Fey'ri (Daemonfey) for 5E (P.E.A.C.H.)

[Princess]

So for those of you who don't know, Fey'ri are a Forgotten Realms race born of a Sun Elf (Golden-skinned High Elves) noble house that interbred with Succubi to increase their power, putting them somewhere between Tieflings and Cambions, but with an Elvish twist. In 3rd Edition they have a nasty level adjustment, but since 5E doesn't use that rule at all, they need to be stripped down a bit for use in 5E or they'll be terribly overpowered. Here is my first attempt to do so in a way that both maintains the uniqueness of them and makes them usable without everyone else at the table feeling ripped off.

Fey'ri, born of Elves and Succubi, combine aspects of both of these heritages. They look very much like their Sun Elf ancestors, frequently possessing golden complexions and lithe physiques. However, large, batlike wings unfurl from their backs to mark their Abyssal blood, and each of them also possesses at least one other sign of this ancestry, be it glowing red eyes, blood red skin, a pointed tail, or some other fiendish trait.

Fey'ri Traits
Ability Score Increase: Your Dexterity and Charisma scores increase by 1 each.
Age: While physically mature at around a human pace, most Fey'ri aren't considered adults until they have seen over a century. They can live as long, or longer, than their Elven ancestors.
Alignment: Fey'ri love freedom much as Elves do, but fiendish blood gives this a sinister bent. They are usually chaotic, evil, or both.
Size: Fey'ri range from 5 to 6 feet tall and are typically slender. Their wings make them somewhat heavier than pure-blooded elves.
Speed: Base walking speed is 30 feet. While in a form with wings, they can fly at a speed of 30 feet. They cannot fly while wearing medium or heavy armor.
Darkvision: 60 feet, same as elves.
Fey Ancestry & Trance: As elves, PHB pg 23
Languages: Fey'ri speak Common, Elvish, and Abyssal.
Fiendish Tongue: Fey're receive Deception as a bonus Proficiency. Lying comes easily to the supernaturally beguiling succubi and all of their descendants.
Shapeshifter: As an action, a Fey'ri can polymorph into any other elf subrace of the same Size, or into their true form. Their equipment doesn't change with them, and they cannot fly while in a form without wings. They cannot mimic specific other individuals they've met, but can use this ability to hide their fiendish nature while around others who might be less than welcoming of their true forms.

[eleazzaar]

This looks like a good faith effort to cut them down, (you took away an ASI, few homebrewers can bring themselves to do that) but I still think they are OP.

Consider the bird man in EE. It gets slightly faster flight, but nearly nothing else. And many consider it OP (though there is no consensus on that).

This guy gets slightly inferior flight, which is still a better move rate than any other race than the birdman gets, and quite a few other nice features.

I'd also like to hear more of the limitations of the shape shifting. What is the chance of not copying perfectly, and people recognizing a fake?

A couple techniques to consider when converting high power races:

1) make some traits come on line at later levels.

2) bundle some traits in optional racial feats.

[Princess]

Some thoughts on potential changes then:

1- Reduce fly speed to 30 feet. This way it's still useful for getting around terrain but they stay at normal speed. Wood Elves and Aarakocra would both be faster.

2 - (a) Reduce shape shifting to only elves at level one, expanding it to any humanoid at level 5. This way to start out they can just hide their wings when they don't need them and not have any obvious signs of being demonic, but not much else to start with.

And/Or

(b) Any creature interacting with a disguised Fey'ri may make a Intelligence save equal to 8 + the Fey'ri's proficiency bonus + the Fey'ri's Charisma modifier to notice something "off" about their form, as the weakened Succubus blood makes the disguise imperfect. If combined with 2 (a), this could go away at level 5.

Regarding their spell-like abilities, they should qualify for a feat modeled after the Dragonmarks in the Eberron preview UA, but with the following spells:

Fey'ri Magic Ability - Charisma. Message & Charm Person. 5th level and higher, Darkness OR Detect Thoughts. 9th level and higher, Vampiric Touch OR Clairvoyance.

Also, I have totally forgotten what ASI stands for.

[eleazzaar]

1- Reduce fly speed to 30 feet. This way it's still useful for getting around terrain but they stay at normal speed. Wood Elves and Aarakocra would both be faster.

Good...

(b) Any creature interacting with a disguised Fey'ri may make a Intelligence save equal to 8 + the Fey'ri's proficiency bonus + the Fey'ri's Charisma modifier to notice something "off" about their form, as the weakened Succubus blood makes the disguise imperfect. If combined with 2 (a), this could go away at level 5.

Even if the form is perfect people should get a roll to recognise that people who they know are suddenly acting strange.

That would probably be roll Wisdom (Insight) vs 8 + Charisma (Deception)

Also, I have totally forgotten what ASI stands for.

Ability Score Increase

[Gr7mm Bobb]

If the goal is to get them to look 'normal', why not have it set to where they change into a version of that race. So you know what they look like in their halfling form, or their tiefling form. If someone is trying to get through the disguise, base it off of passive Deception 10 + Skill check bonuses for appearences. I can see that you are trying to let them change shape without stepping on the changelings toes (kudos there). The rest of it seems legit, I would still file this as a 'powerful' race in my world because of how it can interact within it. Great job overall though.

[Princess]

Even if the form is perfect people should get a roll to recognise that people who they know are suddenly acting strange.

That would probably be roll Wisdom (Insight) vs 8 + Charisma (Deception)

I personally would consider this part of normal game play regarding the use of disguises, so I don't think it needs to be part of the race description. Any attempt to make someone believe you are a specific person will entail charisma checks.

If the goal is to get them to look 'normal', why not have it set to where they change into a version of that race. So you know what they look like in their halfling form, or their tiefling form. If someone is trying to get through the disguise, base it off of passive Deception 10 + Skill check bonuses for appearences. I can see that you are trying to let them change shape without stepping on the changelings toes (kudos there). The rest of it seems legit, I would still file this as a 'powerful' race in my world because of how it can interact within it. Great job overall though.

Changing shape is almost as much a part of Fey'ri as it is for changelings, so they need to have some sort of ability for it. But yes, this is a bit weaker than Changeling's ability, and they don't automatically get Deception trained which means they have to pick a class or background to accommodate for it if they want to make the most of what they get from being part Succubus.

And yes, Fey'ri are supposed to be powerful. They're also supposed to be hated, which can limit their options if they aren't smart about how they conduct themselves. And the fact that they tend to lose their fly speed while disguised provides a nice counterbalance to how much free mojo they get.

[JNAProductions]

I'd be careful with powerful advantages limited by disadvantages. Players always-always-find a way around those disadvantages.

Especially fluff disadvantages. Those are a lot easier to get around than RAW disadvantages.

[DracoKnight]

I like this a lot. The flavor and feel of the race is different enough from the Tiefling that there's definitely reasons to play either one :D

[ravencroft0]

No Deception proficiency? That seems almost a given. I don't necessarily disagree with only 2 abilities getting +1, but I don't think as is your fey'ri is deserving of it. As is, and when compared to the likes of Volo's, your fey'ri is a bit underpowered. You have no skill proficiency, but you can speak Abyssal. Is this intentional? If not, as mentioned, Deception proficiency would work splendidly here, if you're not going to keep the elf's Perception. Shapechanger seems okay, if not complicated. You could just put in what the Monster Manual has written for "Shapechanger" in the "Succubus/Incubus" entry. Alternatively, there's the text from "Monsters of Faerun":

from Monsters of Faerun, p.73
Alternate Form (Su): Like their succubus
and incubus ancestors, fey’ris
can change their shape at will,
though they are limited to
humanoid forms of
approximately their
own height and weight.

Also there is the option of having a spell pool whose spells can be cast a number of times per long rest based on your Charisma modifier. These spells could include "detect thoughts," "alter form," "minor illusion", or whatever would be fitting. "Alter self", a 2nd level spell, allows for the caster to have a claw attack. This is very fitting because the succubus has a claw attack, thus only solidifying the fey'ri's ties to the succubus.

Anyway, YMMV, and I like what you've done already. Looking forward to your final version.

[Sariel Vailo]

This is fun lookin

[erendofe]

the flight speed isn't really a big issue. (IMO) 30 vs 40 ... meh
also their flight is more likely 60 flight is typically double normal ground movement
my suggestion would be to limit the "shapeshifter" ability to 3 per day (mot including reverting to their true form)
And forbid them from taking the EXACT form of any other living creature.
otherwise i'd allow a unique elf guise( form) for each sub-race and maybe a half-elf form; then just drop the "seen" requirement.
this would mean they would have: a sun elf form, moon elf form, drow, and may the half elf.
this may seem powerful but its only a matter of time before a character exhausted their aliases if they are not careful.


remember the power is meant to allow to blend in, not copy other living creatures.

[Princess]

the flight speed isn't really a big issue. (IMO) 30 vs 40 ... meh
also their flight is more likely 60 flight is typically double normal ground movement
my suggestion would be to limit the "shapeshifter" ability to 3 per day (mot including reverting to their true form)
And forbid them from taking the EXACT form of any other living creature.
otherwise i'd allow a unique elf guise( form) for each sub-race and maybe a half-elf form; then just drop the "seen" requirement.
this would mean they would have: a sun elf form, moon elf form, drow, and may the half elf.
this may seem powerful but its only a matter of time before a character exhausted their aliases if they are not careful.


remember the power is meant to allow to blend in, not copy other living creatures.

It's a big issue because flying is one advantage and higher speed is another - giving both of those things to a level 1 PC is significant and my goal is not to make existing races less appealing. That is a good idea for balancing the shapeshifting form, though.

[spinningdice]

If you assume racial feats are now an option since their introduction in UA, you could limit to one elf-form for the base species, with the option of using a feat later to make it true shapeshifting?

[Princess]

If you assume racial feats are now an option since their introduction in UA, you could limit to one elf-form for the base species, with the option of using a feat later to make it true shapeshifting?

Upgrading it to Alter Self with a feat does make a certain amount of sense, actually. But would a short rest be better or at will?