Shapeshifter
Age. Shapeshifters reach adulthood at the age of 12 and they do not age after reaching adulthood. After they are 1000 years old, they will need to make Wisdom Saves DC11 every time they complete a long rest to remember who they really are rather than the shape they are wearing. If failed they do not make the save again unless their HP has been reduced to 0 since completing their last long rest.
Ability Score Increase
All Shapeshifters get Dexterity +1 and +1 to any one Ability Score
Natural Psion. All shapeshifters gain advantage on saves and ability checks related to telepathy, and if psionic, gain a number of psi points added to their Psi pool max equal to their Constitution Bonus. On a short rest they automatically recover a number of psi points equal to their Proficiency Bonus. And all shapeshifters gain a psionic version of the Message cantrip that requires no components to cast; meaning no verbal, somatic, or material components. They may use this cantrip at will as an action or a bonus action, and may target a number of people equal to their Proficiency Bonus with it each use.
Sense Malice. All shapeshifters can sense the concentrated malice of someone with ill intent about to attack. As such they are immune to being surprised and gain a +2 bonus to Initiative when someone attempts to surprise them. This also negates disadvantage against invisible opponents that are sentient.
Shapechanger. The Shapeshifter can use its action to cast Disguise Self as a transmutation spell to change into a Small or Medium humanoid it has seen, or back into its true form. Its statistics, other than its size, are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
3 Subraces - Mimics, Reactors, Adapters
Mimics:
Charisma +2
Mimic. Can perfectly mimic any small or medium sized humanoid creature in form and voice, or even choosing a medium or small size creature of any type of beast you are familiar with at your CR or lower. Can do so Cha bonus times/short rest. In all other ways functions as the Polymorph spell except that it works inside an antimagic field. If used to become a small size beast or humanoid, shifting back requires 10 minutes to reach medium size and you must eat a small meal during that time or take one level of exhaustion.
Natural Telepath. Can cast the Detect Thoughts spell a number of times per short rest equal to Charisma Bonus without components or spell slots. Can cast telepathy once per long rest, after reaching level 11. This version of telepathy doesn't require the other person to be willing, instead they may make a Charisma Save versus your spell save DC or 8 + Proficiency Bonus + Charisma Bonus, whichever is higher, to prevent the spell from taking effect on them. This version allows you to choose what is shared with the target, and to go through their memories and thoughts until the spell ends. Reactors:
Constitution +2
Custom Shapes. Able to use the Shapechange spell, by eating different herbs and alchemical components. It does not change your clothing or items carried, but your body actually changes to the new form within the limits of the Shapechange spell. Since it is not an illusion, it can not be seen through by True Sight and does not provoke an inspection check. May use this ability a number of times equal to Con bonus/long rest. May use it in excess of this limit by taking a level of exhaustion. This ability functions inside of an anti-magic field.
Reactive Metabolism. Able to Enlarge or Shrink as a bonus action by consuming powdered iron based alchemical mixtures/cookies. One kind makes you bigger, one kind makes you smaller. Using more doses of either one combined than Con bonus/short rest risks explosive reaction dealing 1d6 fire and 1d6 acid damage to you and all those within 15 feet radius of you on a failed Con save DC15 +1 per dose over limit. This ability functions inside of an anti-magic field.
Adapters:
Intelligence +2
Eat Anything. Adapters can eat pretty much anything they can chew up and swallow. As such they gain a bite attack that counts as a +1 magic item. In addition they are all but immune to any consumed poisons, meaning they may always choose to take ten as their dice roll result on a save versus poison they consume, all other poisons they have resistance to.
Adaptable Metabolism. Able to Enlarge or Shrink by consuming matter to grow and shed matter to shrink. Can craft simple items in the shedding process made from the matter they have eaten with a full round action for a tiny or smaller item, 2 full round actions for a small item, 3 full round actions for a medium item, 4 full round actions for a large item. Must succeed on a DC10(for tiny or smaller, 12 for small, 14 for medium, 16 for large) Int check, +1DC if trying to replicate a specific form you can see, +2DC if you can’t see the form you are duplicating directly. The item can be no more complex than a bow or crossbow, bolts or arrows have to be crafted separately. Only one item can be crafted at a time. When you begin shedding to craft an item, you must be a size larger than the size of the item you are crafting.
Adaptive Resistance. An adapter gains resistance to the first x-number of damage types it takes damage from. These types reset after a short or long rest. X-number is equal to Int bonus.
Origin. Little known by most, even most shapeshifters, is all three subraces emerge from the same parents. The subraces are the second stage of life for the near-sentient species commonly called the apocryphon. They use a defense mechanism combining physical shapeshifting with telepathy to look like something unimportant to those they consider dangerous.The apocryphon emerged from the wilds at the edges of Nocturnity where the vortex between all time and space bridges with the edge of the planet. They are born from the rift as semi-sentient invertebrates and grow in sentience to the point of near-sentience where they stop and live for a while until an unknown event triggers their rebirth into one of the three subraces of shapeshifters as a fully sentient being with a humanoid body and physiology unique to your subrace. Cannot reproduce sexually, but able to perform and even enjoy it if shapeshifted appropriately. They lose their inherent telepathy with this transition, but those who become psionic in some way do find they have advantage on telepathic endeavors, and all shapeshifters have the ability to sense when someone is about to attack them making them immune to being surprised.
Ability Score Increase
All Shapeshifters get Dexterity +1 and +1 to any one Ability Score
Natural Psion. All shapeshifters gain advantage on saves and ability checks related to telepathy, and if psionic, gain a number of psi points added to their Psi pool max equal to their Constitution Bonus. On a short rest they automatically recover a number of psi points equal to their Proficiency Bonus. And all shapeshifters gain a psionic version of the Message cantrip that requires no components to cast; meaning no verbal, somatic, or material components. They may use this cantrip at will as an action or a bonus action, and may target a number of people equal to their Proficiency Bonus with it each use.
Sense Malice. All shapeshifters can sense the concentrated malice of someone with ill intent about to attack. As such they are immune to being surprised and gain a +2 bonus to Initiative when someone attempts to surprise them. This also negates disadvantage against invisible opponents that are sentient.
Shapechanger. The Shapeshifter can use its action to cast Disguise Self as a transmutation spell to change into a Small or Medium humanoid it has seen, or back into its true form. Its statistics, other than its size, are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
3 Subraces - Mimics, Reactors, Adapters
Mimics:
Charisma +2
Mimic. Can perfectly mimic any small or medium sized humanoid creature in form and voice, or even choosing a medium or small size creature of any type of beast you are familiar with at your CR or lower. Can do so Cha bonus times/short rest. In all other ways functions as the Polymorph spell except that it works inside an antimagic field. If used to become a small size beast or humanoid, shifting back requires 10 minutes to reach medium size and you must eat a small meal during that time or take one level of exhaustion.
Natural Telepath. Can cast the Detect Thoughts spell a number of times per short rest equal to Charisma Bonus without components or spell slots. Can cast telepathy once per long rest, after reaching level 11. This version of telepathy doesn't require the other person to be willing, instead they may make a Charisma Save versus your spell save DC or 8 + Proficiency Bonus + Charisma Bonus, whichever is higher, to prevent the spell from taking effect on them. This version allows you to choose what is shared with the target, and to go through their memories and thoughts until the spell ends. Reactors:
Constitution +2
Custom Shapes. Able to use the Shapechange spell, by eating different herbs and alchemical components. It does not change your clothing or items carried, but your body actually changes to the new form within the limits of the Shapechange spell. Since it is not an illusion, it can not be seen through by True Sight and does not provoke an inspection check. May use this ability a number of times equal to Con bonus/long rest. May use it in excess of this limit by taking a level of exhaustion. This ability functions inside of an anti-magic field.
Reactive Metabolism. Able to Enlarge or Shrink as a bonus action by consuming powdered iron based alchemical mixtures/cookies. One kind makes you bigger, one kind makes you smaller. Using more doses of either one combined than Con bonus/short rest risks explosive reaction dealing 1d6 fire and 1d6 acid damage to you and all those within 15 feet radius of you on a failed Con save DC15 +1 per dose over limit. This ability functions inside of an anti-magic field.
Adapters:
Intelligence +2
Eat Anything. Adapters can eat pretty much anything they can chew up and swallow. As such they gain a bite attack that counts as a +1 magic item. In addition they are all but immune to any consumed poisons, meaning they may always choose to take ten as their dice roll result on a save versus poison they consume, all other poisons they have resistance to.
Adaptable Metabolism. Able to Enlarge or Shrink by consuming matter to grow and shed matter to shrink. Can craft simple items in the shedding process made from the matter they have eaten with a full round action for a tiny or smaller item, 2 full round actions for a small item, 3 full round actions for a medium item, 4 full round actions for a large item. Must succeed on a DC10(for tiny or smaller, 12 for small, 14 for medium, 16 for large) Int check, +1DC if trying to replicate a specific form you can see, +2DC if you can’t see the form you are duplicating directly. The item can be no more complex than a bow or crossbow, bolts or arrows have to be crafted separately. Only one item can be crafted at a time. When you begin shedding to craft an item, you must be a size larger than the size of the item you are crafting.
Adaptive Resistance. An adapter gains resistance to the first x-number of damage types it takes damage from. These types reset after a short or long rest. X-number is equal to Int bonus.
Origin. Little known by most, even most shapeshifters, is all three subraces emerge from the same parents. The subraces are the second stage of life for the near-sentient species commonly called the apocryphon. They use a defense mechanism combining physical shapeshifting with telepathy to look like something unimportant to those they consider dangerous.The apocryphon emerged from the wilds at the edges of Nocturnity where the vortex between all time and space bridges with the edge of the planet. They are born from the rift as semi-sentient invertebrates and grow in sentience to the point of near-sentience where they stop and live for a while until an unknown event triggers their rebirth into one of the three subraces of shapeshifters as a fully sentient being with a humanoid body and physiology unique to your subrace. Cannot reproduce sexually, but able to perform and even enjoy it if shapeshifted appropriately. They lose their inherent telepathy with this transition, but those who become psionic in some way do find they have advantage on telepathic endeavors, and all shapeshifters have the ability to sense when someone is about to attack them making them immune to being surprised.
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