Sir_Popard
2019-10-03, 11:36 AM
Yes, it's me again, back with another questionable, monster-inspired player race. I'll start with the Elder Brain in the room: Yes, I know Illithids don't reproduce in the traditional sense. This race is meant to represent descendants of humanoids who've either undergone experimentation by illithids or barely escaped ceremorphosis (or were magically restored from the experience) but hadn't fully shaken off the illithid taint. I feel mostly okay with where I've wound up with this race, my largest concern is the wording of the Mind Siphon attack in their racial feat. I could use some help making it feel... right.
Edit: 10/3: I'm really tempted to just give them the fuller version of telepathy Eberron's Kalashtar are capable of.
Edit: 10/5: Altered their creature type to echo the Unearthed Arcana Centaurs; they're both aberration and humanoid. Limited their aberrant brain to "vs magical effects."
FLAYERSPAWN TRAITS
Your flayerspawn character has the following traits.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 2. In addition, either your Charisma or Wisdom increases by 1.
Age. Flayerspawn develop physically at the same rate as humans do and have similar lifespans.
Alignment. Flayerspawn might not have an innate tendency toward evil, but many of them end up there.
Size. Flayerspawn are similar in build to humans, though they are typically a few inches taller. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Aberrant Brain. You have advantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws against magic.
Minor Mind Blast. As an action, you emit psychic energy at a creature you can sense within 30 ft. The target must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw or take 2d8 Psychic damage and be stunned until the end of your next turn. The damage increases to 3d8 at 6th level, 4d8 at 11th level, and 5d8 at 16th level. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Intelligence modifier + your proficiency bonus.
You can use this ability twice. You regain expended uses when you finish a short or Long Rest.
Silent 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.
Hybrid Nature. You have two creature types: humanoid and aberration. You can be affected by a game effect if it works on either of your creature types.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Deep Speech.
ILLITHID APPETITE [RACIAL FEAT]
Prerequisite: Flayerspawn
You can gain the psionic hunger and can manifest the mouth tentacles of your alien progenitors. You gain the following benefits:
Increase your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
Tentacles. Your mouth-tentacles are natural melee weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d4 + your Intelligence modifier, and the target is grappled (escape DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and you can’t constrict another target.
Mind Siphon. If you begin your turn grappling an incapacitated humanoid, you can take an Attack action to deal 2d8 psychic damage to them and regain a use of Minor Mind Blast, to a maximum of two.
This attack’s damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 5th level (3d8), 11th level (4d8), and 17th level (5d8).
Edit: 10/3: I'm really tempted to just give them the fuller version of telepathy Eberron's Kalashtar are capable of.
Edit: 10/5: Altered their creature type to echo the Unearthed Arcana Centaurs; they're both aberration and humanoid. Limited their aberrant brain to "vs magical effects."
FLAYERSPAWN TRAITS
Your flayerspawn character has the following traits.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 2. In addition, either your Charisma or Wisdom increases by 1.
Age. Flayerspawn develop physically at the same rate as humans do and have similar lifespans.
Alignment. Flayerspawn might not have an innate tendency toward evil, but many of them end up there.
Size. Flayerspawn are similar in build to humans, though they are typically a few inches taller. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Aberrant Brain. You have advantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws against magic.
Minor Mind Blast. As an action, you emit psychic energy at a creature you can sense within 30 ft. The target must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw or take 2d8 Psychic damage and be stunned until the end of your next turn. The damage increases to 3d8 at 6th level, 4d8 at 11th level, and 5d8 at 16th level. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Intelligence modifier + your proficiency bonus.
You can use this ability twice. You regain expended uses when you finish a short or Long Rest.
Silent 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.
Hybrid Nature. You have two creature types: humanoid and aberration. You can be affected by a game effect if it works on either of your creature types.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Deep Speech.
ILLITHID APPETITE [RACIAL FEAT]
Prerequisite: Flayerspawn
You can gain the psionic hunger and can manifest the mouth tentacles of your alien progenitors. You gain the following benefits:
Increase your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
Tentacles. Your mouth-tentacles are natural melee weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d4 + your Intelligence modifier, and the target is grappled (escape DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and you can’t constrict another target.
Mind Siphon. If you begin your turn grappling an incapacitated humanoid, you can take an Attack action to deal 2d8 psychic damage to them and regain a use of Minor Mind Blast, to a maximum of two.
This attack’s damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 5th level (3d8), 11th level (4d8), and 17th level (5d8).