5e D&D Race-Making

Hmm, interesting idea... yes, thank you for that.

Pixie
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Charisma, +1 Dexterity
Size: Small/Tiny
Speed: 25 Feet
Vision: Normal
Fey: You have Immunity to Magical Sleep Effects, and Advantage on saving throws against the Charmed effect.
Faerie Wings: You have a Fly speed of 20 feet, but you cannot fly if you are wearing Medium or Heavy Armor, or if you are Encumbered.
Sylvan Magic: You can cast the Druidcraft cantrip. At 3rd level, you can cast Tasha's Hideous Laughter as a 1st level spell once per long rest. At 5th level, you can cast Invisibility (self only) as a 2nd level spell once per long rest. All of these spells use Charisma as their spellcasting ability score.
Sizeshifter: As a bonus action, you can shrink from a Small size to a Tiny size. In this form, your Speed decreases to 10 feet, but your Flight Speed increases to 30 feet. However, at Tiny size, you cannot use any weapons, nor benefit from armor or shields. DMs may rule otherwise for magical equipment. You can return to your Small size as a bonus action.

Tallfellows were basically elven halflings without the possibility of being elf/halfling hybrids introduced in AD&D. For sheer nostalgia fuel and curiosity, I've been wondering if it's possible to convert them.

Halfling Subrace: Tallfellow
Ability Score Modifier: +1 Wisdom
Darkvison
Fey Ancestry: You have Advantage on saves vs Charm and are immune to magical Sleep.
Keen Senses: You have Proficiency in Perception.
Fleet-Footed: Increase your base walking speed to 30 feet.

Long story short, 4e's "Playing Gnolls" was a huge inspiration to me. I chuck Volo's lore out the window, but I still need to make a Gnoll that is actually balanced to play...

Gnoll
Ability Score Modifier: +2 Constitution
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 feet
Vision: Darkvision
Filth-Eater's Gullet: You have Resistance to Poison and Advantage on Constitution checks against Poison and Disease.
Ripping Jaws: You can choose to Bite as an Unarmed Strike, which causes the attack to inflict 1d4 Piercing damage.
Rampage: When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points on your turn with a melee attack, you can spend a bonus action to move up to half your speed and make a bite attack against an enemy that is within range at the end of this move.
Ghostly Whispers: You can imitate the voice of any creature you have heard speaking, so long as you speak the same language as that creature.
Subrace: Choose between the Butcher’s Brood or Hyena’s Soul subraces to determine the rest of your racial traits.

Butcher’s Brood Gnoll
Ability Score Increase: +1 Strength
Blood Frenzy: Once per turn, if you have taken damage from an enemy attack, you can use your Reaction to deliver a bite attack to an enemy in reach.

Hyena’s Soul Gnoll
Ability Score Increase: +1 Wisdom
Far-Roamer: Increase your base movement speed to 35 feet.
Bred to Hunt: You have Proficiency in Perception and Survival.

Nagpas were cursed, skeksis-like former wizards condemned to eternity in a shriveled man-vulture's body.

Nagpa
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Intelligence, +1 Wisdom
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 feet
Vision: Normal
Magic Is Everything: You have Proficiency in Arcana and know 1 Wizard cantrip of your choice, which uses Intelligence as its ability casting score.
Cursed Never To Rest: If you die, then you will automatically return to life 1 year and 1 day after the day of your death. You will revive at the spot where you were killed, or within 1 mile of that spot if your body was destroyed or rendered unsalvagable (for example, entombed in solid rock or at the bottom of a lake). If your equipment was destroyed or stolen, you do not regain it. Additionally, you are immune to aging.
I Hear My Name: You automatically become aware of any person who speaks your name when within 10 times your Int modifier miles (minimum of 10 miles) of you. You do not hear what they say, but you can sense exactly where they are and how far they are from you.
Nagpa Staff: As part of a long rest, you can construct a nagpa staff. This is a quarterstaff that, when wielded by you, grants +1 on Concentration checks and can strike creatures that normally require magical attacks to harm. It has no special benefits in the hands of anyone else.

Merfolk Traits

Your Merfolk character has several traits in common with the creatures of the sea.
Ability Score Increase: Your Dexterity score increases by 1
Age: Merfolk mature at the same rate as humans, and live about as long.
Size: From head to webbed toe tip, Merfolk average about the same height and weight as Humans. Your Size is Medium.
Speed: Due to your feet not being made for terrestrial movement, your base speed is 25 feet.
Clumsy Gait: While you are capable of moving on land, it is not your native environment. You move at one third speed in difficult terrain.
Aquatic: You gain a swim speed of 40 feet and can breathe both water and air.
Languages: You can read, speak, and write your local language and one additional language of your choice. You have advantage on rolls to decipher or communicate with a creature speaking Aquan. You also halve the time it takes to learn Aquan.

Subrace: Four subraces of Merfolk populate the world: Coastal, Abyssal, Coral, and Arctic. Pick one of these subraces.
Select a subspecies
COASTAL MERFOLK
Ability Score Increase: Your Intelligence score increases by 2
Waterway Traders: You have proficiency with persuasion.
Well-Traveled: You gain proficiency in one skill, or learn one language of your choice.
cont.

ABYSSAL MERFOLK
Ability Score Increase: Your Constitution score increases by 2
Superior Darkvision: You have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 120 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Sunlight Sensitivity: Vou have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight
Strange Physiology: Pick one of the following options to represent your unique adaptation to the depths of the ocean
• Tentacle Legs: You have advantage on grapple checks, and on saving throws against being restrained by non-magical sources
• Bioluminescence: You can use a bonus action to emit dim light from spots on your skin that stretches to within a 40 foot radius around yourself. This light lasts until you dismiss it.
• Bite: You have a mouthful of sharp teeth, and can bite as un unarmed strike, doing 1d4 + your Strength modifier piercing damage
CORAL MERFOLK
Ability Score Increase: Your Charisma score increases by 2
Luck of the Rainbow Blood: When you roll a 1 on an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll.
Quick Responses: You receive +2 on initiative rolls.
ARCTIC MERFOLK
Ability Score Increase: Your Strength increases by 2
Arctic Heritage: You have resistance to cold damage
Merfolk Weapon Training: You gain proficiency in the spear, javelin, pike, trident, and net.

Faun Traits
Your Faun character has many traits as a result of their natural environments.
Ability Score Increase: Your charisma score increases by 2
Age: Fauns mature at the same rate as humans, and live about as long.
Size: Fauns are typically shorter than humans, ranging between 4'0" and 5'5". Mountain Fauns are of stocky build, while Forest Fauns are of slim build. Boreal Fauns are covered in thick wool that has to be regularly sheared in warm climates. Their size is Medium.
Speed: Fauns can spring forward with surprising speed due to their animalistic legs. Their base walking speed is 40ft.
Languages: Fauns can speak, read and write their local language. They have advantage on rolls to decipher or to communicate with a creature speaking Sylvan. They also halve the time it takes to learn Sylvan.
Faunic Hedonism: Fauns do not suffer the poisoned condition when drunk and have advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened when drunk.
WEALD FAUN
Ability Score Increase: Your Dexterity score increases by 1
Song and Revel: You are proficient with panpipes and performance
Faun Pipes: You can spend your action to play an instrument and select one creature within earshot which can hear you. You can attempt to charm, frighten or put that creature to sleep for up to 1 minute. That creature must make a wisdom saving throw with a DC equal to 8 + your Charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus. If they fail, then they remain affected by the status chosen by you until 1 minute passes, the Faun stops playing, or they can no longer hear the Faun’s music. You must finish a long rest before using this ability again.

ALPINE FAUN
Ability Score Increase: Your Strength score increases by 1
Mountainous Climber: You are proficient with Athletics checks
Charge: If an Alpine Faun moves at least 20 feet straight towards a target before attacking, it may also attempt to shove the creature they’re attacking. If they succeed, that creature also takes an additional 1d4 bludgeoning damage from its horns.
Sure Footed: An Alpine Faun has advantage on Strength and Dexterity saving throws made against effects that would knock it prone.
BOREAL FAUN
Ability Score Increase: Your Constitution score increases by 1
Boreal Heritage: You have resistance to cold damage.
Hearty Build: You may re-roll a Constitution saving throw or check a number of times per day equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1).

Ssuran Traits
Ssurans share many of the traits of non-sapient lizards
Ability Score Increase: Your Wisdom score increases by 1
Age: Ssurans mature at the same rate as humans, and live about as long.
Size: While Frilled Ssurans are bit slimmer than humans, and Thorned Ssurans are bulkier, in general Ssurans are of similar height and weight to humans. Your size is Medium.
Speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Ssuran Reconstruction: If you gain a lasting injury that does not result in the loss of a body part, that injury will heal over the course of seven days. If that injury does result in the loss of a body part, that body part will regrow over the course of 28 days.
Languages: Ssurans can speak, read and write their local language
FRILLED SSURAN
Ability Score Increase: Your Charisma score increases by 2
Adaptive Camouflage: If you remain motionless on a natural surface for 1 minute, your skin will change to mimic the pattern of the surface. While motionless, you have advantage on stealth checks.
Frightening Frill: You can expand or contract your frill as a bonus action. While your frill is up, you gain advantage on intimidation checks. In addition, when your frill is up and you are targeted by a melee attack, you may use your reaction to attempt a Charisma check contested by the opponent’s Wisdom modifier. If you succeed, that attack must be made with disadvantage.

THORNED SSURAN
Ability Score Increase: Your Constitution score increases by 2
Thorny Hide: When you aren’t wearing armor, your AC equals 11+ your Dexterity modifier. In addition, when grappled or attacked by a non-weapon melee attack such as a bite or punch, the attacker takes 1d4 piercing damage. While you are grappled by a creature, that creature takes 1d4 piercing damage at the beginning of their turn.
Arid Adaptation: You suffer no ill effects from high temperatures. In addition, you may fulfill your daily water requirement by sleeping outside, and letting dew channel through natural rivulets to your mouth during the night.
Blood Spray: As an action, you may take 2 damage to spray your own blood through special ducts near your eye into a stream that reaches up to 30 feet away. You may target a creature within that range. That creature must make a Dexterity saving throw, with a DC equal to 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. If they fail the saving throw, that creature is blinded until the end of their next turn.

SWIMMER SSURAN
Ability Score Increase: Your Dexterity Score increases by 2
Amphibious: You can hold your breath for a number of minutes equal to 30 + your constitution modifier. In addition, you have a 30 ft swim speed.
Toxic Blood: You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and resistance to poison damage. In addition, whenever a creature imbibes your blood, either through a bite attack or blood draining, they take poison damage equal to half the damage done. If a creature would regain hit points from your blood, they take that much poison damage instead. During a short rest, you may spend a hit die to extract a vial of blood from your body. This vial of blood functions as a basic poison as described in pg. 153 of the Player’s Handbook except the saving throw is equal to 8 + your constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus, and the damage is 2d4. The damage increases to 3d4 at 6th level, 4d4 at 11th level, and 5d4 at 16th level. It loses its potency after 24 hours, and has no market value.

I wanna play a head-sized Spectator using an animated armor as a body
Make it a playable race

Ok fine let's go challenging. Player rules for...

>Mind Flayers
>Dragons
>Merfolk & Sahuagin
>Duegar
>Beholders & Spectators
>Liches

>Liches
Not a race, a template that can be applied to 15+lvl spellcasters after doing serious legwork into researching lichdom and how to attain it. Sorry dog.

Now if you just want animated skeleton that somehow got sentience or something.. maybe. but not a Lich

Thri-Kreen, please

Sure. Now, first thing, most important: do you want it explicitly based on the current 5e MM entry? Or something a little closer to the thri-kreen PC stats of editions past?

I've always wanted a race of half-dwarf, half-azers.

The latter would probably be better? 5e Warforged ignore everything about them from before and it's...bad.

Right. Well, it's going to take me some time to collect the PC statblocks from editions past, so please be patient, alright?

Well, if the Forgeborn Dwarf subrace ( ) doesn't do it for you, I also have a conversion of the Azerbloods (Azer/Dwarf planetouched):

Azerblood
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Constitution, +1 Strength
Size: Medium
Speed: 25 feet
Vision: Darkvision 60 feet
Dwarven Lineage: You are treated as being a Dwarf for effects that tie specifically into race. Among other things, this allows you to use magic items normally restricted to dwarves, but also makes you vulnerable to spells specifically crafted against dwarves.
Dwarven Resilience: You have Advantage on saving throws against Poison, and are Resistant to Poison damage.
Dwarven Combat Training: You have proficiency with the battleaxe, handaxe, throwing hammer and warhammer.
Born of the Forge: You have Fire Resistance. Additionally, you know the cantrips Control Flames and Firebolt, which treat Constitution as their spellcasting ability score.

Sure thing, mate

Skeleton
+2 Con, +1 to one other stat
Medium
30ft
Speaks common and one other
Living Construct: You are immune to disease. You not need to eat or drink, although you can ingest materials if desired. You do not sleep in the normal fashion, but enter a waking trance instead; this lasts for 4 hours and during this time, you are fully aware of its surroundings.
Spooky: You have proficiency in Intimidation
Won't stay dead: When making a Death saving throw, roll with advantage

Thoughts?

I love it, wanted something like this for ages.

Alright, as you can see here - 1d4chan.org/wiki/Thri-kreen - the thri-kreen has undergone a lot of different changes over the years. Still, let's take a whack at it...

Thri-kreen
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Dexterity, +1 Wisdom
Size: Medium
Speed: 40 feet
Vision: Darkvision 30 feet
Unsleeping Vigil: Rather than needing 8 hours of sleep, you only need to spend 4 hours in a torpor-state, during which you remain aware of your surroundings. Additionally, you are Immune to effects that induce Sleep.
Ancestral Memories: You have Proficiency in the Survival skill and with both the Gythka (halberd) and Chatkcha (throwing axe).
Four Arms: You have two pairs of fully functioning arms. You can use your secondary arms in a logical fashion - for example, holding or activating an item whilst your primary arms are holding weaponry or a shield. You can wield weapons in your secondary arms, but these must have the Light weapon quality, unless you have the Dual Wielder feat. Wielding weapons in all of your arms does not grant you extra attacks. Likewise, fighting with three or four weapons follows the same rules as Two-Weapon Fighting (PHB pg 195); you don't gain more than one bonus action attack, you simply can choose which of your secondary weapons to attack with as that bonus action.
Insectile Leap: When making a Jump check, you are always considered to have a running start. Additionally, for a long jump, you can leap Str score + Dex modifier feet, whilst for your high jump reaches 5 + Dex modifier feet.
Natural Weapons: When making an Unarmed Strike, you can choose to use either your claws or your fangs as natural weapons. A claw attack does 1d4 Slashing damage, whilst a Bite does 1d4 Piercing damage.

I ran that, you don't give them languages to speak, instead they must use gestures.

Magnificent work, thank you.

Much appreciated. Best part is, once you've got it tinkered properly for balance - I try, but the official 5e races are so unbalanced all over the place that it's hard to get a proper feel - you can use racial feats to add other traditional aspects, like their poisonous bite.

getting bonus action/reaction attacks and/or two skill proficiencies seems a bit much
I would also argue Gnolls should get a dex bonus, to encourage selection of classes like rogue

>name a race and I'll try and stat it up for 5e.
May I ask spiderfolk? or Arachne, Nerubian, call them whatever you want.

Which ones? There's two canon spiderfolk races in the forms of Aranea and Chitine, and one "monster that you could try reflavoring" in the Ettercap. I've got drafts for all three.

Yeah, I am a little worried about what the subraces get.

As for the lack of a Dex bonus... well, gnolls have only had that in 4th edition; they actually had a Dex penalty in AD&D and in 3e they were Str/Con.

So, yeah, there's not a lot of tradition in the gnoll's statblocks to draw from.

I would favour Aranea.

Eh, there's enough str/con races in 5e. Dex gnolls gives some variety

Aranea
Ability Score Increase: +2 Intelligence, +1 Charisma
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 feet
Darkvision
Arcane Birthright: You know the Prestidigitation cantrip and 1 other cantrip of your choice from the Wizard spell list. Intelligence is your casting ability score when using these cantrips
Spider Climb: You have a Climb speed of 30 feet and do not need to make an ability check to climb difficult surfaces, including upside down underneath ledges or along a ceiling.
Venomous Bite: As an action you may make a melee attack against an adjacent target. On a hit, you deal 1d8 poison damage. This damage increases by 1d8 at levels 5 (2d8), 11 (3d8), and 17 (4d8). You have Advantage when delivering a Venomous Bite to a target that is grappled or restrained.
Fling Webbing: As an action you may make a ranged attack with a range of 30/60ft. On a hit, the target is Restrained until it passes a Strength check (DC 8 + your proficiency modifier + your Constitution modifier). Your webbing can be attacked as an object by someone seeking to cut through it, in which case it has AC 10, HP 5 + your level, vulnerability to fire, and immunity to bludgeoning, poison and psychic. This ability can be used once per short or long rest.

Hmm, what about +1 Dex and +1 Con as the core stats, with +1 Str for Butcher's Brood and +1 Wis for Hyena's Soul? Sound fair?

The deviation from the usual stat model comes off as a little strange, but it doesn't seem unbalanced. and it would encourage Butcher's Brood builds to be barbarians. I'd accept it.

It's not entirely unheard of; Tritons get a +1 to three stats, and the Gith have brought back the idea of "flexible" ability bonuses too.

That's cute but there are just too many talking skeletons in fiction for me to find this necessary or fair to enforce.

Do Corgyn

Duergar, sahuagin, and merfolk all sound great.

Sure, alright.

Corgyn
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Constitution, +1 Charisma
Size: Small
Speed: 25 feet
Vision: Normal
Speed Boost: As a bonus action on your turn, if you have both hands free, you can increase your walking speed by 5 feet until the end of your turn.
Sharp Ears: You have Advantage on Perception checks based on hearing.
Hearty: You increase your maximum hitpoints by +1 at character creation, and a further +1 each time you gain a level. Additionally, you have Advantage on Constitution saving throws against Poison and Disease.
Natural Weapons: When you make an Unarmed Strike, you can choose to use your claws or teeth as a natural weapon instead. This changes your damage to 1d4 Slashing (Claw Attack) or 1d3 Piercing (Bite Attack) instead of the normal bludgeoning damage.

We already have an official Duergar in the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. As for the other two...

Well, I'll give 'em a shot, but do you want them more accurate to 5e or older editions? Sahuagin used to have Light Sensitivity, but they don't in 5e.

forgot about the duergar. I dont really care if they are accurate to past editions or not, whatever makes em a bit more balanced I guess.

Sahuagin
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Strength, +1 Wis
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 ft, Swim 40ft
Vision: Darkvision 120 feet
Sunlight Sensitivity: You suffer Disadvantage on vision-based Perception checks and attack rolls made whilst you or the target of your scrutiny is in direct sunlight.
Limited Amphibiousness: You can breathe air and water, but must moisten your skin at least once every 4 hours or start to suffocate.
Blood Frenzy: You have Advantage on melee attack rolls against any creature that doesn't have all of its hit points.
Natural Weapons: As an unarmed strike, you can choose to attack with your claws or fangs, changing the normal damage to 1d4 + Str modifier Slashing or Piercing damage.
Heightened Senses: You have Advantage on Perception checks.

Merfolk
Ability Score Modifiers: Dexterity +2, Charisma +1
Size: Medium
Speed: 10ft, Swim 40ft
Vision: Normal
Amphibious: You can breathe both air and water.
Aquatic: You ignore any environmental drawbacks or penalties caused by being deep underwater.
Fish Tail: Your lower body is distinctly non-bipedal. It grants you Advantage on Athletics and Acrobatics checks made whilst swimming, but the downside is that your unusual anatomy prevents you from using footwear-based magical items unless they have been specifically designed to fit your monopedal anatomy, or can magically reshape themselves to fit. Additionally, you must have armor custom-fitted; properly-fitted armor increases its cost by +50% (rounding up), whilst improperly fitted armor has its AC reduced by -2 points, minimum of AC 0, to represent the glaring vulnerable spots it presents. You cannot use magic armor unless it can be made to magically reshape itself for your anatomy.

How about the Gurrash? I would prefer if it were more accurate to Ad&d but if it is easier to balance it closer to 5e, then go wild

Gurrash? As in, Mystara's gatorfolk? Sure, I've had this first draft sitting around for a while now.

Gurrash
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Strength, +1 Constitution
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 feet
Vision: Darkvision 60 feet
Powerful Build: You are treated as being one size category larger to determine your Pushing, Pulling, Lifting, Dragging and Carrying Capacities.
Terrible Rage: Once per long rest, as a bonus action, you can enter a berserk rage. This state lasts for 1 minute, during which time you have Advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws, and a +1 damage bonus on melee weapon attacks using Strength, and Resistance to Bludgeoning, Piercing and Slashing Damage. Your rage ends prematurely if you are knocked unconscious, end your turn without having attacked a hostile creature or taken damage since your last turn, or choose to spend a bonus action to do so. If you have the Rage class ability, increase your Rages per Day by +1 instead.
Aquatic Predator: You have a Swim Speed of 30 feet and you can hold your breath for 20 minutes, instead of the normal 1 + Constitution modifier minutes.
Bite: Your fang-filled maw is a natural weapon that you can use to make an Unarmed Strike. A bite attack inflicts 1d6 + Str modifier Piercing damage instead of the normal bludgeoning damage.
Armored Scales: When not wearing armor, your AC is 13 + your Dexterity 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.

Yup, exactly those, thanks mate!

So, long story short, I really, really don't like the UA Gith - I find them flavorless and underpowered. Using the original PC statblocks as reference, how does this look for an alternative 5e Githyanki?
1d4chan.org/wiki/Githyanki

Githyanki
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Dexterity, +1 Intelligence
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 feet
Vision: Normal
Blades of Gith: You have Proficiency in the Greatsword. You treat Greatswords as if they had the Finesse quality.
Mind over Matter: You can cast the Mage Hand cantrip, using Intelligence as your spellcasting ability score. Additionally, you always count as having a running start when making Jump checks.
Hate Breaks All Shackles: You have Advantage on saving throws against the Charmed and Stunned effects, and on saving throws to end those effects.

>You treat Greatswords as if they had the Finesse quality.
Whoa there

Yeah, I know, but there's gotta be some way of giving Githyanki access to their iconic greatswords when they've never had a strength boost in any of the last four editions.

The worst part about not having a decent Githyanki is that it means I don't really have any foundation for my plans to resurrect the Duthka'gith in 5e...

Are you the same guy as last time, and do you have the master list of all you've made?

I'm basically the guy who keeps making this thread, yeah. And I do have a master list, but only in G-doc form:

docs.google.com/document/d/1XovWm65MSmIzQWSMDMXo0_aIpZgq9YSa2KkpO3kThS4/edit#

I know, I know, nobody reads GDocs on Veeky Forums, but it's what I work with.

Pooka, from BECMI's The Wee Folk

A true challenge appears: Runequest Dark Trolls and/or Trollkin.

Right, presuming the topic doesn't die before I can properly wake, I'll take a shot.

And those are? I don't know the first thing about Runequest.

can we have some monster hunter felynes?

Are you the same guy who did this a while back, who I asked to do Mechanatrixes?
Either way you're pretty great

Could you do Kuo-Toa?

Requesting 4e-style dryads, with the "nubile green lady shifting to armored treeman-type" mechanic.

Yeah, I remember some of these!
I like that you can actually take suggestions and criticism, a lot of people do stuff like this on Veeky Forums solely as an attempt to get attention.

If I can find out what they are, sure.

Yes, I am. I still got them in the doc I posted above.

Hmm... not the most interesting of races, but I can certainly give it a shot.

Sure. Is it okay if I call 'em Hamadryads, after the 4e PC version of the race?

Heh, not a lot of point coming here and asking this stuff and then not actually taking it into account when somebody actually comments.

>Sure. Is it okay if I call 'em Hamadryads, after the 4e PC version of the race?
Go ahead.

Why in the flying fuck would you want MORE race?

You sound like a fun person to play with.

Because races are great tools for custom building your own setting?

Not everybody WANTS to play in bumfuck bogstandard generic neo-Medieval Europe Ripoff #29375.

What if I WANT to play in a Hollow World setting where gender-flipped drow & duergar-based Lashunta expies war with tribes of amazonian dinosaur-folk, trade with incanabulum, and are opposed by both rockseer elves and feral dire weasel-riding gnome barbarians?

I tell you this; I would personally pay good money if it meant WoTC would finally release the Nentir Vale Gazetteer.

Pooka
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Charisma, +1 Constitution
Size: Medium
Speed: 30ft
Vision: Darkvision 60 feet
Fey: You have Immunity to Magical Sleep Effects, and Advantage on saving throws against the Charmed effect.
Obfuscation: You have Proficiency in Stealth. At 5th level, you can cast Invisibility as a 2nd level spell on yourself. This Invisibility requires no material component, uses Wisdom as its spellcasting ability score, and cannot be cast if you are wearing medium or heavy armor. Once you have used this innate Invisibility, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.
Pooka Trickery: You can cast the Minor Illusion cantrip. At 3rd level, you can cast Longstrider (self only) as a 1st level spell once per long rest. Both spells use Charisma as their spellcasting ability score.

Kuo-toa
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Strength, +1 Wisdom
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 feet, Swim 30 feet
Vision: Darkvision 120 feet
Amphibious: You can breathe air and water.
Kuo-toan Madness: You suffer Disadvantage on all Wisdom saving throws.
Otherworldly Perception: You can sense the presence of Invisible and Ethereal creatures within 30 feet, and pinpoint them if they are moving.
Sunlight Sensitivity: You suffer Disadvantage on attack rolls and vision-based Perception checks when you or your target is in direct sunlight.
Slippery Hide: You have Advantage on ability checks and saving throws made to escape a grapple.

Nice. Thanks!

Hamadryad
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Constitution, +1 Charisma
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 feet
Vision: Darkvision 60 feet
Fey: You have Immunity to Magical Sleep Effects, and Advantage on saving throws against the Charmed effect.
War-Form: You have the ability to switch between a beautiful, elf-like form and an armored, hulking, tree-like war-form. Switching forms is done as a bonus action. In your “peace form”, you have the Charming Presence trait. In your “war form”, you have the Natural Armor and Sylvan Claws traits.
Charming Presence: You have Advantage on Charisma-based Persuasion checks.
Natural Armor: 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.
Sylvan Claws: When making an unarmed strike, you can choose to use your claws as a natural weapon. This changes the normal damage of your strike to inflicting 1d4 + Strength modifier Slashing damage, which counts as being Magical for the sake of ignoring damage resistance.

Hmm, in gratitude for helping me figure this out - I've been trying to work out how to "define" dryad vs. hamadryad for ages - have a Dryad profile too.

Dryad
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Charisma, +1 Wisdom
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 feet
Vision: Darkvision 60 feet
Fey: You have Immunity to Magical Sleep Effects, and Advantage on saving throws against the Charmed effect.
Tongue of the Wild: You can communicate with animals and plants as if you shared a common language.
Charming Presence: You have Advantage on Charisma-based Persuasion checks.
Sylvan Arts: Choose either the Mortal-Snaring Glamors or Wild-Guarding Hexes; this functions as a subrace choice.

Mortal-Snaring Glamors: You can cast the Friends cantrip. At 3rd level, you can cast Charm Person as a 1st level spell once per long rest. At 5th level, you can cast Enthrall as a 2nd level spell once per long rest. In all cases, Charisma is your spellcasting ability score.

Wild-Guarding Hexes: You can cast the Thorn Whip cantrip. At 3rd level, you can cast Entangle as a 1st level spell once per long rest. At 5th level, you can cast Spike Growth as a 2nd level spell once per long rest. In all cases, Charisma is your spellcasting ability score.

Hrrmm... I can't figure out what these are supposed to be, beyond "cute cats that act like warriors". If you can elaborate more about what defines them, mechanically or lore-wise, I can certainly take a shot at them, but otherwise, I can't do this, sorry.

Long story short, I have a personal investment in trying to come up with decent stats for Githyanki, Githzerai, Duthka'gith, Gnolls, assorted yokai, and a motley of unconventional halfbreeds (half-gnome, half-gnoll, dworg, tel-amhothlan). Is it okay if I post my current drafts here and try to get them critiqued?

Gloaming

Sure.

>Gloaming
...What the hell is that? I have no idea what this race is or where it comes from.

bump, requesting frost dwarves.

The Tel-amhothlan was introduced in Kingdoms of Kalamar, and answers the age old question: what do you get if you cross an elf with an orc? Mechanically, it wasn't anything to write home about (+2 Dex, -2 Int & Cha, low-light vision, Orc Blood, +1 to perception skill checks and saves vs. Enchantments), as was the case for KoK races, but still, it's an interesting idea.

Also, no, this isn't an official picture, but it fits the idea of an elf/orc "viable" mashup too well to be passed up on.

Tel-Amhothlan - Half-Orc/Half-Elf
Ability Score Modifiers: +1 Dexterity, +1 Strength
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 feet
Vision: Darkvision 60 feet
Relentless Endurance: When you are reduced to 0 hit points, but not killed outright, you can instead choose to be reduced to 1 hit point instead. After using this trait, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.
Fey Ancestry: You have Advantage on saving throws against being Charmed and are Immune to Magical Sleep effects.
Keen Senses: You have Proficiency in the Perception skill.
Muddied Heritage: Tel-Amhothlans are chaotic breed and can favor either orcish or elvish aspects of their lineage. Choose the Orcish Brutality, Elvish Grace or Fae Magic subrace options.

Orcish Brutality:
Ability Score Modifier: +1 Constitution
Savage Attacks: When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, you increase the damage inflicted by +1 dice.

Elvish Grace:
Ability Score Modifier: +1 Dexterity
Fleet-Footed: Your base walking speed increases to 35 feet.
Natural Athlete: You have Proficiency in the Athletics skill.

Fae Magic:
Ability Score Modifier: +1 Charisma
Mystic Talent: You can cast Prestidigitation and one other Wizard cantrip of your choice. Charisma is your casting ability score when casting the cantrips provided by this trait. At the DM's permission, at character creation, you can trade this racial feature for Drow Magic (PHB pg24) or Mul Daya Magic (Plane Shift: Zendikar pg19); this choice cannot be undone later.

As in the Abyssal Planetouched Ice Elemental Dwarves from 3e's Unearthed Arcana? Or the Frostfell's Glaciar Dwarves, which are non-planetouched ice-dwelling dwarves? Or the Arctic Dwarves of Forgotten Realms?

...Yes, there have been three different varieties of icy dwarf-kin in D&D.

I didnt know any of those were a thing. I just want a frost giant like dwarf since im trying to get a dwarf subtype for each giant subtype.

The concept of storm dwarfs frightens and intrigues me. And would cloud dwarfs just be the kharadron from AOS?

Hmm... 4th edition had the Eisk Jaat, which were an icy counterpart to Azers, and all of the "elemental dwarves" were the result of the dwarf race's servitude to giants. Maybe an Azerblood equivalent would fill the role you have?

less steampucky, but something to similar effect.
sounds pretty nice, that or whatever the glacier dwarves mentioned in sounds nice

Speaking of which, could you do Azers?

Alright, let's take a shot at this...

Dwarf Subrace: Glacier Dwarf
These dwarves have chosen to reside in frostfell mountain and coastal regions, adapting to survive in their frigid home environments.

Ability Score Increase: +1 Wisdom
Iceshaper: When making a Wisdom (Survival) check relating to icy conditions, or an Intelligence (History) relating to the origin of architectural and natural features that involve ice, you are considered Proficient in the relevant skill and apply double your Proficiency bonus, instead of your normal proficiency bonus. This trait replaces Stonecunning.
Hunter of the Frostfell: You have Proficiency with the Pick, the Spear and the Crossbow. This replaces Dwarven Combat Training.
Internal Furnace: You are considered Acclimatized to environments of extreme cold and have Advantage on saving throws against effects that inflict Cold Damage.

Dwarf Subrace: Thrymkin
Like their azerblood cousins, these planetouched dwarves trace their lineage to the elemental dwarves - specifically, to the Thrym-worshiping Eisk Jaat.

Ability Score Modifiers: +1 Constitution, +1 Strength, +1 Wisdom
Size: Medium
Speed: 25 feet
Vision: Darkvision 60 feet
Dwarven Lineage: You are treated as being a Dwarf for effects that tie specifically into race. Among other things, this allows you to use magic items normally restricted to dwarves, but also makes you vulnerable to spells specifically crafted against dwarves.
Dwarven Resilience: You have Advantage on saving throws against Poison, and are Resistant to Poison damage.
Ice In Your Veins: You have Resistance to Cold Damage and ignore difficult terrain based on ice or snow.
Unflinching: You are Immune to the Slowed condition.

Mmm... I'm a little leery of full-blown Azer or Eisk Jaat PCs. Maybe the Azerblood (half-Azer/Half-Shield Dwarf) from further upthread will suffice?

So, what do anons think of this? I wanted something with visible connections to the Orc, Elf and Half-Orc, but without being better than any of them.

I wonder if Orcish Brutality should maybe score the Powerful Build trait as well - I don't care what WoTC says, I consider that a "ribbon" racial feature, because how fucking often is the ability to lift a heavier load going to be a gamebreaker?

Forgotten realms.

Gloaming Racial Traits
-2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma.
Outsider (Native)
Small size.
A gloaming's base land speed is 20 feet. A gloaming also has a fly speed of 40 feet with average maneuverability.
Light Blindness (Ex): Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as sunlight or a daylight spell) blinds a gloaming for 1 round. In addition, she takes a -1 circumstance penalty on all attack rolls, saves, and checks while operating in bright light. Gloamings are eligible to take the Daylight Adaptation feat.
Shadow Spells: Gloamings have a racial predilection for shadow-based spells. They cast illusion (shadow) spells at +1 caster level.
Racial Bonuses: A gloaming has a +2 racial bonus on saves against illusion (shadow) spells or effects and a +4 racial bonus on saves against psionic abilities, such as those possessed by mind flayers or yuan-ti. She also gains a +4 racial bonus on Move Silently checks.
Low-Light Vision: A gloaming can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, or similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
Luminescence (Ex): As a standard action, a gloaming can make her skin provide illumination equal to that produced by any light source up to and including a torch, or she can mute the glow altogether. A gloaming's luminescence lasts until she chooses to change it. When a gloaming dies, her luminescence fades to nothing over the course of 10 minutes.
A gloaming has Portal Sensitive as a bonus feat.
Automatic Language: Undercommon. Bonus Languages: By character region.
Favored Class: Sorcerer.
Level Adjustment: +2.

So, long story short, I really don't like the D&D tradition of handling hengeyokai as a single race with the only hint of a subrace being "which little animal can you assume the form of". So I thought to handle it another way; creating a unifying "Hengeyokai" racial trait that can then be added to the kitsune or the tanuki or the jorogumo or whatever.

But first, I need to make that innate racial shapeshifting seem not overpowered. How does this look? For comparison, the Druid can shapeshift twice at level one AND regains its shifting on a short rest.

Hengeyokai: You belong to a race of magical beasts that can assume partially or wholly humanoid form, as well as revert to your true bestial shape when it suits you. As an action, you can shift into any one of your three forms.
Hybrid Form is your default form. It functions as normal for a character.
In your Human Form, you gain Advantage on all Charisma (Deception) checks made to pass yourself off as human. It otherwise functions as Hybrid Form.
In your Beast Form, which is determined by your race, your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the beast, but retaining your alignment, personality, Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma scores. You also retain all of your skill and saving throw proficiencies, in addition to gaining those of the beast; if you and the beast have the same proficiency and the beast’s bonus is higher than yours, you use the beast’s bonus.
Changing shapes does not alter your current hit points, maximum hit points, or hit dice.
You can remain in any of these three forms as long as you wish, but must consciously choose to change shapes.
You can change shapes once at 1st level, twice at 5th level, and thrice at 11th level. You regain all expended uses of this trait when you complete a long rest.
If you have exhausted your uses of shapeshifting, you can revert back to hybrid form, but you cannot then change again into beast or human form.

Ah! If you'd said it was in the FR Underdark splatbook, I would have understood better. Sorry for the miscomprehenshion. Now let's see...

...Wow, this race is a fucking mess. Can't make up its mind if it wants to be light or dark focused. Going to have to get creative...

Little unsure about these last two traits, think they're a bit overkill, but still, what do anons think?

Gloaming
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Charisma, +1 Dexterity
Size: Small
Speed: 25 feet
Vision: Darkvision 60 feet
Umbral Wings: You posses the ability to fashion wings out of darkness. In areas of Dim Light, you have a Fly speed of 20 feet. In areas of Darkness, you have a Fly Speed of 30 feet. In Bright Light, you cannot fly at all.
Sunlight Sensitivity: You suffer Disadvantage on Attack Rolls and sight-based Perception checks when you or the object of your attention is in direct sunlight.
Shadow Lumen: As a bonus action, you can will your skin to produce a shadowy unflame, which provides dim light for a radius of 20 feet centered on you. This lights up the darkness, but also darkens bright light. You can shut off this power as a bonus action.
Obfuscated: You have Resistance to Psychic damage.
Sneaky: You have Proficiency in Stealth.

Kitsune
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Charisma, +1 Intelligence
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 feet
Vision: Darkvision 60 feet
Foxfire: You know the Produce Flame and Dancing Light cantrips, which you can cast with Charisma. At 3rd level, you can cast Faerie Fire with this trait as a 1st level spell once per long rest, again using Charisma as your casting ability score.
Trickster’s Guile: You have Proficiency in Charisma (Deception).
Hengeyokai: Fox

Racial Feat: Fox Magic
Some kitsune are more magical than others. Through deliberate meditation or just the whims of fate, you are amongst those kitsune whose magical potency is naturally greater.
Prerequisite: Race - Kitsune
Effect: Choose one of the Tails listed below. At 3rd level, you gain the ability to cast a single spell determined by that tail. At 5th level, you gain a second spell also determined by that tail. Finally, at 9th level, you gain a third and final spell determined by that tail. Spells cast through this feat are cast at their minimum caster level and use Charisma as their spellcasting ability score. Spells cast through this feat can be used once, and then you must complete a long rest before you can cast them again.

Special: You may take this feat multiple times. Each time you select it, you must select a new Tail to gain.

Special: When you first select a Tail through this feat, you gain an additional tail. You gain a second tail when you gain a spell at 9th level due to this feat. Extra tails are visible in fox and hybrid form and may, at the DM’s discretion, grant you Advantage on Charisma checks against other yokai, who recognize their numbers as a sign of power.

* Tail of Charm: Charm Person at 3rd level, Suggestion at 5th level, Hypnotic Pattern at 9th level.
* Tail of Wrath: Bane at 3rd level, Blindness/Deafness at 5th level, Bestow Curse at 9th level.
* Tail of Fire: Burning Hands at 3rd level, Aganazzar's Scorcher at 5th level, Fireball at 9th level.
* Tail of Malice: Tasha’s Hideous Laughter at 3rd level, Crown of Madness at 5th level, Fear at 9th level.