PhoenixPhyre
2022-04-17, 10:39 PM
The goal here is to divorce culture from heredity as much as possible. Instead of sub-races, there are only Lineages (the biological part) and Cultures (the rest). As this is for my particular setting, many of the non-SRD names have been changed to reflect the differences in lore. Each lineage and culture here is presented with a small blurb explaining some of the background. Looking for feedback on both mechanics and thematics, especially with the features. Note: Tasha's racial stuff is NOT in play.
Each lineage gets
* A size category
* A +1 ASI. Some are fixed, some are variable.
* 2 feature slots. In some cases, these are "pick two from this list". Others are fixed; others are "pick one from this list + fixed choice". Features like Fiendish Ancestry (2) mean "pick two from the Fiendish Ancestry list"
* All speeds are 30.
Each culture gets
* A list of suggested (for lore reasons) lineages
* 3 adjectives (used to generate the features)
* +1/+1 ASI. This can overlap with the lineage one, producing +2/+1. Most of these are fixed, but a few have some variability.
* A set of proficiencies, generally 2.
* A feature, generally weaker than the lineage ones.
* A pick of 2 languages from a limited list, in addition to Common. I use languages heavily and all the cultures are multi-ethnic.
Lineages (alphabetical, mostly)
Barbegazi. Blue-skinned frost goblins. Larger and less tribally-dependent than regular goblins; cannot be transformed into hobgoblins or bugbears. Touched by the Plane of Ice. Only found natively in a few places, among them the Nocthian Caldera.
Size: S
ASI: CON
Feature: Cold Resistance.
Feature: Elemental Nature (Cold). The influence of the Plane of Ice freezes the blood of your foes. When you are hit by an attack from within 5 feet, you can use your reaction to force the attacker to make a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus). On a failed save, the attacker takes cold damage equal to your level and has their speed reduced to 0 until the end of their next turn. While immobilized like this, the creature cannot take a reaction. Once a target fails on this save you cannot use the ability again until you finish a short or long rest.
Cysgor. Grey-skinned elven relatives who have long been associated with the Shadow plane. Roughly similar to the shadar kai, but very different lore wise.
Size: M
ASI: WIS
Feature: Necrotic resistance.
Feature: Shadow Walk. The ancestral bargain between the cysgor and Shadow itself lingers in your blood. As a bonus action while standing in a shadow, you can teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied point you can see that is also in shadow. Once you use this trait, you can not use it again until you finish a long or short rest.
Dragonborn (True). Descendants of an attempt to make super soldiers by fusing dragon soul fragments with unborn human children. Mammals, despite the scales. Yes, they do have tails (generally short stubby ones) and are different colors.
Size: M
ASI: STR
Feature: Elemental Resistance (based on color)
Feature: Draconic Nature (1). See below.
Your ancestors were created by merging them with pieces of draconic souls. That legacy lingers on in you. Choose N of the following traits.
* Draconic Fear. You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill. In addition, as an action you can exude menace at a single creature that can see you within 30 feet. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw against a DC of 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. On a failed saving throw the target is frightened for one minute. Frightened targets can attempt the saving throw again at the end of each of their turns, ending the effect on a success. Once a target fails this saving throw, you can no longer use this trait until you finish a long rest.
* Dragon Hide. When you aren’t wearing armor, your AC equals 13 + your Dexterity modifier.
* Natural Weaponry. You have either claws, dagger-like teeth, or a tail (your choice). You can attack with your chosen feature as a natural weapon with which you have proficiency, dealing 1d4 + your Strength modifier damage on a hit. Claws deal slashing damage, teeth deal piercing damage, while a tail deals bludgeoning damage.
* Breath weapon. As per PHB, except used as a Bonus action and CON-mod/short rest.
Dwarf. Pretty standard dwarves, except their language and accent is generally Mongolian. Related to giants and jazuu.
Size: M
ASI: CON
Feature: Poison Resistance.
Feature: Darkvision (60ft)
Elementborn. Aka genasi, but with less intimate relationships with genies. Just born when there's a strong elemental influence. Do not generally breed true.
Size: M or S
ASI: STR or CON or WIS or CHA.
Feature: Elemental Resistance (one of fire/poison/lightning/acid)
Feature: Elemental Nature (based on resistance you chose):
Fire: The influence of the Plane of Fire has given you partial control over fire. You learn the firebolt cantrip. You can cast absorb elements at first level once with this trait and regain the ability to do so after you finish a long rest. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast continual flame once with this trait and regain the ability to do so after you finish a long rest. Constitution is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Poison: The influence of the Plane of Water grants you the ability to breathe water as well as air.
Lightning: The influence of the Plane of Air lends quickness to your movements. Your movement speed increases by 10 feet.
Acid: The influence of the Plane of Earth makes you difficult to move against your will. You have advantage on ability checks and saving throws to resist being moved or knocked prone. This includes attempts to teleport you against your will.
Fiendborn. Like tieflings. But more varied and less devil sex. Just strong devil influence. Don't breed true, generally. Unless you're also fiend warlocks.
Size: M or S
ASI: CHA
Feature: Fiendish Nature (2) :
The legacy of the Infernal Territories warps your bloodline. Choose 2 of the following traits.
* Fire Resistance. You have resistance to fire damage.
* Necrotic Resistance. You have resistance to necrotic damage.
* Fiendish Charm: As a reaction when a creature you can see makes an attack against you, you can force them to make a Wisdom saving throw against a DC of 8 + your Charisma modifier + your Proficiency bonus. On a failed save, they must choose another target within range for the attack if one exists. If no suitable targets exist, the attack is lost. Once you use this trait once, you can not use it again until you finish a long rest.
* Fiendish Magic: You know the thaumaturgy cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the hellish rebuke spell as a 2nd-level spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the darkness spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
* Fiendish Physiology: You have either horns, dagger-like teeth, or a tail (your choice). You can attack with your chosen feature as a natural weapon with which you have proficiency, dealing 1d4 + your Strength modifier damage on a hit. Horns and teeth deal piercing damage, while a tail deals bludgeoning damage.
* Familiar Spirit: You can cast the find familiar spell once with this trait, regaining the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. The familiar you summon has the fiend type.
Gnome. Fey-touched goblins. Currently really rare due to <reasons>, but becoming less so. Do actually breed true, unlike most of the other "X-born" types, because goblins are funky.
Size: S
ASI: INT or WIS
Feature: Fey Ancestry (2) (see below)
Half Elf. Some are wood-elf related, others high-elf related. Hence the choice. Their flexibility in ASI means they only get one feature.
Size: M
ASI: Any
Feature: EITHER Fey Ancestry (1) or Quick Learner (see gwerin)
Ihmisi. Wood elves. A different race than gwerin (high elves); their ancestors traded the long life thing for a connection to the primal forces of nature.
Size: M
ASI: DEX
Feature: Trance (as PHB)
Feature: Fey Ancestry (1)
The influence of fey and kami lingers in your soul. Choose N of the following traits.
* Psychic Resistance. You have resistance to psychic damage.
* Fey Trick: As an action, one creature you can see within 60 feet must make a Wisdom saving throw against a DC of 8 + your Charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus. On a failure, they must use their reaction to move up to their speed in a straight line in a direction of your choice. Once a creature fails this saving throw, you cannot use this trait again until you finish a long rest.
* One with Nature : As an action, you can merge into a natural feature (such as a rock, tree, dirt, or unworked stone) and reappear at a different natural feature you can see within 30 feet. Once you use this trait, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.
* Nature’s Concealment : You can attempt to hide when lightly obscured by natural elements such as trees, mist, bushes, etc.
* Fey Companion. You can cast the find familiar spell once with this trait, regaining the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. The familiar you summon has the fey type.
Godborn Aasimar, basically. Again, don't breed true and more about strong celestial influence. Note that celestial in my world =/= good. And fiend =/= evil.
Size: M or S
ASI: WIS
Feature: Celestial Nature (2)
The fire of demigods, ascendants, or the angelic host burns in your soul. Choose N of the following traits.
* Celestial Verity. When you make a Charisma (Persuasion) check, you can add twice your proficiency bonus instead.
* Angelic Wings. As udaaka, but glowy.
* Radiant Resistance. You have resistance to radiant damage.
* Necrotic Resistance. You have resistance to necrotic damage.
* Healing Hands. As an action, you can touch another creature and restore hit points up to 5 times your proficiency bonus to them. Once you use this trait, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.
Goroesi The dark elves of the setting. NOT drow in any way. Stockier and more crafting/art-inclined than most elves. Associated with time and prophecies for obscure reasons.
Size: M
ASI: CHA
Feature: Superior Darkvision (120 ft, color)
Feature: Trance.
Gwerin. High elves. Longest lived normal race (but only 200 years). Self-proclaimed masters of wizardry. Definitely not tree-huggers. They prefer cities and crystals and shiny white towers, thank you very much. Don't confuse them with their dirty ihmisi "cousins".
Size: M, but better than you.
ASI: INT, because they're smarter than you are.
Feature: Trance, but better. As regular Trance, but you remain conscious and alert (but immobile) during that time.
Feature: Quick Learner. Again, smarter and more skilled than you are, literally from birth. You gain proficiency in two languages or artisan’s tools of your choice. In addition, learning additional languages or tools costs only half the normal time and price. Yes, we've bred for this ability. Our newborns are better painters than most "regular" artists.
Halfling. Matriarchal, have three "sexes" (one being a neuter "worker female"), and have slightly sharpened teeth. Mutated goblins that underwent severe population bottlenecks. A large group of them are cannibals in the jungle.
Size. S. Like...really small.
ASI: DEX.
Feature: Lucky.
Feature: Halfling Nimbleness
Hobgoblin. When a tribe of goblins needs leadership or direction (which is pretty common), they pour their psychic energy into one individual. He grows into a hobgoblin. Sterile, but not as dependent on the tribal shared memory and so much less distractable and more focused and independent. Note: Humans are mutated hobgoblins, as are orcs.
Size: M
ASI: INT
Feature: Instinctive Tactics. As a reaction when an ally you can see within 30 feet is targeted by an attack, you can shout a warning, allowing them to immediately move up to half their speed or stand up from prone without provoking opportunity attacks. This happens before the attack completes and can cause the attack to miss. Once you use this trait, you cannot use it again until after you finish a long or short rest.
Feature: Shared Memory. When you make Intelligence checks involving remembering information, you can do so at advantage as you pull from the shared memory of your tribe.
Human. Humans. Known as the "devout people", they were the first to discover divine magic. Created by the elves from hobgoblins a long time ago, along with orcs. Maybe people should stop trying to make super-soldiers? It never works.
Size: M
ASI: --
Feature: Any half-feat. This also provides their +1 ASI.
Jazuu. Big, mountain-dwelling. Associated with runes, because they can be reprogrammed by runes to create true giants. Giant-kin come from failed transformations or their descendants.
Size: M, but only because L causes mechanical issues.
ASI: STR
Feature: Stone Endurance
Feature: Powerful Build
Ophidian. Snake-people, but not evil nasty ones. Basically yuan-ti purebloods, but with the more warped ones as ritually-deformed to save from common birth defects due to genetic meddling.
Size: M
ASI: CHA
Feature: Poison Resistance
Feature: Instinctive Charm. When you make a Charisma check to get someone to do something for you, you can force them to make a Wisdom saving throw against a DC of 8 + your Charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus. On a failure, they are friendly to you for the purpose of determining the outcome of the check no matter their normal disposition. Once a target fails this saving throw, you cannot use this trait again until you finish a long rest.
Orc. No half-orcs. Not savages....well...some of them are. But some of everyone are savages (except gwerin, they're too good for that). Made alongside humans as soldiers. Tied to a demon prince (who was an orc) in the past, so genetic temper issues. Those have faded, mostly, with time.
Size: M, but on the bigger side
ASI: CON
Feature: Relentless Endurance
Feature: Inexhaustible. You recover 1 level of exhaustion whenever you finish a long or short rest.
Sena'ka. Voldemorts. No-nose lizard-spotted folk. AKA githyanki. Very different lore. Most of them are sea-farers these days. Designed as, you guessed it, another attempt at super-soldiers, a bit more psychically this time. This one almost worked.
Size: M
ASI: STR or INT
Feature: Psionic Nature (2)
Your ancestors were granted uncanny gifts by their creators. Choose N of the following traits.
* Force Blades. As an action you can summon a blade of force. It has the statistics of a shortsword except that it deals force damage and has the thrown (30/90) property. Once thrown, it reappears in your hand at the end of that turn as long as you have a hand free whether it hit or missed.
*Tactical Teleport. As an action, you can teleport to an unoccupied point you can see within a 15’. Once you use this trait, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.
*Telekinetic Hand. You know the mage hand cantrip. When you cast it, it can provide up to 30 lbs of force (instead of 10) and is invisible.
*Mind Invasion. As an action, you can force a creature you can see within 30 feet to make an Intelligence saving throw against a DC of 8 + your Intelligence modifier + your proficiency bonus. On a failed save, you can either cause the creature psychic damage equal to your level or ask the creature one question. If the creature knows the answer, you learn that information. If they do not, they take the damage instead. After the effect ends, the creature knows you assaulted their mind. Once a creature fails the saving throw against this effect, you cannot use this trait again until you finish a long rest.
Sher'ka. Cat folk. Only native to one continent.
Size: M
ASI: DEX
Feature: Claws.
Feature: Feline Agility.
Udaaka. The first shall be last. Winged bird folk. More humanoid than the stock ones, less bird. Artificially created originally, but breed true.
Size: M
ASI: DEX
Feature: Talons
Feature: Wings
Each lineage gets
* A size category
* A +1 ASI. Some are fixed, some are variable.
* 2 feature slots. In some cases, these are "pick two from this list". Others are fixed; others are "pick one from this list + fixed choice". Features like Fiendish Ancestry (2) mean "pick two from the Fiendish Ancestry list"
* All speeds are 30.
Each culture gets
* A list of suggested (for lore reasons) lineages
* 3 adjectives (used to generate the features)
* +1/+1 ASI. This can overlap with the lineage one, producing +2/+1. Most of these are fixed, but a few have some variability.
* A set of proficiencies, generally 2.
* A feature, generally weaker than the lineage ones.
* A pick of 2 languages from a limited list, in addition to Common. I use languages heavily and all the cultures are multi-ethnic.
Lineages (alphabetical, mostly)
Barbegazi. Blue-skinned frost goblins. Larger and less tribally-dependent than regular goblins; cannot be transformed into hobgoblins or bugbears. Touched by the Plane of Ice. Only found natively in a few places, among them the Nocthian Caldera.
Size: S
ASI: CON
Feature: Cold Resistance.
Feature: Elemental Nature (Cold). The influence of the Plane of Ice freezes the blood of your foes. When you are hit by an attack from within 5 feet, you can use your reaction to force the attacker to make a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus). On a failed save, the attacker takes cold damage equal to your level and has their speed reduced to 0 until the end of their next turn. While immobilized like this, the creature cannot take a reaction. Once a target fails on this save you cannot use the ability again until you finish a short or long rest.
Cysgor. Grey-skinned elven relatives who have long been associated with the Shadow plane. Roughly similar to the shadar kai, but very different lore wise.
Size: M
ASI: WIS
Feature: Necrotic resistance.
Feature: Shadow Walk. The ancestral bargain between the cysgor and Shadow itself lingers in your blood. As a bonus action while standing in a shadow, you can teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied point you can see that is also in shadow. Once you use this trait, you can not use it again until you finish a long or short rest.
Dragonborn (True). Descendants of an attempt to make super soldiers by fusing dragon soul fragments with unborn human children. Mammals, despite the scales. Yes, they do have tails (generally short stubby ones) and are different colors.
Size: M
ASI: STR
Feature: Elemental Resistance (based on color)
Feature: Draconic Nature (1). See below.
Your ancestors were created by merging them with pieces of draconic souls. That legacy lingers on in you. Choose N of the following traits.
* Draconic Fear. You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill. In addition, as an action you can exude menace at a single creature that can see you within 30 feet. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw against a DC of 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. On a failed saving throw the target is frightened for one minute. Frightened targets can attempt the saving throw again at the end of each of their turns, ending the effect on a success. Once a target fails this saving throw, you can no longer use this trait until you finish a long rest.
* Dragon Hide. When you aren’t wearing armor, your AC equals 13 + your Dexterity modifier.
* Natural Weaponry. You have either claws, dagger-like teeth, or a tail (your choice). You can attack with your chosen feature as a natural weapon with which you have proficiency, dealing 1d4 + your Strength modifier damage on a hit. Claws deal slashing damage, teeth deal piercing damage, while a tail deals bludgeoning damage.
* Breath weapon. As per PHB, except used as a Bonus action and CON-mod/short rest.
Dwarf. Pretty standard dwarves, except their language and accent is generally Mongolian. Related to giants and jazuu.
Size: M
ASI: CON
Feature: Poison Resistance.
Feature: Darkvision (60ft)
Elementborn. Aka genasi, but with less intimate relationships with genies. Just born when there's a strong elemental influence. Do not generally breed true.
Size: M or S
ASI: STR or CON or WIS or CHA.
Feature: Elemental Resistance (one of fire/poison/lightning/acid)
Feature: Elemental Nature (based on resistance you chose):
Fire: The influence of the Plane of Fire has given you partial control over fire. You learn the firebolt cantrip. You can cast absorb elements at first level once with this trait and regain the ability to do so after you finish a long rest. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast continual flame once with this trait and regain the ability to do so after you finish a long rest. Constitution is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Poison: The influence of the Plane of Water grants you the ability to breathe water as well as air.
Lightning: The influence of the Plane of Air lends quickness to your movements. Your movement speed increases by 10 feet.
Acid: The influence of the Plane of Earth makes you difficult to move against your will. You have advantage on ability checks and saving throws to resist being moved or knocked prone. This includes attempts to teleport you against your will.
Fiendborn. Like tieflings. But more varied and less devil sex. Just strong devil influence. Don't breed true, generally. Unless you're also fiend warlocks.
Size: M or S
ASI: CHA
Feature: Fiendish Nature (2) :
The legacy of the Infernal Territories warps your bloodline. Choose 2 of the following traits.
* Fire Resistance. You have resistance to fire damage.
* Necrotic Resistance. You have resistance to necrotic damage.
* Fiendish Charm: As a reaction when a creature you can see makes an attack against you, you can force them to make a Wisdom saving throw against a DC of 8 + your Charisma modifier + your Proficiency bonus. On a failed save, they must choose another target within range for the attack if one exists. If no suitable targets exist, the attack is lost. Once you use this trait once, you can not use it again until you finish a long rest.
* Fiendish Magic: You know the thaumaturgy cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the hellish rebuke spell as a 2nd-level spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the darkness spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
* Fiendish Physiology: You have either horns, dagger-like teeth, or a tail (your choice). You can attack with your chosen feature as a natural weapon with which you have proficiency, dealing 1d4 + your Strength modifier damage on a hit. Horns and teeth deal piercing damage, while a tail deals bludgeoning damage.
* Familiar Spirit: You can cast the find familiar spell once with this trait, regaining the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. The familiar you summon has the fiend type.
Gnome. Fey-touched goblins. Currently really rare due to <reasons>, but becoming less so. Do actually breed true, unlike most of the other "X-born" types, because goblins are funky.
Size: S
ASI: INT or WIS
Feature: Fey Ancestry (2) (see below)
Half Elf. Some are wood-elf related, others high-elf related. Hence the choice. Their flexibility in ASI means they only get one feature.
Size: M
ASI: Any
Feature: EITHER Fey Ancestry (1) or Quick Learner (see gwerin)
Ihmisi. Wood elves. A different race than gwerin (high elves); their ancestors traded the long life thing for a connection to the primal forces of nature.
Size: M
ASI: DEX
Feature: Trance (as PHB)
Feature: Fey Ancestry (1)
The influence of fey and kami lingers in your soul. Choose N of the following traits.
* Psychic Resistance. You have resistance to psychic damage.
* Fey Trick: As an action, one creature you can see within 60 feet must make a Wisdom saving throw against a DC of 8 + your Charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus. On a failure, they must use their reaction to move up to their speed in a straight line in a direction of your choice. Once a creature fails this saving throw, you cannot use this trait again until you finish a long rest.
* One with Nature : As an action, you can merge into a natural feature (such as a rock, tree, dirt, or unworked stone) and reappear at a different natural feature you can see within 30 feet. Once you use this trait, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.
* Nature’s Concealment : You can attempt to hide when lightly obscured by natural elements such as trees, mist, bushes, etc.
* Fey Companion. You can cast the find familiar spell once with this trait, regaining the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. The familiar you summon has the fey type.
Godborn Aasimar, basically. Again, don't breed true and more about strong celestial influence. Note that celestial in my world =/= good. And fiend =/= evil.
Size: M or S
ASI: WIS
Feature: Celestial Nature (2)
The fire of demigods, ascendants, or the angelic host burns in your soul. Choose N of the following traits.
* Celestial Verity. When you make a Charisma (Persuasion) check, you can add twice your proficiency bonus instead.
* Angelic Wings. As udaaka, but glowy.
* Radiant Resistance. You have resistance to radiant damage.
* Necrotic Resistance. You have resistance to necrotic damage.
* Healing Hands. As an action, you can touch another creature and restore hit points up to 5 times your proficiency bonus to them. Once you use this trait, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.
Goroesi The dark elves of the setting. NOT drow in any way. Stockier and more crafting/art-inclined than most elves. Associated with time and prophecies for obscure reasons.
Size: M
ASI: CHA
Feature: Superior Darkvision (120 ft, color)
Feature: Trance.
Gwerin. High elves. Longest lived normal race (but only 200 years). Self-proclaimed masters of wizardry. Definitely not tree-huggers. They prefer cities and crystals and shiny white towers, thank you very much. Don't confuse them with their dirty ihmisi "cousins".
Size: M, but better than you.
ASI: INT, because they're smarter than you are.
Feature: Trance, but better. As regular Trance, but you remain conscious and alert (but immobile) during that time.
Feature: Quick Learner. Again, smarter and more skilled than you are, literally from birth. You gain proficiency in two languages or artisan’s tools of your choice. In addition, learning additional languages or tools costs only half the normal time and price. Yes, we've bred for this ability. Our newborns are better painters than most "regular" artists.
Halfling. Matriarchal, have three "sexes" (one being a neuter "worker female"), and have slightly sharpened teeth. Mutated goblins that underwent severe population bottlenecks. A large group of them are cannibals in the jungle.
Size. S. Like...really small.
ASI: DEX.
Feature: Lucky.
Feature: Halfling Nimbleness
Hobgoblin. When a tribe of goblins needs leadership or direction (which is pretty common), they pour their psychic energy into one individual. He grows into a hobgoblin. Sterile, but not as dependent on the tribal shared memory and so much less distractable and more focused and independent. Note: Humans are mutated hobgoblins, as are orcs.
Size: M
ASI: INT
Feature: Instinctive Tactics. As a reaction when an ally you can see within 30 feet is targeted by an attack, you can shout a warning, allowing them to immediately move up to half their speed or stand up from prone without provoking opportunity attacks. This happens before the attack completes and can cause the attack to miss. Once you use this trait, you cannot use it again until after you finish a long or short rest.
Feature: Shared Memory. When you make Intelligence checks involving remembering information, you can do so at advantage as you pull from the shared memory of your tribe.
Human. Humans. Known as the "devout people", they were the first to discover divine magic. Created by the elves from hobgoblins a long time ago, along with orcs. Maybe people should stop trying to make super-soldiers? It never works.
Size: M
ASI: --
Feature: Any half-feat. This also provides their +1 ASI.
Jazuu. Big, mountain-dwelling. Associated with runes, because they can be reprogrammed by runes to create true giants. Giant-kin come from failed transformations or their descendants.
Size: M, but only because L causes mechanical issues.
ASI: STR
Feature: Stone Endurance
Feature: Powerful Build
Ophidian. Snake-people, but not evil nasty ones. Basically yuan-ti purebloods, but with the more warped ones as ritually-deformed to save from common birth defects due to genetic meddling.
Size: M
ASI: CHA
Feature: Poison Resistance
Feature: Instinctive Charm. When you make a Charisma check to get someone to do something for you, you can force them to make a Wisdom saving throw against a DC of 8 + your Charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus. On a failure, they are friendly to you for the purpose of determining the outcome of the check no matter their normal disposition. Once a target fails this saving throw, you cannot use this trait again until you finish a long rest.
Orc. No half-orcs. Not savages....well...some of them are. But some of everyone are savages (except gwerin, they're too good for that). Made alongside humans as soldiers. Tied to a demon prince (who was an orc) in the past, so genetic temper issues. Those have faded, mostly, with time.
Size: M, but on the bigger side
ASI: CON
Feature: Relentless Endurance
Feature: Inexhaustible. You recover 1 level of exhaustion whenever you finish a long or short rest.
Sena'ka. Voldemorts. No-nose lizard-spotted folk. AKA githyanki. Very different lore. Most of them are sea-farers these days. Designed as, you guessed it, another attempt at super-soldiers, a bit more psychically this time. This one almost worked.
Size: M
ASI: STR or INT
Feature: Psionic Nature (2)
Your ancestors were granted uncanny gifts by their creators. Choose N of the following traits.
* Force Blades. As an action you can summon a blade of force. It has the statistics of a shortsword except that it deals force damage and has the thrown (30/90) property. Once thrown, it reappears in your hand at the end of that turn as long as you have a hand free whether it hit or missed.
*Tactical Teleport. As an action, you can teleport to an unoccupied point you can see within a 15’. Once you use this trait, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.
*Telekinetic Hand. You know the mage hand cantrip. When you cast it, it can provide up to 30 lbs of force (instead of 10) and is invisible.
*Mind Invasion. As an action, you can force a creature you can see within 30 feet to make an Intelligence saving throw against a DC of 8 + your Intelligence modifier + your proficiency bonus. On a failed save, you can either cause the creature psychic damage equal to your level or ask the creature one question. If the creature knows the answer, you learn that information. If they do not, they take the damage instead. After the effect ends, the creature knows you assaulted their mind. Once a creature fails the saving throw against this effect, you cannot use this trait again until you finish a long rest.
Sher'ka. Cat folk. Only native to one continent.
Size: M
ASI: DEX
Feature: Claws.
Feature: Feline Agility.
Udaaka. The first shall be last. Winged bird folk. More humanoid than the stock ones, less bird. Artificially created originally, but breed true.
Size: M
ASI: DEX
Feature: Talons
Feature: Wings