Alph

Someone with wings sprouting from their back and eyse that can see far into the horizon, another covered in fur and bearing mighty claws, yet one more with gills on their cheeks and fins out their back and arms. As diverse as the entire animal kingdom, because they themselves are the result of it, these people who couldn't look more different from one another are all Alphs. People of the Greenmother. Granted sapience and later humanoid form, Alphs increase their numbers by offering beasts the chance to become something greater.

Clearly inspired by Elves, Alphs also share a love of nature and a propensity for veganism, but are much more diverse in their shape and beliefs. Alphs are much more of a wandering people, not conglomerated like the Stouts but rather spread out and part of the wider world. Though they still have genders, Alphs lose the ability to conventinally reproduce with their transformation into humanoids, and thus when an Alph wants to bring another into being, they must conduct a multi-year ritual of teaching a wild animal how to be an Alph and then granting them a humanoid form.

Ability Score Increase. You increase one Ability Score by 2 and another different Ability Score by 1, or increase three different Ability Scores by 1.

Age. An Alph must live 30 years after ascention before they are considered adults (Their prior age does not matter). One of the greatest benefits of becoming an Alph is the greatly increased lifespan, between 150 to 200 years.

Creature Type. You are a Humanoid with a subtype of Alph.

Size. Alphs range from as small as 1 foot tall to as large as 7 feet tall. Your size is small or medium (pick when you chose this lineage).

Land Speed. You can move 30 feet at haste while grounded.

Awakened Mind. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can't put you to sleep.

Meditate. Alphs do not intentionally sleep. Instead they meditate in a way that keeps them semi-lucid for 4 hours out of each day. While Meditating, an Alph is able to respond to questions in a limited manner and can pull themselves to full lucidity in a moment's notice if danger is made readily apparent. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit a human would from 8 hours of sleep.

Diet. Alphs, being what they are, mostly find the idea of eating other creatures to be quite distasteful, since their friends and family could all have originated from any of the many wild animals in nature. Many Alphs are vegan, and almost all are vegetarian. Those whom still partake in meat are often looked upon as immature and unable to let go of their past lifestyle, but are not hated for it.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Druidic and one other common language of your choice. Being the language of the peoples that first originated the Alphs, Their language is still spoken as the primary one amongst their people. Alphs view each Druid they meet as a friend, unless they are given an extremely compelling reason not to.

Greater Alph Trait. Alphs are awakened beasts given human form. While they resemble common bipedal folk, they always bear the qualities of their original species. Pick one of the following options as your greater trait, or work with you GM to create one. A custom option should be no stronger than the ones presented here.

• Flight. You have a pair of wings that sprout from your back, legs, hips, or another body part of your choice. You gain a flying speed equal to your land speed. You cannot use this flying speed if you're wearing medium or heavy armor (other than a shield) or if you're encumbered.
• Shell. You have some form of shell, carapace, exoskeleton or other external plating. You gain a +1 bonus to AC. While not wearing armor, this bonus increases to a +2.
• Secondary Arms. You have a secondary set of arms, located just below your first set. These lesser arms can be used for various small tasks while the primary set are being used, but cannot hold shields, use magic items that are not scrolls or potions, or make attacks.
• Aquatic Adaptations. You have gills located on your chest, back, neck, face, or another body part of your choice, and your body is able to detect movement in the waters. You gain the ability to breathe underwater, have a swim speed equal to your land speed, and have 20 feet of blindsight while you are fully submerged. This blindsight can only see thing in the body of water you're currently submerged within.
• Burrower. Your arms and legs still bear claws that assist with digging. You can make a Claw attack with a free hand, which is a melee weapon attack with which you are proficent. It deals 1d4+Str slashing damage on a hit. When you make an attack with your Claw, you can make another attack with your claw as a bonus action if your other hand is free. Additionally, while not in combat, you have a burrow speed of 5 feet. This speed can only be used on materials softer than stone and only if your land speed is greater than 0.
• Pack Tactics. You were once part of a tribe of hunting animals, that training still lives within you. You may give yourself advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of your allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated. Once you give yourself advantage this way, you cannot do so again until your next turn.

Lesser Alph Traits. Pick two of the following options as your lesser traits, or work with you GM to create some. A custom option should be no stronger than the ones presented here.

• Skittish. You are particularly anxious and cautious. You can add your proficency bonus to your initiative rolls. Additionally, you cannot be suprised while you are consious.
• Beastial Senses. Your senses are extraordinarily honed. You have proficency in the Perception skill, and you have advantage on perception checks that rely on sound or smell.
• Ambush Predator. You're built for sudden strikes that catch your target off guard. You have proficency in the Stealth skill, and you can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, dim light, and other natural phenomena.
• Hasty. You are agile and quick, and surefooted to boot. You have proficency in the Acroatics skill. Additionally, you can dash as a bonus action, and when you're dashing, you ignore difficult terrain and do not need to move at half speed to avoid the effects of Caltrops and Ball Bearings.
• Lunging Striker. You're wound like a spring and can leap into an attack with great force. You can add 10 feet to your long jump distance and 3 feet to your high-jump distance. Additionally, if you jump at least 10 feet in a straight line immediately before making a melee attack against a creature, that attack gains a +5 bonus to it's damage if it hits.
• Motherly Instincts. The instincts of mother nature still course through your veins. When an ally you can see within 60 feet of you is reduced to 0 hit points, until the end of your next turn, Your movement speed is doubled and you have resistance to damage from opportunity attacks.
• Cornered Ferocity. You still possess the grim determination of a cornered animal. When you are flanked, you have advantage on attacks against all creatures within 5 feet of you and you have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. This effect also triggers if you current hit points are equal to or less than your level.
• Bioluminescence. You used to be able to luminesce, and that trait has carried over to your new form. You can cast the Light spell, targeting one of your body parts rather than something you touch or hold. Additionally, as an action, you can expend a hit die to cast Colour Spray without expending a spell slot and without components. Constitution is your spell casting modifer for these spells.
• Low-Light Vision. Your eyes are adapted to seeing in the shadows, even in this new form. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light.
• Carrion Consumer. Though you likely don't partake of it anymore, your time as a forager gave you an iron gut. You are immune to disease, have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned, and have resistance to poison damage.
• Water Aptitude. You spent a good portion of your time in the water, and though your body-shape has changed, your swimming skills have not diminished. You can hold your breath for up to 15 minutes, you have a swim speed equal to your land speed, and you have advantage on Stealth skill checks made when fully submerged. If you picked the Aquadic Adaptations option as your Greater Alph Trait, in addition to the prior listed traits, your swim speed is instead equal to double your land speed, your blindsight increases to 60 feet, and attacks of opportunity against you are made at disadvantage when you're fully submerged.
• Climber. You once were a creature that lived high up, such as amongst trees or on mountains. That experience still guides you. You have proficency in the Athletics skill. Additionally, you have a climbing speed equal to your land speed and have resistance to damage taken from falling. If you fall a distance less than your land speed, you can choose to land standing up, or land prone and take no fall damage.