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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Gerudo Race (First Homebrew!)



GanonBoar
2015-11-07, 07:16 AM
Well, I'm pretty new to D&d to be honest, but ever since I found out about the large homebrewing community, I instantly wanted to make my own race to represent the Gerudo, some of my favourite characters from the Legend of Zelda. I've had to make some alterations to the lore simply to make them make more sense in the D&D world (such as removing the rarity of males) and have taken some liberties so that they can effectively represent Ganondorf, my all time favourite video game character. Like I said in the title, this is my first homebrew, so constructive critcism is much appreciated!

5e Race: Gerudo
Gerudo are the people of the desert. They live in tribes, isolated from the big cities. Their harsh background makes them tough and they are used to the racial discrimination that comes with being outsiders-but that doesn't mean they like it. They are often thieves, pursuing power and glory for the tribe in anyway possible, making other races instantly distrust them. Most Gerudo have no loyalty to anyone or anything but himself and the tribe, and are as distrustful of outsiders as outsiders are of them. They are quick thinkers and very clever.

Lithe and Quick Females
Female Gerudo are considerably more agile than the males, making them more effective at sneaking around and stealing unnoticed. They have quicker reflexes but are also usually weaker physically. This is not looked down on, however, as their roles are equally important to the clan.

Burly, Strong Males
In contrast, the males are much more powerful, but their stocky build makes them less effective sneakers. They hunt for the clan when necessary, and their thieving roles involve hijacking and brute force.

The King
All Gerudo tribes look up to the Gerudo King. This king holds exceptional power, and holds the triforce of power which lets him live forever and can only be harmed by holy weapons. The king can also transform into a giant demon named 'Ganon' at will, a being which holds power comparable to a god. The current king is Ganondorf. Your character may look up to or hate the king, but you cannot play as him.

Racial Traits
Ability Score Increase: Your Intelligence score increases by 1. If you are Female, your Dexterity increases by 2. If Male, your Strength increases by 2.
Natural Thieves: You have proficiency in the Stealth and Deception skills.
War Tacticians: Gerudo are unfazed in battle, and even think better during combat. You have advantage on Intelligence checks during combat.
Desert Born: You have resistance to fire damage, and can go on for an extra day without water without suffering exhaustion.
Battle Mages: During battle, you can cast evocation spells with somatic components even when both of your hands are holding a weapon/shield.
Age: Gerudo live for around the same time as humans, apart from the king who cannot die of old age.
Size: Gerudo are slightly larger than humans. Your size is Medium.
Speed: Your speed is 30 feet.
Languages: You can speak Common and Gerudo, a harsh language similar to Infernal.

AugustNights
2015-11-07, 01:26 PM
Looks interesting. Been a while since I've evaluated anything, and I'm new to the 5e homebrew scene, but I'll offer what insight I can.

I find it strange that the King explicitly can turn into a Demon. The way the description reads, that seems to be a benefit that comes with the position of being King of the Gerudo? I always imagined Ganondorf was just a powerful sorcerer and could do that because of his own skills and techniques. I suppose it builds interest if any of the players wanted to go all Macbeth on the Gerudo King in order to get a sweet transformation power.

War Tactician seems pretty interesting, how do you expect that to be used in practical application?

Over All I'd say this race is more desirable than non-variant Tiefling but less desirable than Variant human, probably on par with Aarakocra and Variant Tiefling.

GanonBoar
2015-11-07, 02:06 PM
Yeah, I always thought that that was the source of Ganondorf's demon power as well, but I feel like it would make more sense making it a hereditary power for the king. The main application I thought of for War Tactician is if the player is a wizard (or Eldritch Knight or Arcane Trickster) it would be easier to hit opponents with spells, but apart from that I just thought it would make sense with the lore since Ganondorf is quite clever and tricks others even during combat-though I suppose that would mean it should be for Charisma checks? Intelligence just seemed like a logical choice.

JNAProductions
2015-11-07, 02:18 PM
Intelligence checks and attacks are different.

More than that, it should definitely nor provide perma-advantage for Wizard cantrip attacks.

GanonBoar
2015-11-07, 02:21 PM
Really? If you had to make an attack roll for a spell and your spellcasting ability was Int., wouldn't that be an Intelligence check? Though I get that giving a perma-advantage is kinda OP. I really wanna keep the idea that they think quiker and more effectively during combat. What alterations would you suggest to make it better?

JNAProductions
2015-11-07, 02:23 PM
Checks and attack rolls are different things.

The ability is fine as written. It's a minor buff for knowledge checks made during combat or Investigation. Nothing huge, but a nice buff.

GanonBoar
2015-11-07, 02:25 PM
My group always saw attack rolls as ability checks, but yeah, the knowledge buff also gets what I was going for. If I play this race with them I'll make sure to tell them that it doesn't apply to attack rolls, because yeah, that would be OP.