QB's Monstrous Races

[QuietBrowser]

[h=3]Diabolus[/h]
Originating from Mystara, although I'm not sure when or where they were made playable; my first encounter with them was in Dragon Magazine #327, which updated them to 3rd edition. They're a race of Chaotic Good extraplanar beings forced to flee their home in the Plane of Dreams due to invasions from the Plane of Nightmares, noted for looking like purple devils (small horns, goat-like legs, diabolic tails with a poisonous sting, forked tongues) and for finding humans as ugly and scary as humans find them. They're just a fun race, and greatly suited for planar campaigns or really exotic homebrew settings, so I wanted to try and update them.


Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Charisma, +1 Wisdom
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 feet
Vision: Darkvision
Child of Dreams: A diabolus is immune to Sleep and Charm effects.
Foe of Nightmares: A diabolus has Advantage on any checks made to resist Fear effects, and is proficient in the use of the Trident.
Diabolic Tail: A diabolus sports a long, flexible tail that ends in a poisonous barb. A diabolus has an Extra Attack that can only be used to make a Tail Sting attack - this is an Unarmed Strike that inflicts Piercing damage and which forces the victim to make a Constitution check vs DC (8 + your Proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier) or be Poisoned. Additionally, in a campaign that uses languages, all diaboli know the Diaboli Tail Cant, a silent language based on gestures, positions and motions with the tail; other races can learn to understand this language, but they cannot “speak” it without a suitably flexible tail of their own.


[h=4]Diaboli Racial Variants: That Old Time Feeling[/h]D&D fans familiar with editions past may remember that the Diaboli of prior editions were somewhat different beasts. They were described as having “all the flexibility of humans”, which translated as them having no ability score modifiers, but also being inherently alienating to creatures native to the material plane, as well as being inherently resistant to magic due to their extraplanar nature. For those who want to bring back some of that older feel, the following alternatives are presented.

Alternative Ability Score Modifier: +1 to all ability scores.

Racial Flaw: Alien: A diabolus suffers Disadvantage on all Charisma (Persuasion), Wisdom (Animal Handling) and Intelligence (Investigation) checks made against beings native to the material plane. At the DM’s discretion, suitably “monstrous” races such as (Half-)Orcs and Dragonborn, or “planetouched” races such as Tieflings, Genasi and Aasimar, may be immune to this penalty.

Alternative Racial Trait: Soul of Chaos: A diabolus has Resistance to all damage caused by spells or magical effects, and has Advantage on all saving throws caused by spells or magical effects.

 

[QuietBrowser]

[h=3]Shardmind[/h]
Who can honestly forget the Shardmind, one of 4e's more interesting races and a true symbol of how much potential the edition had? When I started thinking about races specifically for my more "Sigil-inspired" games, I knew I had to do the Shardmind.


Ability Score Modifiers: +1 Intelligence, +1 Wisdom, +1 Charisma
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 feet
Vision: Normal
Living Construct: A shardmind is immune to disease. It does not need to eat or drink, although it can ingest materials if it desires. It does not sleep in the normal fashion, but enters a waking trance instead; this lasts for 4 hours and during this time, the shardmind is fully aware of its surroundings.
Telepathy: A shardmind can communicate telepathically with any creatures it is aware of within 30 feet, provided it shares a common language. The ability to passively sense the desires and emotions of sapient creatures gives shardminds Advantage on Charisma (Diplomacy) checks.
Crystalline Mind: A shardmind is Resistant to Psychic Damage.
Shard Swarm: Once per short rest, when a shardmind takes damage from a direct enemy attack, it can use its Reaction to nullify the damage and to teleport to a single spot within 15 feet that it can see.

 

[QuietBrowser]

[h=3]Vyrloka[/h]
A race introduced in the dying days of 4e, the Vyrloka are a race of "living vampires"; humans tainted with necrotic energy that gives them many vampire-like strengths but none of their weaknesses.


Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Charisma, +1 Strength OR +1 Dexterity
Size: Medium
Speed: 35 feet
Vision: Darkvision
Taint of the Grave: A Vyrkloka has Resistance to Necrotic Damage.
Goremonger: When a Vyrloka reduces an enemy creature to 0 hit points, it can use its Reaction to acquire one of the following benefits; Dash towards the nearest enemy in sight, heal missing hit points equal to the creature’s CR, or gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls until the end of its next turn.

[h=4]Vyrloka Racial Feat: Vitae of the Night Prince[/h]Some vyrlokas are willing to more deeply embrace the lingering taint of vampirism that resides in their blood. Although cautioned that this pushes them closer to embracing the beast within, few can challenge the fact that this bestows them with greater power.
Prerequisite: Vyrloka
Effect:

• You gain +2 to Charisma and either Strength OR Dexterity. Your maximum possible Charisma and Strength/Dexterity increases from 20 to 22.
  
• You gain the ability to shapeshift into an animal once per day. This uses all of the rules and restrictions for Druidic Wild Shape, treating your character level as your Druid Level to determine what you can turn into, with the exception that you can only assume the form of certain creatures: Rats, Wolves and Bats. At the DM’s discretion, you may have additional or alternative creatures you can turn into, such as Owls, Hyenas or Centipedes. Such creatures should always have some thematic connection to vampirism or at least the undead.

 

[QuietBrowser]

Introduced in 3e as a race of malevolent, sadomasochistic fey from the Plane of Shadow who had to seek intense stimulation to keep themselves from fading into nothing and who blamed humanity for their plight, the Shadar-Kai were reinvisioned as a race of immortality-seeking humans who found their goal gone horribly right when they migrated to the Shadowfell in 4e. I'd like to make their origins a little more malleable in my 5e writeup, since I want to use shadar-kai in my post-apocalyptic high fantasy setting as being descended from elves who survived - barely - being caught in necrotic energy storms, but otherwise the 4e version is definitely the basis I want to stick to.

[h=3]Shadar-Kai[/h]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
Sunlight Sensitivity: A shadar-kai suffers Disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks and on attack rolls made whilst the shadar-kai or its target is in direct sunlight.
Superior Darkvision: A shadar-kai has Darkvision to a range of 120 feet.
Fading Flesh: A shadar-kai is Proficient in Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
Cling to Life: Once per long rest, a shadar-kai that is reduced to 0 hit points without being killed outright can instead choose to only be reduced to 1 hit point.
Shadow Jaunt: A shadar-kai can teleport up to 30 feet once per short rest, but must begin and end its teleport in an area of dim light or darkness.


Shadar-Kai Racial Feat: Darkwinter Soul
Requisite: Shadar-Kai
Effects:

• Gain Resistance to Cold Damage
  
• Gain Resistance to Necrotic Damage
  
• After using its Shadow Jaunt, a Shadar-Kai gains the Incorporeal Movement trait for (1 + Charisma modifier, minimum of 1) turns.

 

[QuietBrowser]

[h=1]Bariaur[/h]
The forgotten scion of Planescape, the Bariaur was one of the original three PC races introduced in that setting alongside the more-successful Githzerai and the vastly popular Tiefling. Celestial bighorn sheep/goat (they never could seem to make their minds up which it was) centaurs, perhaps the most notable aspect of them was that you had different stats and racial powers depending on whether you were male (who had horns) or female (who lacked them). Because that's a little bit sexist, and because I do remember a "Book of Bariaur" fansplat stating that at least 5% of both genders had the opposite, my definite plan is to have Horned and Hornless subraces, and note in the fluff that even if there is usually a common tendency towards them being of one gender, you do encounter plenty of the opposite gender, so hornless males and horned females are a minority, but still very present.


Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Constitution
Size: Medium
Speed:40 feet
Vision: Darkvision
Quadruped: A bariaur’s unusual body means that it is treated as being Large for purposes of its Carrying Capacity, but it suffers Disadvantage to Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks and is also treated as being Large for determining its Space.
Subrace: Choose between the Horned or Hornless Bariaur subraces for the rest of your racial abilities.

Horned Bariaur
Ability Score Increase: +1 Strength
Horns: You are never unarmed. You are proficient with your horns, which are a melee weapon that deals 1d8 bludgeoning damage. Your horns grant you advantage on all checks made to shove a creature, but not to avoid being shoved yourself.
Goring Rush: When you use the Dash action during your turn, you can make a melee attack with your horns as a bonus action.
Hammering Horns: When you use the Attack action during your turn to make a melee attack, you can attempt to shove a creature with your horns as a bonus action. You cannot use this shove attempt to knock a creature prone.

Hornless Baria
Ability Score Increase: +1 Intelligence, +1 Wisdom
Heightened Senses: A Hornless Bariaur has Advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks.
Comforts of the Flock: A Hornless Bariaur can, at will, create a tiny, harmless sensory effect to predict what the weather will be at their location for the next 24 hours. Additionally, it can instantly light or snuff out a candle, torch, or small campfire.
Strength Through Will: A Hornless Bariaur adds double its Proficiency bonus to Intelligence or Wisdom saving throws made against spells and other magical effects.

 

[QuietBrowser]

[h=1]Kobold[/h]
Now, I'm not that set on having a homebrew kobold race myself, because there is a good chance it'll be made playable in Volo's Guide, but since we already got Gnolls explicitly called out as "no PC writeup" in that book, despite their long tradition of being playable monstrous humanoids, best not to make assumptions. I deeply want to make the racial feats work, but I'm just not sure of how to do so.

Ability Score Increase: +2 Dexterity
Size: Small
Speed: 30 feet
Darkvision
Sunlight Sensitivity: A kobold suffers Disadvantage on attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks made whilst the kobold or the object of its scrutiny is in direct sunlight.
Pack Tactics: A kobold can use the Help option as a Reaction if it is within 5 feet of an ally.
Subrace: Choose between the Groundling, Winged or Mystic subraces.

[h=2]Groundling Kobold[/h]Ability Score Increase: +1 Constitution
Tinker: As per the Rock Gnome racial trait (PHB).
Trapmaster: You have proficiency with Thieves Tools. You have Advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks made to detect traps and double your Proficiency bonus for checks made to disarm Mechanical Traps.

[h=2]Winged Kobold[/h]Ability Score Increase: +1 Strength
Flight: You have a Fly speed of 30 feet, but you cannot fly if you are wearing Medium Armor or Heavy Armor, or if you are Encumbered.
Winged Warrior: You have Proficiency with Simple Ranged Weapons and Javelins.

[h=2]Mystic Kobold[/h]Ability Score Increase: +1 Charisma
Dragon Magic: You can cast the Blade Ward cantrip with this trait. At 3rd level, you can cast Chromatic Orb as a 2nd level spell once per long rest with this trait. At 5th level, you can cast Levitate as a 3rd level spell once per long rest with this trait. When casting a spell provided by this trait, Charisma is your spellcasting ability score.

[h=2]Kobold Racial Feats[/h]
[h=3]Kobold Sorcery[/h]Some kobold mystics display a greater level of magical power than others, invariably rising to command their tribes as powerful shamans.
Prerequisite: Kobold (Mystic subrace)
Effect:

• Your Charisma immediately increases by +2 points, and your racial maximum for Charisma increases to 24.
• Your Dragon Magic racial trait gains further spells; Prestidigitation as a cantrip, Cure Wounds as a 1st level spell at level 3, and Darkness as a 2nd level spell at level 5.

[h=3]Wyvaran[/h]Some urds grow larger, stronger and fiercer than others of their tribe, becoming mighty aerial warriors. Rumor has it that such urds draw their power through a connection to wyverns, leading to dark rumors of blood magic and bestial crossbreeding experiments.
Prerequisite: Kobold (Winged subrace)
Effect:

• Your Strength immediately increases by +2 points, and your racial maximum for Strength increases to 24.
• You gain the Powerful Flyer racial trait, which means you are only rendered incapable of flight if wearing Heavy Armor or if you are Heavily Encumbered.
• You gain the Lashing Tail racial trait. This gives you an Extra Attack, which does stack with other Extra Attacks, that can only be used to deliver a Tail Whip. This is treated as an Unarmed Strike that inflicts 1d4 Slashing damage plus Poison damage equal to the kobold’s Strength modifier (minimum of 1).

[h=3]Dragonwrought[/h]Most favored of all kobolds are those that display clearly draconic traits, elevating them above the rest of their tribe. Though kobolds boast that such individuals merely rekindle their draconic ancestry, many suspect that they are instead the result of dragons magically augmenting their slave-stock to make it more useful.
Prerequisite: Kobold (Groundling subrace)
Effect:

• Your Constitution immediately increases by +2 points, and your racial maximum for Constitution increases to 24.
• You can immediately select a Draconic Ancestry as per the Dragonborn racial trait (PHB pg 34).
• You gain the Dragonborn Breath Weapon and Damage Resistance traits determined by your chosen Draconic Ancestry.

 

[QuietBrowser]

[h=3]Harpy[/h]
We all know what a harpy is, and I'll be honest it was mostly my first attempt to see if I could make a flying race and have it balanced. Getting it to be deeper than that, though, is definitely something I'd enjoy doing, if "fluffing out all your crunch" should be my next major project.


Ability Score Increase: +2 Charisma, +1 Constitution
Size: Medium
Speed: 20 feet
Flight: A harpy has a flying speed of 40 feet.
Talons: A harpy possesses claws, which allow it to do 1d4 slashing damage with its Unarmed Strikes.
Siren Songs: A harpy knows the Friends cantrip. At third level, a harpy can cast Charm Person as a 1st level spell one per short rest. At fifth level, it can cast Enthrall as a 2nd level spell once per short rest. When casting spells with this trait, Charisma is your casting ability.

 

[QuietBrowser]

Originating from Mystara and one of the core PC options added in Red Steel, alongside the Rakasta (catfolk), Aranea and Tortle, the Lupins are a race of wolf-people (originally dog-people) with a long and shifting history. This was my last post to the forum before the big server crash, so I managed to rescue it and I'm just copy-pasting it here verbatim.

[h=3]Lupin[/h]Alright, I finally sat down and decided to give the Lupin 5e update some thoughts. This was tricky because of the vast array of potential stat abilities it had in 2e - your "common" Lupin had +1 Strength and Con, the Wolvenfolk had +1 Strength and +2 Con, Long-Runners had +1 Dex, to just name the closest to the ultimate template - and in 3.5, they had no ability score bonuses at all. So, I just made it up on what sounded remotely plausible.

To explain the subraces; in 3.5, the "core" Lupin was based on their appearance from the Mystara Monstrous Compendium Appendix; based, I think, on the traditionalist tribes of the Yazak Steppes, it made the lupin more or less based on Native American Tribes of the Pacific Northwest. If those tribes specialised in hunting werewolves from atop the backs of giant wolves, anyway. It also acknowledged the existence of "nomads", who essentially scavenged on the fringes of human territory (only difference was favored class switched from Ranger to Barbarian), and of the civilized Lupin kingdom of Renardie, which was more of a Pseduo-France in the age of swashbuckling type culture (favored class: Bard, replaced Expert Rider with +2 to all Crafts checks).

So, with no real idea how to pull it off, I tried to make the subraces follow a similar line; rugged, honorable, grasslands hunters, resourceful and hardy scavengers, and witty, urbane, civilized individuals. I could use feedback on my efforts and I'd really appreciate discussing this race; I do own the Red Steel boxset and the Dragon Magazine issue where they were updated to 3.5, so I can share the lore from those books on here if required.

Ability Score Modifier: +1 Wisdom
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 feet
Vision: Darkvision
Lupine Senses: A lupin has Advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks where its keen sense of hearing and scent are relevant, but suffers Disadvantage on Constitution saves against attacks based on odor or sound, such as a banshee's cry or a ghast's stench.
Subrace: Choose between the Tribal, Nomadic or Renardie Lupin subraces.

Tribal Lupin
Ability Score Increase: +1 Strength, +1 Constitution
Plains Hunter: A Tribal Lupin's Movement increases to 35 feet. Additionally, a Tribal Lupin does not suffer movement penalties from difficult terrain in grassland environments.
Run With The Pack: A Tribal Lupin adds double its proficiency bonus to Wisdom (Animal Handling) checks made with wolves or wolf-like magical beasts, including giant wolves, dire wolves and worgs.

Nomadic Lupin
Ability Score Increase: +1 Constitution, +1 Dexterity
Hardy Scavenger: Nomadic Lupins have Advantage on saves against disease and the poisoned effect.
Cobble Together: A Nomadic Lupin has Proficiency with Tinker's Tools, and Advantage on any check made to use those tools to try and reassemble, repair or otherwise restore functionality to a degraded or damaged tool, weapon or suit of armor.

Renardie Lupin
Ability Score Increase: +1 Intelligence, +1 Charisma
A Civilised Weapon: A Renardie Lupin has proficiency with the Rapier.
Vintner's Palate: A Renardie Lupin adds double its proficiency bonus to Constitution checks made to avoid being affected by alcohol, and to Intelligence (History and Investigation) checks made in relation to alcohol and brewing.

 

[QuietBrowser]

[h=3]Ratfolk[/h]
Although I've never gotten into the Legends of the Five Rings game itself, what little I've learned about them has always made the Nezumi deeply fascinating to me. Add in an appreciation for the Burmecians of Final Fantasy, and my own thoughts that a Burmecian-inspired civilisation of noble, knightly ratfolk would be an excellent addition to my post-apocalyptic homebrew setting, and it was natural that I turned my attention to this.


Ability Score Modifier: +2 Constitution, +1 Dexterity
Size: Medium
Speed: 35 feet
Vision: Darkvision
Rodent Hardiness: A ratfolk is Resistant to poison and adds its proficiency bonus to all Constitution checks made to resist contracting diseases.
Delver's Claws: The long, sharp, jagged talons of a ratfolk are as adept at ripping through flesh as they are at ripping through soil. A ratfolk's Unarmed Strikes do 1d4 slashing damage as a basis, and ratfolks have a Burrow speed of 10 feet.
Tunnel Rat: Ratfolk are treated as Small creatures for purposes of fitting into spaces. They can squeeze into spaces that only fit Tiny or smaller creatures, too, but they have disadvantage on all attack rolls and on Dexterity checks and Dexterity saves while doing so.

 

[QuietBrowser]

[h=3]Catfolk[/h]
Mechanically inspired by the "Amurran" of Pathfinder, the Catfolk are, I'll admit, myblandest race of all and I deeply need to take them back to the drawing board and start again if they're ever to be made playable. Since Volo's Guide is confirmedly bringing us PC Tabaxi (jaguar/leopard-folk from Maztica), maybe explicitly basing them on the Rakasta might be a better idea...


Ability Score Increase: +2 Dexterity, +1 Charisma OR +1 Dexterity, +2 Charisma
Size: Medium
Speed: 35 feet, Climb 20 feet
Vision: Low-Light
Cat's Claws: Your unarmed strikes do slashing damage.
Feline Agility: You have Advantage on Dexterity saving throws. Additionally, you always land on your feet when you fall from any height.