Homebrew Basilisk Hybrid Species Details

 

Its eyes opened. The other test subject looked at it briefly, terrified, before thinking better and averting his eyes. It blinked, and swept its gaze around the room. What a strange thing to be afraid of, an infant, yet how well founded that fear may be.The subject, still squirming in the experimental sac it had only partially escaped from, was futilely reaching its four arms out for some sort of purchase to pull itself free with. Finding none, it began to cry. The other peeked at it, unable to help himself, and for an instant looked into the Hybrid's eyes. Nothing.Oh, the humanoid blood must have diluted the Basilisk's petrifying gaze. Well, we'll have to see just how bad it is, hopefully it's still present, even if it's in a weakened state. Further experimentation will be necessary. 

— Experimental Account, from Vosh Harroth's Laboratory

 

A humanoid with basilisk blood, Basilisk Hybrids are a rare (and theorized to be artificial) race. Few people have ever seen one, and fewer still would fully know how to react upon meeting one. With not enough members to form a culture of their own, many Basilisk Hybrids will never meet another of their own kind.

Mysterious Amalgamations

Basilisk Hybrids are humanoid in form, mostly, boasting an extra pair of arms and a thick, short tail. Their scales and spines, while sometimes orderly, are often spread across their bodies in patchwork patterns that suggest an imperfect merger of humanoid and monster. Additionally, Hybrids boast a much more varied array of colors than basilisk hybrids, featuring the monster's original colors on some individuals, but also some skin tones, reds, blues, and greens on others.

Missing Culture

Basilisk Hybrids are, in most worlds, not common enough to form their own culture. Instead, they take on the cultural backgrounds of the people they grow up around, with no preference for one form or another. In this way, they have proved they are quite adaptable, although they didn't really have any other choice.

Basilisk Hybrid Names

Basilisk Hybrids take on names from the culture they grow up in, so if you're having trouble naming yours, find the race your Hybrid grew up around for naming conventions.

Basilisk Hybrid Traits

Your basilisk blood manifests itself in these traits, which you share with the few others of your kind.

Ability Score Increase

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

Age

Basilisk Hybrids mature at the same rate as humans, reaching adulthood in their late teens, but they usually die before they reach 80 years old.

Alignment

Their Basilisk blood has done little to nothing to influence the alignment tendencies of the Basilisk Hybrids. Just as with humans, the best and the worst are among them.

Size

Basilisk Hybrids tend to be taller and heavier than humans, averaging about 6 and a half feet and 270 lbs. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30ft.

Extra Set of Arms

You have four arms rather than two, allowing you to simultaneously manage up to two two-handed weapons/tools/spells, or up to four one-handed weapons/tools/spells, or any mixture of the two that sums up to four hands. This does not grant you any extra attacks or other such actions.

Petrifying Gaze

You can focus and make use of your Basilisk heritage's petrifying ability: as a bonus action forcing any creatures within 30ft that you can see and can see you to make a DC (8 + Proficiency Bonus + CON) constitution saving throw. On a failure, a creature begins magically turning to stone and is restrained until the end of your next turn. On your next turn, you can choose to use your action to attempt to finish petrifying one creature who is still restrained in this manner, forcing them to make the same saving throw again: on a failure, they are turned to stone and petrified until the end of your next turn. You cannot use this trait on a creature who is 1. not surprised by you and 2. is averting their gaze from you. After you use your petrifying gaze, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.

At 6th level, you can use your action to petrify a number of creatures equal to your CON modifier (minimum of 1). At 11th level, your petrification effect can last up to 1 minute, with petrified targets remaking their CON save at the end of each of their turns, becoming un-petrified on a success. At 16th level, a petrified target no longer gets to remake their saving throw to escape and is petrified for the full duration or until you decide to release them as an action, and the petrification can last for up to an hour.

Language

You can read, speak, and write in Common.