Akridians

From far into the scorching desert where men fear to tread, and which the Chagics call simply the Empty Quarter (Ćažsmǫźscahal in Chazhdurm), the Akridians are insect-men straight out of the ramblings of a madman or the fevered imagination of a traveller’s tall tale. They are rare sight in civilised lands, or even on the uncivilised borders, and as such, they are treated more with wonder and amusement than the derision “barbarian” peoples often receive. The various clicks and buzzes they make make it hard for others to speak their tongue, and likewise they have difficulty with the speech of men or lizards.

Sharancha

The most commonly seen Akridian outside their native lands, the Sharancha, named onomatopoeiacally, are nomads. While the others are born into a hive, they are born free, independent. They will nonetheless still travel in groups, but out of free association. Their brown to green carapaces easily distinguish them from their jet-black, hive-born cousins. They are naturally curious, and often amazed by the bountiful nature and impressive constructions in the lands of men.

Soldier

It’s quite a rare thing for a soldier to be without their hive. Most often, they have been disgraced and banished by their hive, though they have been known to leave for other reasons. They are by far the rarest Akridians to see, already a rare thing. The world will often wonder at them just as much as they wonder back. Born to fight and defend their hive, their exile, self-imposed or otherwise, often leaves them adrift and feeling without purpose. Many go on to work as guards, either for wealthy families or for merchant caravans, and they are highly valued in this field for both their fighting prowess, and also blind loyalty to superiors.

Worker

Most workers die in the same hive they were born into, the vast majority, in fact. Yet every so often does a worker leave, either by their own will, banishment, or abandonment. Living as a worker without a job takes a lot of adjustment, and adjusting to the loss of their enormous family causes worker Akridians to often form very close connections with people around them. Coming from a life lived often in tight tunnels carved into the desert sandstone, and of a suitably small stature, they tend to prefer small spaces.

Akridian Features

Ability Score Increase: See subraces.
Age: See subraces.
Size: See subraces.
Speed: Your base walking speed is 25 feet.
Languages: You are fluent in Akridian, conversational in Bestial Saurian, and conversational in Kushan.
Features:

• Subrace: Select a subrace.

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Sharancha

Culture: Tribal, chaotic
Religious Leanings: Agnosticism or animism
Physical Characteristics: Green, brown, or earth-toned carapace, black eyes
Ability Score Increase: +1 Agility or +1 Perception
Age: Sharancha reach adulthood around 4 and can live up to 25 years.
Size: Sharancha are tall and thin, between 6 and 7 feet tall, weighing between 90 and 150 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Features:

• Gamma Guts: Your body has a gland capable of secreting a caustic liquid. As an action, you can spray this liquid at a creature you can see within 10 feet. The creature takes 1d6 acid damage, which becomes 1d8 at 4^th level, and 1d10 at 8^th level. You cannot use this feature again until you complete a rest.

• Stalker: You gain proficiency in Acrobatics.

• Wings: You have a fly speed of 15 feet. You cannot sustain flight, though, and can only use this to jump long distances or prevent falling damage. To use this speed, you can't be wearing medium or heavy armour.

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Soldier

Culture: Hierarchical, deferent
Religious Leanings: Hive-mother worship
Physical Characteristics: Black carapace, black eyes
Ability Score Increase: +1 Strength or +1 Constitution
Age: Soldiers reach adulthood around 2 and can live up to 15 years.
Size: Soldiers are large and bulky, between 5 and 6 feet tall, weighing between 150 and 250 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Features:

• Bite: You are proficient with your bite, which you can use as an unarmed strike, which deals 1d4 plus your Strength modifier piercing damage and 1d4 poison damage on a hit.

• Stalwart Defender: You gain +5 on saving throws against being Frightened. You are proficient in Athletics

• Sacrifice: When you have less than a quarter of your maximum hitpoints, as a bonus action you can enter into a frenzy, reducing your AC by 1 and increasing your attack to-hit bonus by 2 and melee weapon or unarmed strike damage by 1. This frenzy ends automatically if you start your turn with more than half of your maximum hit points, or can be ended with a bonus action.

• Wings: You have a fly speed of 15 feet. You cannot sustain flight, though, and can only use this to jump long distances or prevent falling damage. To use this speed, you can't be wearing medium or heavy armour.

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Worker

Culture: Hierarchical, deferent
Religious Leanings: Hive-mother worship
Physical Characteristics: Black carapace, black eyes
Ability Score Increase: +1 Perception or +1 Charisma
Age: Workers reach adulthood around 4 and can live up to 25 years.
Size: Workers are short, between 3 and 4 feet tall, and usually less than 100 pounds. Your size is Small.
Features:

• Busy Body: You hardly tire. You must only rest for four hours to gain the benefits of a rest, and gain 2 extra rest dice. You are proficient in Athletics.

• Darkvision: You can see in dim light 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 grey.

• Tunneler: You gain the Mold Earth cantrip. It is not considered magical, however; the effects are merely a result of your tunneling.

Playable in: Campaign IV, B-I, IX