Homebrew Zern Species Details

Across all the myriad worlds of the multiverse, there are few races more adaptable than zerns. A zern can alter their own physiology to suit their current needs, accomplishing in moments what takes other creatures countless generations. They can toughen their skin against extreme heat, grow claws or fangs to protect themselves against threats, and even disguise themselves as other races. On some worlds, zerns gained this ability through centuries of research and experimentation, but on others, it is simply an innate biological trait.

No two zerns are alike, and their bodies undergo mutations so rapidly that they rarely look the same from one day to the next. However, they always retain their characteristic ropey musculature, which shifts and twists subtly beneath their dark, rubbery skin. Zerns also possess distinctive clusters of tendrils growing from their heads like hair, which serve both as sensory organs and a way to identify individuals regardless of their current form. Like the rest of their biology, a zern's sex can be changed at will. Although all zern are born male, most choose to become female at least once, and many switch back and forth frequently throughout their lives. Others, particularly older individuals, may instead choose to be neither, preferring a neutral, sterile form.

Zerns often cultivate unique mutations in themselves, whether as a form of self-expression or simply for practical reasons. The Zern Mutations table provides a number of example mutations that your zern character might possess.

Zern Mutations

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.

Languages

Your character can speak, read, and write Common and one other language that you and your DM agree is appropriate for the character. The Player’s Handbook offers a list of languages to choose from. The DM is free to modify that list for a campaign.

Creature Type

Every creature in D&D, including each player character, has a special tag in the rules that identifies the type of creature they are. Most player characters are of the Humanoid type. A race tells you what your character’s creature type is.

Here’s a list of the game’s creature types in alphabetical order: Aberration, Beast, Celestial, Construct, Dragon, Elemental, Fey, Fiend, Giant, Humanoid, Monstrosity, Ooze, Plant, Undead. These types don’t have rules themselves, but some rules in the game affect creatures of certain types in different ways. For example, the cure wounds spell doesn’t work on a Construct or an Undead.

Life Span

The typical life span of a player character in the D&D multiverse is about a century, assuming the character doesn’t meet a violent end on an adventure. Members of some races, such as dwarves and elves, can live for centuries. If typical members of a race can live longer than a century, that fact is mentioned in the race’s description.

Height and Weight

Player characters, regardless of race, typically fall into the same ranges of height and weight that humans have in our world. If you’d like to determine your character’s height or weight randomly, consult the Random Height and Weight table in the Player’s Handbook, and choose the row in the table that best represents the build you imagine for your character.

Zern Traits

As a zern, you have the following racial traits.

Creature Type

You are a Humanoid.

Size

Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your walking speed is 30 feet, and you have a climbing speed equal to your walking speed.

Adaptive Resistance

You can reflexively modify your body to protect yourself against damage. When you take acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage, you can use your reaction to gain resistance to the triggering damage type until the start of your next turn. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Darkvision

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 discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray.

Induce Mutation

You can subtly alter yourself to ensure that you're prepared for any scenario. Whenever you finish a long rest, you can gain proficiency in your choice of Acrobatics, Athletics, Perception, Sleight of Hand, or Stealth. You retain this proficiency until you finish another long rest. You can also expend a hit die whenever you finish a short rest to replace the selected proficiency with another from this list.

Malleable Form

Your mutable anatomy allows you to shapeshift to a limited degree. Starting at 3rd level, you can cast the alter self spell with this trait, without requiring material or verbal components. When you cast it in this way, it doesn't require concentration. Once you cast the spell with this trait, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast the spell using any spell slots you have of 2nd level or higher. Constitution is your spellcasting ability for this spell.