Rater202
2021-10-08, 01:48 AM
Having asked around in the 5e section, double-checked some stuff, and checked out the Unearthed Arcana versions of the Damphir and Reborn race/lineages and some other races, and refamiliarizing myself with some 5e rules regarding creature types, I think I can do my own races.
I... Like Slaymates. I like creepy undead children as a concept in general, so... So I'm doing Slaymates.Slaymates are undead creatures born when a child whose death was caused by abuse or malicious neglect by a parent. Possessing childlike innocence and serving as a font of necrotic power, it's not uncommon to find a Slaymate having been "adopted" by practitioners of Necromancy or other, more powerful undead.
Slaymate Features
Abillity Score Increase: Increase one of the Slaymate's abilities by 2 and a second by 1. It's not uncommon for Slaymates to favor dexterity or charisma, while Ankle Biters specifically sometimes favor constitution.
Age: Age is a tricky subject with Slaymates, as they're physically children. A newborn Slaymate possesses the same degree of physical and mental maturity as a humanoid of the age at which they died, but a Slaymate that exists long enough may develop an almost sinister degree of emotional maturity and intelligence hidden behind a childish facade. As undead creatures, a Slamate can theoretically live indefinitely.
Alignment: As undead creatures, Slaymates are animated by foul destructive energies and are arguable inherently unnatural. The simple act of becoming such a creature, let alone the trauma of their deaths, has a way of warping an underdeveloped mind. They are predisposed toward being evil. Though Slaymates have free will and can be of any alignment.
Creature Type: A Slaymate is Undead.
Size: A Slaymate's size is determined by their orignal race and their exact age. Most are small, but older children or children of taller or faster-growing races could be medium.
Speed: 30 ft.
Darkvision: Slaymates can see in dim light within 60 feet of them as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. They cannot discern color in darkness.
[B]Undead Creature Because Slaymates are undead, they have advantage on death-saving throws and are immune to disease and the poisoned condition(though still take poison damage) and do not need to eat, breathe, drink, or sleep. They can finish a long rest in 4 hours by spending the time conscious but motionless and cannot be forced to sleep with magic.
Pale Aura: If An ally within 10 feet of you casts a necromancy spell, a slaymate may use their reaction to bolster it. Treat the spell as if cast from a spell slot one level higher than it was actually cast or prepared from(the caster must still use a spell slot of the approaite minimum level or higher.) This can be done a number of times equal to the Slaymate's proficiency bonus, and expended uses are regained at a long rest.
Child of Living Parents: No one starts as a Slaymate. Select a single feature from a humanoid race.
Languages: a Slaymate knows the languages known to whatever race they selected their Child of Living Parents feature from.
Subraces: There are three main varieties of Slaymates: Ankle Biters, Weirdos, and Bullies.
Ankle Biters have a mouth that seems a little too wide and riddled with supernatural sickness. An Anklebiter has a bite natural weapon that is treated as a simple weapon with which they are proficient and deals 1d4 piercing damage. At fifth level, a Slaymate deals 1d6 damage with their bite and anyone who takes damage from an Anklebiter's bite(or in any other way takes damage that involves the Ankle Biter's teeth) must make a Constitution saving throw against a Dc equal to 8+ either the Ankle Biter's constitution or charisma modifier(chosen at fifth level) or contract Pale Wasting. Pale Wasting is a supernatural disease with an incubation period of one day. The effects of Pale Wasting are, other than the saving throw, identical to the disease Sewer Plague.
Weirdos are born from the ''strange" or "creepy" children and have access to a single necromancy cantrip of their choice. At fifth level, a Weirdo Slaymate can take a single first or second-level Necromancy Spell, which they can cast once per Long Rest. They use Charisma as their spellcasting ability for these spells.
Bullies are particularly sadistic slaymates who take their pain and emotions out violently on anyone who ticks them off. A Bully Slaymate is proficient in Intimidation. At fifth Level, the Bully gains the ability to add their Charisma Modifier to damage on a successful melee attack a number of times per short rest equal to their proficiency bonus.
So my design goal here was translating the 3.5 monster into a player race as accurately as possible, but now that I've gotten it all written out it feels like a bit much, so if this seems overpowered I'm open to any constructive critique that fixes that while leaving the feel of it intact.
I also wanted a bit of variety with potential builds and since modularity seems to be the current thing with player races I went with variable size, a single feature from your "parent" race and three subraces, one being a translation of the standard Bite and Disease combo from the original 3.5 monster, and then a Mage option and a Fighter Option to complement the more roguish base race.
Thoughts?
I... Like Slaymates. I like creepy undead children as a concept in general, so... So I'm doing Slaymates.Slaymates are undead creatures born when a child whose death was caused by abuse or malicious neglect by a parent. Possessing childlike innocence and serving as a font of necrotic power, it's not uncommon to find a Slaymate having been "adopted" by practitioners of Necromancy or other, more powerful undead.
Slaymate Features
Abillity Score Increase: Increase one of the Slaymate's abilities by 2 and a second by 1. It's not uncommon for Slaymates to favor dexterity or charisma, while Ankle Biters specifically sometimes favor constitution.
Age: Age is a tricky subject with Slaymates, as they're physically children. A newborn Slaymate possesses the same degree of physical and mental maturity as a humanoid of the age at which they died, but a Slaymate that exists long enough may develop an almost sinister degree of emotional maturity and intelligence hidden behind a childish facade. As undead creatures, a Slamate can theoretically live indefinitely.
Alignment: As undead creatures, Slaymates are animated by foul destructive energies and are arguable inherently unnatural. The simple act of becoming such a creature, let alone the trauma of their deaths, has a way of warping an underdeveloped mind. They are predisposed toward being evil. Though Slaymates have free will and can be of any alignment.
Creature Type: A Slaymate is Undead.
Size: A Slaymate's size is determined by their orignal race and their exact age. Most are small, but older children or children of taller or faster-growing races could be medium.
Speed: 30 ft.
Darkvision: Slaymates can see in dim light within 60 feet of them as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. They cannot discern color in darkness.
[B]Undead Creature Because Slaymates are undead, they have advantage on death-saving throws and are immune to disease and the poisoned condition(though still take poison damage) and do not need to eat, breathe, drink, or sleep. They can finish a long rest in 4 hours by spending the time conscious but motionless and cannot be forced to sleep with magic.
Pale Aura: If An ally within 10 feet of you casts a necromancy spell, a slaymate may use their reaction to bolster it. Treat the spell as if cast from a spell slot one level higher than it was actually cast or prepared from(the caster must still use a spell slot of the approaite minimum level or higher.) This can be done a number of times equal to the Slaymate's proficiency bonus, and expended uses are regained at a long rest.
Child of Living Parents: No one starts as a Slaymate. Select a single feature from a humanoid race.
Languages: a Slaymate knows the languages known to whatever race they selected their Child of Living Parents feature from.
Subraces: There are three main varieties of Slaymates: Ankle Biters, Weirdos, and Bullies.
Ankle Biters have a mouth that seems a little too wide and riddled with supernatural sickness. An Anklebiter has a bite natural weapon that is treated as a simple weapon with which they are proficient and deals 1d4 piercing damage. At fifth level, a Slaymate deals 1d6 damage with their bite and anyone who takes damage from an Anklebiter's bite(or in any other way takes damage that involves the Ankle Biter's teeth) must make a Constitution saving throw against a Dc equal to 8+ either the Ankle Biter's constitution or charisma modifier(chosen at fifth level) or contract Pale Wasting. Pale Wasting is a supernatural disease with an incubation period of one day. The effects of Pale Wasting are, other than the saving throw, identical to the disease Sewer Plague.
Weirdos are born from the ''strange" or "creepy" children and have access to a single necromancy cantrip of their choice. At fifth level, a Weirdo Slaymate can take a single first or second-level Necromancy Spell, which they can cast once per Long Rest. They use Charisma as their spellcasting ability for these spells.
Bullies are particularly sadistic slaymates who take their pain and emotions out violently on anyone who ticks them off. A Bully Slaymate is proficient in Intimidation. At fifth Level, the Bully gains the ability to add their Charisma Modifier to damage on a successful melee attack a number of times per short rest equal to their proficiency bonus.
So my design goal here was translating the 3.5 monster into a player race as accurately as possible, but now that I've gotten it all written out it feels like a bit much, so if this seems overpowered I'm open to any constructive critique that fixes that while leaving the feel of it intact.
I also wanted a bit of variety with potential builds and since modularity seems to be the current thing with player races I went with variable size, a single feature from your "parent" race and three subraces, one being a translation of the standard Bite and Disease combo from the original 3.5 monster, and then a Mage option and a Fighter Option to complement the more roguish base race.
Thoughts?