sandmote
2021-05-16, 09:22 PM
this page on the homebrewery (https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/K0ptolFRPWD8)
This is a conversion of the shardmind race from the player handbook 3 of d&d 4e. I'm hoping the shardswarm feature is about half as powerful as the aasimar's transformation despite the aasimar's feature only refreshing on a long rest, with the shard slayer's being weaker than the others. Otherwise I get about 23 on detect balance for the shard slayer and 21 for the other two philosophies.
Fluff 1.1
In the ancient past, a barrier known as the living gate sealed away the far realm from the known planes. Manifesting a body from the shards of the living gate by force of will, shardminds hold one goal above all else: to purge the denizens of the far realm and once again seal them from returning again.
Ephemeral Forms
Consisting of flowing crystal, shardmind's whole bodies shift eternally in place, changing position with but a thought and adjusting to meet their mood. When harmed or weary, small portions of a shardmind's body shear off and orbit their mass until brought back under control.
Shardminds who bother wearing clothing typically adopt the standards of their neighbors, and their roughly humanoid forms can appear green, white, red, or amber.
Raging Mind, Stony Body
Shardminds are tied to the acts of the living by the same energies that give them sentience, but their bodies lack the physiology of living creatures. Their bodies have no need for air or sustenance.
Shardmind's minds however function just as those of other living creatures, requiring rest and learning over their lives. Some turn to curiosity about the world while others work to remain detached, but all feel their emotions strongly. Shardminds feel mirth rather than mere enjoyment, grief rather than sadness, and fury rather than annoyance.
Born of Fragments
In the far past, the living gate was shattered, leaving behind countless sections of crystal and first allowing illithids and other aberrations to enter the world. These crystals slowly awaken as new shardminds as existing shardminds are destroyed.
Achieving sentience outside societies and lacking the physiology of the living, these construct-like beings find critical thought easy but lack a general worldly knowledge. Familiar units and the physiological needs of other races are often foreign to them. Nonetheless, they learn quickly and older shardminds easily manage their way though even crowded metropolises smoothly.
Shardmind Fluff
Born of crystal that once guarded the edge of the multiverse and manifesting a body from this material by force of will, shardminds hold one goal above all else: to purge the denizens of the far realm and seal them from returning again.
Ephemeral Forms
Consisting of flowing crystals, shardmind's whole bodies flow like the blood, shifting eternally in place of the bodily functions of other races. This material stems from the living gate, an ancient structure long destroyed.
The crystal making up a shardmind's form sprang up spontaneously from the remnants of the living gate, a barrier that once stood to keep the far realm at bay. Shardminds can appear as green, white, red, or amber with roughly humanoid bodies.
Portions of a shardmind's body constantly shift with their state of mind, adjusting to meet their mood. When harmed or weary, small portions of a shardmind's body shear off and orbit their mass until brought back under control.
Raging Mind, Stony Body
Shardminds are tied to the acts of the living by the same energies that give them sentience, but their bodies lack the physiology of living creatures. Shardmind's bodies struggle to support themselves in thick fluid and their consciousnesses require rest just as much, but their bodies have no need for air or sustenance.
Achieving sentience outside societies and consisting so heavily of minds, these construct-like beings find critical thought easy but lack a general worldly knowledge. Some turn to curiosity about the world while others work to remain detached, but all feel their emotions strongly. Shardminds feel mirth rather than mere enjoyment, grief rather than sadness, and fury rather than annoyance.
Born of Fragments
In the far past, the guard against aberrant influence to the universe was broken, leaving behind countless sections of crystal. This material is most often green, white, red, or amber and portions slowly awaken as new shardminds.
Lacking the biology of other races, shardminds often struggle to understand familial units and natural functions. Nonetheless, they learn quickly and older shardminds easily manage their way though even crowded areas smoothly.
Shardmind Names
It does not occur to all shardminds to even take a name before they begin interacting with other races, at which point they often take on a name using the local customs, one given to them by others, or a self descriptor. Shardminds, made up of crystal, lack gender and names given by other races are typically based on their self-expression or physical appearance.
Names: Amber, Averse, Bauble, Credulous, Curious, Flurry, Frank, Goshenite, Heliodor, Jasper, Mirthful, Nephrite, Perplexed, Prudence, Pyrope, Rage, Sharp, Splinter, Stone Rose, Synthesis, Vibrant, Vitreous.
Shardmind Traits
Your shardmind character has an assortment of inborn abilities, innate to their nature and physiology. Born of psionic energy, a shardmind's body is then tapered to their innate traits depening on the overarching philosophy your shardmind character views for the future of their people. Each philosophy is rooted in the shardmind's origin on the border of the far realms and their internal quest to see incursions from the far realm to be sealed away forever.
Ability Score Increase
Your Intelligence score increases by 2.
Crystalline Mind
You have resistance to psychic damage.
Size
Shardminds consistently stand very near 6 feet tall, and weigh around 200 pounds despite their thin figures. They crystals making up their physical form are light for stone, but heavier than most flesh.
Age
Once formed shardminds learn to control their physical forms in a matter of weeks, and remain of similar appearance until they are destroyed or their bodies decay away at around 600 years old.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common and Deep Speech.
Living Construct
While alive, shardminds have much in common with constructs. You can also choose to count as a construct rather than a humanoid for any effect for which it would be beneficial.
Inhuman Anatomy
When killed, a shardmind's body collapses into fragile crystal. These remains are unsuitable to be raised into undeath.
Inhuman Anatomy replaces Living Construct.
Living Thought
You are sustained by the innate properties of the crystals making up your body, and lack the organs and tissue of humanoids. You gain the following benefits.
You don't need to eat, drink, or breath.
You are immune to disease.
You have advantage on saving throws made against harmful gases and vapors.
You can breath in environments without air.
What appears to other creatures as breathing is in fact the psychic hum of a shardmind's innate energy vibrating. A shardmind is able to hold their breath as a humanoid can and filling their body with a thick fluid like water will effectively suffocate a shardmind.
Shardmind sleep, however, is entirely the same as that of humanoids, as the psionic energy forming their consciousness equally requires rest.
Traveling Shardswarm
Starting at 3rd level, you have mastered the control of your own form, and are able to break up your entire body for rapid travel. As a bonus action you can expend a use of your shardswarm feature to momentarily dissolve your body entirely into tiny shards. You can fly up to 20 feet as part of the bonus action. During this flight you do not provoke attacks of opportunity, and you can squeeze through spaces as narrow as 3 inches wide.
traveling shardswarm moved here from a feat. Its avaliable at 3rd level as its like misty step.
Subraces are based on the philosophies presented in the 4e PH3. I like the idea that a race consisting of thought is physically different based on their philosophical views, and hoping that this helps to grant some additional flavor to the race. If you allow assimar to shift between the fallen subrace and the others, I would also allow a shardmind to switch philosophies in a similar manner.
Thought Builder
Holding that a new living gate must be constructed to seal away aberrant influence for good, thought builders research themselves and their enemies to learn the nature of the structures they seek to rebuild.
Ability Score Increase
Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Alignment
Thought builders see the path to fighting the far realm as a united goal between shardminds, and that all must stand unified to purge aberrations from the world. They learn heavily toward law, often split evenly between lawful neutral and lawful good.
Student of Planar Borders
You gain proficiency in the Arcana skill.
Guarding Shardswarm
As a bonus action, you can release part of your physical form, unleashing a swarm of crystalline shards in a whirling mass, which retain part of your sentience. Your presence inflicts disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures of your choice within 5 feet until the start of your next turn. Once you have used this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
God Shard
Amassing power to face down aberrations themselves, god shards hold that each shardmind themselves is the opposition to the far realm's attempts to destroy the universe. Adherents of this philosophy hold that each shardmind must nurture their own individual power to achieve their end.
Ability Score Increase
Your Charisma score increases by 1.
Alignment
God shards see shardminds as a manifestation of forces opposing the far realm, and believe each shardmind must build up their own personal strength to turn against the powers of the far realm. Many god shards learn lightly toward good and chaos, but all alignments can be found from those to follow this philosophy.
Unhindered By Earth
Your refusal to be overcome bolsters your innate knowledge of how to travel between shards. You can move across difficult terrain made of earth or stone without expending extra movement.
Valorous Shardswarm
As a bonus action, you can steady your mind and bolster your body to testify to your power. Unleashing a swarm of crystalline shards in a whirling mass, which retain part of your sentience, you can ignore disadvantage on one attack you make before the end of your turn. The reassembly of the swarm bolsters your might, granting you temporary hit points equal to half your level (minimum of 1 temporary hit point) for 1 minute.
Shard Slayer
Shard slayers see their people as a stepping stone to the reformation of the crystalline structures that once held the far realms at bay. They hold that these structures will be reformed once shardminds are purged from existence, and destroy both other shardminds and the raw materials from which they spontaneously form.
Ability Score Increase
Your Strength score increases by 1.
Alignment
Shard slayers hold that the universes natural defenses against the far realm will be restored innately with the destruction of their own race. Most actively seek to speed up the process, starting with the shardminds of other philosophies. Most shard slayers fall into some form of evil, although there is no apparent bias for law or chaos.
Dark Visage
You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill.
Retributive Shardswarm
When a creature hits you with a melee attack, you can release part of your physical form as a reaction, unleashing a swarm of crystalline shards in a whirling mass, which retain part of your sentience. These swarms seek to shred your attacker, which must make a Constitution saving throw with a save DC of 8 + your proficiency modifier + your Intelligence or Wisdom modifier (your choice) or take slashing damage equal to half your level (minimum of 1 point). Once you have used this feature, you cannot use it again until you complete a short or long rest.
Shardmind Feats
Traveling Shardswarm
Prerequisite: Shardmind
You have learning greater control of yourself, even when you aren't holding your body together. You gain the following benefits.
You can use your shardswarm feature twice between rests.
As a bonus action you can expend a use of your shardswarm feature to momentarily dissolve your body entirely into shards for travel. You can fly up to 20 feet as part of the bonus action. During this flight you do not provoke attacks of opportunity, and you can squeeze through spaces as narrow as 3 inches wide.
There's a bunch of 4e feats to bolster the shardswarm power, so I wanted something similar to help differentiate them further. The preceding feat was moved to part of the base race.
Linked Minds
Prerequisite: Shardmind
You have learned to tap into the thoughts of others. You gain the following benefits.
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.
You can cast detect thoughts once, and regain the ability to cast the spell in this way when you finish a long rest.
This is part of the base race in 5e, but I think it's typically considered stronger in 5e, given 5e is less focused on combat and strategizing without being overhead is worth more.
This is a conversion of the shardmind race from the player handbook 3 of d&d 4e. I'm hoping the shardswarm feature is about half as powerful as the aasimar's transformation despite the aasimar's feature only refreshing on a long rest, with the shard slayer's being weaker than the others. Otherwise I get about 23 on detect balance for the shard slayer and 21 for the other two philosophies.
Fluff 1.1
In the ancient past, a barrier known as the living gate sealed away the far realm from the known planes. Manifesting a body from the shards of the living gate by force of will, shardminds hold one goal above all else: to purge the denizens of the far realm and once again seal them from returning again.
Ephemeral Forms
Consisting of flowing crystal, shardmind's whole bodies shift eternally in place, changing position with but a thought and adjusting to meet their mood. When harmed or weary, small portions of a shardmind's body shear off and orbit their mass until brought back under control.
Shardminds who bother wearing clothing typically adopt the standards of their neighbors, and their roughly humanoid forms can appear green, white, red, or amber.
Raging Mind, Stony Body
Shardminds are tied to the acts of the living by the same energies that give them sentience, but their bodies lack the physiology of living creatures. Their bodies have no need for air or sustenance.
Shardmind's minds however function just as those of other living creatures, requiring rest and learning over their lives. Some turn to curiosity about the world while others work to remain detached, but all feel their emotions strongly. Shardminds feel mirth rather than mere enjoyment, grief rather than sadness, and fury rather than annoyance.
Born of Fragments
In the far past, the living gate was shattered, leaving behind countless sections of crystal and first allowing illithids and other aberrations to enter the world. These crystals slowly awaken as new shardminds as existing shardminds are destroyed.
Achieving sentience outside societies and lacking the physiology of the living, these construct-like beings find critical thought easy but lack a general worldly knowledge. Familiar units and the physiological needs of other races are often foreign to them. Nonetheless, they learn quickly and older shardminds easily manage their way though even crowded metropolises smoothly.
Shardmind Fluff
Born of crystal that once guarded the edge of the multiverse and manifesting a body from this material by force of will, shardminds hold one goal above all else: to purge the denizens of the far realm and seal them from returning again.
Ephemeral Forms
Consisting of flowing crystals, shardmind's whole bodies flow like the blood, shifting eternally in place of the bodily functions of other races. This material stems from the living gate, an ancient structure long destroyed.
The crystal making up a shardmind's form sprang up spontaneously from the remnants of the living gate, a barrier that once stood to keep the far realm at bay. Shardminds can appear as green, white, red, or amber with roughly humanoid bodies.
Portions of a shardmind's body constantly shift with their state of mind, adjusting to meet their mood. When harmed or weary, small portions of a shardmind's body shear off and orbit their mass until brought back under control.
Raging Mind, Stony Body
Shardminds are tied to the acts of the living by the same energies that give them sentience, but their bodies lack the physiology of living creatures. Shardmind's bodies struggle to support themselves in thick fluid and their consciousnesses require rest just as much, but their bodies have no need for air or sustenance.
Achieving sentience outside societies and consisting so heavily of minds, these construct-like beings find critical thought easy but lack a general worldly knowledge. Some turn to curiosity about the world while others work to remain detached, but all feel their emotions strongly. Shardminds feel mirth rather than mere enjoyment, grief rather than sadness, and fury rather than annoyance.
Born of Fragments
In the far past, the guard against aberrant influence to the universe was broken, leaving behind countless sections of crystal. This material is most often green, white, red, or amber and portions slowly awaken as new shardminds.
Lacking the biology of other races, shardminds often struggle to understand familial units and natural functions. Nonetheless, they learn quickly and older shardminds easily manage their way though even crowded areas smoothly.
Shardmind Names
It does not occur to all shardminds to even take a name before they begin interacting with other races, at which point they often take on a name using the local customs, one given to them by others, or a self descriptor. Shardminds, made up of crystal, lack gender and names given by other races are typically based on their self-expression or physical appearance.
Names: Amber, Averse, Bauble, Credulous, Curious, Flurry, Frank, Goshenite, Heliodor, Jasper, Mirthful, Nephrite, Perplexed, Prudence, Pyrope, Rage, Sharp, Splinter, Stone Rose, Synthesis, Vibrant, Vitreous.
Shardmind Traits
Your shardmind character has an assortment of inborn abilities, innate to their nature and physiology. Born of psionic energy, a shardmind's body is then tapered to their innate traits depening on the overarching philosophy your shardmind character views for the future of their people. Each philosophy is rooted in the shardmind's origin on the border of the far realms and their internal quest to see incursions from the far realm to be sealed away forever.
Ability Score Increase
Your Intelligence score increases by 2.
Crystalline Mind
You have resistance to psychic damage.
Size
Shardminds consistently stand very near 6 feet tall, and weigh around 200 pounds despite their thin figures. They crystals making up their physical form are light for stone, but heavier than most flesh.
Age
Once formed shardminds learn to control their physical forms in a matter of weeks, and remain of similar appearance until they are destroyed or their bodies decay away at around 600 years old.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common and Deep Speech.
Living Construct
While alive, shardminds have much in common with constructs. You can also choose to count as a construct rather than a humanoid for any effect for which it would be beneficial.
Inhuman Anatomy
When killed, a shardmind's body collapses into fragile crystal. These remains are unsuitable to be raised into undeath.
Inhuman Anatomy replaces Living Construct.
Living Thought
You are sustained by the innate properties of the crystals making up your body, and lack the organs and tissue of humanoids. You gain the following benefits.
You don't need to eat, drink, or breath.
You are immune to disease.
You have advantage on saving throws made against harmful gases and vapors.
You can breath in environments without air.
What appears to other creatures as breathing is in fact the psychic hum of a shardmind's innate energy vibrating. A shardmind is able to hold their breath as a humanoid can and filling their body with a thick fluid like water will effectively suffocate a shardmind.
Shardmind sleep, however, is entirely the same as that of humanoids, as the psionic energy forming their consciousness equally requires rest.
Traveling Shardswarm
Starting at 3rd level, you have mastered the control of your own form, and are able to break up your entire body for rapid travel. As a bonus action you can expend a use of your shardswarm feature to momentarily dissolve your body entirely into tiny shards. You can fly up to 20 feet as part of the bonus action. During this flight you do not provoke attacks of opportunity, and you can squeeze through spaces as narrow as 3 inches wide.
traveling shardswarm moved here from a feat. Its avaliable at 3rd level as its like misty step.
Subraces are based on the philosophies presented in the 4e PH3. I like the idea that a race consisting of thought is physically different based on their philosophical views, and hoping that this helps to grant some additional flavor to the race. If you allow assimar to shift between the fallen subrace and the others, I would also allow a shardmind to switch philosophies in a similar manner.
Thought Builder
Holding that a new living gate must be constructed to seal away aberrant influence for good, thought builders research themselves and their enemies to learn the nature of the structures they seek to rebuild.
Ability Score Increase
Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Alignment
Thought builders see the path to fighting the far realm as a united goal between shardminds, and that all must stand unified to purge aberrations from the world. They learn heavily toward law, often split evenly between lawful neutral and lawful good.
Student of Planar Borders
You gain proficiency in the Arcana skill.
Guarding Shardswarm
As a bonus action, you can release part of your physical form, unleashing a swarm of crystalline shards in a whirling mass, which retain part of your sentience. Your presence inflicts disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures of your choice within 5 feet until the start of your next turn. Once you have used this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
God Shard
Amassing power to face down aberrations themselves, god shards hold that each shardmind themselves is the opposition to the far realm's attempts to destroy the universe. Adherents of this philosophy hold that each shardmind must nurture their own individual power to achieve their end.
Ability Score Increase
Your Charisma score increases by 1.
Alignment
God shards see shardminds as a manifestation of forces opposing the far realm, and believe each shardmind must build up their own personal strength to turn against the powers of the far realm. Many god shards learn lightly toward good and chaos, but all alignments can be found from those to follow this philosophy.
Unhindered By Earth
Your refusal to be overcome bolsters your innate knowledge of how to travel between shards. You can move across difficult terrain made of earth or stone without expending extra movement.
Valorous Shardswarm
As a bonus action, you can steady your mind and bolster your body to testify to your power. Unleashing a swarm of crystalline shards in a whirling mass, which retain part of your sentience, you can ignore disadvantage on one attack you make before the end of your turn. The reassembly of the swarm bolsters your might, granting you temporary hit points equal to half your level (minimum of 1 temporary hit point) for 1 minute.
Shard Slayer
Shard slayers see their people as a stepping stone to the reformation of the crystalline structures that once held the far realms at bay. They hold that these structures will be reformed once shardminds are purged from existence, and destroy both other shardminds and the raw materials from which they spontaneously form.
Ability Score Increase
Your Strength score increases by 1.
Alignment
Shard slayers hold that the universes natural defenses against the far realm will be restored innately with the destruction of their own race. Most actively seek to speed up the process, starting with the shardminds of other philosophies. Most shard slayers fall into some form of evil, although there is no apparent bias for law or chaos.
Dark Visage
You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill.
Retributive Shardswarm
When a creature hits you with a melee attack, you can release part of your physical form as a reaction, unleashing a swarm of crystalline shards in a whirling mass, which retain part of your sentience. These swarms seek to shred your attacker, which must make a Constitution saving throw with a save DC of 8 + your proficiency modifier + your Intelligence or Wisdom modifier (your choice) or take slashing damage equal to half your level (minimum of 1 point). Once you have used this feature, you cannot use it again until you complete a short or long rest.
Shardmind Feats
Traveling Shardswarm
Prerequisite: Shardmind
You have learning greater control of yourself, even when you aren't holding your body together. You gain the following benefits.
You can use your shardswarm feature twice between rests.
As a bonus action you can expend a use of your shardswarm feature to momentarily dissolve your body entirely into shards for travel. You can fly up to 20 feet as part of the bonus action. During this flight you do not provoke attacks of opportunity, and you can squeeze through spaces as narrow as 3 inches wide.
There's a bunch of 4e feats to bolster the shardswarm power, so I wanted something similar to help differentiate them further. The preceding feat was moved to part of the base race.
Linked Minds
Prerequisite: Shardmind
You have learned to tap into the thoughts of others. You gain the following benefits.
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.
You can cast detect thoughts once, and regain the ability to cast the spell in this way when you finish a long rest.
This is part of the base race in 5e, but I think it's typically considered stronger in 5e, given 5e is less focused on combat and strategizing without being overhead is worth more.