The Misty's Shadows Homebrewed Humanoids - PEACH

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

Ah, I see. Well, I wouldn't mind if you wanted to do that, but I do feel rather guilty about it - these are my creatures, after all, I should be putting the work in.

As for skills... you're actually supposed to write them like that. Because of the way 5e handles them, skills are actually more optional than anything; they basically amount to specializations you use to apply your Proficiency bonus to various ability score checks. Look at the Drow, Duergar and Kobold; all use the Wisdom (Perception) method rather than just Perception.

[zeek0]

Ah, I see. Well, I wouldn't mind if you wanted to do that, but I do feel rather guilty about it - these are my creatures, after all, I should be putting the work in.

As for skills... you're actually supposed to write them like that. Because of the way 5e handles them, skills are actually more optional than anything; they basically amount to specializations you use to apply your Proficiency bonus to various ability score checks. Look at the Drow, Duergar and Kobold; all use the Wisdom (Perception) method rather than just Perception.

Perhaps we are miscommunicating. You can't gain proficiency in a skill check (with an ability attached), only a skill. The closest to what you are referring to is the Dwarves' Stonecunning. Note that Half-Orcs get the Menacing trait, which grants proficiency in the Intimidation skill as a whole. I admit that granting proficiency in the entire skill isn't always appropriate (as in the case of Stonecunning, a ribbon), but I think that in most cases you can grant proficiency in the skill without reservation.

The Half-Orc is able to apply her Intimidation proficiency not only to Charisma (Intimidation) checks, but to Strength (Intimidation) checks as well. I don't have my PHB in front of me, but this is a possible way for DMs to mix up skills and ability scores as appropriate to the situation. Look to the skills section.

On another note I'm still concerned about granting advantage on skill checks as a racial trait. Advantage is more than twice as powerful as proficiency at low levels, and only becomes less powerful at the highest. It doesn't seem the appropriate way to give bonuses to a race, either mechanically or thematically.

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

Ah, yeah, I think we're miscommunicating. I've always been under the understanding that racial skill proficiencies are supposed to come with the Ability Score (Skill) writeup, because that's how I always see Skills referred to in general in the PHB and Volo's Guide and whatever.

I do see your point, and I guess I can correct that.

Also, I was under the impression that granting Proficiency is actually more powerful than granting Advantage. There's more of a direct boost from Advantage, that's true, but Advantage doesn't stack, so having Proficiency, which grows with the character, arguably pays out more in the long run. At least, I could swear that's how it was explained to me somewhere...

Besides which, free Proficiencies free you from needing to take skill specializations in turn, and work well to represent both an inherent natural talent for something and/or cultural training - for example, a standard Golarion Maftet would be justified in getting free proficiency with the Scimitar skill because their culture places a lot of importance on dual-wielding scimitars.

[zeek0]

Ah, yeah, I think we're miscommunicating. I've always been under the understanding that racial skill proficiencies are supposed to come with the Ability Score (Skill) writeup, because that's how I always see Skills referred to in general in the PHB and Volo's Guide and whatever.

I do see your point, and I guess I can correct that.

Also, I was under the impression that granting Proficiency is actually more powerful than granting Advantage. There's more of a direct boost from Advantage, that's true, but Advantage doesn't stack, so having Proficiency, which grows with the character, arguably pays out more in the long run. At least, I could swear that's how it was explained to me somewhere...

Besides which, free Proficiencies free you from needing to take skill specializations in turn, and work well to represent both an inherent natural talent for something and/or cultural training - for example, a standard Golarion Maftet would be justified in getting free proficiency with the Scimitar skill because their culture places a lot of importance on dual-wielding scimitars.

Most of this is probably quibbling, but I'm quite happy to have this debate. Let me know if I'm just being a nuisance.

(1) Yeah. I think that when providing advantage/disadvantage, you usually apply it to a skill check, but proficiency is always given to a skill.

(2) For advantage, I mostly look at the raw average. See this great website: http://anydice.com/program/b38

The average increase from 1d20 is +3.8. As a heuristic, I judge it to be ~+5, because advantage skews the median more than it skews the average, making for not only higher rolls but more reliable successes.

Now, comparing proficiency and advantage isn't this easy, because they have different roles in the game. But at the simplest, advantage is twice as powerful as advantage during the early levels - this enough should be a red flag.

(2.5) From a role-playing perspective, advantage represents an active seizing of the upper hand, by circumstance or particular ability. Players are less encouraged to seek these situations if they are natively granted advantage.

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

Just bumping this in an effort to bring it back from the depths of the boards. I actually got done taking part in a project to list all of the various races that've appeared throughout D&D elsewhere, so I might have a new race or two for here soon.

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

So, I wasn't sure if Spelljammers' Scro, a kind of elite Nazi-Orc, counted as a humanoid or as a canon racial variant. In the end, I went with putting it over here.

Scro
These infamous world-travelling orc-kin are descendants of a once-mighty orcish army that was defeated by its elven adversaries in the Unhuman Wars. Humiliated and ashamed, these orcs swore to overcome their hated enemies by learning from this defeat. Forsaking Gruumsh and his barbaric ways as instrumental in their downfall, they folllowed the teachings of the Great Leader, an orcish savant named Dukgash, and reinvented themselves with a focus on discipline, strength and excellence in both mind and body, mastering their orcish bloodlust and become a cultured and organized people, though no less warlike than their ancestors. Adventuring scro are typically members of the lowest castes of scro society, those scro unable to live up to to the harsh standards of their people. Whether too scrupulous, unable to control anarchic inclination, or simply lacking the physical or mental toughness that the scro demand, these few orc-kin find that their fates lead to them forming alliances with members of other races.

Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Strength, +1 Wisdom
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 feet
Vision: Darkvision 60 feet
Languages: You are capable of speaking, reading and writing Orcish (or the Scro dialect, if your DM makes a distinction), Elvish and Common.
Powerful Build: You are treated as one size category larger for purposes of determining your capacity to lift, push, pull, drag and carry.
Relentless Endurance: When you are reduced to 0 hitpoints, but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hitpoint instead. You can't use this feature again until you complete a long rest.
Will of Iron: You have Advantage on Wisdom saving throws against Charm and Fear effects.

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

I wasn't sure if this fit better here or in the Beastfolk thread... I decided here because they were always described as very humanoid...

Spellscales were a race introduced in 3.5's "Races of the Dragon" as essentially a solid piece of evidence for the theory that sorcerers had draconic ancestry; a species of very draconic humanoids who were spontaneously born to sorcerous parents. They were also one of 3.5's more lousily designed races, as they were literally only good at being sorcerers - their most unique trait, the Blood Quickening, was based entirely on gaining access to a metamagic feat for the day and they had no other powers.

I struggled with this race for a while, and ultimately I figured I could try giving it access to powers based on the draconic deities, like the 3.5 version. If reworking it to run off of the dragon species would work better, I'm game to try that.

I'm apologizing in advance for the Quickenings; I can and will happily post their entries from the Draconomicon, but some of the Dragon Deities... well, they're not very interesting. Victims of pre-4e's tendency to have gods for the most ridiculous niches you can imagine.


Spellscale
Ability Score Modifier: +2 Charisma, +1 Intelligence
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 feet
Vision: Normal
Born to Magic: You have Proficiency in the Arcana skill.
Blood Quickening: As part of a long rest, you can undertake meditative rituals that align your spiritual energies with one of the draconic deities: Aasterinian, Astilabor, Bahamut, Chronepsis, Falazure, Garyx, Hlal, Io, Lendys, Tamara or Tiamat. This will determine your remaining racial features so long as you remain aligned to that deity.

Quickening of Aasterinian
Tinker: As per the Rock Gnome racial trait of the same name.
Wits of the Messenger: You gain Advantage on Intelligence checks.

Quickening of Astilabor
Defender of the Hoard: Your Passive Perception modifier increases to 12 + Wisdom modifier + other relevant bonuses and penalties.
Taste for Wealth: By spending an action to examine an object, you can sense intuitively just what its worth is in gold pieces.
Know Your Place: You have Advantage on Intelligence checks made to determine the social status of another creature.

Quickening of Bahamut
Lord of the Wind: You can cast the Gust cantrip using this trait. If you are at least 3rd level, you can also cast the Fog Cloud spell, although once you have cast it using this trait, you must take a long rest before you can cast it again. If you are at least 5th level, you can also cast the Gust of Wind spell, although once you have cast it using this trait, you must take a long rest before you can cast it again. All spells cast with this trait use Charisma as their casting ability score.

Quickening of Chronepsis
Eyes of the Watcher: You gain Advantage on all Perception checks and Darkvision 60 feet.
Arbitrator of Fate: You can cast the Spare the Dying cantrip using this trait. Charisma is your casting ability score for doing so.

Quickening of Falazure
Kin to the Dead: You gain Resistance to Necrotic Damage.
Gifts of the Night Dragon: You can cast the Chill Touch cantrip using this trait. Charisma is your casting ability score for doing so.

Quickening of Garyx
Spawn of Flame: You gain Resistance to Fire Damage.
Bringer of Ruin: You can cast the Fire Bolt cantrip using this trait. Charisma is your casting ability score for doing so.

Quickening of Hlal
Tongue of the Jester: You gain Proficiency in Performance and Advantage on Persuasion roles.
Break All Bindings: You have Advantage on any check made to avoid or end being Grappled or Restrained.

Quickening of Io
Heir to the Ninefold Wyrm: You have Advantage on Charisma checks against draconic creatures.
Concordant Magics: You can cast the Blade Ward cantrip using this trait. If you are at least 3rd level, you can cast Chromatic Orb as a 1st level spell with this trait, though once you have done so you must complete a long rest before you can use it again. If you are at least 5th level, you can cast Levitate with this trait, though once you have done so you must complete a long rest before you can use it again. Charisma is your casting ability score for doing so.

Quickening of Lendys
Scent for Sin: As an action, you can make a Perception check against a creature you can see, which the target can resist with a Charisma check. If you succeed, you become aware of the most recent wrong-doings committed by that creature.
Bringer of Justice: Once per short rest, as an action, you can invoke Lendys' wrath as you make an attack against a single target which you know has commited a crime. If the attack hits, increase the damage of the attack by +1 dice. Whether the attack hits or not, you cannot invoke Lendys' wrath until you complete a short rest.

Quickening of Tamara
Boons of Her Beneficence: You can cast the Sacred Flame cantrip with this trait. If you are at least 3rd level, you can cast Cure Wounds as a 1st level spell with this trait once per long rest. If you are at least 5th level, you can cast Gentle Repose as a 2nd level spell with this trait once per long rest. Charisma is your casting ability score for doing so.

Quickening of Tiamat
Tongues of the Dark Queen: When you inflict Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning or Poison damage, increase the damage inflicted by an amount equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of +1).
Tiamat's Wrath: You can cast Chromatic Orb as a 1st level spell once per short rest with this trait. Charisma is your casting ability score for doing so.

[zeek0]

Hello!

I'll give you advice on your posted work perhaps tomorrow, but I'm low on power now and I'll just post what I have.

I made up the flavor text for the Caliban race(!):

Spoiler: Flavor Text

Show

“When you were born, your mother begged me to drown you in the river. Sometimes I wish I had.”

I listened to Matron, as she castigated me for venturing out into the streets last evening. I felt that the overcoat I stole away from the ward hid my misshapen features well enough, but there was no use mentioning the fact.

“The other nurses agreed with her of course. Couldn’t stand the sight of you, writhing in the crib as you did. It’s that more than anything else that drove your mother away in the end.”

I hung my head in false shame, remembering the adventures of the night before. I recalled the eastern breeze, easy bouts of laughter, and a cry in the night.

“When no one else would take you, I did. Gods know why. But the city out there – it won’t take you any easier now that you’ve grown. There’s no escaping your nature.”

Nodding in time to her punctuated statements I knew I would steal away again, maybe this time for good. The east wind was calling.

Caliban are misshapen and grotesque humanoids, born into life with bodies that deny sympathy and inspire disgust or hatred. This fact frames their life, gifting them with unnatural abilities and cursing them to be social outsiders.

WROUGHT BY MALIGNITY
Caliban are the product of some evil that twists a humanoid in the womb, deforming their body and mind. This is usually the product of terrible magics performed on an unborn child, but can also be a reflection of the foul manner in which the babe is conceived or the consumption of human flesh during pregnancy. Whatever the cause, a caliban struggles their entire lives to rise above their origins and stake their place in a world which is repelled by them.

STRENGTHENED THROUGH TRANSFORMATION
A caliban’s body is deformed, a reflection of their foul genesis. This manifests in a variety of fashions, but their warped features are easily recognized by other creatures. But not all of these mutations should be counted as detrimental. Some enhance the senses, grant increased strength, or gift the caliban with other unnatural powers. It is these transformations that set caliban apart as not only abhorrent in appearance, but unusual in nature.

OUTCASTS AND VAGABONDS
Most creatures recoil at the sight of a caliban, and believe that their vile outward appearance is a simple reflection of their equally blighted soul. As such, most caliban are exiled from larger society and are forced to live alone or on the fringes. Caliban are common enough amongst beggars, but also grace the halls of thieves, thugs, and confidence men. Still others eschew the society that has cast them out, living in the wilderness or as base bogeyman in the darkness. But caliban do not naturally tend toward evil, and have the potential to become as just, benevolent, and kind as any of their familial kin.

---

BANSHEE
Banshees are best able to pass as normal at a distance, because they seldom have large deformities that set them starkly apart. But up close their terrible beauty inspires only shudders and fear of inevitable death. Banshees are caliban created by unnatural congress with the dead or close association with necrotic energies, and characterized by their intimacy with death.

BEAST
A Beast takes on animalistic features, cursing their bodies to appear unhuman. Created most often through arcane experiment or curse, they might also be the result of inbreeding over the course of many generations. Beyond their savage appearance, a beast has the tenacity and awareness of the wild.

BRUTE
A brute is the very expression of power. They are most often the determined creation of those wishing to marshal strong warriors to their cause, and are conditioned from birth to follow their masters. Their creation distorts their bodies, granting them extreme muscular development alongside exposed bone fragments and mottled flesh. Brutes are usually warped only physically, their minds as unfettered as any of their natural kin.

CANNIBAL
If a woman consumes human flesh during pregnancy, they pass on this hunger to their unborn child. A cannibal is has the visage of a wolf among men, only narrowly restraining their desire for warm meat. Their unnatural speed and stamina make them perfect predators, and few restrain their inborn instinct for the kill.

WITCHSPAWN
Witchspawn are the products of curse and profane magic. Their very body is altered by enchantment, their appearance characterized by weathered skin, thin hair, and a piercing gaze. But their most potent deformities are of the mind, distorting their thoughts but granting them strange mental acuity and power.

Let me know if there's anything I ought to change. I tried to change the flavor from the Quoth the Raven article as little as possible, but I did change it a bit to fit my vision.

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

Great stuff; this really feels like setting-neutral fluff for the Caliban. It's awesome; thanks a lot for sharing it!