Homebrew Githyanki Species Details

The githyanki  were a race of Astral Plane-dwellers. Survivors of a long enslavement by mind flayers, they became ruthless pillagers and raiders of many worlds in the Prime Material plane.

“What would become of this multiverse if githyanki didn't guard the Astral Plane from the illithid menace? What would reality become if beings of thought ruled the plane of thought?”

-Mordenkainen

Appearance

- Skin color , Yellow.

- Hair color, Russet Black.

- Hairstyle, Topknots

- Eye color, Black.

- Distinctions, Pointed ears, serrated in the back.

 

Abilities

As a result of their long period of enslavement and manipulation by the mind flayers, all githyanki possessed psionic abilities. They were all capable of minor telekinesis in a similar fashion to the mage hand spell and could also hone their abilities to become capable of innately casting jump and misty step.

Personality

Githyanki were typically cruel, arrogant, and aggressive. The few exceptional individuals who deserted from the rigid githyanki militaristic society tended to develop a disdain for rules. The high value they placed on individuality also caused them to become ambitious and self-centered.They were also known for their long memories.

Even the most open-minded githyanki came across as smug, sarcastic, rude, and overconfident, but they were generally capable of withstanding adversity without complaining. Clever and resourceful, githyanki adventurers were not known for their loyalty or ability to make new friends, but they were extremely persistent in the face of danger. Although rare, it was possible for githyanki to become disillusioned with their people's unsavory habits and to try to set up a reputation on their own acts.

As a result of their long-lasting presence in the Astral Plane, where time did not pass, the githyanki developed a decadent lifestyle, picking up hobbies, arts, and studies in an endless search for novelty. After centuries, they developed a hollow culture of shallow and unfinished undertakings, never truly mastering any task or seeing any personal project to completion. This constant interest with novelty also reflected in their dressing style: githyanki were fond of collecting and wearing extremely ornate and elaborate tokens of their defeated foes. It was common for their armor and weapons to be overly decorated with gems, feathers, precious metals, and other ostentatious ornaments.

Combat

In accordance with their culture of combat, the githyanki were merciless warriors. They excelled at blending their psionic abilities with their combat skills, in an effective and deadly combination. Typical githyanki warriors, sometimes referred to as "githwarriors", had the ability to innately reproduce the effects of the mage hand, jump, misty step, and nondetection spells, while the more powerful knights were also capable of plane shifting and telekinesis.

Githyanki military hierarchy was divided in companies of ten warriors, each led by a sarth. Each group of ten sarths was in turn supervised by a kith'rak, and every group of ten kith'raks was led by a "supreme commander". At the top of the hierarchy stood the leader of all githyanki, Vlaakith.

Knights were among the most influential githyanki and stood outside of the military hierarchy. Their deadliest weapons and a signature of githyanki culture were their silver swords, which were wielded by every knight. Silver swords damaged the opponents' minds as well as their bodies, and, in the Astral Plane, were capable of severing the silver cord that connected the soul of a traveler using the astral projection spell to their body in the Material Plane. These weapons were treasured by all githyanki, who relentlessly pursued any outsider who wielded them.

Githyanki who honed their psionic skills as well as combat were known as gish. They were typically employed as assassins and spies and were capable of casting spells such as fireball, magic missile, counterspell, and haste, among others.

Ecology

Githyanki were similar to humans in many superficial respects, but generations of experimentation at the hands of mind flayers, as well as prolonged exposure to the Astral Plane, generated noticeable differences in their physiology, in addition to their innate psionic abilities. As a result of spending long periods of time without consuming food, their digestive systems had atrophied. For that reason, whenever they were outside of the Astral Plane, githyanki required frequent meals, often rich in meat. In addition, they found the gravity of Prime Material worlds uncomfortable.

Githyanki reproduced by laying eggs. It was unknown whether this trait had been acquired during their period of enslavement or as a result of exposure to the Astral Plane.

 

Githyanki Traits

The githyanki were a race of Astral Plane-dwellers. Survivors of a long enslavement by mind flayers, they became ruthless pillagers and raiders of many worlds in the Prime Material plane.

Martial Prodigy

You are proficient with light and medium armor and with shortswords, longswords, and greatswords.

Ability Score Increase

Ability Scores: Str +2; Int +1

Age

Gith reach adulthood in their late teens and live for about a century.

Size

Gith are taller and leaner than humans, with most a slender 6 feet in height.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Githyanki Psionics

You know the mage hand cantrip, and the hand is invisible when you cast the cantrip with this trait.

Decadent Mastery

You learn one language of your choice, and you are proficient with one skill or tool of your choice. In the timeless city of Tu'narath, githyanki have bountiful time to master odd bits of knowledge.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Gith.