5E conversions for player races from Monte Cooke's Arcana Evolved/Unearthed

Ooh, someone playing around with one of my favourite RPG books ever. Funny, you started with pretty much the same races I completed some time ago. We completed conversions for the litorian, sebeccai and giant some time ago.

If interested for ideas or something to bounce off, you might want to check out our versions at: http://connorscampaigns.wikidot.com/d-d-races.

We do use a few house rules, but there will be several features you might like to borrow. Note that litorians are a subrace for our catfolk; sebeccai a subrace of canisaran; and the giants are called ceremonial giants and a subrace of a broader giant-kin race we have created.

I read through your ideas more thoroughly. I liked a couple of your ideas and might consider for our own versions. I especially liked the idea of the giant ritual for going size large, but I might just state it is simply a feat. ie takes the whole of their ability raise (maybe that was your intention too, but I thought you might have meant it takes away 1 ability raise).

In any case it is a good idea. Size Large has a significant impact on damage. Weapons for Large creatures use 2 x the damage die. I don't have a problem with it, but it should come at some cost, and I like the Ability rise/Feat replacement for this ceremony.

Our sebeccai still have some features tying them to the natural world, but we added Streetwise (yes, we have a few of our own skills from previous versions).

We also use the choice of Proficiencies. I like that you had that. It is standard for us and normally granted proficiencies (such as dwarves and their weapons and tools) get rolled into one feature for us.

BTW: I also recommend the faen being the race with the others as subraces. 5E is actually perfect for this. I would probably skip the changing to sprytes too. Just make it a subrace. Make it clear that weapon damage die for tiny size are all reduced. In our version I would hit them with the major flaw that reduces STR by 4, but it is easier for us to balance as we still use racial drawbacks. ie not all features are positive.

Hi, thanks for the comments, some really interesting work you've put in on that site.

I did indeed intend the giant size change (and the faen spryte metamorphosis) to be equivalent to a feat in terms of cost - since feats are optional (yeah, like anyone doesn't use them...) I didn't want to make it explicitly a feat, but it could be. Likewise Ghi-Nammor, the next step in giant growth (which was from the giant paragon prestige class in AE). Sprytes as a first level option? Works for me, but I'd keep the ability to change from another type of faen if desired; that's a flavour aspect of the faen that I really like. I guess MC held off having Tiny (and flying) and Large PC options from first level as these are quite big advantages, but they feel a little less so in 5e.

So much for "later today"!

Dracha
The dracha are a servitor race created by the dragons. Winged warriors for the most part, in the world of the Diamond Throne they are relative newcomers.

The dracha are a dragonborn subrace.
- lose Draconic Ancestry, Breath Weapon and Damage Resistance
- gain natural armour +2
- Gliding Wings. A dracha can glide for up to 100 ft. if it launches itself from a height of 20 ft. or more; flying speed is 30 ft. A dracha can only glide if wearing light or no armour. At 3rd level a dracha gains the ability to fly fully, but can only do so in light or no armour.

Notes: So, a dragonborn subrace that pretty much removes all the dragonborn abilities! But it seemed the right way to go. In a full AE style setting these would be the only dragonborn type race, but actually it could be interesting to use other dragonborn as well. The gliding wings stats come straight from AE, and if a 5E version exists then I'd go with the mechanics of that instead.

Mojh
The mojh are a draconic race, but unlike dracha and other dragonborn they were originally humans who voluntarily underwent a ritual to make them more draconic. The relationship between mojh and true dragonborn could be said to be interesting at best. Mojh abilities focus on the magical side of draconic nature, whereas dracha are more physical creatures.

• +2 Int
• Medium size
• Base speed 30 ft.
• Tail - the mojh tail gives advantage to Acrobatics checks related to balancing.
• Runic Affinity - mojh gain advantage to Intelligence checks pertaining to runes and arcane symbols.
• Darkvision
• +1 natural armour
• Draconic Magic - mojh can use the detect magic cantrip at will. At 3rd level they can use levitate, mage armour and shocking grasp 1/day. At 5th level they can use levitate 2/day, and fear and see invisibility 1/day. These use Intelligence as the casting stat.

Notes: Alternative to Runic Affinity, grant double proficiency. The spell-like abilities are based on the AE mojh racial levels, which grant lesser beastskin, levitate and touch of fear at 2nd level, and destructive grip, share armour and levitate 2/day at 3rd., also toe Sense the Unseen feat at 1st. I've changed beastskin to mage armour, touch of fear to fear and destructive grip to shocking grasp, swapping a bit to allow for changed levels. I dropped share armour as I couldn't find an equivalent, but then they get see invisibility rather than Sense the Unsees. Any suggestions welcome!

Also in AE there is the option for a human to become a mojh at any time from 3rd level in a ritual that costs 500gp and uses a feat - I'd suggest the same for 5e as the ability to change your character is one of the fun things of AE.

These look good, but I think you are going for literal conversions of every ability. Not everything from old version needs exact representation. For eg: The runic stuff. Why not just give the mojh proficiency with Arcana?

I feel the the mojh get a bit too much magic, (but their other features don't seem too powerful so maybe okay).

Flight has been done in 5E. They give it straight up to the aarakocra (in the Elemental Evil Player's Guide). If you want to keep glide, an easy way to state it is they can glide twice as far in distance as the height they launched from (or any other ratio). Makes more sense when launching from up high.

You need to reword how natural armor appears. In fact, I am still not sure how natural armor interacts 'with' armor. Not sure it does. See the description of natural armor under the draconic sorcerer. You ALSO have to consider how your natural armor works WITH that granted by the sorcerer. There are no rules/guidelines on that either.

For our races we wrote it like the sorcerer. Eg: when unarmored you have a natural AC of 11 + Dex for eg. Obviously though, you take better of natural armor or armor. As the rules are written, they don't stack. They would with your +1 natural armor, but that isn't how it works for sorcerers for eg.

We have also stated that if you get natural armor from 2 sources, then it increases by 1. None of this is a big deal, especially for martial-type PCs as they will wear better armor anyway.

Good stuff. I would have thought the conversions would be more complicated, but these capture the feel of the races nicely.

Consider quickling rogues who get dash as a bonus action. I think normally dash is just an extra move--you get 30' from your move action and 30' from your dash.

You might want to revise as something like "A quickling who uses Dash as their normal action, rather than a bonus action, can move up to three times its speed with the Dash. Their total move for the round can therefore be 100 feet."

(Then the quickling rogue gets up to 125 feet of move if they also use a bonus action to dash).

I found this thread and too a big fan of AE/AU, if no one minds too much, I thought I would add my Verrik as an option or starting point.

Verrik

Ability Score Adjustment: Intelligence and Charisma scores increase by 1

Size Medium

Speed 30 feet

Sensory Control: As an action can selectively shut off their senses. Becoming immune to gaze attacks by blinding themselves. They can willingly go deaf and make themselves immune to language and sound based effects. They can shut off their sense of touch to ignore pain but take disadvantage on attack rolls and any touch-dependent actions. Only one sense can be shut off at a time. If sight or hearing is shut off, Verrik have disadvantage on attack rolls and relevant skill rolls.

Fortress Mind: Have advantage on all saving throws against psychic attacks

Lesser Psionics: At 1st level, can use Command once per day. At 3rd level can use Levitate once per day.

Read more: http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?352862-Using-Litorians-in-D-amp-D-Next#ixzz3n8i9Gjwl

Here's my rules conversion for the Faen. I'll note that I did the Spryte transformation as a feat; I'll add that at the end.

Game Rule Information
Ability Score Adjustment: Dexterity +1

Subrace: Choose Loresong or Quickling.

Size: Small

Slippery Mind: You gain Advantage on saving throws against charm effects.

Fey Ancestry: You are considered a Fey rather than a Humanoid.

Darkvision 60’

Languages: Common, Aegis

Speed: 25 feet

Quickling Faen
Ability Score Adjustment: Dexterity +1, Wisdom +1.

Alacrity: You gain +5 feet to your ground speed.

Quickling Nimbleness: You can move through the square of any creature of larger size than you. Entering or leaving the square of a creature of larger size than you does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Touch of the Wild: Once per day, you gain Advantage on an initiative check.

Loresong Faen
Ability Score Adjustment: Intelligence or Charisma +2

Lore: You gain proficiency in one additional Intelligence-based skill.

Magic of the Fae: You know the Dancing Lights cantrip. When you reach third level, you can cast the Faerie Fire spell once per day. When you reach fifth level, you can cast Mirror Image once per day.

Spryte
You metamorphose into a Spryte – the adult form of the Faen.

Prerequisite: Faen

Benefits:

At any time after you gain this feat, you may enter a cocoon for 100 days. When you emerge from the cocoon, you are transformed into a Spryte. You retain any previous racial traits, except as noted here:
Your size changes to Tiny. Any equipment that enters the cocoon with you is permanently changed to fit your new size, as the Adapt spell.
Your speed changes to 15 feet, but you gain a Fly speed of 30 feet. After three hours of flight, you must take a short rest to fly again.
You gain the ability to cast the Adapt spell. Once you cast this spell, you must take a short rest before casting it again.

And for the Giant. Chi-Julud - which would give a temporary size increase - is also planned to be a feat, but thus far nobody in my group has expressed the slightest interest in playing a giant (the Diamond Throne is primarily an antagonist faction in my campaign - the theme is colonialism, with the PCs being natives of the place being colonized and the Diamond Throne doing the colonizing) so I haven't designed it yet.

Game Rule Information
Ability Score Adjustment: Strength +2, Wisdom +1

Size: Medium

Speed: 35 feet. Your long stride allows you to cross vast tracts of land quickly.

Enlightened: As a natural leader, you have advantage on Persuade and Insight checks.

Tools as Weapons: You are proficient with the great axe, the maul, the warhammer, and the light hammer.

Giant Ancestry: Your type is Giant rather than Humanoid, and you gain advantage on any check made to take control of or break a grapple.

Languages: You speak Thyatian Common and Aegis.

Giant Blow: Your successful attack knocks its target prone. A mounted foe is dismounted by this attack. Once you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you take a rest.