Starborn

I always thought he was human. Kind bloke. He lived up in the mountain, there, in that old house. Came down every now and then and watched us have a natter. Never much of a talker himself. Just sat there, watching us. But I remember his routine. Every night, I'd look out and see him walking on the edge of the mountain, no fear, gazing at the stars.

—Dwarven warrior Tornaxe, remembering his old friend Maxal.

The starborn are a people born from the cosmos. Mystery and travel is ingrained in their very soul, and they tend to seek it out.

Shaped of Stars

Starborn, in appearance, look like humans or elves with dark skin, and can generally pass themselves off as said species. However, on closer inspection, a viewer would observe a bluish or purple tinge, hinting at the starborn's real self. Their eyes, too, are a mark of their species, and are often a pure shade of white, black, or yellow.
When a starborn chooses, they may ignite their body, and a pattern of stars in the form of a constellation scatters across their body, shining light in all directions in an awe-inspiring reveal of their true nature.

Marked by the Stars

The constellation a starborn is marked with symbolizes innate abilities, and in societies comprised of starborn, often determines their role in their society. Starborn marked with the Beast will take on roles as warriors or builders, taking advantage of their natural strength. Those marked with the Hound, on the other hand, tend to work as guards and diplomats for their people, fiercely committed to helping their society thrive. Such starborn, born of others of their kind, are known as "innate" starborn.
However, starborn are not always born in this way. Occasionally, magical power from the heavens themselves manifests in a human, elven, or occasionally triton child while it is still yet to be born, and are born into a society of their parents' race. This child, known as a "bestowed" starborn, is more likely to branch off from the traditional roles assigned by other starborn. Starborn raised in a society of their kind, for this reason, tend to look down upon bestowed starborn as inferior and less rigidly bound by laws they consider to be the natural order of things.

Wanderers in the Dark

Whether they are bestowed or innate, starborn share a continuous urge to travel. They often do so at night, being able to read the stars as well as any book. As such, many starborn - particularly bestowed - find their way towards a life of adventure, providing a way to follow their ideals while travelling around and discovering new places.
When starborn stop somewhere, they'll try and do so in a strange place, often as near to the stars as they can get - mountains, tall buildings and treehouses are popular locations. In a few locations, starborn have erected structures in such areas, to help others of their kind when they arrive in the area. But soon enough they'll be moving on, following the call of the stars they're formed of.

Starborn Names

Innate starborn tend to take names similar to those of the culture nearest their people at the time, as a mark of their birthplace and a way to recall the location, due to their wandering lifestyle. Bestowed starborn tend to be given names as a child of the culture they are born into usually would.

The Vesdeos Pantheon

Innate Blessing:

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Starborn

ability score increase: Your Dexterity score increases by 1.

age: Starborn age similarly to humans, although begin to slow up at around 30. They live for around 150 years.

alignment: Innate starborn are most often lawful, generally conforming to their societies' restrictions on certain jobs for certain constellations. Bestowed starborn, on the other hand, are much more varied, and could be anywhere on the alignment spectrum.

Size: Medium

speed: 30 ft.

Languages: You can speak, read and write Common and Starborn.

race features:
Size. Starborn are about the same size as a human.
Born to the Night. Starborn don't often sleep. Instead, they gaze up into the night, observing the subtle movements and patterns in the heavens, for 5 hours a day. You are unaware of your surroundings beyond the sky in this state. After resting uninterrupted in this way, provided you can see the night sky, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.
Read the Heavens. You have advantage on any ability checks made involving the stars, such as navigating by them or recalling the name of a specific constellation.
Starlight. As a bonus action, you can cause your body to flare up with starlight, revealing your true nature. While this is active, you shed bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet. This transformation lasts for 1 hour, or until you dismiss it as a bonus action.
Superior Darkvision. Used to navigating under the night sky, you can see well in darkness. You can see in dim light within 120 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Subrace.

The constellation a starborn is marked with determines its subrace. The following subraces detail generic constellations, which can be renamed according to the world you play in.

Beast

Beast starborn are larger, muscular starborn, able to take up roles as warriors when necessary, and carrying supplies for their people as they travel across the land in times of peace. When starborn occasionally construct a building, it is the Beast starborn who do the work.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2.
Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Beast's Toughness. Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level.

Galaxy

Galaxy starborn are some of the rarest and most mysterious of their kind. Rather than a 'constellation' as such, their body is sprinkled with the pattern of distant stars in a stripe beyond the night sky. They tend to be blessed with knowledge beyond their years, and take up roles as navigators or witches within starborn society.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence or Wisdom score increases by 2.
Distant Knowledge. You know the dancing lights cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the dissonant whispers spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the moonbeam spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Whichever ability score you increased with the Galaxy subrace's Ability Score Increase trait is your spellcasting ability for these spells. You can only cast these spells while using your Starlight feature.

Hound

Hound starborn are dedicated protectors, putting their life on the line for the sake of their friends and family. If you become friends with a hound starborn, you can count on them to protect you in even the most dangerous situations.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength and Charisma scores each increase by 1.
Friendly. You know the friends cantrip. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
Loyal Guardian. As a reaction when a creature you can see within 60 feet is targeted by an attack, you can cause their AC to be increased by an amount equal to your level until the end of the attacker's turn. After you use this ability, you can't use it again until you complete a short or long rest.

Hunter

Hunter starborn are the scouts and - well - hunters of their society, making use of their natural advantages to wield lightweight, ranged weapons with ease.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity and Wisdom scores each increase by 1.
Gifts of the Hunt. You know the magic stone cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the hunter's mark spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the cordon of arrows spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Sea Serpent

Starborn marked with the Sea Serpent often form separate societies to the rest of their kind, preferring to live by or within the water. They often join societies of sea elves and tritons. Bestowed starborn of this constellation tend to be born from members of these species.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution and Wisdom scores each increase by 1.
Amphibious. You can breathe air and water.
Serpent's Bite. You know the ray of frost cantrip, although you can only cast it while using your Starlight feature. When you do, the serpent on your body appears to come to life and bite your target. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
Swim Speed. You have a swimming speed of 30 feet.

Steed

Steed starborn are naturally good with animals. They tend to livestock that their communities bring with them, and when they need to fight, they tend to ride into battle on top of the creature their constellation symbolises. Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2.
Animal Affinity. You have proficiency in the Animal Handling skill.
Starry Steed. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the find steed spell as an action once with this trait, and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you do so, the duration becomes 1 hour. You can only cast this spell while using your Starlight feature. When you do, the stars on your body spring off and form themselves into the steed they represent.
During the duration, you cannot use your starlight feature and are no longer under the effect of it. However, the steed sheds bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet.

Tool

Starborn marked with the tool are practical folk. They form the smiths, farmers, and artisans of their communities. They may not be doing the work people remember, but they are truly the backbone of starborn society. And they're content with knowing that.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity and Charisma scores each increase by 1.
Natural at Your Trade. You have proficiency with one tool, one skill, and one weapon of your choice, and learn one language of your choice.