Homebrew Wechselkind Species Details

A mother hears a sound in the night and worriedly checks on her sleeping toddler. Nothing appears amiss, but weeks later the glamour fades and the true horror is revealed: the child has been stolen by the faerie, and a wechselkind is left in its place. The faerie are callous and unchanging beings, so nothing sparks their fascination (and their envy) more than the malleable, bright spark of a young human child. A wechselkind is a construct crafted of wood, clay, and ceramic in the form of a small child, animated by faerie magic and concealed in a glamour that makes them appear identical to a stolen mortal babe. Once the glamour fades and the lie is revealed, the wechselkind is often cast out by its foster family, if not destroyed. Occasionally, though, a family takes pity on the poor creature and attempts to raise it as they would a child, only to find that while their mind develops normally, a wechselkind is forever bound in the unchanging form of a childlike doll. Whether nurtured or shunned, the wechselkind eventually finds itself an outcast in the world and must fend for itself as best it can. With few physical needs, the wechselkind often wanders from place to place, watching the people it encounters with envious eyes, hoping for a place to finally fit in. The residual magic of its faerie glamour allows it to conceal itself in the guise of a human child, and a lone wechselkind often takes to begging by the side of the road or doing odd jobs around an isolated farmhouse, searching for some scraps of acceptance or a small trinket or two to take with it when it must inevitably move on. Recently, with the advent of the Weeping Pox, the wechselkind have started to emerge from hiding and be recognized as a separate race of creatures. With their immunity to disease, a number of wechselkind have offered their services as nurses and doctor’s assistants in plague-stricken regions, gaining recognition and praise from those able to see beyond their tragic beginnings. These wechselkind are grateful for a sense of purpose and a place to belong, but remain wary. Once their usefulness is at an end, they know they may be cast out once more.

Creating Your Character

At 1st level, you choose whether your character is a member of the human race or of a fantastical race. If you select a fantastical race, follow these additional rules during character creation.

Ability Score Increases

When determining your character’s ability scores, increase one score by 2 and increase a different score by 1, or increase three different scores by 1. Follow this rule regardless of the method you use to determine the scores, such as rolling or point buy. The “Quick Build” section for your character’s class offers suggestions on which scores to increase. You can follow those suggestions or ignore them, but you can’t raise any of your scores above 20.

Age

As constructs, the wechselkind do not age as normal creatures do. They are forever trapped in the doll-like body of a stolen child. As such, their maximum age is more a function of natural erosion and damage than of time, occasionally needing to replace or fix body parts when needed. You are immune to magical aging effects.

Alignment

 Faerie are as close to the embodiment of chaos as most mortals are likely to see, and their creations usually follow that trend. Although some tend towards mischief, more wechselkind lean towards good than evil.

Size

 Built to resemble a child, wechselkind are between 2 and 3 feet tall and weigh between 35 and 55 pounds. Your size is Small.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 25 feet

Artifical Form

As a constructed creature, your body functions differently than a normal person. You have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned, and you have resistance to poison damage. You are immune to disease. You don’t need to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe. You are still considered humanoid.

Faerie Glamour

When the faerie leaves a wechselkind in place of a mortal child, they cover it with a glamour to make it appear identical to the child that was stolen. Over time this glamour fades, but a wechselkind can still call upon it in times of need. You may cast the disguise self spell once with this trait, but only to take on the appearance of the child you were intended to replace, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell.

Childish Agility

You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours. You gain proficiency in the Acrobatics skill.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Sylvan, Common, and one other language of your choice.

Wechselkind Traits

Constructed of sturdy materials and enchanted with powerful faerie magic, wechselkind possess several traits that distinguish them from the other races of Etharis

Childish Agility

You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours. You gain proficiency in the Acrobatics skill

Age

As constructs, the wechselkind do not age as normal creatures do. They are forever trapped in the doll-like body of a stolen child. As such, their maximum age is more a function of natural erosion and damage than of time, occasionally needing to replace or fix body parts when needed. You are immune to magical aging effects.

Alignment

Faerie are as close to the embodiment of chaos as most mortals are likely to see, and their creations usually follow that trend. Although some tend towards mischief, more wechselkind lean towards good than evil.

Size

You are Small.

Speed

Your walking speed is 25 feet.

Artificial Form

As a constructed creature, your body functions differently than a normal person. You have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned, and you have resistance to poison damage. You are immune to disease. You don’t need to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe. You are still considered humanoid.

Faerie Glamour

When the faerie leaves a wechselkind in place of a mortal child, they cover it with a glamour to make it appear identical to the child that was stolen. Over time this glamour fades, but a wechselkind can still call upon it in times of need. You may cast the disguise self spell once with this trait, but only to take on the appearance of the child you were intended to replace, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell.