Tortle
What many tortles consider a simple life, others might call a life of adventure. Tortles are born near sandy coastlines, but as soon as they're able to walk on two legs, they become nomad survivalists eager to explore the wilderness, experience its many wonders, put their skills to the test, and make new acquaintances.
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 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the normal damage for an Unarmed Strike. Favourite Pastime. You have Proficiency with one Tool of your choice. Hold Breath. You can hold your breath for up to 1 hour at a time. Tortles aren’t natural swimmers, but they can remain underwater for some time before needing to come up to air. Natural Armor. Due to your shell and the shape of your body, you are ill-suited to wearing armor. Your shell provides ample protection, however; it gives you a base AC of 17 (your Dexterity modifier doesn’t affect this number). You gain no benefit from wearing armor, but if you are using a shield, you can apply the shield’s bonus as normal. Nature's Intuition. Thanks to your mystical connection to nature, you have Proficiency with one of the following Skills of your choice: Animal Handling, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Stealth, or Survival. 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.
Beastfolk Origins
Beastfolk Origins
There are many species that call themselves Beastfolk, all of whom share the same origin that dates back to a single event: the Curse of Chimeron. Save for the beast-turned, scaledfolk, and fey people, nearly every being that is a mix of man and animal is a beastfolk. While some have successfully integrated themselves into the world, others live in secluded colonies, hidden from persecution.
Although modern day beastfolk are no longer cursed by Chimeron, they are born of the same ancestors that were. For long ago, some of humanity did not respect nature. They plundered lands for resources, slaughtered animals for sport, and burned its fields for simple enjoyment, all to an absurd degree. Among all the deities, Chimeron was by far the most outraged of this. Eventually pushed to the brink, Chimeron—with the assistance of Malinoth—cursed all these humans; as Chimeron put it, "they will learn to respect nature by becoming a part of it". They were cursed to transform into beastfolk, to be of simple minds, and to be unable to reproduce any offspring not of their own kind. As generations passed, Chimeron believed the beastfolk had finally learned from their past crimes, and lifted the curse. By then though, the beastfolk were already an entirely new species (the ones we know today).
Although modern day beastfolk are no longer cursed by Chimeron, they are born of the same ancestors that were. For long ago, some of humanity did not respect nature. They plundered lands for resources, slaughtered animals for sport, and burned its fields for simple enjoyment, all to an absurd degree. Among all the deities, Chimeron was by far the most outraged of this. Eventually pushed to the brink, Chimeron—with the assistance of Malinoth—cursed all these humans; as Chimeron put it, "they will learn to respect nature by becoming a part of it". They were cursed to transform into beastfolk, to be of simple minds, and to be unable to reproduce any offspring not of their own kind. As generations passed, Chimeron believed the beastfolk had finally learned from their past crimes, and lifted the curse. By then though, the beastfolk were already an entirely new species (the ones we know today).
Life of a Tortle
A tortle hatches from a thick-shelled egg and spends the first few weeks of its life crawling on all fours. Its parents, old and near death, spend what little time they have left telling stories to their offspring. Within a year, the young tortle becomes an orphan, though not before it learns to speak and to survive on its own. A young tortle and its siblings inherit whatever tools, weapons, and gifts their parents left behind. Each young tortle is expected to fend for itself. It leaves the place of its birth and finds its own corner of the wilderness in which to hunt, catch fish, and get by. With each passing year, a tortle hones its survival skills. It forms friendships with its neighbors while also respecting their privacy. At some point, a tortle feels an almost overwhelming urge to venture far away from home and see more of the world. It gathers up its possessions and heads into the wilderness, returning months or years later with stories of its exploits and new skills. When a tortle nears the end of its natural lifespan, it seeks out a mate and procreates. Tortles lay their eggs (numbering as few as one or as many as a dozen) in a fortified compound enclosed by stone walls that are easily defensible. If no such compound exists, they build one. The parents spend the remainder of their lives guarding the compound, defending their offspring, and sharing a lifetime of knowledge before they die. When the children are old enough to leave the compound, they pick up whatever weapons and tools their parents left behind and set out on their own.Adventurers at Heart
Tortles have a saying: "We wear our homes on our backs." The shells they carry around provide all the shelter they require. Consequently, tortles don't feel the need to root themselves in one place for too long. A tortle settlement is primarily used as a kind of moot, where tortles can socialize with one another, share useful information, and trade with strangers in the safety of greater numbers. Tortles don't regard these settlements as places worth defending with their lives, and they will abandon a settlement when it no longer serves their needs. Most tortles like to see how other creatures live and discover new customs and new ways of doing things. The urge to procreate doesn't kick in until the end of a tortle's life, and a tortle can spend decades away from its native land without feeling homesick. They embrace a simple view of the world. It is a place of wonder, and tortles see beauty in the ordinary. They live for the chance to hear a soft wind blowing through palm trees, to watch a frog croaking on a lily pad, or to stand in a crowded human marketplace. Tortles like to learn new skills. They craft their own tools and weapons, and they are good at building structures and fortifications. They marvel at the works of other civilized creatures, humans in particular, and can lose themselves for years in a city, studying its architectural wonders and learning skills they can put to use when building forts to contain their offspring. Although they spend a considerable portion of their lives in isolation, tortles are social creatures that like to form meaningful friendships. They have no inbred animus toward people of other races. In fact, a tortle will often seek out friendships with non-tortles to learn new customs and new points of view.Tortle Names
Tortles prefer simple, non-gender-specific names that are usually no more than two syllables. If a tortle doesn't like its name for whatever reason, it usually changes it. A tortle might change its name a dozen times in its life. Tortles don't have surnames or family names. Tortle Names: Baka, Damu, Gar, Gura, Ini, Jappa, Kinlek, Krull, Lim, Lop, Nortle, Nulka, Olo, Ploqwat, Quee, Queg, Quott, Sunny, Tibor, Ubo, Uhok, Wabu, Xelbuk, Xopa, YogTortle Traits
Your tortle character has the following traits.Tortle
Ability Score Increase Str +2; Wis +1
Size Medium
Speed 30 ft.
Alignment. Choose one of the alignments approved by your GM. Typical Tortles tend towards Lawful and Good alignments. Creature Type. You are a Humanoid. Size. You are Medium (about 5-6 feet tall), and weigh about 380-500 pounds. Speed. Your land Speed is 30 feet. Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Aquan. Life Span. Tortles mature at around the age of 15, and live on average about 180 years.
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 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the normal damage for an Unarmed Strike. Favourite Pastime. You have Proficiency with one Tool of your choice. Hold Breath. You can hold your breath for up to 1 hour at a time. Tortles aren’t natural swimmers, but they can remain underwater for some time before needing to come up to air. Natural Armor. Due to your shell and the shape of your body, you are ill-suited to wearing armor. Your shell provides ample protection, however; it gives you a base AC of 17 (your Dexterity modifier doesn’t affect this number). You gain no benefit from wearing armor, but if you are using a shield, you can apply the shield’s bonus as normal. Nature's Intuition. Thanks to your mystical connection to nature, you have Proficiency with one of the following Skills of your choice: Animal Handling, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Stealth, or Survival. 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.
