Homebrew Wraithkin Race Details

It is unknown how Wraithkin came to be. Some say they are ghosts that inhabited pregnant women and the unborn child is transformed into wraithkin. Others say they came from dark rituals or a corrupted attempt at a resurrection. Despite these stories the wraithkin are actually not undead or ghosts and are alive.

Appearance and Diet

Wraithkin appear like a human but feature black or dark grey skin, black hair and their eyes have no pupils but will either have black sclerae and coloured irises or the whole of the eye is one colour. The eye colour will glow. They have no mouth or nostrils yet remain capable of speech and still have a sense of smell. When they do speak the voice will have a slight echo to it as though there is a second voice speaking softly behind it with another voice whispering behind that one. They naturally exude an aura of shadow that may cause wisps of black smoke-like shadow to briefly appear. This aura also causes loose threads, straps and hair and similar such things on their person to float and move as if the wraithkin were submerged in water even though they are not. Although they lack a mouth they still eat and drink normally - the food or liquid being absorbed through where the mouth normally would be. Since food is absorbed they have no need to chew and cannot bite anything.

Although wraithkin eat food as any human would they may also eat their food raw and even meat that has decayed and rotted with adverse effects.

Procreation

Wraithkin may be male, female or non-gendered and regardless of gender may procreate with any living humanoid of any gender. Both involved in this mating must be willing to procreate for procreation to occur and if it does it will always result in success. The wraithkin, or both if both creatures are wraithkin, become pregnant on successful procreation. Wraithkin of any gender may become pregnant. If a wraithkin is pregnant is has no outward change to appearance and will not 'look' pregnant although other wraithkin may sense this. Unborn wraithkin cannot be harmed no matter if the parent is harmed but will die if the parent dies. Wraithkin pregnancy lasts about 13 weeks and when the time comes there is no labour but the wraithkin parent will know when it is time and will have 3 days to say goodbyes and find a suitable place to give birth which happens after 3 days unless the wraithkin chooses earlier. The birthing does not hurt but the wraithkin will simply relax, close their eyes, turn completely black as their shadow aura swells into thick smoke around them as they disintegrate into ash and die. The smoke and ash then clears and leaves behind the alive and well offspring. How many offspring will vary - if the procreation occurred between two wraithkin the offspring count of a single birthing will be 2 or 3 but if the procreation occurred between a wraithkin and a different humanoid race this birthing may result in 1 to 3 offspring and at least half (rounded up) will be wraithkin while the rest have a 50% chance each of being of the other humanoid's race. The wraithkin offspring when so born will be at a physical age equivalent to a human child of 6 years old. They will possess basic knowledge about their parents and inherit memory and language of their wraithkin parent. Wraithkin children do not have a shadow aura and will not have the Hands of Death racial feature until they mature. They remain in a child form for 1 year after which they mature instantly into an adult form in its prime and remain that way forever.

Natural Magic

All Wraithkin have natural magic and make great spellcasters. Many are usually sorcerers. Their natural affinity to death magic and necrotic energy makes them adept necromancers.

Culture and Names

Since parent wraithkin die during births wraithkin population is rather scarce and as such they do not develop cultures or names of their own. Wraithkin are typically raised within other cultures taking the names, language and traditions of that culture.

Wraithkin Traits

Wraithkin have the following racial traits:

Ability Score Increase

Your Charisma increases by 2 and you choose to increase either your Constitution or your Dexterity by 1.

Age

Wraithkin reach maturity after 1 year and may live forever.

Size

Wraithkin have the same height and weight as humans.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision

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.

Body of the Dead

Although you are alive you seem connected to death so that death energies and the cold seem to not affect you or affect you less.

You are immune to necrotic damage and have resistance to cold damage.

Aura of Death

The aura of shadow you have infuses your deathly magics and attacks.

Whenever you would deal necrotic damage through a spell or attack you may deal additional necrotic damage equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 0). A target may receive this extra damage only once per spell cast or attack made.

Innate Spellcasting

You know the Chill Touch cantrip. When you reach 3rd level you learn the Misty Step spell which you may cast once without needing spell slots and recover the ability to do so after completing a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Wraith Form

If you ever die by any means except giving birth you instead do not not die and your soul rises from your remains (or site of death if there are no remains) and become a Wraith. As such a creature you retain your personality and alignment and remain in this form until you die while in this form or until somebody performs a life-restoring spell on you or your remains if there are any. A life-restoring spell may be spells like Revivify, Raise Dead, Resurrection, Reincarnate or True Resurrection. While in this form your remains, if there are any, cannot be targeted for spells that rely on the target being dead, like Speak With Dead, with exception of the spells that restore the dead to life and they cannot be made into undead. If you are restored to life using your remains or by granting a new body then your wraith form disappears and you return to your body or the new body but spells that require a body for resurrection can use your wraith form instead where your wraith form transforms into your body and your previous body or remains if still around will disintegrate to ash.

If you die while in Wraith form you are fully dead and any remains of your wraith form or original body will disintegrate to ash.

This racial feature is tied to your soul not your body and will carry with you even if you end up in a different body.

Languages

You can understand, read and write Common and a choice of one other.