Homebrew Bulettekin Species Details

Poor Unfortunate Souls
Appearing almost overnight the Bulettekin were unceremoniously and secretly discarded en masse, with little to no memory of themselves or their pasts. Worries of an ensuing attack began at first, but years of nothing but mundanity and a friendliness those worries began to fade. With settlement and cautious acceptance came the inquiries and studies by perplexed and fearful townships. The results of which were that the Bulettekin are someone or something’s failed attempt to make a superior subservient superhumanoid warrior race. Birthed by alchemically and twisted by arcane magic, melding the traits of several creatures and the unwilling humanoid subjects.

Within the world’s magic, mysteries, and adventures it’s not uncommon for someone to come up missing. Loved ones are hoped to have joined some heroic adventuring crew off on an epic world-saving journey. Realistically however, missing friends and loved ones are most likely maimed, scorched, dissolved, drowned, dead, and swallowed. If they’re lucky that is, because sometimes death isn’t the worst outcome. Sometimes your best friend is captured, sold, stripped, tortured, and experimented on in ways that would make an Aboleth retch. Such horrors were thrust upon those first batches of Bulettekin.

Making Do on Rough Ground
By which entity or what alchemy the first Bulettekin were created is still unknown, but their specimens were numerous. Currently the Bulettekin have nowhere near the population of common races but are growing in number with each generation. Their semi-subterranean dwellings dot the borders and outskirts of every hospitable humanoid settlements by the dozens.

The abrupt thrust into the world left the Bulettekin in a bewildering hazed state as misshapen, monstrous, and mentally muddled creatures. Their sudden arrival and dangerous appearance left the humanoids who were first encountered in an alarmed and nervous state however, Bulettekin prove to be no more vicious mindless monsters than average humanoid they find themselves among. For peace of mind and the safety of themselves and existing residents, many Bulettekin respectfully chose to shelter themselves and build their dwellings separate from the skittish humanoids whose towns they now surrounded.

Bulettekin soon discovered they were skillful diggers and subterranean navigators. Through hard work and cooperative trust, the Bulettekin found themselves employed as expert miners and excavators. Even with their less than geodynamic shape the Bulettekin are often seen effortlessly swimming through solid earth and rough ground like sharks through water, or the monstrous bulette through earth. This is commonly believed how the race of Bulettekin gained their name.

Despite a ferocious appearance and a sometimes coarse and simple disposition, the Bulettekin are generally an honest, loyal, and good-hearted folk.

A Gnashing of Tooth & Fin
Undoubtedly every individual Bulettekin derives its alchemically jumbled appearance from a dozen or more separate monsters and humanoids. However, among the race most of that tinkering has expressed itself as a blend between humanoid, shark, and bulette.

The Bulettekin are a bipedal humanoid race whose entire bodies are hulking excessively muscled masses. Adult Bulettekin stand with a forward hunched posture between 6 and 7 feet tall at the crown of the skull. Bulettekin often have a tough shark-like dorsal fin protruding a foot or so from the base of the neck and between the shoulder blades. Their fin often protrudes from the earth as the Bulettekin burrows like a warning flag to those in its path. Despite the mingling of creatures that formed the Bulettekin, the race is still fairly mammalian in nature. Sharing many of the dimorphisms common in other humanoid races.

Atop a Bulettekin’s absurdly wide shoulders, massive neck muscles, and encompassing part of the chest sits an enormous and monstrous forward-facing head. Possibly looking more at home on a hunter or reef shark than a humanoid. With a conical wedge-like shape tapering to a point at the tip of the nose. On its underside a wide crescent shaped mouth, filled with uncountable rows of gleaming serrated dagger-like teeth. Their mouth opening so wide most could swallow a pumpkin whole, without nicking the rind. The Bulettekin’s multi-rowed teeth grow continuously throughout one’s life, with each damaged or lost tooth being replaced by a brand-new one within a day or two.

Most Bulettekin are similar in appearance, but they are not without diversity. Some sporting wild skin coloration and stripes or spots, while others have the more muted and natural colors of earth and stone. Through their creators alchemic tinkering some seem to have kept wildly flowing manes of hair while others appear to lack even the faintest whisker. Bulettekin most commonly have an incredibly tough but smooth skin, however along their backs and shoulders many sport stubby spikes, tuberculated scales, or bony armor plating. Generally, Bulettekin head shape, while still conical, can come in many forms. Most commonly looking like a wedged shark-like head, but also including a widened scalloped hammer like shape, a blunter and more rounded nose with a wider mouthed gape, an almost tubular shape with a tooth lined circular lamprey like opening, and even an oddly pointed mixture of goblinoid and shark.

Bulettekin are omnivorous and opportunistic eaters, with a bite, stomach, and digestive system able to derive sustenance from material most humanoids would never consider. While a Bulettekin could happily live on rations, meats, and cheeses in dire times one could happily sustain themselves on mundane non-magical natural items and objects. Whether wooden items like barrels, furniture, branches, and twigs; bits of metal like copper, tin, silver, and gold, including coinage; rocky and mineral rich material like bricks, mortar, stone, and pottery; and fibrous cloth-like materials like silk, linen, vellum, and parchment.

Odd Pups
Despite the untold amount of alchemical tampering and the melding of dissimilar creatures needed to create Bulettekin, the race can and do produce viable healthy young colloquially called pups. Often finding mated pairs of Bulettekin rearing several rambunctious and toothy offspring, whose infant teething rituals would literally eat any other humanoid out of house and home.

Bulettekin pups seem to come in two varieties, either sharing the appearance, markings, and coloration of one parent or a blended mix of the both. In the beginning some feared Bulettekin might somehow multiply and spread like rats, however beginning with the relatively few individuals and most parings having but a few pups this doesn’t seem to be the case. It seems as well, the fusion of so many creatures into one race has given the Bulettekin enough diversity as to not cause issues with parings despite having a comparatively small pool of potential mates.

Most Bulettekin pick their mates like any other humanoid race would; by selecting those they love, have an infatuation with, or ones they find most comforting and fit for parentage. Lately however, rambunctious young adult Bulettekin can been seen fighting for those they find most desirable. These quarrels, while toothy and violent, are short lived and almost never fatal. The losers pride suffering the most damage, or at least coming out with a few new scars and minor cuts to show off to the next mate.

Around 28 weeks after Bulettekin pare off, the pups are born. Toothless, but awake and hungry. The rearing of pups is usually a shared responsibility between mating pairs. Pups grow fast, reaching adolescence 3 to 4 years before a human would, and to full adulthood around 14 to 16 years of age.

The Bulettekin race itself is so young not much is known about their twilight years and end of life cycle. Rough estimation is that despite maturing very quickly, the average Bulettekin lifespan is double that of a typical human.

Bulettekin Names
Most first generation Bulettekin had no memory of who or what they were before they became Bulettekin. Having no attachments to history, culture, nor knowledge of any former names or titles they had before their transfiguration, most Bulettekin picked names as they wanted.

Second and subsequent Bulettekin generations took that freedom and ran with it, it is now common for pups to choose their own names, or renaming themselves, on becoming young adults and leaving their parent’s home and oversight. This often leads to Bulettekin having some brash, rude, odd, or hilarious and outright silly names.

Common Bulettekin Names: Ripper, Streaks, Jab, Slammer, Licker, Rox, Manta, Guts, Burp, Bends, Swordling, Bullseye, Spike, Bone, Slobber, Slash, Killer, Hacks, Spitter, Commander, Shrimp, Tiny, Bomber, Surge, Gnaw, Chomp, Breaker, Sledge, Slag

Bulettekin Traits

Bulettekin Traits: Your alchemically tainted appearance may be unique to you, but you share traits in common with all other Bulettekin.

Ability Score Increase

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

Age

While you reach adolescence and to full adulthood 3 to 4 years before a human would, you can live twice as long, up to 200 years old.

Alignment:

Bulettekin are brash and tend to act before thinking but are generally good natured. Your alignment is Chaotic with a tendency towards Good or Neutral.

Size

Your hulking wide body is a threatening and imposing sight, standing 6 to 7 feet tall and weighting over 200 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base Walking speed is 30 feet.

Land Shark

As an action you can burrow yourself into the ground. You have a burrowing speed of 15 feet and while burrowing you have 10 feet of tremorsense. To be able to burrow, you must have both hands free.

While burrowing you can share an occupied space with a creature but cannot emerge below them. While underground you have total cover from ranged attacks, and melee attacks made against you are at a disadvantage, however spells and abilities with an area of effect still affect you as normal. You have disadvantage on dexterity saving throws while burrowing.

You can use this trait a number of minutes, rounded up, equal to your Proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier. Any time spent borrowing, up to your maximum amount, is regained once you complete a long rest.

Bite

Your shark-like mouth is a natural weapon which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier.

Everything Edible

Through a powerful stomach and the alchemical tinkering that brought your race to life, you can eat non-magical organic and inorganic materials and gain sustenance from these materials. These materials include common metals like iron, steel, copper, tin, silver, and gold; rocky and earthen material like bricks, mortar, stone, and pottery; natural and hewn woods like branches, twigs, doors, planks, furniture; and any cloth or fibrous paper-like material including vellum, silk, linen, and parchment.

You must consume twice as much in weight, compared to a regular food source, to count as a fully sustainable meal.

Hybrid Nature

You have two creature types: humanoid and monstrosity. You can be affected by a game effect if it works on either of your creature types

Language

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