BEORVULK (Bearfolk): Warriors of Peace
Bearfolk/beorvulk [bee-yor-vuhlk], or as they call themselves “vulk”, are a reclusive race found throughout small colonies in the northern island chains of Sublanarya. They generally reject outsiders who come to their shoes, sometimes repulsing them through intimidation or violence, but more often than not trying to take the least direct approach to making their visitors leave. Vulk have even parked boats for shipwrecked sailors to use so long as they leave their shores. Many a sailor has been called a loon for tails of talking bears. The beorvulk’s shy nature is not for a lack of courage or curiosity but practical habit. They are refugees from the frozen continent of Mimia and have known nothing but trouble. That said: the Wind King, as they call their leader, has sent some emissaries to foreign lands offering small gifts as shows of good faith in exchange for their territory borders being respected.
The vulk have one curious theory about where they come from. A long time ago there was once a black bear named Ungerda. Bears are not so unlike people. They have names and hopes and dreams. Ungerda was once spared by a hunter. He was so handsome that she fell in love with him and prayed to the gods to make her human. Kleeona heard her prayer and, taking pity upon the creature, granted her wish but told her that if she wished to woo the hunter she could not leave her cave until spring came. Ungerda stayed in the cave and sang for her love. The hunter heard her voice and came and fell for her beauty. That night they made love but, in the morning, Ungerda found her love had disappeared. Kleeona had warned her about leaving the cave but her heart overwhelmed her sense. Ungerda left the cave and turned back into the bear. When she approached the hunter, he became frightened and shot her with his arrow. Kleeona appeared and wept at the sight. The hunter was frightened by the sight of the god and asked her why she wept. She revealed he had shot his lover, showing her human form, and the hunter, full of remorse, begged the goddess to spare her life. Kleeona, seeing his remorse, granted his wish but under the penalty that they stay in the cave together for the winter as bears. He agreed and was transformed into a bear. Together, Ungerda and her husband, Hunigar, slept in the cave. When winter ended, they awoke and found themselves as bear and man, and their new children were both and neither. They were Beorvulk.
Beorvulk Traits
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2.
Age. Vulk has a lifespan similar to humans.
Alignment. Vulk tend to despise evil and have bonded over their unity. While most are lawful, many vrunbeor are chaotic.
Size. Vulk vary in size: swebeor can be as small as 5 ½ feet tall and up to 6 ½ feet tall, vrunbeor are usually between 6 and 8 feet tall, and hwibeor are usually around 7 feet tall.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Bite. Your jaw is a strong natural weapon, which can be used to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Thick Hide. Vulk are known for their thick hide. When you aren't wearing armor, your AC is 13+ your Dexterity modifier You can use your natural armor to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC. A shield's benefits apply as normal while you use your natural armor.
Keen Senses. You have proficiency in the Perception skill.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common, and Sylvan.
The vulk are split into three subraces:
Swebeor [s-vehy-bee-yor] are the smallest in stature subrace of vulk. They are also the most common and have the most variety in fur color. Individual coat colors can range from white, grey, blonde, cinnamon, light brown or dark chocolate brown to jet black, with many intermediate variations existing. Some are even said to have “blue” fur but are actually more of a silver grey. Swebeor are known for being the most easy going species of vulk and are typically best suited to a community lifestyle. Swebeor make a living as farmers, merchants, craftsmen and scholars. Black bears are known for being faster than their cousins as they prefer to run than engage a threat.
SWEBEOR SUBRACE TRAITS
Ability Score Increase. Increase your Intelligence or Charisma score by 1.
When the Going Gets Tough. Your base walking speed increases to 35 feet.
Climber. You have a natural affinity for climbing due your grip (hence the name) and have a climb speed of 3/4 your base walking speed rounded down (minimum of 20 feet).
City Bear. You gain proficiency with one skill of your choice and one artisan’s tool set of your choice.
Vrunbeor [vruhn-bee-yor] are the loners of the vulk. They are most commonly brown but some have more of a red or copperish fur coat. Vrunbeor are usually taller than that swebeor and prefer to live on their own. They are known for being more quick tempered than their smaller cousins and are ferocious warriors. Some vrunbeor seek to sate their innerfury through meditation and others through travel & mercenary work. Among the vulk, they make their living as farmers, hunters, and guides.
VRUNBEOR SUBRACE TRAITS
Ability Score Increase. Increase your Dexterity or Constitution score by 1.
Claws. Your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Climber. You have a natural affinity for climbing due your grip (hence the name) and have a climb speed of 3/4 your base walking speed rounded down (minimum of 20 feet).
Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Hwibeor [hwee-bee-yor] are the nobles of the vulk. They exclusively have white coats with black eyes and noses. In Mimia, they lived in great ice fortresses and castles, where they forged steel armor and weapons, and led the vulk against the monstrous enemies that prowled the wasted. In the colonies, they hold positions of authority and within the clergy. The Wind King is usually born from a Hwibeor noble but it is not unheard of for the hwibeor to recognize and raise up a hero from the other subraces.
HWIBEOR SUBRACE TRAITS
Ability Score Increase. Increase your Charisma or Constitution score by 1.
Ice Bear. You have resistance to cold damage and you gain a swim speed equal to ⅔ your base walking speed (minimum 20 ft).
Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Fortress Bear. You gain proficiency with the artisan’s tools of your choice: carpenter’s tools, smith’s tools, or mason’s tools. You also gain proficiency with light and medium armor and two martial weapons of your choice.
ARMADILLIARDS: Armored Nomads
About 500 years ago, the Xalhoteccan fleet arrived on the shores of Sublanarya, turned back the demonic horde, and established their Holy Imperium on the south-eastern sector of the northern continent. And, while more people wouldn’t know this, they didn’t come alone in their travels. Xahoteccans, much in the same way that Zholtovkans made an exception for the affable Otterlings, brought along a species native to their homeland; the gutsy and adventurous Armadilliards.
Armadilliards resemble a species from Xalhotecca, the armadillo, that is bred as a delicacy for special occasions by the Imperian elite for a special holiday in the spring called “Rexurexion” or the “Return of the King” that is supposed to foretell the return of the Nameless God. Armadillos are small terrestrial mammals similar in manners to a rabbit but gifted with a turtle-like shell of boney plating. Armadilliards are a minority even in Xalhotecca but it seemed that some Armadilliard pilgrims travelled on the Great Crusade. Yet, they were most likely not true pilgrims as they pretended.
Armadilliards have a reputation for being ambitious creatures. They seek out opportunity and adventure wherever they go. Most likely, the first Armadilliards to come on the Crusade were not looking for an opportunity to save souls but to sell them something. Armadilliards quickly made their way along trade routes to establish themselves in colonies throughout the new Imperium and beyond. Some Armadilliards have already made their way into the Deadly Desert of Mithrak and the tropical climate of the Grand Green & even Raj-Hamut. Despite their small size, Armadilliards have a reputation to respect thanks to their natural armor, impressive speed and agility, and their knack for finding the most dangerous venture and holding on for dear life!
Armadilliards are primarily insectivores and are known for sharing their cultural delicacies with the big folk from fried grasshoppers to sugared scorpions. They take this fascination to the extreme by serving all manner of snake, lizard, and other unusual vittles.
Armadilliard Traits
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2 and your Dexterity score increases by 1.
Age. Armadilliards reach adulthood by 12 and live for about 50 years.
Alignment. Armadilliards are opportunists by nature with a free spirit but do not tolerate bullies. They tend towards neutral good alignments.
Size. Armadilliards are small critters, usually only standing about 2 feet tall with a body made bulky by their armored shells. Your size is Small.
Speed. Armadilliards can be surprisingly agile when they want to be. Your base walking speed is 25 feet, but if you drop to all fours, your base walking speed is 35 feet.
Burrower. Your claws are tools and natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. You have a burrowing speed that is ½ your base walking speed.
Tiny Tank. Armadilliards have a series of thick bone planes covered in their leathery hide that they are experts in using to deflect most blows. Your shell provides ample protection, however; it gives you a base AC of 13 + your Dexterity modifier. You gain no benefit from wearing armor, but if you are using a shield, you can apply the shield's bonus as normal.
Fight or Flop. You may use Dexterity when determining your jump distance.
Shell Defense. You can withdraw into your shell as an action. Until you emerge, you gain a +4 bonus to AC, and you have advantage on Strength and Constitution saving throws. While in your shell, you are prone, your speed is 0 and can't increase, you have disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws, you can't take reactions, and the only action you can take is a bonus action to emerge from your shell. Additionally, if you are withdrawn in your shell, you reduce falling by your Constiution modifier+1d6 bludgeoning damage.
Adaptable Palate. You’ll try anything once, maybe twice. You have proficiency in the Survival skill.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common, and one language of your choice.
FAIRIES: Tiny Playable Fey?
There are perhaps a countless variety of little people that live in the Feywild: from the curious and playful pixie to the courageous and fierce sprite to the home-dwelling Dactyli, these tiny folk are just on periphery of the material world but, from time to time, these small folk become embroiled in the “Land of the Large”. For those purposes, I’ve created five playable tiny fey races. Their size and non-human origin complicates things a tad and you should definitely discuss using these options with your dungeon master.
Here are some rules that apply to all tiny playable characters:
Tiny Playable Character Rules
- When using normal size weapons,
- Tiny races do not benefit from the Light property, so these weapons cannot be used in the off-hand for two-weapon fighting. But they are still a one-handed weapon
- Versatile weapons must be wielded in two hands, and deal their basic damage rather than their versatile damage
- Tiny creatures have disadvantage on attack rolls with Two-handed weapons.
- Heavy weapons cannot be wielded by a Tiny races at all
- All other one-handed weapons must be wielded in two hands
- Tiny races do not benefit from the Finesse property, unless the weapon is also light.
- Tiny playable characters cannot use equipment meant for small or medium sized creatures. They can, instead, use miniature weapons and armor. Miniature weapons and armor weight 1/10th their Medium counterparts and cost 1/5th their cost to produce. The armor functions the same way as its Medium counterpart but the weapons are one size size smaller. Melee weapons range go down so reach becomes 5 ft and normal range melee weapons become touch range. Ranged weapons range is halved. Two examples:
A miniature long sword deals 1d6 slashing damage. It has the versatile property and deals 1d8 when swung with both hands.
A miniature long bow deals 1d6 piercing damage. The range is 75/300
- Tiny playable characters can occupy the same space as Tiny or larger creatures, can squeeze into spaces meant for a mouse, and make better use of cover-- generally, at the dungeon master’s discretion, where another PC would gain half cover or three-quarters cover, you gain three-quarters cover and total cover. You can also gain half cover from objects that would otherwise be considered incidental, such as rocks or tree saplings.
- Your carrying capacity is only 7.5x your Strength score.
This list may change or expand soon. Now, for a short description of each tiny fey option and their traits:
PIXIES: Tiny but with giant curiosity
Pixies are tiny flying fey native to the feywild. They are rather carefree creatures that usually spend their days playing games. They are usually opposed to violence but pixie adventurers, who are rare in themselves, are less likely to be pacifists.
PIXIE TRAITS
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2 and your Charisma score increases by 1.
Age. Pixies mature at different rates but usually reach full adulthood by 100 and live up 300 years.
Alignment. Pixies are known for their mischievous nature but their japes are usually harmless. They are usually neutral good.
Size. Pixies are between 4 inches and 1 foot tall. Your size is Tiny.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 15 feet. Your flight speed is 40 feet.
Type: Pixies are
Fairy Fall. If knocked prone, as a reaction, you can right itself in midair and stop falling.
Magic Resistance. You have advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Nature’s Helper. Pixies are caretakers of their environment. You gain profiency in the Nature skill and Druidcraft cantrip.
Disappearance Dust. You can cast the invisibility spell on yourself as a level 2 spell. You regain this ability on a short rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common, and Sylvan.
SPRITE: Tiny but FIERCE
Sprites are fierce but tiny fey warriors that live in the feywild. While their pixie cousins would rather spend their days playing games, Sprites are known for being sullen and serious which makes them unpopular company. A sprite adventurer may have lost their home and is seeking revenge or justice.
SPRITE TRAITS
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2 and your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Age. Sprites mature at different rates but usually reach full adulthood by 100 and live up 300 years.
Alignment. Sprites, like pixies, are generally serious but benevolent creatures and are neutral good. They are more suspicious of outsiders.
Size. Sprites are between 4 inches and 1 foot tall. Your size is Tiny.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 15 feet. Your flight speed is 40 feet.
Fairy Fall. If knocked prone, as a reaction, you can right yourself in midair and stop falling.
Magic Resistance. You have advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Brave. You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.
Heart Sight: You can touch a creature and magically knows the creature's current emotional state. If the target fails a DC 10 Charisma saving throw, you also knows the creature's Alignment. Celestials, Fiends, and Undead automatically fail the saving throw.
Disappearance Dust. You can cast the invisibility spell on yourself as a level 2 spell. You regain this ability on a short rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common, and Sylvan.
DACTYLI: HOUSE GUESTS OR PESTS?
Few creatures have the same sort of old wives tale feel to them as the "little people"; there are countless stories of diminutive fairy folk that live in the walls and under the floorboards, like mice, and come out at night to steal away food and trinkets. It's a whimsical excuse for the disappearance of valuable odds and ends from socks to jewelry to the last piece of cake that are, more than likely, the result of bad memory or filching servants or midnight cravings.
But, in a fantastic setting, all fables and myths have a little truth in them. And the little people are real.
They are called the dactyli or "finger-folk" and they are split between three tribes: brownies, duende and fenodyree.
DACTYLI TRAITS
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2.
Age. Dactyli mature and have the same lifespan as humans.
Alignment. Each type of Dactyli are known for different attitudes: they don’t worry too much about law or freedom as those rarely factor into their tiny lives. Duende are generally cruel and greedy neutral evil pranksters, Brownies are helpful neighbors and are neutral good and Fenodyree are fun-loving and easy going neutral.
Size. Dactyli are called the “finger-folk” due to their incredible smallness. They are between 3 inches and 7 inches tall. Your size is Tiny.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 20 feet.
Magic Resistance. You have advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Too Cute to Kill. You do not grant opportunity attacks based on movement.
Vermin Talk. You can communicate with words, sounds and gestures with Small or smaller beasts.
Hide and Seek! Dactyli need to be especially good at losing the attention of wandering eyes when scavenging (which they’re also good at). You gain proficiency with the Stealth and Survival skills.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common, and Sylvan.
The dactyli are split into three subraces:
Brownies are considered to be the "domestic dactyli" subspecies. They are also called "house elves" because they like to live in the homes of humanoids.
BROWNIE TRAITS
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Oops! Brownies are always careful to fix what they break. You gain the Mending cantrip. You also gain proficiency in a sets of artisan’s tools.
Oops! Brownies are always careful to fix what they break. You gain the Mending cantrip. You also gain proficiency in a sets of artisan’s tools.
Brave. You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.
Duende are pests.
While brownies try to go unnoticed, duende like to irritate or frighten larger humanoids or "biggins" as they like to mockingly call them. They make messes, break and steal valuables, make noises, invite in vermin (who they also enjoy preying upon), and generally stressing their housemates out. To be frank, duende give their kin a bad reputation.
DUENDE TRAITS
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence or Charisma score increases by 1.
Prankster’s Trick. Duende distract and frighten big people with magical trickery. You gain Minor Illusion as a cantrip. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
Poison Resistance. Duende spend a lot of time with venomous creatures like spiders and snakes. You have advantage on Saving Throws against poison, and you have Resistance against poison damage.
Fenodyree are even more reclusive than their smaller kin.
Fenodyree can stand about eight to ten inches tall and are distinctly different than their domestic kin with long faces, furry bodies and tails. They do not like wearing pants, perhaps as a result of their fur and tails, but do wear smocks and robes. Despite their more exotic and animalistic features, fenodyree are the least likely to bother humanoids or animals for that matter.They live in burrows and caverns under the ground, only leaving their homes out of curiosity or to steal vegetables and fruit from local farms and orchards.
While seen as less industrious, fenodyree are known, strangely enough, for being the most artistic of the dactyli. They have a rich story-telling tradition, through art and music, that makes them the loremasters for their species. They even like to tell stories about the above-world but often miss out on details or misinterpret events.
FENNODYREE TRAITS
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1.
Sing-A-Long. Fenodyree love to sing and throw a good party. They use their cunning to distract large creatures. You gain the Vicious Mockery cantrip. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell. You also gain proficiency in the Performance skill and one musical instrument.
“I heard a story once…”. Fenodyree always seem to remember some helpful tip in a pinch. As a reaction, you can reroll one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw. You regain this ability on a long rest.
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