Mongrelfolk
Mongrelfolk are humanoids that have undergone, or
whose ancestors underwent, horrific magical transformations,
to the extent that they retain only a fraction of
their original being. Their humanoid bodies incorporate
the features of various beasts. For example, one mongrel
folk might have the basic body shape of a dwarf with
a head that combines the features of a cat and a lizard,
one arm that ends in a crab's pincer, and one leg that
ends in a cloven hoof. Another might have the skin and
horns of a cow, the eyes of a spider, frog's legs, and a
scaly lizard's tail. Each mongrelfolk's mad combination
of humanoid and animal forms results in its having a
slow, awkward gait.
Sound Mimicry. Mongrelfolk have misshapen mouths
and vocal cords. They speak fragmented Common
mixed with various animal cries and nonsense. They
can effectively imitate sounds made by beasts and humanoids that they've heard. Mongrelfolk aren't sophisticated enough to use these sounds as a covert form
of communication, but they can use the sounds to lure
enemies into a trap or otherwise distract them.
Outcasts. Mongrelfolk are seldom welcome in other
humanoid societies, where they are abused, enslaved, or
shunned. They typically live on the fringes of civilization
in ruins, deserted buildings, or other places that other
humanoid races once lived in or built. They tend to be
timid and skittish outside their homes and fiercely territorial
within their lairs.
Camouflage Experts. Mongrelfolk often hide their
deformities under cloaks and was. In this way they, can sometimes pass as stout human or thin dwarves. They are fond of camouflage, attacking leaves and twigs
to their cloaks, making brown paint to cover their skin, and weaving grass nets under which they can hide. They
use such camouflage while hunting in the wild or while
standing guard outside their lairs. Until it is seen, a camouflaged mongrelfolk has advantage on Stealth checks
made to hide.
Horrific Offspring. It's possible to restore a mongrelfolk
to its original form using a greater restoration spell,
but the same can't be said for a mongrelfolk's offspring. Only mongrelfolk that are made by magic can be restored
to their original forms. Mongrelfolk that are born
are true mongrelfolk arid not the subjects of a spell or an
effect that can be undone.
Mongrelfolk can breed with other humanoids, but
nearly all children born to such parents are mongrelfolk
(About one child in every hundred is born looking like its non-mongrelfolk parent.)
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