Changeling
Feared and misunderstood by those aware of their presence, changelings are a strange race of shapeshifters that result from the union between a doppelganger and a human. Changelings have the unique ability to shift their forms with a single thought. Many changelings use this gift as a form of artistic and emotional expression. It's also an invaluable tool for grifters, spies, and others who wish to deceive. This leads many people to treat changelings with suspicion.
The Changebringer's Chosen?
When the world was young, the Changebringer, Avandra, was deeply involved in the lives of its creatures. She delighted in making their lives better. One mortal who was the object of Avandra's favor was a beautiful woman who was pursued by a cruel suitor. This suitor set his servants on her like hunting dogs. Time and time again, Avandra tried to help this woman flee or fight to no avail. Frustrated and running out of ideas, Avandra reluctantly gifted the woman the power to change her form so that she could save herself from any future threat. However, things turned for the worse when the woman used her power to become an assassin, killing her suitor and all who served him. When Avandra sought her out to rebuke her, the woman used her power to hide from the goddess. By the time Avandra found her, she already had a multitude of grandchildren, all having the power to change shape. Much to her dismay, the goddess' gift, once given, could not be taken away. Enraged, Avandra twisted as many of the woman's children that she could find into sexless, monstrous husks of their previous selves as punishment for their ancestor's crimes. The race was left with an identity crisis and loss of self, but this still did not stop them from multiplying. The few who managed to deceive humans into mating with them would create the first changelings.A Hidden People
Wherever humans live, changelings may reside also; the question is whether their presence is known. Changelings are born to one of three paths. A few are raised in stable communities where changelings are true to their nature and deal openly with the people around them. Some are orphans, raised by other races, who find their way in the world without ever knowing another like themselves. Others are part of nomadic changeling clans, families who keep their true nature hidden from the single-skins. Some clans maintain safe havens in major cities and communities, but most prefer to wander an unpredictable path. In creating a changeling adventurer, consider the character's relationships with people around them. Does the character conceal their true changeling nature? Do they embrace it? Do they have connections to other changelings or are they alone and in search of companions?Masks and Personas
In their true form, changelings are pale, with colorless eyes and silver-white hair. It is rare to see a changeling in that form, for a typical changeling changes their shape the way others might change clothes. A casual shape—one created on the spur of the moment, with no depth or history—is called a mask. A mask can be used to express a mood or to serve a specific purpose and then might never be used again. However, many changelings develop identities that have more depth. They build an identity over time, crafting a persona with a history and beliefs. This focused identity helps a changeling pinpoint a particular skill or emotion. A changeling adventurer might have personas for many situations, including negotiation, investigation, and combat. Personas can be shared by multiple changelings; there might be three healers in a community, but whoever is on duty will adopt the persona of Tek, the kindly old medic. Personas can even be passed down through a family, allowing a younger changeling to take advantage of contacts established by the persona's previous users.Changeling Names
A changeling might use a different name for each mask and persona and adopt new names as easily as they change faces. The true name of a changeling tends to be simple and monosyllabic; however, there are often accents to a changeling's name that are expressed through shapeshifting, something single-skins will likely miss. So, two changelings might have the name Jin, but one is Jin-with-vivid-blue-eyes and one is Jin-with-golden-nails. Changelings have a fluid relationship with gender, seeing it as one characteristic to change among many. Changeling Names: Aunn, Bin, Cas, Dox, Fie, Hars, Jin, Lam, Mas, Nix, Ot, Paik, Ruz, Sim, Toox, Vil, YugChangeling Traits
Your changeling character has the following racial traits. Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2. In addition, one other ability score of your choice increases by 1. Age. Changelings mature slightly faster than humans but share a similar lifespan — typically a century or less. While a changeling can transform to conceal their age, the effects of aging affect them similarly to humans. Alignment. Changelings tend toward pragmatic neutrality, and few changelings embrace evil. Size. In their natural forms, changelings average between 5 to 6 feet in height, with a slender build. Your size is Medium. Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. Shapechanger. As an action, you can change your appearance and your voice. You determine the specifics of the changes, including your coloration, hair length, and sex. You can also adjust your height and weight, but not so much that your size changes. You can make yourself appear as a member of another race, though none of your game statistics change. You can't duplicate the appearance of a creature you've never seen, and you must adopt a form that has the same basic arrangement of limbs that you have. Your clothing and equipment aren't changed by this trait.- You stay in the new form until you use an action to revert to your true form or until you die.
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Lifespan
Less than a century
Average Height
5'7"-6'0"
Average Weight
120-160 lbs
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