that can speak a language, or otherwise gain the necessary anatomy, you can speak any language you could normally understand, but if your new form lacks stridulation arms you lose the ability to speak Kheprian.
Subrace. Every kheprian is born into a particular caste with its own unique physical traits. Descriptions of some of the most common or well-known castes are shown below.
Tunneller Kheprians
Tunneller kheprians are the most common and diverse caste among their people. The majority of kheprian hatchlings are tunnellers. Tunneller coloration is diverse, but is typically characterized by neutral colors, mostly brown and black. Tunnelers have disproportionately large hands and muscular arms that allow them to dig extremely well.
These kheprians are common, day-to-day workers. When a tribe arrives at a new campsite, tunnellers are responsible for digging and maintaining the temporary burrows where the tribe will sleep. Tunneller kheprians are also responsible for gathering food for the entire tribe. Their large, shovel-like hands are remarkably effective at scooping up and compacting large quantities of dung for transport.
Size. Tunneler kheprians come in many sizes and shapes, but in general their heights and builds fall into same range as those of humans. Your size is medium.
Tunnelling. You have a burrow speed of 10 feet.
Tunneller’s Lungs. You can hold your breath for a number of hours equal to 1 + your Constitution modifier. When you run out of breath, you can survive a number of minutes equal to your constitution modifier (minimum 1) before dropping to zero hit points.
Darkvision. Accustomed to navigating underground, you have superior vision in dark tunnels. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of grey.
Goliath Kheprian
Goliath kheprians are extremely large and powerful. They typically have mottled black and cream-colored stripes. Some also have large maroon sections on their torsos. Because of their size and strength, outsiders often incorrectly assume that goliath kheprians are all male.
They almost always serve as a tribe’s guards and warriors. They are usually trained in non-lethal fighting techniques, and some have monk levels, though their physical size and strength also makes them excellent barbarians.
Goliath kheprians have incredible physical endurance, so they also serve as a tribe’s outriders or long range scouts. Since kheprians are aware that other races cannot survive well in the desert, goliath kheprians are also charged with carrying incapacitated foes to the edge of the desert after any armed conflict. These tasks often involve weeks of solitary travel in the inhospitable desert, and kheprians are trained accordingly. They are reasonably uncommon. Perhaps 1 in 20 hatchlings is a goliath kheprian.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.
Size. Goliath kheprians are much larger than others of their kind, ranging from 6 to 8 feet tall, and averaging around 300 pounds. Your size is medium.
Unfaltering step. Goliath kheprians have incredible endurance. You can travel for up to 12 hours per day without risk of exhaustion.
Desert Outrider. You are proficient in the survival skill, and you get advantage on survival checks made in the desert.
Rainbow Kheprian
Rainbow kheprians are among the slenderest and lightest of kheprians, and they display diverse, bright, iridescent colors on their exoskeletons. Outsiders often incorrectly assume that all rainbow kheprians are female. A rainbow kheprian is very likely to have sorcerous abilities.
Rainbow kheprians are extremely rare (less than 1 in 1,000 hatchlings), and they are considered blessed children. They are usually groomed from a young age to fulfil leadership roles, and their ability to project their thoughts into the minds of others makes them ideal ambassadors to other races in the rare event that a tribe has contact with them.
Ability Score Increase. Your charisma score increases by one.
Size. Rainbow kheprians have about the same height and build as elves. Your size is medium.
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.
Sacred Kheprian
Sacred kheprians almost exclusively have solid black, sometimes glossy exoskeletons. In lieu of any kind of horns, each features a semicircular ridge on its head with spokes, vaguely reminiscent of a crown.
These kheprians are typically spiritual leaders and priests of their tribes. Most are trained as druids, though some are clerics. They are usually the closest thing each tribe has to a leader. They are relatively rare, comprising about 1 in every 50 hatchlings.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Size. Sacred kheprians are about the same height and weight as humans. Your size is medium.
One With the Desert. You know the Druidcraft cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Longstrider spell once per day. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the Locate Animals or Plants spell once per day. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Whispers From the Stars As long as you can see the sky, you intuitively know the direction of true north, and you can travel in a straight line without fail.
P.S. Here's my info on dromedons if you're interested:
Dromedons are beasts native to the Great Sotaran Desert. They resemble camels, except that they measure, on average, 12 feet tall at the shoulder, and the adults have wicked, barbed spikes protruding from the sides of their heads that they use to defend themselves and their young. They travel in groups called families or herds of around 15 or twenty adults, usually with 2 or three young, and almost every herd is accompanied by a tribe of kheprians who harvest the animals’ dung for food.
They share their game statistics with elephants, except that the gore attack of a dromedon has a 10 foot reach.
First post here. I'm sort of in the opening stages of creating a pretty detailed and extensive campaign setting, but I got side-tracked and made a race, because... ADHD...
At any rate, I've never really done any 5e homebrewing before, so I'd like some critiques. I'm mainly concerned about game balance of course, but if you have relevant comments about culture, etc. then go for it.
I'm a little concerned about the relative power of the respective subraces, as well as the overall power level of the race. I'm also a little concerned about some of the racial traits being excessively specific. I'm considering making the sacred kheprian's Whispers From the Stars ability universal for the entire race.
Feel free to skip to the bottom where the rules stuff is.
Thanks,
The Traveler
Kheprian
The kheprians (singular kheprian) are a vaguely insectoid race native to the Great Sotaran Desert. Their physical appearance resembles that of a tall, muscular human with exoskeleton plating rather than skin, solid black beetle-like eyes, and insectoid mandibles in place of a mouth. They also lack ears and a nose. In place of hair, the chitin on their heads is adorned with ridges and horns of varying configurations. Kheprian exoskeleton color varies by caste. A kheprian must molt its exoskeleton approximately once a year, and the new chitin is soft for about an hour after molting. Some kheprians tribes take this opportunity to carve designs into the exoskeleton which will persist until the individual’s next molting. It is also common for individuals to eat their own shed exoskeleton.
Males are far more likely to display large horns, but beyond that there is little physical difference between male and female kheprians in appearance, dress, or behavior. Kheprians themselves recognize each other’s sex through pheromones, but they place almost no cultural importance on sex. Gender norms are practically nonexistent and same-sex romantic relationships are extremely common. In fact, the kheprian language has no gender at all, and an individual’s sex is considered relevant only when that individual wishes to have a child. The concept of gender common among other races is utterly alien to a kheprian, and being misgendered by members of other races (which is extremely common) typically doesn’t bother them in the slightest.
Each kheprian has a small set of extra appendages called stridulation arms which lie flush against the insides of their forearms, measure about six inches long, and resemble insect legs. While these appendages are capable of rudimentary manipulation, their primary purpose is speech. By rubbing them against their forearms, kheprians can produce the odd vibrations that comprise their language. Kheprians are physically incapable of speaking mammalian languages, but some learn to understand and write common.
Kheprians live in small, nomadic, desert tribes, usually about 100 individuals. Each tribe travels with a family of dromedons which are not domestic, but rather live side-by-side with the kheprians in a kind of symbiosis. The kheprians provide the dromedons with protection from predators, and the dromedons provide the kheprians with a food source. But the tribe follows the movements of the herd, not the other way around. There are several main types of Kheprians, commonly called castes. They are not separate species, but rather a kheprian’s type is determined randomly at birth, much like their sex. An individual’s role in their tribe is largely determined by this trait.
Because of the difficulty and scarcity of life deep in the desert, kheprian society reveres life above all else. The idea of killing any living organism, even a plant, is abhorrent to a kheprian, and the more complex an organism, the more sacred its life. As a result, a kheprian will go to great lengths to prevent the death of even an evil creature. They will protect their tribes and herds with deadly force only if absolutely unavoidable, and in such cases the entire tribe will mourn their fallen enemies just as they would a member of their own family.
Any intelligent creature that dies among a group of kheprians receives a kheprian funeral, be it friend or foe. Many races and individuals are likely not to appreciate this expression of respect and compassion, however, because a kheprian funeral involves ritual consumption of the deceased remains.
Though other races may find the practice distasteful, kheprians subsist almost exclusively on the dung of other animals, mostly the huge, camel-like creatures known as dromedons. Every major kheprian tribe travels with a particular family of dromedons and collects its dung for food. This monolithic diet is not a biological necessity; in fact, a kheprian can effectively digest almost any organic matter, but killing or damaging a living organism is something to be avoided at all costs in kheprian society. Unfortunate kheprians who were separated from their tribes and herds have been known to starve to death rather than hunt or forage for living food. If such fare is available, kheprians will gladly feed on carrion and other already-dead matter.
Kheprian Traits
Kheprians share the following traits.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2.
Age. Kheprians mature at about the same rate as humans, and live about 150 years. As children, they must molt very frequently because of their growth rate. Their caste traits begin to appear about two years after hatching, starting with chitin color.
Alignment. Because of their rigid social structure and dedication to their tribes, Kheprians tend slightly toward law. Their reverence for life means that they tend very strongly toward good.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Exoskeleton. Your base armor class is increased by 1.
Built to Survive. Your race’s desert existence has made you hardy and adaptable. Almost any living or once-living matter can serve as food for you, including wood, feces, carrion, and poisonous plants like hemlock. However, if you were raised among your own kind, your religious views most likely prohibit you from directly or indirectly contributing to the death of a living organism except under extreme circumstances. You need very little water to survive; as long as you eat one pound of food a day, you do not need to drink.
Stridulation. If you can cast a spell with a verbal component, you do so by producing unique vibrations with your stridulation arms.
Resistance. You are resistant to poison.
Language. You speak Kheprian. You cannot speak any language other than Kheprian, but you can understand any language you would otherwise speak. If you polymorph into a creature that can speak a language, or otherwise gain the necessary anatomy, you can speak any language you could normally understand, but if your new form lacks stridulation arms you lose the ability to speak Kheprian.
Subrace. Every kheprian is born into a particular caste with its own unique physical traits. Descriptions of some of the most common or well-known castes are shown below.
Tunneller Kheprians
Tunneller kheprians are the most common and diverse caste among their people. The majority of kheprian hatchlings are tunnellers. Tunneller coloration is diverse, but is typically characterized by neutral colors, mostly brown and black. Tunnelers have disproportionately large hands and muscular arms that allow them to dig extremely well.
These kheprians are common, day-to-day workers. When a tribe arrives at a new campsite, tunnellers are responsible for digging and maintaining the temporary burrows where the tribe will sleep. Tunneller kheprians are also responsible for gathering food for the entire tribe. Their large, shovel-like hands are remarkably effective at scooping up and compacting large quantities of dung for transport.
Size. Tunneler kheprians come in many sizes and shapes, but in general their heights and builds fall into same range as those of humans. Your size is medium.
Tunnelling. You have a burrow speed of 10 feet.
Tunneller’s Lungs. You can hold your breath for a number of hours equal to 1 + your Constitution modifier. When you run out of breath, you can survive a number of minutes equal to your constitution modifier (minimum 1) before dropping to zero hit points.
Darkvision. Accustomed to navigating underground, you have superior vision in dark tunnels. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of grey.
Goliath Kheprian
Goliath kheprians are extremely large and powerful. They typically have mottled black and cream-colored stripes. Some also have large maroon sections on their torsos. Because of their size and strength, outsiders often incorrectly assume that goliath kheprians are all male.
They almost always serve as a tribe’s guards and warriors. They are usually trained in non-lethal fighting techniques, and some have monk levels, though their physical size and strength also makes them excellent barbarians.
Goliath kheprians have incredible physical endurance, so they also serve as a tribe’s outriders or long range scouts. Since kheprians are aware that other races cannot survive well in the desert, goliath kheprians are also charged with carrying incapacitated foes to the edge of the desert after any armed conflict. These tasks often involve weeks of solitary travel in the inhospitable desert, and kheprians are trained accordingly. They are reasonably uncommon. Perhaps 1 in 20 hatchlings is a goliath kheprian.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.
Size. Goliath kheprians are much larger than others of their kind, ranging from 6 to 8 feet tall, and averaging around 300 pounds. Your size is medium.
Unfaltering step. Goliath kheprians have incredible endurance. You can travel for up to 12 hours per day without risk of exhaustion.
Desert Outrider. You are proficient in the survival skill, and you get advantage on survival checks made in the desert.
Rainbow Kheprian
Rainbow kheprians are among the slenderest and lightest of kheprians, and they display diverse, bright, iridescent colors on their exoskeletons. Outsiders often incorrectly assume that all rainbow kheprians are female. A rainbow kheprian is very likely to have sorcerous abilities.
Rainbow kheprians are extremely rare (less than 1 in 1,000 hatchlings), and they are considered blessed children. They are usually groomed from a young age to fulfil leadership roles, and their ability to project their thoughts into the minds of others makes them ideal ambassadors to other races in the rare event that a tribe has contact with them.
Ability Score Increase. Your charisma score increases by one.
Size. Rainbow kheprians have about the same height and build as elves. Your size is medium.
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.
Sacred Kheprian
Sacred kheprians almost exclusively have solid black, sometimes glossy exoskeletons. In lieu of any kind of horns, each features a semicircular ridge on its head with spokes, vaguely reminiscent of a crown.
These kheprians are typically spiritual leaders and priests of their tribes. Most are trained as druids, though some are clerics. They are usually the closest thing each tribe has to a leader. They are relatively rare, comprising about 1 in every 50 hatchlings.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Size. Sacred kheprians are about the same height and weight as humans. Your size is medium.
One With the Desert. You know the Druidcraft cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Longstrider spell once per day. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the Locate Animals or Plants spell once per day. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Whispers From the Stars As long as you can see the sky, you intuitively know the direction of true north, and you can travel in a straight line without fail.
P.S. Here's my info on dromedons if you're interested:
Dromedons are beasts native to the Great Sotaran Desert. They resemble camels, except that they measure, on average, 12 feet tall at the shoulder, and the adults have wicked, barbed spikes protruding from the sides of their heads that they use to defend themselves and their young. They travel in groups called families or herds of around 15 or twenty adults, usually with 2 or three young, and almost every herd is accompanied by a tribe of kheprians who harvest the animals’ dung for food.
They share their game statistics with elephants, except that the gore attack of a dromedon has a 10 foot reach.