I'm making a simic hybrid artificer but I'm quite confused about how simic hybrids actually work in a lore sense.
Judging from the description, they start as humans, elves, and vedalken (I'm planning to make him an elf hybrid, maybe drow). However, I'm curious about how/when this takes place. Is it a mutation that happens when they reach maturity, or is this the result of experiments? If it is experiments, does it take a long time? Do elves volunteer to be transformed, or are they kidnapped? Is it an experiment that is done when they are child and doesn't have an affect until they're older?
I know this post is kind of a mess, but I'm just very confused and I'm trying to come up with some sort of backstory. I'm going to make him a clan crafter and I want him to have some experience with jewelry work. I'm just not sure where to put his transformation into a simic hybrid. Also, I'm assuming simic hybrids don't get any traits from their base race. I imagine it would say somewhere in their traits if they did. Is this true?
It's experimentation, no it doesn't take a long time, but it still takes at least a day. In Ravnica there is a thing called Cytoplast, it is a Greenish-Blue blob that contains DNA that fuses with the subject, manipulating the DNA and mutating the individual that the surgery is performed on. Simic Hybrids are willing subjects. The Simic do some DNA manipulation on the unwilling, but they keep it secret and small scale so that even the people their doing on don't know. The most common one is the DNA they put in the drinking water, it has no visible effect, but supposedly it is why people live longer in Ravnica. Of course an expulsed Scientist might do the Cytoplast Surgery on an unwilling individual.
What Slade said. The Simic Hybrids were created as a result of a Simic initiative called The Guardian Project-- an experiment to use humanoids genetically combined with animal traits to create super soldiers.
As for the speed of it, I imagine the initial experiment takes about a day or two, but remember, you choose your initial mutation at level 1 and then not again till level 5, so the process has far reaching effects and you're essentially still mutating in that time.
Also side note: no, they don't retain any traits from their original race. The only thing they get there is a language proficiency in common and either elvish or vedalken.
Side side note: there are no "drow" in Ravnica. Dark elves are called "Devkarin" and while they use the same stats as drow, they are different in appearance and their society/culture are different, so it might be worth reading up on the lore for some cohesive backstory
I'd suggest reading up on the Simic Combine, that should answer most of your questions. In short, it's an scientific research organization devoted to preserving nature by modifying its biology...while it may have its darker side, it's mostly benign. The Simic hybrids are the result of experiments, which they've usually volunteered for, although as Charles said, the Guardian Project, designed to create super-soldiers to defend the Combine, is semi-secret. I think most of these experiments will take anywhere from a few hours to a week.
Thanks for the info guys! I've come up with a story:
Essentially, he was a drow that was banished to the surface for disrespecting nobles (and maybe accidentally starting a small rebellion ¯\_(ツ)_/¯). He found a dwarven town and worked there for a long time as a tinkerer/jewelry crafter. He got a slowly fatal disease that no one could cure. A "mysterious woman" found him and took him to a lab for roughly a year. She cured him, but also turned him into a simic hybrid. When he woke up he was alone in a small cave with some supplies, and he didn't have much memory of the past year or of the woman.
I'm thinking this could be the source of his artificer abilities. He lost his innate drow magic but can instead channel magic through his tools and small objects. It also can provide a source of motivation for him. He's always been somewhat blind during the day (and doesn't want to wander around at night), so he hasn't had a chance to explore. When he woke up, his darkvision was diminished but he could see fine in the sun, so he decided to learn more about the surface (and maybe track down this woman) before he went home.
Sounds cool! Since it seems you're not playing in the Ravnica setting, you can really ignore much of what we've said here and make up your own process for your hybrid.
Yeah, we're not using that setting. However, the information you guys gave and directed me to was still very helpful! I had no idea where to start, but you guys really fixed that.
Oh yeah, outside of Ravnica, a simic hybrid origin can be simplified to "a wizard did it" essentially. Even calling it a "Simic" hybrid is unnecessary outside of Ravnica, since the name refers to the Simic Combine, the guild that created them.
Simple answer:no,outside of incredibly rare circumstances in high magic areas,with a huge side of random chance,it simply would not happen.You don't just get randomly born with a bad mix of aquatic species dna.
Helper of Create a World thread/Sedge is Chaotic Neutral/ Mega Yahtzee High: 34, Low: 14/I speak English, je me parle le Francais, agus Labhraim beagan Gaeilge
Simple answer:no,outside of incredibly rare circumstances in high magic areas,with a huge side of random chance,it simply would not happen.You don't just get randomly born with a bad mix of aquatic species dna.
Actually, you could combine the causes. You could say they were born into it, but it was the cause of magical experiments on their mother. Perhaps they tried infusing the animal DNA into the mother (with or without knowing she was pregnant) and it affected the child instead.
Could someone potentially be born mutated in such a way that they were a Simic Hybrid? You know, instead of “a wizard did it”.
As a general rule I would say no, but with DM approval anything can become canon. If I were the DM, I might be convinced to allow the Simic hybrid race as the result of a human/elf producing an offspring with a sahuagin, kuo toa, bullywug, mermaid, etc. Or maybe your character's mom was a wild magic sorceress with a weird lobster fetish. Or your father was a human and your mother was Blibdoolpoolp and you are a child of prophecy destined to lead the kuo-toa to invade the surface world and steal all of the elves' shampoo because your crazy mom says screw those pointy eared pretty boys and their lustrous locks.
Edit: Now I kinda want to make that last one happen, either as a PC or an NPC villain in a game I DM.
I’ll do some kind of magical accident. How’s that?
Tbh, this like everything else is a question for your DM. Some will outright not allow it, some will let you reflavor it, some will reflavor it themselves, and some will just hand wave it in. There’s no right or wrong answer, whatever works for them and the present game. Personally, I wouldn’t allow it in the first place for my current campaign world, but in a different one I *might.* It’s all subjective.
I'm making a simic hybrid artificer but I'm quite confused about how simic hybrids actually work in a lore sense.
Judging from the description, they start as humans, elves, and vedalken (I'm planning to make him an elf hybrid, maybe drow). However, I'm curious about how/when this takes place. Is it a mutation that happens when they reach maturity, or is this the result of experiments? If it is experiments, does it take a long time? Do elves volunteer to be transformed, or are they kidnapped? Is it an experiment that is done when they are child and doesn't have an affect until they're older?
I know this post is kind of a mess, but I'm just very confused and I'm trying to come up with some sort of backstory. I'm going to make him a clan crafter and I want him to have some experience with jewelry work. I'm just not sure where to put his transformation into a simic hybrid.
Also, I'm assuming simic hybrids don't get any traits from their base race. I imagine it would say somewhere in their traits if they did. Is this true?
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It's experimentation, no it doesn't take a long time, but it still takes at least a day. In Ravnica there is a thing called Cytoplast, it is a Greenish-Blue blob that contains DNA that fuses with the subject, manipulating the DNA and mutating the individual that the surgery is performed on. Simic Hybrids are willing subjects. The Simic do some DNA manipulation on the unwilling, but they keep it secret and small scale so that even the people their doing on don't know. The most common one is the DNA they put in the drinking water, it has no visible effect, but supposedly it is why people live longer in Ravnica. Of course an expulsed Scientist might do the Cytoplast Surgery on an unwilling individual.
What Slade said. The Simic Hybrids were created as a result of a Simic initiative called The Guardian Project-- an experiment to use humanoids genetically combined with animal traits to create super soldiers.
As for the speed of it, I imagine the initial experiment takes about a day or two, but remember, you choose your initial mutation at level 1 and then not again till level 5, so the process has far reaching effects and you're essentially still mutating in that time.
Also side note: no, they don't retain any traits from their original race. The only thing they get there is a language proficiency in common and either elvish or vedalken.
Side side note: there are no "drow" in Ravnica. Dark elves are called "Devkarin" and while they use the same stats as drow, they are different in appearance and their society/culture are different, so it might be worth reading up on the lore for some cohesive backstory
I'd suggest reading up on the Simic Combine, that should answer most of your questions. In short, it's an scientific research organization devoted to preserving nature by modifying its biology...while it may have its darker side, it's mostly benign. The Simic hybrids are the result of experiments, which they've usually volunteered for, although as Charles said, the Guardian Project, designed to create super-soldiers to defend the Combine, is semi-secret. I think most of these experiments will take anywhere from a few hours to a week.
Wizard (Gandalf) of the Tolkien Club
Thanks for the info guys! I've come up with a story:
Essentially, he was a drow that was banished to the surface for disrespecting nobles (and maybe accidentally starting a small rebellion ¯\_(ツ)_/¯). He found a dwarven town and worked there for a long time as a tinkerer/jewelry crafter. He got a slowly fatal disease that no one could cure. A "mysterious woman" found him and took him to a lab for roughly a year. She cured him, but also turned him into a simic hybrid. When he woke up he was alone in a small cave with some supplies, and he didn't have much memory of the past year or of the woman.
I'm thinking this could be the source of his artificer abilities. He lost his innate drow magic but can instead channel magic through his tools and small objects.
It also can provide a source of motivation for him. He's always been somewhat blind during the day (and doesn't want to wander around at night), so he hasn't had a chance to explore. When he woke up, his darkvision was diminished but he could see fine in the sun, so he decided to learn more about the surface (and maybe track down this woman) before he went home.
How to add tooltips on dndbeyond
Sounds cool! Since it seems you're not playing in the Ravnica setting, you can really ignore much of what we've said here and make up your own process for your hybrid.
Wizard (Gandalf) of the Tolkien Club
Yeah, we're not using that setting. However, the information you guys gave and directed me to was still very helpful! I had no idea where to start, but you guys really fixed that.
How to add tooltips on dndbeyond
Glad we could help!
Wizard (Gandalf) of the Tolkien Club
Oh yeah, outside of Ravnica, a simic hybrid origin can be simplified to "a wizard did it" essentially. Even calling it a "Simic" hybrid is unnecessary outside of Ravnica, since the name refers to the Simic Combine, the guild that created them.
Could someone potentially be born mutated in such a way that they were a Simic Hybrid? You know, instead of “a wizard did it”.
Please take a look at my D&D art compilation!
*Random and maniacal evil laughter*
Simple answer:no,outside of incredibly rare circumstances in high magic areas,with a huge side of random chance,it simply would not happen.You don't just get randomly born with a bad mix of aquatic species dna.
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Ok, thanks! I’ll find a new backstory then!
Please take a look at my D&D art compilation!
*Random and maniacal evil laughter*
Actually, you could combine the causes. You could say they were born into it, but it was the cause of magical experiments on their mother. Perhaps they tried infusing the animal DNA into the mother (with or without knowing she was pregnant) and it affected the child instead.
How to add tooltips on dndbeyond
As a general rule I would say no, but with DM approval anything can become canon. If I were the DM, I might be convinced to allow the Simic hybrid race as the result of a human/elf producing an offspring with a sahuagin, kuo toa, bullywug, mermaid, etc. Or maybe your character's mom was a wild magic sorceress with a weird lobster fetish. Or your father was a human and your mother was Blibdoolpoolp and you are a child of prophecy destined to lead the kuo-toa to invade the surface world and steal all of the elves' shampoo because your crazy mom says screw those pointy eared pretty boys and their lustrous locks.
Edit: Now I kinda want to make that last one happen, either as a PC or an NPC villain in a game I DM.
I love it! Thanks!
Please take a look at my D&D art compilation!
*Random and maniacal evil laughter*
I’ll do some kind of magical accident. How’s that?
Please take a look at my D&D art compilation!
*Random and maniacal evil laughter*
Tbh, this like everything else is a question for your DM. Some will outright not allow it, some will let you reflavor it, some will reflavor it themselves, and some will just hand wave it in. There’s no right or wrong answer, whatever works for them and the present game. Personally, I wouldn’t allow it in the first place for my current campaign world, but in a different one I *might.* It’s all subjective.
Wizard (Gandalf) of the Tolkien Club
Man, you guys are great! Some people are just absolute nuggets about everything, but this forum has been very helpful.
Please take a look at my D&D art compilation!
*Random and maniacal evil laughter*