Race: Vishkanyas (P.E.A.C.H.)

[Zejety]

An attempt at porting the Pathfinder Vishkanyas to 5e from somebody with little 5e experience. Any feedback or input is appreciated, especially on the Toxic trait. Many thanks to Kryx for helping me a lot in this thread.

Current version: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...it?usp=sharing

If anybody has more background info on Vishkanyas to share than what can be found in the PRD, Id really appreciate. A quote for the start of the entry would be especially awesome!

Spoiler: Original post

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An attempt at porting the Pathfinder Vishkanyas to 5e from somebody with little 5e experience. Any feedback or input is appreciated, especially on the Toxic trait. Is it too strong? Should I limit it to once per short rest and maybe buff the duration in exchange?

I'll leave most of the fluff out at first. You can reference the paizo page for the time being.

Vishkanya Traits

• Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2 and your Charisma score increases by 1.
• Size. Vishkanyas fall well within the human range of heights but are generally more lean than an average human of their height. Your size is Medium.
• Speed. Your base movement speed is 30 feet.
• Darkvision. You can see in di 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.
• Predator's Resilience. Given their own venomous blood, Vishkanyas display an inherent resistance against poison. You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.
• Escape Artist. Vishkanyas are very limber. Whenever you make a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to escape grapples or bindings, you are considered proficient in the Acrobatics skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.
• Poisoner's Weapon Training. You have profieciency with the blowgun, darts, [are there any oriental weapons in the DMG?]
• Toxic. Vishkanyas often coat their weapons with their own venomous blood or saliva. As an action, you can cover one melee weapon or three pieces of ammunition in venom for one minute. An creature hit by an attack with a coated weapon or projectile must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for one round. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
  If a target's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the target is immune to your venom for the next 24 hours.
• Languages. You can speak, read and write Common and Vishkanya.

Spoiler: Even older, original version

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Vishkanya Traits

• Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2 and your Charisma score increases by 1.
• Size. Vishkanyas fall well within the human range of heights but are generally more lean than an average human of their height. Your size is Medium.
• Speed. Your base movement speed is 30 feet.
• Darkvision. You can see in di 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.
• Predator's Resilience. Given their own venomous blood, Vishkanyas display an inherent resistance against poison. You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.
• Escape Artist. Vishkanyas are very limber. Whenever you make a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to escape grapples or bindings, you are considered proficient in the Acrobatics skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.
• Poisoner's Weapon Training. You have profieciency with the blowgun, darts, [are there any oriental weapons in the DMG?]
• Toxic. Vishkanyas often coat their weapons with their own venomous blood or saliva. As an action, you can apply your venom to one melee weapon or three pieces of ammunition like any other poison. A creature hit by an attack with a coated weapon or projectile must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or become Poisoned for one minute. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus.
  The venom on your gear loses its potency at the start of your next turn or after hitting a creature.
• Languages. You can speak, read and write Common and Vishkanya.

Variant: Subtle Vishkanya
Some Vishkanyas are born without the distinctive featureless eyes of their brethren and are easier to confuse for a human.
You have all Vishkanya traits with following exceptions:

• Human Sight. You have no Darkvision.
• Subtle Differences. Whenever you make a Charisma (Deception) check to make others perceive you as human, you are considered proficient in the Deception skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus. You can make this check without using an actual disguise.

[Kryx]

The action to apply poison is 1 action. It lasts 1 minute. Vishkanya shouldn't treat it differently imo.

Make it once per short rest.

On deception: I was looking at this the other day and I think it is covered by disguise kit (a tool) in 5e. I'll have to check when I'm at my computer.

[Zejety]

The action to apply poison is 1 action. It lasts 1 minute. Vishkanya shouldn't treat it differently imo.

Make it once per short rest.

Yeah I see your point and agree. No need to force players to internalize two sets of rules for the same thing. Do you think this remains balanced if it doesn't "wipe off" (just like the other poisons)? I have not played 5e yet and therefore have little grasp on balance. We plan to convert our running PF game soon and one player plays a Vishkanya so I can't wait with homebrewing until I gathered more experience. ^^

On deception: I was looking at this the other day and I think it is covered by disguise kit (a tool) in 5e. I'll have to check when I'm at my computer.

The disguise kit adds your proficiency bonus on checks to create visual disguises.

[Kryx]

Do you think this remains balanced if it doesn't "wipe off" (just like the other poisons)? I have not played 5e yet and therefore have little grasp on balance. We plan to convert our running PF game soon and one player plays a Vishkanya so I can't wait with homebrewing until I gathered more experience. ^^

You should make it so once a creature saves from the poison that it can no longer affect them for 24 hours. With that I would consider it easily balanced. I'd want to add a bit of damage, maybe d4 or d6, but it's not really in their flavor from before.

The disguise kit adds your proficiency bonus on checks to create visual disguises.

So double prof from the kit and deception? Strange.


I personally wouldn't run the "Subtle Vishkanya" - it's basically just playing a human with cool snake feature. Unique races should be unique, not just a human with weird features imo.

Overall it feels about right.

[Zejety]

You should make it so once a creature saves from the poison that it can no longer affect them for 24 hours. With that I would consider it easily balanced. I'd want to add a bit of damage, maybe d4 or d6, but it's not really in their flavor from before.

So 1 minute duration (on the weapon) poisoned condition for 1 round on hit and failed save; saves make immune for 24 hours?

I personally wouldn't run the "Subtle Vishkanya" - it's basically just playing a human with cool snake feature. Unique races should be unique, not just a human with weird features imo.

Yeah, I guess I'll drop. My player isn't playing one either, anyway.

[Kryx]

So 1 minute duration (on the weapon) poisoned condition for 1 round on hit and failed save; saves make immune for 24 hours?

The 24hr format exists commonly in the MM. For example:

Banshee
Horrifying Visage. Each non-undead creature within 60 feet of the banshee that can see her must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. A frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, with disadvantage if the banshee is within line of sight, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a target's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the target is immune to the banshee's Horrifying Visage for the next 24 hours.

It only seems to exist for charmed like conditions, but it feels appropriate for poisoned as well and is a good limiter.

The Quasit has a good example of the duration:

and become poisoned for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

So the poison lasts 1 minute on the blade as is the norm (really he should be poisoning before the fight, it's not worth an action in the fight).
DC 8+prof+con sounds good.
Poisoned condition lasts 1 minute or until the creature saves (new opportunity at the end of every turn).

Poisoned is bad, but no where near the end of the world:

A poisoned creature has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.

Letting that last several rounds is flavorful and not OP imo. It actually makes the race decent.

[Zejety]

I uploaded a formated version with a little fluff write-up: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...it?usp=sharing

I only made one slight crunch change: After reading that Vishkanyas are very much into using poisons in general (not just their own), I felt that it was important to give them proficiency with the poisoner's kit. I dropped most of the weapon proficiencies to make up for it but kept the blowgun in because it seems to mostly be a flavor weapon anyway.

[Kryx]

You added the ability to save each round, but left in the duration of 1 round. Should probably remove the duration.

[Zejety]

You added the ability to save each round, but left in the duration of 1 round. Should probably remove the duration.

Oops, thanks.

[ocel]

Is there any reason why it takes an action for this race to coat a weapon (or three pieces of ammunition) with poison instead of a bonus one?

[Zejety]

Is there any reason why this race's toxic trait takes an action to coat a weapon (or three pieces of ammunition) with poison instead of a bonus one?

I originally had it use a bonus action but then Kryx rightfully posted:

The action to apply poison is 1 action. It lasts 1 minute. Vishkanya shouldn't treat it differently imo.