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Message: <blockquote data-quote="doctorbadwolf" data-source="post: 8117462" data-attributes="member: 6704184">Shifters I really prefer in Eberron where they are specically not descended from theriomorphs (the proper term for were-creatures in general, while lycanthrope is more specific), but are rather the natural side of the same coin, while lycanthropes are corruptions of nature. Many shifters believe that they came first, and theriomorphs and their curse is a corruption of their gifts, probably by daelkyr. Anyway, any world that has room for a race of ancient guardians of nature, who see even the elves as interlopers and vassals of the forces of civilization, has a place for Shifters. (and 4e's wilden, which I keep meaning to build in 5e)Changelings are also easy, in that they can either be a type of doppelganger, doppelgangers can be changelings who have enhanced their nature by letting in monstrous influence or perhaps even are what happens when a changeling does some evil thing, like eating the heart of a sentient creature, or destroying someone's life while impersonating them, or whatever. Perhaps there are rituals that make a transformation more complete for a time, but they are dark and difficult and corrupt the changeling who uses them. Warforged might be semi-angelic in origin, made as guardians of holy sites and awakened by the angels who created them, or they might have an origin like that of the Hebrew Golem, created by local holy leaders to protect a folk, but capable of outliving that purpose. Likewise, they might be a form of reincarnation. Families build the body, prepare the ritual space, and hold it in storage for when a valued family member dies. It's not guaranteed to work, and the soulforged has little direct memory, but they have similar feelings toward those they knew, such as affection for the loved ones of the soul, etc, and are a venue for that soul to continue their work, or to keep being a positive influence on the world, etc. SOmetimes, cult leaders and the like are spared from true death in this manner, as well, leading to dangerous golem folk with followings of fanatic supporters. Going at them from a wholly different angle, they could fill the role of 4e's wilden. They aren't built by mortals at all, but rather grow by the will of primal powers in sacred groves in the wilderness, and are given the sentience of young nature spirits who meld themselves with the new creation, becoming a creature of living wood and stone driven by a deep love for nature and the earth, perhaps coming in strange varieties like a driftwood and barnacle forged of the deep, a moss covered being of redwood and dark grey stone with fragrant "hair" or "beard" of fern or star anise and other herbs. Kalashtar are going to depend more on whether your world has psionics, and whether it has a wide variety of spirits. I like them as people who accepted Coatl spirits, but are not born from celestials, so are not aasimar. Instead, coatls in ancient days needed mortal warriors to fight with them against a great evil, and bonded with a nation of mortals who were their allies. Each Coatl bonded to one or more families, and their power and some part of their wisdom and will now passes from parent to child in that family line. Kalashtar of a given house tend to have a given set of personality traits, a bit like horoscopes, associated with the coatl that blessed their family.</blockquote>

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