Homebrew Zekyl Species Details

Abilities

The zekylyn were half-shadow dragon half drow with the abilities that of a drow and a shadow dragon. Such a bloodline erased their drow physical frailty while keeping the enhanced dexterity of their elven background. The dragon blood also made them stronger, keener in mind, and more charismatic in personality. Patches of dragon scales grew on their skin giving them the ability to be protected from physical attacks.

A zekyl has the drow innate protection from being charmed by magic plus the ability to have immunity from sleep and being paralyzed.

Owners of dark vision as well as low light vision similar to any other drow zekylyn could see in the infrared spectrum. They could fight their foes without the need of weapons because some zekylyn have claws and would use them to defend and protect themselves if they're empty handed.

The origins of zekylyn - the Clan Jaezred’s shadow dragons

The zekylyn came from the middle northdark region of the Underdark in an ancient drow city named Chaulssin, an offspring of Clan Jaezred’s shadow dragons who created a tear between the physical plane and their home plane called the Plane of Shadow or Shadowfell. The dragons nearly wiped out the drow dwellers of the city while enslaving them and experimenting on them with magic thereby twisting their minds.

A new race was formed called zekylyn plural for zekyl which came from the interbreeding between the shadow dragons and their enslaved drow resulting in a more powerful form of drow slave. Secretly opposing the enslaving shadow dragons, zekylyn now live as free citizens after overthrowing and utterly destroying their shadow dragon parents save for one who escaped the rebellion.

The history of the mountainous Chaulssin

Chaulssin, a drow city in the Underdark is commonly referred to as the City of Wyrmshadows and is located beneath the northern area of the Rauvin Mountains.

The windy and icy city rests upon a spar of stone surrounded by a deep abyss. The city has areas of shadow fringe that occasionally engulf areas of the city inside the Plane of Shadow for years on end.

The city is in a very remote and tremendously isolated position making it relatively untouched to most inhabitants of the Underdark, a pristine place for the secret brotherhood called the Jaezred Chaulssin. The Jaezred Chaulssin is an organization of assassins formed of mostly zekylyn to conquer Lolth and all her followers and thereby reforming them to follow the evil god Vhaeraun.

In 734 DR, the zekylyn escaped to the Plane of Shadow to evade the approaching armies of Menzoberranzan, who were instructed by Lolth to wipe them out for betraying her in the act of worshiping Vhaeruun. On Shadowfell, they became founders of Chaul'mur'ssin which was their newly created city and form of government in the Plane of Shadow. While there, they learned a type of arcane magic that could divide their dragon and drow lineages, leading them to create a new species of drow-dragon who could either take the form of a drow or that of a shadow dragon. They eventually returned in a meaningful number to the physical plane on Toril in 1136 DR.

In 1372 DR, the majority of the zekylyn lived in Chaulssin and continued to try to reform Lolth followers and conquer her oppression.

 

References:

Eric L. Boyd (2007-04-25). Dragons of Faerûn, Part 3: City of Wyrmshadows (Zipped PDF). Wizards of the Coast.

 

Zekyl Traits

Your draconic and drow heritage manifests in a variety of traits you share with other zekylyn.

Rare Race

Drow and evil dragons alike are feared and distrusted among normal townsfolk, and if you put the two races together you have a nightmare in the eyes of those who behold you. Not many of your race have surfaced from the Underdark and as such you are treated as a species never seen before. You look like a drow, but you have patches of scales along your skin, and some were claimed to have wings, and sometimes a crown of horns. This causes a natural instability to those around you. You have disadvantage on anything related to bartering, trade, acquiring trust, and persuasion in towns and cities alike on the surface.

Prerequisites

All zekylyn were sorcerous in nature from birth due to their shadow dragon blood. In order to be a zekyl your initial class must be sorcerer and you may only choose the Shadow Sorcerer origin (XGE p.50). Multi-classing thereafter is allowed as zekylyn typically were rogue assassins.

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Strength score increases by 1.

Age

A zekyl may live a life span of up to 2100 years old.

Alignment

Zekylyn tend to lean towards evil. They're also noted to be very chaotic because of their years in servitude as slaves of the Jaezred Clan. They have a strong will for freedom and only in rare circumstances do zekylyn move to a chaotic neutral alignment which seems to be the extent of their conversion.

Size

A zekyl can be anywhere from 5'4 to 6'0 and weigh from 150 to 200 lbs.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Sunlight Sensitivity

You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.

Fey Ancestry

You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

Keen Senses

You have proficiency in the perception skill.

Drow Magic

You know the dancing lights cantrip at 1st level. At 3rd level you can cast the faerie fire spell, and at 5th level the darkness spell once with this trait until you finish a long rest. Charisma is the spellcasting ability for these spells.

Shadow Breath

You can use your action to exhale a 15 ft. cone of shadowy vapors dealing necrotic destructive energy damaging and corrupting the flesh, matter, and even the very soul of a creature. When you use your breath weapon, each creature in the area of the exhalation must make a saving throw. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. A creature takes 2d6 necrotic damage on a failed save, and half as much damage on a successful one. The damage increases to 3d6 at 5th level,  4d6 at 9th level, 5d6 at 13th level, and 6d6 at 17th level. A humanoid reduced to 0 hit points by this damage dies, and a lesser undead shadow manifests from the corpse immediately put into action after the initiative count of the zekyl who created it. The lesser shadow is under the full control of the zekyl and will fade out and cease to exist at the start of the zekyl's next turn. This ability is limited to only 1 shadow created per rest. Lesser shadow traits are listed below.

After you use your breath weapon, you can’t use it again until you complete a short or long rest.

LESSER SHADOW

Medium undead, chaotic evil

Armor Class 12
Hit Points 16 (3d8 + 3)
Speed 40 ft.

STR 6 (-2)

DEX 14 (+2)
CON 13 (+1)
INT 6 (-2)
WIS 10 (+0)
CHA 8 (-1)

Skills Stealth +4 (+6 in dim light or darkness)
Damage vulnerabilities radiant
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities exhaustion, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages -

Amorphous. The shadow can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.

Sunlight Weakness. While in sunlight, the shadow has disadvantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws.

ACTIONS

Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) necrotic damage.

 

 

Draconic Origin

Thick dragon scale patches grow over your skin and face as you age, creating a barrier of toughness. You also have claws to cut apart your enemies.

- You have the Dragon Hide feat (XGE p.74) and may only choose to boost your charisma score out of the ability score increase options.

- Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, Elvish, Drow sign, and Draconic.