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Created a Gargoyles™ race for D&D 5e
9 years ago
Yeah sorry I don't do much drawing anymore (blame my xbox XD) but somewhere between load screens I went and created another playable race for D&D. They are very obviously based on the awesome Disney show for way back but to avoid any possible legal issues, correct a common misnomer, and because there are already vanilla gargoyles as monsters; this race of player characters are called Grotesque.
So far it's untested and still somewhat a wip but I think it has good potential. Any and all comments, suggestions and critiques are very, very welcomed. Bonus: I'm really hoping my dm will let me play one for Curse of Strahd =D
I've also posted it on reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/dndnext/co.....goyle_pc_race/
Here is a straight link to the google doc: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9.....ew?usp=sharing
And for the link shy here is a copy pasted version:
A shadowy winged figure is perched atop a castle battlement, a bastion of law and right, ready to swoop down upon any injustice in the night to be brought into the searing heavy light of day.
Flesh and Stone
Grotesque are an offshoot, or divergent evolution, and antithesis of their fully stone kin gargoyles. Somewhere through their ancient origin, whether though natural selection or outside tinkering, the grotesques split from their evil chaotic brethren and became heralds of law and protection. Unlike their entirely lithic relatives the grotesque developed two distinct nocturnal and diurnal forms, switching from flesh and bone at night to living stone during the day.
Grotesque come in a wide array of shapes and forms. Clans developing in different regions often, but not always, share similar traits. Almost all grotesque are bipedal but some may have digitigrade legs like that of a dog or wolf while others share the same plantigrade legs of most other races. Most, but not all, grotesque have tails that may be long and spade or club tipped, short and thickly pointed, ridged and spiked resembling a reptile or dragons tail, or some may be finned or feathered helping with flight. Wing shape is also quite varied, but all sharing a vertebrate theme. Often the wings resemble shapes like that of pterodactyls, bats, birds, and flying squirrels. Most grotesque have adopted a habit of folding their wings onto their bodies when not in use, often being mistaken for a long cloak with the claws of the wings acting as a clasp.
During the twilight hours an individual grotesque’s skin hair and eye color may range almost any tint, but their hide typically appears more as a muted greyed palette than a vibrant glowing hue. While in the dim hours of night it is also sometimes observed that the eyes of a grotesque will glow with a furious red accompanied by a great roar when enraged. It is not known if the glow is a trick of light, hidden innate ability, or mere folklore by overly frightened opponents. Skin texture also varies and may resemble a normal human’s or be feathered, furred, scaled, or knobby and cragged.
During the daylight hours, while in their more geologic form, grotesque’s outward appearance is that of any common stone. Generally belonging to one’s home region the stone’s appearance may for example be: in a volcanic region look glassy and black or dark and porous like cooled lava, one’s stone from a river delta or sedimentary area may be banded or striped, some from mountainous regions may be rough and gray like limestone or dark and stepped like slate, from lowland regions many are angular and a dull red like hardened clay or crumbly and pebbled like sandstone, while others may be pale and veined with darker colors like marble.
Grotesque facial structure and features are ordinarily similar to parentage and relatives but many vary wildly amongst clans and may even among siblings. Most grotesque have one or more rows of horns, usually a short spike followed by a longer or more elaborate horn, and all have pointed teeth. Horns can vary in style from pointed and simple to curved and intersecting, or even more animalistic shapes are common like those of the ram or deer. A grotesque’s face may resemble a humans, a toothed avian like beak, or even an underslung jaw with protruding bottom teeth. Other grotesque features may have an entirely more animalistic cast resembling a humanoid common animal like a bird, swine, reptile, lion, or horse.
Justice Above All
While every character is unique moat grotesque have a strong sense of self, pride, family, justice, and a desire to protect those close to them. This trait is strongly reinforced through teaching among their clan; it is also something they know by nature, in cases where one has grown up away from a clan or family they still find themselves in similar protector roles and situations.
Battlements and Rooks
Grotesque live and thrive near the cities and towns of other races. While not typically owning any land or home proper, grotesque are content sharing residency with anyone who would have them in exchange for their watchful eye and strong back. Grotesque are especially fond of large stone work buildings like castles, citadels, and great churches; whose residents more often than not are grateful to have them. Grotesque, even if not directly related, living together in the same region often from a family group commonly referred to as a clan. This clan is led by one or a pair of grotesque acting as kings and or queens, where their word is law.
Grotesque bear young in the form of eggs, these eggs are laid in an underground stony nest called a rook. Eggs resemble cold hewn stone and can be left unattended but are still somewhat fragile and can be seized by predators. Because of this most rooks are located in repurposed root or wine cellars or other subterranean fortified locations. For a lack of a better location some rooks can be located in empty dungeons and caves.
Although one grotesque may obviously resemble their parentage, maternal and paternal roles are shared by the clan as a whole and all young are treated as such. Through some twist of the genes some grotesque are born into a more bestial and animalistic form, resembling a wingless four legged canid version of a grotesque. These beastly ones are treated no differently among the clan, and while still somewhat intelligent these creatures have a more basic instinct and bestial nature and thus rarely if ever leave their home cities or towns.
Grotesque Names
Grotesques are neither given nor use proper names between themselves and are referred to by simple titles such as brother, sister, leader, mate, lover, etc. However once a grotesque leaves their clan and encounter the outside world many take up names for the ease of friends and acquaintances. One will usually pick a name of a common landmark or town associated with their home or a name of the common tongue in the region.
Common Grotesque Names From Large Cities: Almraiven, Berdusk, Bildoobaris, Chethel, Derlusk, Dhaztanar, Earthfast, Elbulder, Elturel, Escalant, Eshpurta, Esmeltaran, Everlund, Fireshear, Hlath, Iljak, Immilmar, Iriaebor, Keltar, Luskan, Mintar, Nathlekh, Neverwinter, Nimpeth, Orvyltar, Phsant, Procampur, Proskur, Reth, Scornubel, Sundabar, Telflamm, Telos, Teshburl, Trailsend, Tsurlagol, Tukan, Ulatos, Vilkstead, Waterdeep, Yeshpek, Yhaunn, Zhentil
Common Grotesque Names From Small Cities: Ansi, Archtassel ,Aru Ashabenford, Ch'Chitl, Chang-liu-shui, Daggerford, Dhedluk, Dlusk, Elion, Espar, Eveningstar, Ganam, Goldenfields, Hardbuckler, Hardcastle, Hundelstone, Jukum, Leilon, Lilinuk, Lomaraj, Lowhill, Nashkel, Nesmé, Nimlith, Oparl, Priapurl, Quaervarr, Samra, Secomber, Thundertree, Tyrluk, Voonlar, Waymoot, Winterhaven, Yapoza, Ylraphon
Beyond the Castle Walls
As mentioned grotesque have an innate urge to protect and serve. This trait usually takes the form of guarding local lords and city streets but this may also drive one to seek out and destroy injustices. Not a creature seeking property or wealth the grotesque often take up adventuring to follow a hero into a great battle or join a group of noble adventurers on a quest to right wrongs and smite chaotic forces.
Grotesque Traits
Your grotesque character has certain traits shared with all of its kind.
Ability Score Increase: Your Constitution score increases by 2, and your Strength score increases by 1.
Age: Grotesque mature at about the same rate as humans but can live up to four times as long.
Alignment: Grotesques are generally good or neutral and very often lawfully aligned. Their strong sense of justice generally holds them more to a righteous or dutiful nature rather than one led by whim or emotion.
Size: Due to their innate abilities a grotesque’s weight can fluctuate wildly between day and night cycles, While remaining average human height your weight can range anywhere from over 300 pounds to just above average human weight. Your size is medium.
Speed: Your base speed is 20 or 30 depending on whether it is day or night, respectively.
Darkvision: Thanks to your elemental blood, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 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.
Sun Sync: Your unique blood grants specific bonuses or penalties based on whether the sun is risen or set. No matter your location in the world or current situation your internal clock is always precisely synced with day and night cycles of that area. Upon entering a plane with no solar cycles you must succeed a DC 13 Intelligence (Arcana) check, or be stuck in your current form until returning to a plane with day and night cycles.
Flesh and Stone: Your ancestry offers boons and hindrances based on the suns position in the sky. This transition happens involuntarily and automatically, you may move as normal but can take no other actions. The transformation takes a full round to complete.
During the day at precisely sunup these abilities take effect:
• You become resistant to non-magical piercing damage.
• Your base walking speed becomes 20 feet.
• You lose your flight ability by simply being too heavy and stiff to properly maneuver.
• You do not age while in stone form accounting for your longer lifespan.
During the night at precisely sunset these abilities take effect:
• You gain the flight ability. Your flying speed is 35 feet.
• Because you are accustomed to your diurnal stony heft and bulk, you may wear medium or heavy armor while flying but it must be modified to fit your wings. The cost to alter your gear to be suitable for flight is equal to half the cost of the gear.
• When taking your turn, you must move at least half your fly speed or fall to the ground at the end of it.
• Your base walking speed becomes 30 feet.
Familiar Stone: During the day while in your rocky form you are immune to the petrified condition. At night or while stuck in your living flesh form you have advantage on saves against petrification, and any save failed instead transforms you to your daylight stone form. You may make saves as normal to reverse petrification. If the save is failed, during the next sundown cycle you lose the condition and return to your normal nocturnal living skin.
Language: You can speak, read, and write Common and Primordial. Primordial is an ancient language spoke through different dialects by all elementals, it is also the basis for Giant and was once warped and twisted by magic to become Abyssal.
So far it's untested and still somewhat a wip but I think it has good potential. Any and all comments, suggestions and critiques are very, very welcomed. Bonus: I'm really hoping my dm will let me play one for Curse of Strahd =D
I've also posted it on reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/dndnext/co.....goyle_pc_race/
Here is a straight link to the google doc: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9.....ew?usp=sharing
And for the link shy here is a copy pasted version:
GrotesqueA shadowy winged figure is perched atop a castle battlement, a bastion of law and right, ready to swoop down upon any injustice in the night to be brought into the searing heavy light of day.
Flesh and Stone
Grotesque are an offshoot, or divergent evolution, and antithesis of their fully stone kin gargoyles. Somewhere through their ancient origin, whether though natural selection or outside tinkering, the grotesques split from their evil chaotic brethren and became heralds of law and protection. Unlike their entirely lithic relatives the grotesque developed two distinct nocturnal and diurnal forms, switching from flesh and bone at night to living stone during the day.
Grotesque come in a wide array of shapes and forms. Clans developing in different regions often, but not always, share similar traits. Almost all grotesque are bipedal but some may have digitigrade legs like that of a dog or wolf while others share the same plantigrade legs of most other races. Most, but not all, grotesque have tails that may be long and spade or club tipped, short and thickly pointed, ridged and spiked resembling a reptile or dragons tail, or some may be finned or feathered helping with flight. Wing shape is also quite varied, but all sharing a vertebrate theme. Often the wings resemble shapes like that of pterodactyls, bats, birds, and flying squirrels. Most grotesque have adopted a habit of folding their wings onto their bodies when not in use, often being mistaken for a long cloak with the claws of the wings acting as a clasp.
During the twilight hours an individual grotesque’s skin hair and eye color may range almost any tint, but their hide typically appears more as a muted greyed palette than a vibrant glowing hue. While in the dim hours of night it is also sometimes observed that the eyes of a grotesque will glow with a furious red accompanied by a great roar when enraged. It is not known if the glow is a trick of light, hidden innate ability, or mere folklore by overly frightened opponents. Skin texture also varies and may resemble a normal human’s or be feathered, furred, scaled, or knobby and cragged.
During the daylight hours, while in their more geologic form, grotesque’s outward appearance is that of any common stone. Generally belonging to one’s home region the stone’s appearance may for example be: in a volcanic region look glassy and black or dark and porous like cooled lava, one’s stone from a river delta or sedimentary area may be banded or striped, some from mountainous regions may be rough and gray like limestone or dark and stepped like slate, from lowland regions many are angular and a dull red like hardened clay or crumbly and pebbled like sandstone, while others may be pale and veined with darker colors like marble.
Grotesque facial structure and features are ordinarily similar to parentage and relatives but many vary wildly amongst clans and may even among siblings. Most grotesque have one or more rows of horns, usually a short spike followed by a longer or more elaborate horn, and all have pointed teeth. Horns can vary in style from pointed and simple to curved and intersecting, or even more animalistic shapes are common like those of the ram or deer. A grotesque’s face may resemble a humans, a toothed avian like beak, or even an underslung jaw with protruding bottom teeth. Other grotesque features may have an entirely more animalistic cast resembling a humanoid common animal like a bird, swine, reptile, lion, or horse.
Justice Above All
While every character is unique moat grotesque have a strong sense of self, pride, family, justice, and a desire to protect those close to them. This trait is strongly reinforced through teaching among their clan; it is also something they know by nature, in cases where one has grown up away from a clan or family they still find themselves in similar protector roles and situations.
Battlements and Rooks
Grotesque live and thrive near the cities and towns of other races. While not typically owning any land or home proper, grotesque are content sharing residency with anyone who would have them in exchange for their watchful eye and strong back. Grotesque are especially fond of large stone work buildings like castles, citadels, and great churches; whose residents more often than not are grateful to have them. Grotesque, even if not directly related, living together in the same region often from a family group commonly referred to as a clan. This clan is led by one or a pair of grotesque acting as kings and or queens, where their word is law.
Grotesque bear young in the form of eggs, these eggs are laid in an underground stony nest called a rook. Eggs resemble cold hewn stone and can be left unattended but are still somewhat fragile and can be seized by predators. Because of this most rooks are located in repurposed root or wine cellars or other subterranean fortified locations. For a lack of a better location some rooks can be located in empty dungeons and caves.
Although one grotesque may obviously resemble their parentage, maternal and paternal roles are shared by the clan as a whole and all young are treated as such. Through some twist of the genes some grotesque are born into a more bestial and animalistic form, resembling a wingless four legged canid version of a grotesque. These beastly ones are treated no differently among the clan, and while still somewhat intelligent these creatures have a more basic instinct and bestial nature and thus rarely if ever leave their home cities or towns.
Grotesque Names
Grotesques are neither given nor use proper names between themselves and are referred to by simple titles such as brother, sister, leader, mate, lover, etc. However once a grotesque leaves their clan and encounter the outside world many take up names for the ease of friends and acquaintances. One will usually pick a name of a common landmark or town associated with their home or a name of the common tongue in the region.
Common Grotesque Names From Large Cities: Almraiven, Berdusk, Bildoobaris, Chethel, Derlusk, Dhaztanar, Earthfast, Elbulder, Elturel, Escalant, Eshpurta, Esmeltaran, Everlund, Fireshear, Hlath, Iljak, Immilmar, Iriaebor, Keltar, Luskan, Mintar, Nathlekh, Neverwinter, Nimpeth, Orvyltar, Phsant, Procampur, Proskur, Reth, Scornubel, Sundabar, Telflamm, Telos, Teshburl, Trailsend, Tsurlagol, Tukan, Ulatos, Vilkstead, Waterdeep, Yeshpek, Yhaunn, Zhentil
Common Grotesque Names From Small Cities: Ansi, Archtassel ,Aru Ashabenford, Ch'Chitl, Chang-liu-shui, Daggerford, Dhedluk, Dlusk, Elion, Espar, Eveningstar, Ganam, Goldenfields, Hardbuckler, Hardcastle, Hundelstone, Jukum, Leilon, Lilinuk, Lomaraj, Lowhill, Nashkel, Nesmé, Nimlith, Oparl, Priapurl, Quaervarr, Samra, Secomber, Thundertree, Tyrluk, Voonlar, Waymoot, Winterhaven, Yapoza, Ylraphon
Beyond the Castle Walls
As mentioned grotesque have an innate urge to protect and serve. This trait usually takes the form of guarding local lords and city streets but this may also drive one to seek out and destroy injustices. Not a creature seeking property or wealth the grotesque often take up adventuring to follow a hero into a great battle or join a group of noble adventurers on a quest to right wrongs and smite chaotic forces.
Grotesque Traits
Your grotesque character has certain traits shared with all of its kind.
Ability Score Increase: Your Constitution score increases by 2, and your Strength score increases by 1.
Age: Grotesque mature at about the same rate as humans but can live up to four times as long.
Alignment: Grotesques are generally good or neutral and very often lawfully aligned. Their strong sense of justice generally holds them more to a righteous or dutiful nature rather than one led by whim or emotion.
Size: Due to their innate abilities a grotesque’s weight can fluctuate wildly between day and night cycles, While remaining average human height your weight can range anywhere from over 300 pounds to just above average human weight. Your size is medium.
Speed: Your base speed is 20 or 30 depending on whether it is day or night, respectively.
Darkvision: Thanks to your elemental blood, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 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.
Sun Sync: Your unique blood grants specific bonuses or penalties based on whether the sun is risen or set. No matter your location in the world or current situation your internal clock is always precisely synced with day and night cycles of that area. Upon entering a plane with no solar cycles you must succeed a DC 13 Intelligence (Arcana) check, or be stuck in your current form until returning to a plane with day and night cycles.
Flesh and Stone: Your ancestry offers boons and hindrances based on the suns position in the sky. This transition happens involuntarily and automatically, you may move as normal but can take no other actions. The transformation takes a full round to complete.
During the day at precisely sunup these abilities take effect:
• You become resistant to non-magical piercing damage.
• Your base walking speed becomes 20 feet.
• You lose your flight ability by simply being too heavy and stiff to properly maneuver.
• You do not age while in stone form accounting for your longer lifespan.
During the night at precisely sunset these abilities take effect:
• You gain the flight ability. Your flying speed is 35 feet.
• Because you are accustomed to your diurnal stony heft and bulk, you may wear medium or heavy armor while flying but it must be modified to fit your wings. The cost to alter your gear to be suitable for flight is equal to half the cost of the gear.
• When taking your turn, you must move at least half your fly speed or fall to the ground at the end of it.
• Your base walking speed becomes 30 feet.
Familiar Stone: During the day while in your rocky form you are immune to the petrified condition. At night or while stuck in your living flesh form you have advantage on saves against petrification, and any save failed instead transforms you to your daylight stone form. You may make saves as normal to reverse petrification. If the save is failed, during the next sundown cycle you lose the condition and return to your normal nocturnal living skin.
Language: You can speak, read, and write Common and Primordial. Primordial is an ancient language spoke through different dialects by all elementals, it is also the basis for Giant and was once warped and twisted by magic to become Abyssal.
