Tosculi

The tosculi are a race of wasp-folk that share the Golden Song of the hive, which unites them under the command and iron rule of their queen. Each hive has its own song, and most tosculi hives are predatory, dangerous places-quick to turn to banditry, cattle theft, and raiding against small villages. Those few tosculi who do not hear their queen’s song are driven out of the embrace of the hive to attempt survive on their own.

Tosculi

Your tosculi character has certain characteristics in common with all other tosculi.

• Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2.
• Age. Tosculi reach maturity at around 13 years, but have shorter lifespans than most races with few living longer than 40 years.
• Alignment. The tension between tosculi and other humanoids often makes it difficult for the Hiveless to develop any true sense of altruism toward others, and many are neutral in alignment, with good tosculi being rare, and evil ones more common. Hiveless tosculi are equally likely to be chaotic, lawful, or neutral.
• Size. Hiveless tosculi are no more than 4 feet tall and typically weigh less than a humanoid of the same size. Your size is Small.
• Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. You have a climbing speed equal to half your movement speed.
• Limited Flight. You have a flying speed of 30 ft. If you are airborne at the end of your turn, and the only thing holding you aloft is the flying speed from this trait, you immediately begin to descend 60 ft. per round.
• Hardened Carapace. Your Armor Class cannot be less than 13 + your Dexterity modifier no matter what armor you are wearing.
• Latent Hive Mind. You know the message cantrip. This cantrip is a psionic ability that does not require components. At 3rd level you can cast the detect thoughts spell once, without the need for components, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.
• Extra Appendages. You can grasp things with your extra appendages. You can use it to do the following simple tasks: lift, drop, hold, push, or pull an object or a creature; open or close a door or a container; grapple someone; or make an unarmed strike. Your DM might allow other simple tasks to be added to that list of options. Your extra appendages can’t wield two-handed weapons or shields. Weapons held in by these extra appendages are treated as offhand weapons. When you make an offhand weapon attack you choose which weapon to use.
• Subrace. A few subraces are available for you. Choose one of them.

Drone

Tosculi drones are the workers of the tosculi hive; the smallest, weakest, and most abundant of the wasp folk. Their carapaces are mostly iridescent blue with gold abdomens and lower legs.

• Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score is increased by 1.
• Mending Saliva. Your glue like saliva is good for mending breaks. You know the mending cantrip. This cantrip is a natural nonmagical ability that does not require components.
• Binding Spittle. As an action, you may spit a ball of viscous fluid at a target within 60 feet that is Medium or smaller. Make a ranged attack against the target with proficiency. On a hit, the target is restrained by the fluid, which hardens upon impact. A creature restrained by the binding spittle or one that can touch the creature can use its action to make a Strength check. DC of the check is 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier. On a success, the target is freed.

Warrior

Tosculi warriors are overseers of work crews and battle groups of drones. They have thick armored carapaces that are usually midnight black or dark green with blood red wings with dark streaks of crimson.

• Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score is increased by 1.
• Stinger. Your serrated stinger is a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
• Poisonous Bile. As an action, you can make a special attack with your stinger. If the attack hits, it deals its normal damage, and the target must make a Constitution saving throw (DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier). On a failed save, it takes 2d6 poison damage and is poisoned for 1 minute. On a successful save, it takes half as much damage and isn't poisoned. After you use this trait, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

Individuality

Tosculi do not see themselves as individuals instead they see themselves as an entire collective of the hive. Because of this, Tosculi do not have names and speak in the third tense when speaking about their physical body; usually in the form of "this one" or "we". They see their physical bodies as a mere extension of the hive. Even though they have a queen, they do not operate in a monarchal society; the hive queen is merely the conduit for the Golden Song allowing it to reach all tosculi in their hive. Instead of unifying under a leader, they all perceive information, psionically relay it to the entire hive, and make a consensus together about the best viable option. This means no tosculi are true leaders or in positions of power, they are all equal, each their own nation, each an extension of the hive. Only Hive Lords would be considered a "leader" as they forcibly dominate other tosculi. Even hiveless have almost no sense of individuality, while they may have more than others they still refer to themselves in the third tense.

Afterlife

There is no concept of the afterlife within tosculi society because they see themselves as an extension of the hive, when the physical body dies the hive still lives on. Therefor there is no mourning in tosculi society, bodies are not buried nor discarded instead they are used as food so that none of it is wasted.

Personality

Due to the fact that they do not see themselves as individuals, there is little in the way of personalities. However hiveless that spend enough time around other creatures tend to build some semblance of what could possibly be considered a personality. They do not value individuality, preferring to share all memories and thoughts of all tosculi. This means tosculi cannot and do not wish to hide their thoughts, even those that do not follow the norm, with their reasoning for differing thoughts being apparent. More importantly, deceit, manipulation and lying are impossible among the tosculi. No concepts of vulnerability or privacy exist; tosculi are completely honest with each other about their thoughts and their reasons for those thoughts. This means there is a great deal of understanding amongst tosculi, with every tosculi being part of the consciousness of every other tosculi. While the tosculi are incapable of deceit amongst themselves, they are not above using deceit agaimst other creatures. Emotions have little room in tosculi society, instead they value logical thought. This does not always mean tosculi hives always think alike, hives all have one goal which is to further the future of the tosculi, but each hive may have a different way of obtaining this. Hives will either leave eachother alone, combine, or war with another; depending on what the consensus of the hive is.