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G'emet (D&D next/5.0 Custom Race)

dresdor

First Post
G'emet

The G'emet are humanoid form sentient golems. They were created before the Grand Bombardment, over four thousand years ago, and any currently active in the world are from before that time. There are a lot of variety in G'emet, and each one appears to be a distinct masterpiece.


Something more than automatons
G'emet are peculiar and alien to other races, drawing conclusions and mentioning thoughts that would not come to them. Unlike regular golems, G'emet learn and have long memories. Some claim to have recall of events prior to the Grand Bombardment, but this cannot be confirmed. G'emet are affected by many spells that shouldn't matter to golems, and have been brought back from destruction by divine magic. Unlike other automatons, simply repairing a G'emet is not enough to restore its function after it has died, implying that there may be far more to these creatures than is understood.


Creation Lost To Time
All G'emet were created by the Lost Civilization over four thousand years ago, and the secrets to their creation are lost. Though many attempts have been made to recreate the process, the result has always been a lifeless, automaton golem, and not the free thinking and intelligent G'emet. The craftsmanship of the G'emet body is also a fascinating marvel, and many have been dismantled by curious members of the EngiLore's guild. Due to their legal status as property and not people, this is not considered cruel or inhumane, even though G'emet claim they are capable of feeling pain.


Slavery and Endurance
The G'emet are, officially, property in all of Litrila. It is possible for a G'emet to own himself, but only through a legal loophole. Most G'emet are in the service of one of the Gentry households, serving as bodyguards, secret assassins, or merely as curiosities to show that the household had enough wealth and power to obtain one. In total, fewer than three hundred G'emet are functional, making their plight an insignificant matter to the governing bodies of Litrila. G'emet are patient, however, and often outlive those that own them. Most of the G'emet that are self-owning became that way through the wills of the last living member of a Gentry family.


G'emet Names
Most G'emet use names that others have given them, and typically take on the surname of the family that has owned them most recently. This gives them a wide variety in surnames, including those from all races. Most G'emet first names are either a description of their function (a G'emet used as a chef might be called Cookie or Chef) or a pet name given by an early owner. Most G'emet have a true name, a name from before the Grand Bombardment, but either these names do not translate or the G'emet do not feel like sharing them.


G'emet Traits
Ability Score Increases: Your Constitution score increases by +2
Age: All G'emet are over 4000 years old. G'emet do not experience the benefits or penalties of aging. They, seemingly, can continue functioning indefinitely.
Alignment: G'emet can be of any alignment, but tend towards an extreme alignment or true neutrality. They have a slight preference for Lawful alignments.
Size: G'emet have a variety of sizes, but typically range from 4 to 7 feet.
Speed: Your base speed is 30ft.
Low-Light Vision: You can see normally in dim light.
Alien Mind: Because a G'emet mind is completely different from most sentients, it gains advantage on all saving throws against charm effects.
Resilient Physique: G'emet physique is very different from most other races, so they gain advantage on saving throws against poison and disease. Additionally, they have resistance to poison damage.
Mechanical Nature: G'emet can be affected by spells that would affect objects but not creatures (for example, Heat or Chill Metal).
Living Being: Though G'emet are mechanical in nature, they are living beings, and are subject to all rules other living beings are (for example, requiring air, food and water, becoming exhausted after exertion, and can be targeted by spells that affect living creatures)
Tool Proficiency: You gain proficiency in one set of artisan's tools. The G'emet have long memories, and all have served as tradesmen at one point or another.
Languages: G'emet speak G'emeti, a strange language of high pitched squeals and clicks. Additionally they know up to two additional languages, learned during their servitude.
Subrace: There are two primary variants of G'emet: Shadows and Bastions


G'emet Shadows
Usually dark colored and lithely built, G'emet shadows are typically employed as assassins or secret bodyguards.
Ability Score Increase: Your Dexterity increases by +2
Secret Blades: Built into your physique are a pair of daggers that can retract into your forearms.
Dead Silence: As a bonus action, a G'emet Shadow can become deadly silent, becoming completely unhearable for 1d4 rounds. This is an extraordinary ability that is recharged by a long rest.


G'emet Bastions
Sturdily built, with large pieces of steel and other metals making up most of their body, Bastions are employed as soldiers, bodyguards, and for security purposes.
Ability Score Increase: Your Strength increases by +2
BladeTurning: As a reaction when you or an ally would be hit by an attack, you may make an attack roll at your highest attack bonus. If this attack roll is higher than the successful attack's roll, the attack is parried, and deals no damage. Additionally, you deal damage equal to your normal attack damage as if you had scored a normal hit. This strike cannot deal critical damage. This ability is recharged by a short rest.


The G'emet are part of the Litrila campaign setting, the kickstarter for which is located here and ends in 9 days. I appreciate your feedback on the race.
 

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Even though their racial features aren't impressive, they should not get two +2s. Most races don't. Also, they're already pretty strong, considering they're damn near immune to charming spells. Don't give them /short rest and /long rest abilities on top of that. Letting a race become literally silent for a few rounds is nothing on paper, but then you realize that it's not even an increase to Stealth, it's literal invisibility to creatures depending on hearing. Not to mention, parrying does not deal damage. It just prevents the attack from hitting its intended target. The hidden blades are okay as a racial feature, so long as you make them the subrace's only special feature. That's a free pair of daggers that cannot be disarmed or removed during capture. Again, it doesn't sound like a lot, then you start playing with one in the party and you realize that it's pretty much broken. I'd advice giving each of the subraces only a +1 to their respective ability scores, remove the Dead Silence, and alter the parrying ability to not deal damage. Also, they're getting way too many advantages on saves. Remove one. Preferably the advantage on saves against charms. That's a really strong ability that shouldn't be a part of a race with all this.
 

dresdor

First Post
That makes a lot of sense, transcendantviewer. I'm coming primarily from 3.5, where everyone and their brother gets +2 to abilities and +1's are a waste of time.

Would Dead Silence be better if it was advantage on stealth checks for one round with the same restrictions?

The charm effects thing I like for flavor....maybe I'll change it to making thoughts unreadable through spells like detect thought? I'll have to put some noodling into this to figure out how to keep this little bit of flavor without being broken.

I'll change the parry to be a real parry. I just didnt' feel that was useful enough as a racial to be utilized over other abilities/reactions.
 


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