Homebrew Dunmer Species Details

Physical Description

Dunmer are just as tall as Atralonians, ranging from 5 to 6 feet, but are more slight, weighing only 100 to 185 pounds on average, with males noticeably taller and heavier than the women. The most notable features of the Dunmer are their blood-red eyes and ashen-gray skin, which is said to be the result of constant exposure to power of the Draenic Princes. Dunmer hair is most often degrees of black or reddish-orange, but white hair (while usually a sign of old age) is not uncommon.

Dunmer dress more opulently than any other race. They have a complex, subtle fashion that can often mean the difference between success and humiliation at social gatherings. They are fond of red and black, but just as often wear oranges, yellows, or any other warm colors. Jewelry or other ornamentation is almost standard on any Dunmer that can afford it. Dunmer come to physical maturity at 25 years old, but typically don't set out on adventures until they are around 100 years old. Because they live next to the fumes of Durgu Giru their life expectancy is shorter than other Mer, and most Dunmer don't live past 400 years.

Like all mer, Dunmer are more elegant and have finer features than other races, and they do not sleep. Instead, they meditate in a deep trance for 4 hours each day. A mer resting in this fashion gains the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep. While meditating, a mer wanders through a special section of the Plane of Shadow that is cut off from any location on the Material Plane. While meditating, they wander the ways of that darkened realm, putting themselves through mental exercises that follow the twisted logic of the transitive planes. The common word for a mer's meditation is "trance" as in "4 hours of trance."

Relations

The Dunmer are a slightly mysterious race. They have only began trading with other nations in the past 400 years, which is still fairly new by the reckoning of Mer. Dunmer find all other races disappointingly impious, although the Elves come closest to displaying proper religious reverence. Surely, most Dunmer now have regular contact with the outside world, but there is a palpable condescension on behalf of the dark-skinned elves. They are often proud, ruthless, cruel, and young female Dunmer are well known for their promiscuity. They can come to position of small influence in other lands, but their history of betrayal and age-old conflicts prevent them from gaining more influence.

Alignment

Chaotic Good.

 

Religion

Dunmer worship all of the Draenic Princes, though individual Dunmer may exclude some of the deities. In particular, the Princes known as the Four Corners of the House of Troubles (Kaol, Ragdar, Nex, and Germordl) are generally avoided by neutral and good Dunmer. Whichever Dranen the Dunmer choose to worship, they believe that the Princes have an active, concerned role in their lives, and pray and make tribute to the gods often.

Language

The Dunmer tongue resembles the fire and smoke that flows from Durgu Giru: sometimes bright, other times dark, and always characterized by rolling lyricism chopped up by harsh consonants. It uses the standard Elven script, and shares remarkable similarities with Ignan, the language of fire-based creatures.

Names

Similar to humans, Dunmer names are given by their parents at birth. They are given one or two names, and inherit their family name.

Male Names: Ano, Dutadalk, Eno, Fervas, Galtis, Hetman, Llavam, Lliryn, Massarapal, Niras, Zabarbael

Female Name: Adusamsi, Bedenea, Elvasea, Ibanammu, Galvene, Idula, Marasa, Nidara, Pilu, Raishi, Volmyni

Family Names: Aravel, Beneran, Dinadad, Farandas, Girendas, Hainabibi, Kil, Nedalor, Orelu, Pansamsi, Vandus

Adventurers

Dunmer adventurers almost always find a balance between magic and combat. Whether it be offensive casting specialization, investing skill ranks in Use Magic Device, or multiclassing between combat and magic, Dunmer love to integrate both into their lives. While there is no dearth of Dunmer clerics, it's interesting to note that they rarely venture outside their homelands. Dunmer that leave Ersatis are more likely to do so for greed than for piety.

Roleplaying Flavor

Dunmer are primarily nocturnal, explaining their low light vision and aversion to bright lights and loud noises.

Quite the opposite of Altmer, Dunmer view unconsciousness and dreaming as pleasurable, but dangerous and addictive. The soporific poison Dunmer use to coat their weapons actually originated as a drug used to achieve true sleep for recreational purposes. The experience of unconsciousness, and especially true dreaming, fascinates and excites them, for it offers a temporary escape from the incredible stress of living in Dunmer society, yet it leaves a Dunmer utterly vulnerable to his or her enemies. Even the rumour that a Dunmer has succumbed to an addiction to true sleep invites kidnap or assassination by rivals.

Racial Traits

+2 Dex +1 Cha

Darkvision

Resistant to fire

Trance

You gain proficiency with rapiers, shortswords, and hand crossbows

Ancestors Wrath - You can cast Hellish Rebuke as a 2nd level spell once per day. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell.

Dunmer Traits

Your elf character has a variety of natural abilities, the result of thousands of years of elven refinement.

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity score increases by 2.

Age

Although elves reach physical maturity at about the same age as humans, the elven understanding of adulthood goes beyond physical growth to encompass worldly experience. An elf typically claims adulthood and an adult name around the age of 100 and can live to be 750 years old.

Alignment

Elves love freedom, variety, and self-expression, so they lean strongly toward the gentler aspects of chaos. They value and protect others’ freedom as well as their own, and they are more often good than not. The drow are an exception; their exile into the Underdark has made them vicious and dangerous. Drow are more often evil than not.

Size

Elves range from under 5 to over 6 feet tall and have slender builds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision

Accustomed to twilit forests and the night sky, you have superior vision in dark and dim 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.

Keen Senses

You have proficiency in the Perception skill.

Fey Ancestry

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

Trance

Elves don’t need to sleep. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. (The Common word for such meditation is “trance.”) While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Elvish. Elvish is fluid, with subtle intonations and intricate grammar. Elven literature is rich and varied, and their songs and poems are famous among other races. Many bards learn their language so they can add Elvish ballads to their repertoires.