Race idea - Resurrected Child

[Bannan_mantis]

A player went to me with a idea for his character that interested me quite a bit and after some discussion we decided that making a homebrew race around it would be pretty fun. The idea he had was that a child had wandered into a forest but while in that forest he was attacked and murdered and tried to survive but failed and the child wasn't ready for death and was scared so instead fey spirits took his soul and recreated him as a new being with a similar body and soul with changes to it. I like this idea and I believe to portray this well mechanically I would need a new race which fits the theme. Is there anything in dnd lore that is similar to our idea already and we were thinking of dividing subraces by what being brought them back so any ideas for things that could bring them back, we've thought of celestials and fey already

[brian 333]

Consider a background feat to keep it mechanicallly simple.

This is unlikely to be a race for two reasons: the character is very likely unique, and the character is very likely to be very similar to its original race but with a fey twist.

You can use the base race and add the twist with a feat, but if you feel that is not enough, a template might be the way to go. Templates essentially grant extra levels, though, so the character won't be participating in level 1 adventures with the rest of the gang.

Finally, don't let the cool idea turn into a munchkin idea. It should be less about combat bonuses and more about flavor.

[Bannan_mantis]

hmmmm, I am thankful for your suggestion and I just have a few questions to say back.

I wouldn't want to make a template like you suggested as you also said it essentially gives extra levels which would make this limiting and I don't want that.

A background might work but I want this to be a very defining part of the character and I don't think a background can change the character enough mechanically for it too feel like that.

And lastly, you said how it wouldn't work as a base race and I slightly disagree but also agree with you here. The vampire race (which I know is from plane shift) works similarly to this, a vampire itself isn't truly a race and it doesn't factor in the character's previous race. I am not saying you are completely wrong I just feel that it might be possible for this to be a base race and if I decide it not to be a base race I could say that the character only keeps certain things like ability score improvements and other traits.

[brian 333]

As with any RP Game mechanic, there are many right ways to do a thing. I present my views for your consideration, but feel free to use or discard any part of them in your campaign.

[Bannan_mantis]

Well thank you still and I am still thinking of the concept so suggestions about that would be appreciated

[GaelofDarkness]

If it were me - and this is just me - I'd take the tiefling - or maybe aasimar - race and change a few features to give it a fey feel. I recall there being a feytouched race in... I wanna say 3.5? Not sure, but there is a feytouched race out there if you want to go mining for ideas.

My initial thinking would be to take the tiefling. Change the +1 Int ASI to either +1Wis or +1Dex as suits the flavor you're going for and leave the +2 Cha alone. Instead of fire resistance, I'd give them the fey ancestry trait that elves and half elves get - and I'd throw in say resistance to psychic damage too just because fire resistance is a pretty strong trait given how common fire damage is and psychic damage is pretty rare. An alternative might be something like Gnome Cunning but that's a pretty strong trait so you'd be messing with the balance of the race and need to balance it out somehow. I'd replace the tiefling's spell casting with say, Prestidigitation for the cantrip, charm person or maybe faerie fire for the first level spell and then for the second level spell maybe Blur (that'd be a bit strong actually) or Suggestion or Invisibility or Moonbeam?

It really depends on how you want to flavor it - where on the sliding scale from whimsy to horror do fey or their influence lie? It's at your discretion.

[Bannan_mantis]

Hmmm those are interesting ideas and I could take things from the aasimar and put it on the celestial subrace, I was already thinking about what to do with the fey subrace with fey step and all.

[gooddragon1]

I don't do 5e, but try to think of a unique mechanic and give it that. Doesn't have to be strong, but something that nothing else can do that is related to the concept. Just imo.

[Bannan_mantis]

One idea I have that is a ability gained from the base race is something that may or may not be too OP, it fits the theme of being a child that escaped from death but may be too OP

Longevity: You gain the ability to add half your proficiency bonus to death saving throws.

at first I was considering something like the half orc ability but that makes the race feel like a big meat shield which feels weird considering that this is a race of resurrected children

[GaelofDarkness]

Longevity: You gain the ability to add half your proficiency bonus to death saving throws.

I wouldn't consider this a too powerful trait. This depends on your game of course, but in my experience, the unconscious characters take failed death saves from damage as often as they do from failing a death saving throw. And half your proficiency bonus is not that much. A 5% better chance of success at specifically this kind of roll at low levels ain't much and at high levels, the additional 15% chance of success probably won't feel that weird when there's so many powerful abilities flying around. Of course, whether or not this is OP depends on what other traits you're considering putting in there. If you were to throw this on top of a race comparable to an existing one, then you'd be pushing the balance. Probably not too much though.

[Bannan_mantis]

Hmmm alright, thanks for the critique. Maybe a addition to that ability is that maybe instead of damage making them immediately fail they just roll it at disadvantage

[Anymage]

Elves are already pretty fey, so starting from a human and using an elf or half elf racial features should work for a quick n' dirty fix.

Alternately, just be something like a feylock and decide to blur the lines between racial features and class features. I remember a 3.5 character of mine whose backstory was that a petty thief found himself at the right place at the wrong time, and was possessed by the soul of a fey noble. The race was bog standard human, and the class to combine minor larceny with faerie glamour was Beguiler. When existing rules work to realize unusual concepts, you don't need added homebrew.

[GaelofDarkness]

Hmmm alright, thanks for the critique. Maybe a addition to that ability is that maybe instead of damage making them immediately fail they just roll it at disadvantage

Oooh, that sounds really cool. I honestly don't know how to rate how powerful a feature that is. It'd* make the character genuinely difficult to kill outside of the likes of disintegrate. This is a touch noodly - so bear with me - when you take a melee attack when unconscious, it's an automatic critical and you fail two death saving throws. So are you proposing that instead of automatically failing you can roll a death saving throw at disadvantage against each fail individually or collectively? I don't think there's a better answer, it's just something you should think about before it comes up in play and surprises you.

*I should emphasize that I mean "it could make the character genuinely difficult to kill". An otherwise squishy character with low con would still be fairly squishy - though less likely to die than their counterparts without this trait. But your wizard will not suddenly become a tank or anything.

[Bannan_mantis]

I think that I'll change it so a crit makes you roll two at disadvantage and I feel this feature is good as it increases survivability while not making them like a tank or anything

also thanks anymage for that suggestion and I am going to take what you said into consideration, fey step and fey ancestry type abilities might be added

[Bannan_mantis]

Alright I think I have enough suggestions for the mechanics and abilities of the class, now I just need to think about the subraces.

So far I have the celestial resurrection subrace, undead resurrection subrace, Arcane resurrection and the fey resurrection subrace which are split up depending on how the child is resurrected, if anyone else has suggestions for other subraces please say