Homebrew Alraune Race Details
History
Alraune are born under rare circumstances; it is only when the potent magic from the Feywilds seeps into the material plane and binds the soul of a recently deceased humanoid to a flowers' seed that they come into existence. Once all of the flowers' seeds are released into the soil, chances of survival are of course small. The infused seed, however, is capable of spending a long time in a "resting" state, waiting for the opportune moment to start growing. Once the seed germinates, it spends the first year growing into a bulb. It remains in the bulbous state, ever growing until reaching maturity and flowering into an Alraune at around 5 years.
They do not practice history or keep written records of their exploits. Alraune tales are purely shared by word of mouth and often carry little significance. If anything, their existence is only recorded by the faint whispers of the forest.
Society
Although they don't form societies or even groups in the traditional sense of the word, alraune are still a part of nature and are willing to share their territory with allies if they find that this could be beneficial to themselves. Should their domain become endangered, they will fight alongside others to regain control. Alraune regard Druids highly, finding their ways with nature inspiring and fitting. Among the classes, druids are popular for them, and alraunes mostly respect their ways with the forests enough to not meddle in their business.
Alraunes tend to shy away from other races, hiding in the deeper parts of the forest - Should they come across a human it's often only from the treetops or as an inconspicuous form within their bulbs. There have been a few cases in which alraune have left the security of their forests with adventurers for a reason known only to them. It is possible that they left to gain experience and knowledge to bring back to their home one day, because they have lost everything in a forest fire, or that their seclusion in an ancient forest is endangered.
In the inns, towns, and fields near the vast forests that alraune call home you may hear whispers of stories where adventures were taken captive by the alraune - where they were entangled and slowly digested until not even their bones were left. It is also speculated that consuming humans might be an important part of creating an offspring for alraune, as their origin is connected to the deceased.
Alraunes can be classified into three distinct strains.
Alraune Traits
A race of plant-like flower-people.Ability Score Increase
Your Wisdom score increases by 2. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
Age
As a sprouting seed, the alraune grow within the bulb of a particular flower for about 5 years depending on the favorability of the soil, after which they bloom into their mature state. Their bodies don't age after that but instead exhibit signs of age when they are unable to gain the nutrients they need. These signs manifest themselves as wilting vines, molting leaves and browning skin. They can live up to 750 years before returning to the earth from which they were born.
Alignment
The alraune are often feral and unpredictable, wild as the forest they live in, and as such are almost always chaotic.
Size
An alraune's height is anything 5 to 6 feet on average, and weigh anything from 60 to 120 pounds. Your creature size is Medium.
Plant
Your creature type is considered to be both humanoid and plant, and you can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomena. However, you are vulnerable to fire damage.
Floral Rest
Alraune don't need to sleep. Instead, they can root themselves in the favorable soil, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day and absorbing nutrients from the soil. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep. However, if the soil is not favorable you require a full 8 hours of rest to gain the equivalent of a long rest. Rooting yourself requires an action and can only be done on a patch of soil. While in this state your speed becomes 0 and you can uproot yourself as a bonus action.
Alraune Pollen
The alraune produce a powerful pollen with an innate property pertaining to each subrace. As an action, you can release a puff of pollen in a 10-foot radius around yourself or in a 20-foot cone, forcing all creatures in range to make a Constitution saving throw. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Wisdom modifier + your proficiency bonus. On a failure, they come under an effect dependent on your subrace for 1 minute. An affected creature can repeat their saving throw each time they take damage. Once you use your pollen, you can't use it again until after you finish a long rest.
Natural Knowledge
As a part of the forest it's only natural for you to be knowledgeable about the wilderness. You are proficient in the Nature skill.
Languages
You understand and can speak Common and Sylvan.
Natural Camouflage
When you make a Dexterity (Stealth) check to hide in heavy foliage, you are considered to be proficient in the Stealth skill if you are not already, and you add double your proficiency bonus to the die roll instead of any proficiency bonus you would normally add.
Vines
Your vines can be extended and retracted for up to 20 feet at will. You can use them to hang from trees while staying hidden, grapple targets at a distance, use and manipulate simple objects and such, however, they are not strong enough to use weapons.
Silencing Pollen
Venus alraune produce a transparent pollen that when inhaled causes creatures to become mute. Those affected can't even scream and by the time they realize its already too late. In addition to this, it numbs the senses of affected creatures causing them to have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks for the duration.
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