Homebrew Elan Species Details

Elans are not born; they are made. Living humans are selected from a pool of applicants and screened by a special elan council. Those who pass muster undergo a secret psionic process in one of several hidden elan enclaves, where they abandon their humanity for a new, psionically energized existence. Thus, elans do not reproduce biologically, but rather psionically, through a mysterious psionic ritual known only to elans. Even then, their “children” are usually already fully formed adult humans. Nonhuman elans are never created, and it could be that the ritual simply doesn’t work for any creatures but those who were originally human.
When those who are still human seek the transformation to elans, they must petition existing elans for the privilege of going through the process. Elans are a secret lot in this regard, and do not publicly reveal their enclaves or places of making; the elans select new aspirants and turn away those they feel are unsuited for life as an elan. Newly created elans sometimes retain the basic memories and personalities of their previous human lives, but lose all their previous class levels, skills, and other characteristics; a newly created elan is a 1st-level character, free to reinvent himself as a member of his new race.

Physically, elans typically resemble humans in height and weight. Because the council members who make the selection of aspirants have their own preferences, elans of a certain “generation” often share certain physical characteristics. The few elans currently known to exist tend to have pale skin, red hair, and a youthful quality. Still, elans can vary in looks as widely as humans do. An elan dresses in a style typical of the area in which she lives (to all the better pass herself off as human), including the adoption of unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, body piercing, and the like.

Elan Traits

As an elan, you have the following racial traits.

Creature Type

You are a Humanoid and an Aberration.

Size

You are Medium.

Speed

Your walking speed is 30 feet.

Life Span

Elans have effectively unlimited life spans. As long as they are not destroyed, their mental arts could conceivably continually energize and rebuild their bodies for a thousand years or more.

Elan Psionics

You know the mage hand cantrip, and the hand is invisible when you cast the cantrip with this trait.

Starting at 3rd level, you can cast the shield spell with this trait. Starting at 5th level, you can also cast the detect thoughts spell with it. Once you cast shield or detect thoughts with this trait, you can’t cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast either of those spells using any spell slots you have of the appropriate level.

Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells when you cast them with this trait (choose when you select this race). None of these spells require spell components when you cast them with this trait.

Mental Discipline

Your innate psychic defenses grant you advantage on saving throws you make to avoid or end the charmed and frightened conditions on yourself.

Psychic Resilience

You have resistance to psychic damage.

Repletion

Elans are known to be able to survive off nothing but their own mind energy. You may perform a ritual that takes 1 hour and expends a spell slot of 1st level or higher. Your food and drink requirements are waived for the next 24 hours. You may not perform this ritual again until you finish a long rest.