5e Zelda Races - PEACH

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

With the recent release of Breath of the Wild, not only is the Legend of Zelda franchise being given new life, but we have been presented with perhaps the most tabletop-gameable vision of Hyrule ever. With a world that is broad enough to accommodate adventuring without having to emulate Link's struggle, it's an inspiring game. Being a 5e fan, naturally, I wanted to try my hand at converting the races of the post-apocalyptic Hyrule for use with 5th edition rules.


Hylians
For all practical intents and purposes, Hylians are simply humans and should use the Human or Variant Human rules as preferred.


Sheikah
A humanoid race adept in the arts of stealth, science and sorcery, the Sheikah were the creators of much of the magical technology that allowed Hyrule to prosper before Calamity Ganon destroyed it. Though most have forsaken the more overt magitek prowess of their ancestors, they still wield many gifts that Hylians do not.

(Despite this, I'm actually not sure what to give the Sheikah to make them stand out. They make sense to me as having +2 Int and +1 Dex, and the Tinker racial ability, but really they're hard to get a handle on beyond the "obvious Japanese-inspired ninja Hylian offshoot" species.)


Gerudo
A race of towering and mighty yet beautiful women from the southwestern deserts, the Gerudo are a proud people who have a long tradition of skill as warriors, merchants and, although they reject those days now, thieves.

Ability Score Modifier: +2 Charisma, +1 Strength
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 feet
Vision: Normal
Powerful Build: You are treated as being one size category larger for determining your carrying, dragging, pushing and pulling capacity.
Gerudo Weapons Training: You have Proficiency in the Scimitar and Spear.
Eye for Gold: You have Advantage on Intelligence (Investigation) and Wisdom (Insight) checks made to determine the monetary value of an item.
Desert-Born: You are considered to be Acclimatized to conditions of Extreme Heat and have Advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks made in Desert environments.


Zora
An aquatic people who thrive in the oceans, rivers and wetlands of Hyrule, the Zora are a peaceful people who will still fight to defend themselves. Incredibly long-lived, this gives them a patience and wisdom that other races admire.

Ability Score Modifier: +2 Dexterity, +1 Wisdom
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 feet, Swim 40 feet
Vision: Normal
Born to the Wave: You have a Swim speed of 40 feet and can add your Proficiency bonus to Strength (Athletics) checks made in regards to swimming. If you gain Proficiency in Strength (Athletics), you apply double your Proficiency bonus to Athletic checks relating to swimming. You also have Advantage on Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks made whilst swimming.
Amphibious: You can breathe both air and water.


Gorons
Stout and sturdy as the mountain stones they consume, the Gorons are a boisterous but good-hearted people who hail from the burning slopes of Death Mountain.

Ability Score Modifier: +2 Strength, +1 Constitution
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 feet
Vision: Normal
Powerful Build: You are treated as being one size category larger for determining your carrying, dragging, pushing and pulling capacity.
Mineralivore: Your natural diet is stone and earth. You can consumes rocks of varying sorts to fulfill your daily need for food.
Dense Hide: When not wearing armor, your AC is 13 + your Constitution modifier. You can use your natural armor to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC. A shield's benefits apply as normal while you use your natural armor.
Born Amongst Flames: You have Resistance to Fire Damage.


Rito
A welcome sight in the skies of Hyrule, the Rito are a race of humanoid birds who roam the land, often ferrying goods and messages as they go.

Ability Score Modifier: +2 Constitution, +1 Charisma
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 feet, Fly 30 feet
Vision: Normal
Wings: You have a Fly speed of 30 feet.
Eagle-Eyed: You have Advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks based on sight.


Koroks
Small and distrustful of most other beings, the plant-like Koroks are the children of the Great Deku Tree, hiding in the untamed reaches of the Lost Woods. Even when they do venture forth, few people see them, as the shy Koroks use their natural stealth and mystical talents to veil their presence.

Ability Score Modifier: +2 Dexterity, +1 Charisma
Size: Small
Speed: 25 feet, Fly 20 feet
Vision: Darkvision
Veils of Illusion: You have Advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks. Additionally, you have the ability to cast the Minor Illusion cantrip with this trait, using Charisma as your casting ability score. Upon reaching 5th level, you can cast Invisibility as a 2nd level spell with this trait once per long rest, using Charisma as your casting ability score.
Hover Leaf: You have a Fly speed of 20 feet.
Child of the Trees: You have the ability to speak with plants, as per the Speak With Plants spell.


Alternative Rules: Racial Flaws
5th edition, for the most part, seeks to avoid penalizing races too extensively, a tradition begun and most strictly adhered to by 4th edition. Still, there are certain negative traits considered synonymous with different races, and for those who're willing to try a harder, but more lore-accurate, campaign, they are presented as options here.

Goron - Solid Stone: You cannot swim; whenever called upon to make a Strength (Athletics) check to swim any distance, you automatically fail and sink to the bottom.

Zora - Shock-Prone: You have Vulnerability to Lightning Damage.

Korok - Flammable: You have Vulnerability to Fire Damage.

[arrowed]

Fly is a really powerful racial feature, especially next to the more circumstantial movements like swim. Unlimited flight at level 1? Probably unbalanced.

That's just on a quick glance, and it looks good besides that.

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

Before commenting on the overpoweredness of flight, do keep in mind that, by comparison, we have the Winged Tiefling (30ft fly speed, fire resistance) and the Aarokocra (50ft fly speed, 25ft land speed, 1d4 slashing damage with unarmed strikes). So, it's not impossible for a 1st level flying race in 5e, it's just not very common.

[Wartex1]

You could split Sheikah could easily be +2 Int +1 Wisdom instead of Dexterity, or maybe even a +2 Int and +1 to two other stats like the Half-Elf. You could give them the Tinker ability and maybe an animal training/handling ability (though Hylians might be more fitting for that), or possibly some innate spellcasting (maybe Prestidigitation and Misty Step?).

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

Yeah, that's a big problem with the Sheikah: their presence in past games amounted to retreads of the same character (Impa, Zelda's ninja bodyguard), whilst in this game, they're not really presented as being very different to Hylians in actual game. All we really have on them is their past lore as master magiteknicians and ninjas, and the latter comes more from the Yiga than from anything we see the Sheikah do in this game.

[GnomeWorks]

Mineralivore: Your natural diet is stone and earth. You can consumes rocks of varying sorts to fulfill your daily need for food.

The word you're looking for is lithavore.

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

Yeah, sorry, that term always escapes me.

So, as a whole, what do folks think of these races? The zora are particularly bugging me because they feel underpowered, and yet I don't really know what else to give them.

[The Zoat]

Darkvision?

[GnomeWorks]

I gave zoras echolocation. I'm not sure there's anything in the lore to support it, but it made sense to me.

[A Lawless Lad]

First off: good job. These are pretty cool.

Before commenting on the overpoweredness of flight, do keep in mind that, by comparison, we have the Winged Tiefling (30ft fly speed, fire resistance) and the Aarokocra (50ft fly speed, 25ft land speed, 1d4 slashing damage with unarmed strikes). So, it's not impossible for a 1st level flying race in 5e, it's just not very common.

Certainly, though both those races are banned in D&D 5e Adventure play solely for that reason. I wouldn't take it away from them, but the large power gain is worth mentioning. A Rito Warlock (especially one who takes the Eldritch Spear and Agonizing Blast invocations) is going to make a lot of early game encounters a cakewalk.

I also took note that the stat distribution for Gerudo makes them best at Paladin.

[Ethroe]

I made a race that I call the "Avians" based (almost entirely) off of the Rito that I, as well as my some of my players when I GM, use.
Features:
• You can glide at a speed of 30 feet. While gliding, you fall 5 feet per turn. You can dive to fall 35 feet per turn. You may use an action to raise yourself 1d4 x 5 feet. (I thought about using the Dex mod instead of 1d4)
• Can cast the gust cantrip. (use Dex for DC)
• You have double proficiency on Perception checks involving sight.