Homebrew Aegisean Swanmay Race Details
Otherworldly females whose laughter can be heard at the edges of wild places, Swanmay were once female children of other races but upon taking up the feathered cloak at an early age they are changed to forever be a member of this rare and otherworldly race. Swanmay are protectors of holy and wild spaces, aiding forests and wounded animals while also delighting in cavorting in natural streams and pools and dancing by firelight.
Aegisean Swanmay Traits
Swanway posses the ability to become Swans through the use of their feathered cloak, and are known in legend for their wise yet carefree natures.Ability Score Increase
Your Wisdom score increases by 2.
Age
Swanmay reach physical maturity at about the same age as humans, Yet they keep a youthful appearance their entire adult life, never seeming more than in their early 20's . A Swanmay typically claims lives to about 500 years old.
Alignment
Swanmay love freedom and natural or holy places, and are almost universally good with a strong tendency towards chaos.
Size
Swanmay range from just under 5 feet tall to almost 6 feet tall, with slender well muscled builds. Descriptions of their form and movements is credited as the inspiration for multiple graceful dances and ballets.
Speed
Base walking speed is 30. In swan form 20.
Swim Speed
In swan form swim speed is 30.
Fly Speed
In swan form fly speed is 50.
Darkvision
As fey creatures of nature, often residing in thickly forested places, Swanmay have superior vision in dim and dark 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.
Feathered Cloak
A gift from the Aegis, Swanmay posses feathered cloaks that allow them to change to and from a swan. All young swanmay begin with a white cloak, and while most keep it, some do grow to feel the need to don the black or the banded cloaks. However, once this choice is made, and her cloak is dyed, it can never be white again. The cloak can only be donned or doffed by a willing swanmay, and she cannot change into swan form without putting it on. If the cloak (while removed) is ever damaged, the swanmay takes damage equal to what the feathered cloak has. If the Feathered Cloak is ever destroyed the swanmay may no longer transform into a swan, and the cloak may only be restored by a Greater Restoration or Wish spell. The Feathered Cloak has an AC of 10, 100 HP, and is vulnerable to fire.
Kean Hearing and Sight. The swan has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or sight.
Agressive. As a bonus action, while swimming or walking, the swan can move up to its speed toward a hostile creature that it can see.
Multiattack. The swan makes two attacks: one with its wings and one with its beak.
Wings. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) bludgeoning damage.
Beak. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 2 (1 + 1) piercing damage.
Healing Hands
As an action, you can touch a creature and cause it to regain a number of hit points equal to your level. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
Nature Lover
Swanmay love the outdoors and wild places, they aid injured animal and protect natural holy places. This familiarity with nature grants them greater proficiency in the Survival skill.
Languages
You know Common, Elvish, and Sylvan. Your Common probably has a bit of a strange accent to it that most would guess as Elvish but is actually sylvan, but only one proficient in Sylvan would be able to guess it.
Aegisean Banded Cloaked Swanmay
At times, a swanmay my need to leave behind the simple joys and dedicate herself to the defense of that and those she loves. Using her own blood, the swanmay paints three bands in a triangular, shield-like, pattern on her Feathered Cloak by sunlight. These bands turn to black or gray feathers, and in swan form are shown as a black neck and black bands on the wings.
Ability Score Increase
Your Constitution increases by 1.
Banded Cloak
The protective nature of the shield bands of your cloak grant you +1 AC holy protection against attacks and Resistance necrotic damage.
Aegisean Black Cloaked Swanmay
Under extreme duress, or if a need so extreme arises, a swanmay by dye her cloak in the blood of a slain enemy under the light of the moon or bonfire. The blood stains the feathers black, and so she will also appear as a black swan. Black Cloaked swanmay are seen as Nature or The Aegis's vengence, no longer defending but destroying. They are silent assassins and information gatherers, some have personalities as dark as their plumage but others still remain buoyant in spite of their dark work.
Ability Score Increase
With a need to move quickly and silently, your Dexterity increases by 1.
The Black Cloak
Your Black feathered cloak not only hides you in darkness, but the smooth and slippery nature of them allows you to slip free of any hold.
Aegisean White Cloaked Swanmay
The majority of Aegisean Swanmay are White Cloaked. Laughing, loving protectors of natural and holy places they live largely carefree lives at one with natures loving embrace.
Ability Score Increase
Your Charisma stat is increased by 1
Speak With Animals
Living among the natural world, the swanmay is granted the ability to speak with the creatures of nature she so loves.
Ethereal Beauty
The enchanting beauty of swanmay is renowned far and wide. Not only are you able to easily able to turn conversations your way, any person gazing upon you is captivated with you unless they make a Wis 13 save. You may turn off this ability at will.
Comments
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Posted Jan 17, 2019I think this might be a bit overpowered compared to the existing races in the game so far, but I REALLY like the concept and I think a couple of tweaks to the special abilities that each subrace gets would mostly cover it. Here’s some suggestions:
A. Specify by what means the cloak allows a swanmay to become a swan. Is it an action? A bonus action? I’d recommend an action to lightly nerf this ability. I know you become pretty weak combatively as a swan obviously, but getting to fly is such a potent in-game ability that only two races can naturally get it (aarakocra and variant/variant feral tiefling). Make it be a somewhat difficult decision for characters as to whether or not they should become a swan or stay in humanoid form to participate in combat.
B. Impose some use limitations on the subrace abilities. Maybe the Ethereal Beauty only lasts for a limited amount of time and has a limited number of uses, like maybe it lasts for 10 minutes and can be used once per long rest. Having every npc that sees you need to make a wisdom save to not be mesmerized by you is just VERY powerful. Maybe do a similar thing with the Black Cloak ability, because being effectively immune to grappling is, likewise, INSANELY powerful. I think the banded cloak ability is pretty much fine as is.
C. Consider dropping the Healing Hands feature entirely. While I get how it ties to the theme of this race as natural protectors, there’s so many features that this race has right now that it could be unfair to other characters playing less powerful races.
D. Everything I’ve suggested is merely that - a suggestion. I do really like what you’ve made here and I think it’s really cool, my only intent is to offer help in making it more balanced in actual play. That being said, D&D is a creative and freeing game where the ultimate goal is to have fun, and if any of my stated concerns don’t really appear at your table then there really isn’t any need for change.
Sincerely and supportively,
- ClaytonCowan1
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Posted Jan 14, 2020Hey, just figured out how to look at comments. Thanks for the feedback, these are some great suggestions, and I will be using them when I update this. Thanks Again!
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Posted Jan 14, 2020No problem! Happy to be helpful!
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Posted Feb 22, 2020Swanmay was always one of my favorite races from Book of Humanoids, so I'm excited to see it adapted for 5e! I'll be keeping an eye on your updates.