Homebrew Nephalem Species Details

“What is it with humans and their obsession with angel things called the nephilim? No, we're nothing like them..."

— Valdyva, being asked about angles

The Nephalem are a race of hybrid beings who are half angel and half demon. They wield the powers of both supernatural species and are considered a threat to both demonic and angelic power due to their formidable prowess and potential. Because of this, most of them were hunted down and slain.

Hybrid Bloodline

Because of the fusion of two dominant bloodlines, nephalem can change their appearance in a matter of seconds. They share many traits with the society their grew up with as their race has learned to mimic their surroundings. Though small remnants of their angelic and demonic bloodlines show that they are not quite what they seem at first glance. They are thin, lithe, typically well muscled, but slender. Their body is nearly perfect, but they may also have special characteristics that show what they really are. Such features may include the red skin and tail of their tiefling ancestors, golden or silver eyes, a metallic sheen in their hair, feathers or gray-brown skin of their aasimar ancestors, or even wings or stunted horns that typically hide under their hair or peek out from their hairline.

Attitudes and Personality

Due to their low numbers and mixed census data, nephalem are not known to have any society they call their own. Often they are loners, doing their best to blend in to the towns they end up in. They do their best to use their talents to help those around them. Nephalem tend to be more worldly than the average person, seeking things like travel and new experiences. Too many races, in their eyes, do not seek to experience beyond their comfort zones to discover new things. Nephalem are thus very open to new cultures and receptive to other views. However, they are not notably excitable and actually have a very serious face on most of the time. They also have a bit of repulsion towards overtly celestial or fiendish themes and do not particularly take well to being mistaken as aasimar.

Mutual Mistrust

People tend to be suspicious of the demonic looking hybrids, assuming that their infernal heritage has left its mark on their personality and morality, not just their appearance. Shopkeepers keep a close eye on their goods when a demonic nephalem enter their stores, the town watch might follow them around for a while, and demagogues blame nephalem for strange happenings. The reality, though, is that a demonic bloodline doesn’t affect his or her personality to any great degree. Years of dealing with mistrust does leave its mark on most demonic nephalem, and they respond to it in different ways. Some choose to live up to the wicked stereotype, but others are virtuous. Most are simply very aware of how people respond to them. After dealing with this mistrust throughout youth, a nephalem often develops the ability to overcome prejudice through charm or intimidation.

Angelic Guides

An angelic nephalem, except for one who has turned to evil, has a link to an celestial being. That being—usually a deva—provides guidance to the angelic nephalem, though this connection functions only in dreams. As such, the guidance is not a direct command or a simple spoken word. Instead, the nephalem receives visions, prophecies, and feelings.

The celestial being is far from omniscient. Its guidance is based on its understanding of the tenets of law and good, and it might have insight into combating especially powerful evils that it knows about.

As part of fleshing out an nephalem character, consider the nature of that character’s celestial guide. The Angelic Guide tables offer names and natures that you can use to flesh out your character’s guide.

Angelic Guide

Conflicted Souls

Due to the rare occurring of the hybrid form, a nephalem often never really learns how to use their abilities properly, as they must learn this on their own. Some nephalem do not gain control of their abilities for their entire lives. This causes them to suffer enormous pain during their involuntary transformations.

Depending on the environment in which they grow up, they usually reject one, if not both, of their heritages, creating an inner conflict between their infernal and celestial soul.

Nephalem Names

Most nephalem live their whole lives with human names. Some who discover their strange heritage may take on a new name to mark their coming to being.

Male: Zen, Archynal, Alyp, Aeroth, Sareth, Hyrok and Saren

Female: Alyva, Maderna, Narmia, Variel, Kyreia and Rava

A RACE UNKOWN

Not many know about the existence of the nephalem race. Many dismiss them as a myth. There is no known society of pure nephalem, rather they appear sporadically in other cultures, with many of them not even knowing what they really are.

Nephalem Traits

Nephalem can switch between certain racial traits as a result of their hybrid descent. The name of the trait will indicate which inheritance it belongs to.

Ability Score Increase

Your Intelligence score increases by 1, and your Charisma score increases by 2.

Age

Nephalem mature at the same rate as humans but there is too little knowledge about them to determine their natural lifespan.

Size

Due to their hybrid nature, Nephalem are usually slightly smaller than humans. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision (Both)

Thanks to your hybrid heritage, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions, no matter what form you are in. 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.

Hybrid Soul (Both)

Due to your hyprid nature you can jump between your demonic and angelic form to gain the features from the chosen heritage. While doing so you take on the appearance of either your demonic or angelic form.

If you do not have control over your powers, you will receive psychic damage equal to your level.

Additionally, you can switch to a neutral state of appearance at any time to fade more into society. If you do this, you keep the traits of the previously chosen inheritance. (This is only possible if you have control over your hybrid form). If this is not the case, the nephalem switches through different levels of the respective form and loses control over their will should they reach 100 percent.

Table of Appearance

Percentage	Visual Change
100	Demonic creature
90	Leaves a trail of ash while walking
80	Continuous pattern (similar to war paint)
70	Two black eyes with white pupil
60	Black pattern trailing up to both eyes
50	Claws, black hair, pointed teeth more visible
40	One black eye with golden pupil
30	Black pattern trailing up to one eye
20	Black pattern starting at the chest
10	Slit pupil (like a cat), hair rather dark
0	Black fragile horns, ashy tail, golden not shining eyes, blond hair
10	Hair takes on golden tone
20	Glowing eyes
30	Holy light in their horns, roots of feathers
40	Shadow has wings, archangle wings
50	Phoenix tail, visible feathers around/on horns, light glows through them
60	Feather crown, glowing feathers
70	Guidance through aasimar ancestry, symbol/ chest
80	Feathers completely cover horns, white flames while casting
90	Light glow emanates from their body
100	Angelic creature

Hellish Resistance (demonic)

You have resistance to fire damage.

Legacy of Zarcius (demonic)

You know the thaumaturgy cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the disguise self spell as a 2nd-level spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the flame blade spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Celestial Resistance (angelic)

You have resistance to necrotic damage and radiant damage.

Healing Hands (angelic)

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.

Light Bearer (angelic)

You know the light cantrip. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it.

Radiant Soul (angelic)

Starting at 3rd level, you can use your action to unleash the divine energy within yourself, causing your eyes to glimmer and two luminous, incorporeal wings to sprout from your back.

Your transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it as a bonus action. During it, you have a flying speed of 30 feet, and once on each of your turns, you can deal extra radiant damage to one target when you deal damage to it with an attack or a spell. The extra radiant damage equals your level.

Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, Celestial and Infernal.