Because, hey, it's been about a month since I reared my head last. ITT: I will do my best to make a balanced PC writeup for races that've been left out of D&D 5e so far.
Want to bring back the shadar-kai, aranea, diabolus, or lupin? Want to say "fuck you" to Volo's Guide and have playable gnolls and minotaurs in your setting? Just want some of the forgotten subraces & hybrids, like forgeborn dwarves and half-gnomes? Give me a shout here and I'll see what I can do for you.
To prove I'm here with good will, I figured I'd throw out some of my established races. First up, the current official 5e Changeling is really kind of crap, so let's see if we can make something better.
Changeling
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Charisma
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 feet
Vision: Darkvision 60 feet
Slippery Mind: You have Advantage on saving throws against Sleep and Charm effects.
Polymorphic: As a bonus action, you can physically alter your appearance to resemble another humanoid creature of the same size category as yourself. This grants you double your Proficiency bonus on Stealth or Deception checks based on disguising yourself as another creature. Your equipment is unaffected by your transformation.
Creedo: You belong to either the Becomer, Passer, or Reality Seeker philosophy, which determines your remaining racial traits.
Becomer:
Ability Score Increase: +1 to one ability score of your choice
Identity Dabbler: You have Proficiency in one skill or tool of your choice.
Duplicitous: You have Advantage on Deception checks.
Passer:
Ability Score Increase: +1 to one ability score determined by your chosen race; this should be the ability score that is strongest in your chosen race (+2 value) if possible.
Racial Mimic: Choose one race other than Changeling. You have only a single alternate form for your Polymorphic ability, which turns you into a distinct individual of the chosen race. When in your alternate form, you gain access to the racial features of that race, whilst retaining your Slippery Mind racial ability.
Reality Seeker:
Ability Score Increase: +1 Wisdom
Perfection of Form: You have Advantage on saving throws against effects that would petrify or otherwise physically transform you.
Because, next to Dragonborn, this was one of the most recognizable new races to come out of 4e.
Shardmind
Ability Score Modifiers: +1 Intelligence, +1 Wisdom, +1 Charisma
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 feet
Vision: Normal
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.
Telepathy: You can communicate telepathically with any creatures you are aware of within 30 feet, provided you share a common language. The ability to passively sense the desires and emotions of sapient creatures gives you Advantage on Insight checks.
Crystalline Mind: You are Resistant to Psychic Damage.
Shard Swarm: Once per short rest, when you take damage from a direct enemy attack, you can use your Reaction to nullify the damage and to teleport to a single spot within 15 feet that you can see.
I don't mind the Aasimar so much, but the Devas were a lot more interesting, in my opinion.
Deva
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Wisdom, +1 Intelligence
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 feet
Vision: Normal
Astral Majesty: You have Advantage on Charisma (Intimidate) and Charisma (Persuasion) checks.
Astral Resistance: You have Resistance to Necrotic Damage and Resistance to Radiant Damage.
Memory of a Thousand Lifetimes: When you complete a long rest, you can grant yourself Proficiency in one Skill, Weapon, Armor or Tool that you do not possess. When you choose your remembered skill, you cannot change this choice until you complete another long rest.
Shadar-Kai
Descendants of mortals who migrated to the Shadowfell in search of immortality, the shadar-kai found it - at a cost. Although they do not wither and age like mortals do, they must seek out constant stimulation, lest they fade away into nothing as the shadowy energies within them consume their flesh and soul.
Ability Score Increase: +2 Dexterity, +1 Charisma
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 feet
Vision: Darkvision 120 feet
Sunlight Sensitivity: You suffer suffers Disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks and on attack rolls made whilst you or your target is in direct sunlight.
Fading Flesh: You are Proficient in Dexterity (Stealth) checks. Additionally, you treat dim light as being total darkness for purpose of making Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
Cling to Life: Once per long rest, if you have been reduced to 0 hit points without being killed outright, you can instead choose to only be reduced to 1 hit point.
Shadow Jaunt: You can teleport up to 30 feet once per short rest, but must begin and end your teleport in an area of dim light or darkness.
Incunabulum
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Int, +1 Wis
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 feet
Vision: Darkvision 120 feet
Sunlight Sensitivity: You suffer Disadvantage on sight-based Perception checks and on attack rolls when you or the object of your attack/scrutiny is in direct sunlight.
Child of the World Tomb: You have Resistance to Necrotic damage and Advantage on saving throws against effects that deal Cold damage.
Ancestral Shroud: When making a skill check in an Intelligence or Wisdom skill that you do not have training in, you may still add half your Proficiency bonus (round down) to the check.
Interrogative Training: You have Proficiency in Intimidation.
what font do they use for the official manuals?
I'm working on publishing something for the dungeon master guild and I haven't found the name for it yet.
I have absolutely no idea, unfortunately. I've toyed with the occasional idea of submitting something to DMG myself, but I've never followed through with it.
My advice? Contact them and ask, they should be happy to tell you.
I bet nobody out there can remember what this race is:
Norker
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Constitution, +1 Dexterity
Size: Small
Speed: 30 feet
Vision: Darkvision 60 feet
Stony 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.
Rending Fangs: When you make an Unarmed Strike, you can use your fangs as natural weapons. This causes your attack to inflict 1d6 + Str modifier Piercing damage if it hits.
Sneaky: You have Proficiency in Stealth.
Nimble Escape: You can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of your turns.
Here is a template for what a published adventure should look like. I think you can just copy and paste the text into a word document and then copy and paste the font on to everything.
Going to run an underdark campaign soon. What can you give me for Grimlocks?
Grimlock
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Strength, +1 Constitution
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 feet
Vision: Blindsight 30ft
Blind Senses: You rely on a mixture of scent and hearing to perceive the world around you. You are immune to the Blinded condition and to gaze attacks, but you automatically fail Perception checks based on sight. Additionally, if you are affected by the Deafened condition, your Blindsight radius drops to 10 feet.
Heightened Senses: You have Advantage on Perception checks based on hearing, smell, touch and taste, but suffer Disadvantage on saving throws against attacks based on sound or scent.
Stone Camouflage: You have Advantage on Stealth checks made to hide in rocky terrain.
Thanks!
in return, have a bump
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Should I take these as a request for the races from 3e's Underdark? I just wasn't sure if I should.
Elf Subrace: Dargonesti
Also known as “Deep Elves”, Dargonesti are one of the two races of Aquatic Elf native to the world of Krynn, distinguished by their ability to shapeshift into the forms of dolphins or porpoises.
Ability Score Increase: +1 Strength
Amphibious: A Deep Elf can breathe both air and water.
Aquatic: A Deep Elf has a Swim speed of 30 feet.
Shapeshifter: A Deep Elf has the ability to transform into the shape of an animal, a trait it can use once per long rest. This follows all of the rules of Druid Wild Shape, except that a Deep Elf can only assume one form through this trait: a dolphin (VGtM: 208).
Elf Subrace: Dimernesti
Also known as “Shoal Elves”, Dimernesti are one of the two races of Aquatic Elf native to the world of Krynn, distinguished by their ability to shapeshift into the forms of otters.
Ability Score Increase: +1 Intelligence
Amphibious: A Shoal Elf can breathe both air and water.
Aquatic: A Shoal Elf has a Swim speed of 30 feet.
Shapeshifter: A Shoal Elf has the ability to transform into the shape of an animal, a trait it can use once per long rest. This follows all of the rules of Druid Wild Shape, except that a Shoal Elf can only assume one form through this trait: an otter. Use the stats for a Weasel (MM:340), but give it a Swim Speed of 30 feet and the Amphibious racial trait.
The race art in this book was fucking good.
Gnome Subraces
Gnome Subrace: River Gnome
Ability Score Increase: +1 Dexterity
Waterborn: You have a Swim speed of 30 feet.
Deep Diver: You can hold your breath for 4 + Constitution modifier minutes, instead of the normal 1 + Constitution modifier minutes.
Gnome Subrace: Arcane Gnome
Ability Score Increase: +1 Charisma
Mage-Trained: You have Proficiency in Intelligence (Arcana).
Magic in the Blood: You can cast the Prestidigitation cantrip and 1 other Wizard cantrip of your choice. Intelligence is your casting ability score when casting cantrips granted to you by this trait.
Gnome Subrace: Ice Gnome
Ability Score Increase: +1 Constitution
Arctic Dweller: You have Resistance to Cold damage and Advantage on Survival checks made in arctic climates.
Gnome Subrace: Wavecrest Gnome
Ability Score Increase: +1 Constitution
Born to the Brine: You have Advantage on Survival checks made in oceanic and coastal environments. Additionally, you can drink salt water with no ill effects if you succeed on a DC 8 Constitution saving throw.
Seaman's Eyes: You have Advantage on Intelligence checks made relating to boatcraft or sailing, including predicting the weather.
Dark Troll
Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Constitution, +1 Strength
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 feet
Vision: Darkvision 60 feet
Underworld Dweller: You have Proficiency in Stealth
Sunlight Sensitivity: You suffer Disadvantage on sight-based Perception checks and on attack rolls when you or the object of your attack/scrutiny is in direct sunlight.
Echolocation: Your Darkvision represents sound waves and is blocked by the Deafened Condition rather than the Blinded Condition.
Rock Gut: You are capable of deriving sustenance from any organic food source or inorganic substance such as rock. However you may only digest rock and other inorganic substances once per long rest. You have resistance to poison while using Rock Gut.
Uz Weapon Training: You have Proficiency in Club, Greatclub, Mace and Sling.
Storm Genasi:
Ability Score Increase: +1 Charisma
Storm-Skein: A Storm Genasi has Resistance to Lightning and Thunder damage.
Storm-Weaver: You know the Shocking Grasp and Thunderclap cantrips. Constitution is your casting ability score for these cantrips.
Metal Genasi:
Ability Score Increase: +1 Strength
Skin Made of Iron: When unarmored, you treat your default AC as 11 + Constitution modifier.
Steel In Your Bones: You have Resistance to Force Damage.
Tools of Life and Death: You know the Sword Burst and Mending cantrips, treating Constitution as your spellcasting ability score for both.
Wood Genasi:
Ability Score Increase: +1 Dexterity
Vegetative Vitality: You have Resistance to Poison. When you are subject to an effect that restores your hit points, you may add your Constitution modifier to the roll.
Bend the Boughs: You know the Thorn Whip cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast Entangle once per long rest with this trait. Dexterity is your spellcasting ability score for these traits.
Ice Genasi:
Ability Score Increase: +1 Intelligence
Frigid Flesh: An Ice Genasi has Resistance to Cold Damage. Additionally, an Ice Genasi can cast Freezing Touch as a Cantrip with this trait; treat this as Shocking Grasp, but inflicting Cold damage rather than Lightning. Intelligence is the casting ability score used for Freezing Touch.
Heart of Ice: An Ice Genasi has Advantage on any Wisdom saves made to resist Charm effects.
Ice Tomb: As an action you can freeze yourself in a protective armor that completely encases you. For 1 Minute or until the armor breaks, you gain temporary health equal to double your total class levels. This armor breaks if you lose all your temporary hit points, or if you replace your current temporary hit points with another source of temporary hit points.