Hi,
this is my first attempt at a homebrew race. The idea started with wanting to play a large race, but circumventing the problems that arise from large creature bonuses. The result is (I think) a blend of monster, Ebberon Warforged and a few golems from the dandwiki. Being new to DnD I want to present you a first draft. I'm hoping that your experience will quickly show me how overpowered this turned out :smallbiggrin: I tried to use jwbjerks "Detect Balance" guide to keep balance somewhat in check. I'm really not sure how the healing rules would play, thoughts? I'd love to hear from you what i should change, add or remove to make this race more balanced. Do you think it makes sense to play a physically large race as a medium one? If you decide to use this race, please let me know I'd love to hear how it turns out! Thanks!
EDIT: I've updated the race description with your feedback!
Soul Golem
Soul Golems are an amalgamation of stone, spirit and necromancy. Powered by arcane runes, their bodies act as vessels for the souls of the departed. Binding a full soul to inanimate matter through necromancy requires a large vessel. Soul golems have a towering physique and hulking proportions to meet those requirements. Whether by the ill will of a crazed mage, accident or by choice, the soul bound to the Golem loses its memories and personality, although given many years, shattered pieces of memory may return. Golems are usually loners, shunned and labeled by society as mere automatons with no will of their own. Their stone body, echoing voice and unmoving faces are unsettling to most folk. Some Golems seek to make the most of their second lives by setting out on adventures. Forging their own legacy, finding their place in the wold or creating an identity of their own. Others seek clues about their past lives and memories.
Traits
Ability Score Increase: Your Str increases by +2, your Con score increases by +2.
Age: Golems do not age, but their starting age is defined by the time the soul got transferred. Their lifespan is limited only by the deterioration of their physical forms.
Alignment: Any.
Size: 10-16ft. 1300Lbs. Your size is Large.
Gender: Soul Golems are physically sexless, but can retain the gender of their previous self.
Speed: Your base walking speed is 25 feet. Your jump distance and height are halved. You do not gain doubled damage dice due to your size.
Names: Some Golems seek gender neutral names like Thunderstone, Rockbreaker or Swiftriver. Others are content with nicknames given to them by the people around them. A few Golems might even remember their own names, while others take on a new name of their own.
Living Construct: You are a living construct that doesn’t need to eat, drink, breathe or sleep. You can not gain benefits from eating foot or drinking potions. You will never become Exhausted due to starvation or thirst, nor can you take damage from suffocation. While resting you must perform maintenance on yourself following the regular resting rules. While repairing yourself, you are aware of your surroundings but have disadvantage on all Perception checks. You are immune to disease and have advantage on saving throws vs Poison. You can’t be stabilized when dying with a Medicine check or spare the dying. Instead, a successful DC 10 Intelligence check or a mending cantrip is needed.
Stone faced: Your unnatural face is unsettling to people. You have disadvantage on Persuasion checks when speaking with non-monster races.
Construct Vulnerabilities: Because of the necromantic energies binding you to your vessel you are vulnerable to radiant damage.
Heavy Body: You may only wear armor specifically constructed for Golems. You always suffer disadvantage on Stealth checks because of your heavy body. You have advantage on Strength checks made to push, pull, lift, or break objects or people. But only when you're large.
Shed/Accumulate: You can spend 10 minutes 3/day to change in or out of a medium sized dwarf Golem (5-7ft) form by shedding or accumulating mass from surrounding stone, dust and debris. While in dwarf state you may disguise yourself and wear robes and other loose fitting garments. You lose advantage on strength checks and your racial bonuses to strength and constitution are halved. Toughness: Due to your massive build your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level.
Languages: You can speak, read and write Common and the language of your original race, if you remember it.
this is my first attempt at a homebrew race. The idea started with wanting to play a large race, but circumventing the problems that arise from large creature bonuses. The result is (I think) a blend of monster, Ebberon Warforged and a few golems from the dandwiki. Being new to DnD I want to present you a first draft. I'm hoping that your experience will quickly show me how overpowered this turned out :smallbiggrin: I tried to use jwbjerks "Detect Balance" guide to keep balance somewhat in check. I'm really not sure how the healing rules would play, thoughts? I'd love to hear from you what i should change, add or remove to make this race more balanced. Do you think it makes sense to play a physically large race as a medium one? If you decide to use this race, please let me know I'd love to hear how it turns out! Thanks!
EDIT: I've updated the race description with your feedback!
Soul Golem
Soul Golems are an amalgamation of stone, spirit and necromancy. Powered by arcane runes, their bodies act as vessels for the souls of the departed. Binding a full soul to inanimate matter through necromancy requires a large vessel. Soul golems have a towering physique and hulking proportions to meet those requirements. Whether by the ill will of a crazed mage, accident or by choice, the soul bound to the Golem loses its memories and personality, although given many years, shattered pieces of memory may return. Golems are usually loners, shunned and labeled by society as mere automatons with no will of their own. Their stone body, echoing voice and unmoving faces are unsettling to most folk. Some Golems seek to make the most of their second lives by setting out on adventures. Forging their own legacy, finding their place in the wold or creating an identity of their own. Others seek clues about their past lives and memories.
Traits
Ability Score Increase: Your Str increases by +2, your Con score increases by +2.
Age: Golems do not age, but their starting age is defined by the time the soul got transferred. Their lifespan is limited only by the deterioration of their physical forms.
Alignment: Any.
Size: 10-16ft. 1300Lbs. Your size is Large.
Gender: Soul Golems are physically sexless, but can retain the gender of their previous self.
Speed: Your base walking speed is 25 feet. Your jump distance and height are halved. You do not gain doubled damage dice due to your size.
Names: Some Golems seek gender neutral names like Thunderstone, Rockbreaker or Swiftriver. Others are content with nicknames given to them by the people around them. A few Golems might even remember their own names, while others take on a new name of their own.
Living Construct: You are a living construct that doesn’t need to eat, drink, breathe or sleep. You can not gain benefits from eating foot or drinking potions. You will never become Exhausted due to starvation or thirst, nor can you take damage from suffocation. While resting you must perform maintenance on yourself following the regular resting rules. While repairing yourself, you are aware of your surroundings but have disadvantage on all Perception checks. You are immune to disease and have advantage on saving throws vs Poison. You can’t be stabilized when dying with a Medicine check or spare the dying. Instead, a successful DC 10 Intelligence check or a mending cantrip is needed.
Stone faced: Your unnatural face is unsettling to people. You have disadvantage on Persuasion checks when speaking with non-monster races.
Construct Vulnerabilities: Because of the necromantic energies binding you to your vessel you are vulnerable to radiant damage.
Heavy Body: You may only wear armor specifically constructed for Golems. You always suffer disadvantage on Stealth checks because of your heavy body. You have advantage on Strength checks made to push, pull, lift, or break objects or people. But only when you're large.
Shed/Accumulate: You can spend 10 minutes 3/day to change in or out of a medium sized dwarf Golem (5-7ft) form by shedding or accumulating mass from surrounding stone, dust and debris. While in dwarf state you may disguise yourself and wear robes and other loose fitting garments. You lose advantage on strength checks and your racial bonuses to strength and constitution are halved. Toughness: Due to your massive build your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level.
Languages: You can speak, read and write Common and the language of your original race, if you remember it.
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