Homebrew Afflicted Humans Race Details

 

The Experiment

A cult saw the human race would eventually overpopulate the world with their ambitions. In attempt to control the rising population they began to experiment in polymorph research. The solution they came to was a cruel fate for all involved. The idea they found was to change some of the human race into domestic animals. By doing this, overpopulation would never become a problem and the rest of the world would in turn be fed the afflicted. Many humans went through the experimentation, willingly or not. In most material planes, including Material Prime, a town far from any large city was where the first experiment took place. The cult came to the town making their presence unknown. Around the town they set up six towers of stone inscribed with runes. Three of the towers were designed to release a permanent polymorph like effect across the village while the other three kept the towns people happy and in bliss. No one noticed or cared about the changes occurring to them or the haze throughout the town. They held festivals and lived their daily lives. Some were more resilient to the magic's effect but as each person changed they were taken away to a far away facility. Some townspeople became aware of the changes occurring to them and attempted to warn others but were soon dragged off to the same facility where they were left to finish the change. Few managed to escape and even fewer made it through the wilderness to the closest village. As the survivors arrived only a few managed to enlist the help of adventurers. As a collective they took down the towers and the cultists within the surrounding area. Only a few managed to get away with minor changes. The town was left scarred and the cult was still around based on the adventurers observations.

Moving On

After the ordeal was over many people still felt frightened and the town was left in ruin from the battle. Only some of the town managed to stay and soon after rebuilt it in its entirety. Life began to resume for the locals. Yet, things would never be the same; no one could return to the way things used to be. Those who chose to leave wanted to get as far away as they could from the town and the cult. So they wandered the lands till they managed to find their place in the world. Many from the group that left found themselves unable to deal with their new bodies and the cold stares they received from everyone. Many of them lost their lives due to this pressure. Those that carried on found new ways to start over. Some became farmers on the outskirts of towns and cities and the rest continued to wander doing odd jobs here and there. The best of them however, went and joined Adventurer Guilds. To some they felt the need to be better than they were and help those who needed it; just like the adventurers that had saved them.

The Variations

Each person that took part in the experiment change into one of the six forms of livestock chosen. The form they take is decided by some internal factor that has yet to be determined.(Each extra description on a feature of a variation can be applied to all features that are similar enough to it)

Goat - One of the less common results of the experiment. One of the first signs of the change are the goat horns, followed by goat fur on matching appendages or their chest. Next to form are the ears (be it one or two), a tail, and then hooves for feet. If the process continues for long enough then a goat nose may appear as a minor protrusion or begin to warp their face.

Pig- A common result of the experiment. The first to develop on a person is a pig tail and pig ears. These results are followed by pig hooves and a slight discoloration of the skin in patches. If the exposure was more effective than the skin will become a light shade of pink and a nose will begin to protrude.

Sheep- A common result of the experiment. The first change is a small amount white fur across the entire body and ears. This in turn is followed by hooves becoming their feet and an off chance they may develop small decorative horns. If the person is in a later stage of change their face will begin to warp into that of a sheep. 

Cattle- A very common result of the experiment. The first development is a light fur on matching appendages, a small patch, or across the entire body. This fur ranges in color from white and black to brown and white as well as cattle ears. Afterward, the target gains horns (on rare occasions) and hooves for feet. If the process is more effective then a cow nose may begin to form.

Chicken- A common result of the experiment. The fastest of all the changes, the process is more often than not completed so those with few changes are rare. The afflicted will tend to develop feathers across their body, chicken feet/legs, and a wattle and comb (size depends on gender). If the process is far enough along then the target will gain a partial beak or full beak and more feathers will sprout. Some crosses between the beak and mouth are so horrifying, it can lead some to suicide.

Rabbit- A very rare result of the experiment. The first developments are rabbit ears, patches of fur across the chest or matching appendages, and paws for hands (can still hold items) and/or feet. The fur colors can range from brown, white grey, black, or any combination of them all. In later stages the person develops a rabbit nose along with whiskers and the fur spreads across most of the body.

 

The Cult Itself

The adventurers defeated all the cultists in the town but were unable to question any of them. The cultists were so devout to their cause even if they were unconscious, a spell immediately ended their lives. After much searching the group of adventurers that stayed behind managed to locate the hideout of the cultists. They fought their way through each section of the hideout and finally made it to the head priest where they defeated him soon after. However, in the priests dying breath he whispered the words "The strong shall always exploit the weak, for it is our right...". The cleric of the group face was filled with dread. Those words belonged to followers of Iuz the Evil. He is a dark demigod that rules over his own empire and believes the weak are meant to be ruled over. Any pain, death, or atrocity committed in his name pleases him. Whenever given the chance Iuz uses his cultists to expand his territory beyond the City of Skulls. The experiments done by the cultists are not only an homage to his ideology of the strong ruling over the weak it is an attempt at conquest. With this development, the Adventurer Guilds were put on high alert, preparing for the battle to ensue.

Names

The afflicted humans tend to retain their human name while some will change their name based on the domestic animal they appear like.

 

Afflicted Humans Traits

Each racial trait is based on which domesticated animal they were destined to become

Ability Score Increase

Three of your ability scores increase by 1.

Age

Humans reach adulthood in their late teens and live less than a century.

Alignment

 Humans tend toward no particular alignment. The best and the worst are found among them.

Size

Humans vary widely in height and build, from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall. Regardless of your position in that range, your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra language of your choice. Humans typically learn the languages of other peoples they deal with, including obscure dialects. They are fond of sprinkling their speech with words borrowed from other tongues: Orc curses, Elvish musical expressions, Dwarvish military phrases, and so on.