Homebrew Yuan-Ti (Abomination) Species Details

Appearance

The appearance of yuan-ti varied greatly from nearly Human-like to nearly snake-like, but all had some serpentine features. Scale colors were usually simple greens and browns, but more elaborate swirls, stripes, or diamond patterns were possible, even in blues and reds.

Yuan-ti gave off almost no scent that a human could detect, but animals could sense a dry, musty odor from their bodies.

Only the most human-like forms wore clothing, but all varieties wielded weapons if they had means to carry them.

Combat

The yuan-ti took advantage of their great intelligence during battle, planning traps and making excellent use of their surroundings. They favored ambushes over direct attacks. If in groups, they sent their least valuable members forward first, meaning that purebloods advanced before halfbloods who advanced before abominations.

Yuan-ti favored bladed weapons. They used slow-acting poisons in their elaborate traps but not typically on their blades.

 

Society 

The yuan-ti preferred to make their homes in tropical jungles.

Yuan-ti call themselves vrael olo (which means "favored ones"). Daily use typically uses the shortened "vrael", and can be modified to "auvrael" (meaning friendly or known yuan-ti) and "duthrael" (unfriendly or unfamiliar yuan-ti).

In general, the more serpentine features a yuan-ti possesses the higher its status in yuan-ti society. Abominations are at the top of their society, followed by halfblood, and finally purebloods. Within their subraces, yuan-ti are ranked by achievements and the demonstrated favor of Sseth.

Yuan-ti culture centered around their temples, which often were found in ancient ruins or hidden deep underneath human cities. The locations of these were well-guarded secrets.

Outside their temples, they usually only appeared in small groups of less than five.

Yuan-ti found the body odor of humans repulsive, so much so that in areas controlled by yuan-ti, humans wore perfume to conceal their body odor.

Government

The abominations ruled over the other breeds of yuan-ti, leading from the temples.

Purebloods, being the most human-like, were the caste involved in negotiations with outside races.

Religion

The yuan-ti were devout demon-worshipers. Their worship often involved bloody sacrifices.[6] Most worshiped Sseth, with other serpentine deities that some have worshiped over the years either being masks worn by Sseth or a false deity of the Scaleless Ones. All yuan-ti must act in accordance with the Sacred Way of Sseth - that is, subtly. Whenever possible, yuan-ti choose manipulation over open confrontation, the whisper over the fang. Followers of the Sacred Way of Sseth know their foes, think ahead, and plan forward.

Language

Yuan-ti had their own language, which used the Draconic alphabet, and most could also speak Common. Draconic and Abyssal were also typically known. Some sages reported that all yuan-ti could also communicate readily with any snake or snake-like creature.

Architecture

Yuan-ti buildings were often circular. In place of staircases, they often had ramps or poles instead, since most of them could slither and many of them could climb.

Ecology

Yuan-ti were consummate carnivores, eating any kind of warm-blooded flesh, including humans. Besides human meat, they also enjoyed birds and thus kept large herds of flightless birds captive for food.

Female yuan-ti lay eggs in brood chambers, marking each clutch with its parentage, then abandoning them to the care of broodguard. Yuan-ti hatchlings are hatched from these eggs, which are always curious and eager to explore, and will seek food immediately, even eating each other if sustenance is not at hand. Their initial training is provided by broodguards, which also monitor the hatchery. They will slither to the nearest cover when they see danger or hear a warning.

Yuan-ti in their prime will scheme, breed, and work on behalf of their tribes. Breeding is carefully controlled, seen as a holy act, in order to produce the "best" offspring. Prospective partners will coldly measure one another and if both agree that the match is promising, they usually mate, regardless of their personal affections towards each other.

Often elder yuan-ti grow lazy when they reach great age, sleeping or lying in torpor for longer and longer periods - first for days, then weeks, then seasons at a time, and finally years upon years. At last, they fail to wake at all.

History

The yuan-ti were once human. Long before humankind dominated the continent of Faerûn, the Creator Races ruled Toril. The reptilian Creator Race, the sarrukh, were foremost amongst these and built up great empires. They bred the first yuan-ti by magically experimenting with and breeding men with snakes, also creating nagas and, through a similar process, lizardman. They eventually fell from power and the resourceful yuan-ti rose up to claim their Creators' power vacuum, even while sustaining the empire of Mhairshalk. Of the fragmented World Serpent deity that the sarrukh had worshiped, the yuan-ti venerated the strongest aspect, a cruel and despotic deity, Merrshaulk, who grew distant and aloof.

As the yuan-ti's power became less visible on Faerûn, and they instead fell to infiltrating human and demihuman society through their organizations and long-sighted plots, Merrshaulk had sunk into a slumber, ignoring his followers. Eventually, around the time of the collapse of the human empire of Netheril, Merrshaulk himself was also reborn as a winged yuan-ti avatar named Sseth, who became the yuan-ti's new primary deity. In the end, though, Sseth too sank into somnolence.

At this point some sarrukh, long suffering a heavy war on other planes or sunken in hibernation in their ruins, began to return in some numbers. They crucially needed help from their deity, but Sseth was not answering prayers in his slumber. So for aid in their endeavors some of the sarrukh made a bargain with the Mulhorandi deity Set, that put Sseth into a deeper sleep but allowed Set to assume Sseth's mantle and grant the sarrukh their aid. Most yuan-ti do not even know of this transaction, though now Sseth struggles at his bonds some are being made aware of it.

(All of this information is from the “Forgotten Realms Wiki” on the Yuan-ti page)

Yuan-Ti (Abomination) Traits

Yaun-ti are a a race of serpent like creatures. with special traits that coincide with being one. You can bite a victim and grapple another in place with your long tail. As such, playing a Yaun-Ti will need special consideration from your DM.

Ability score increase

Due to the your medium size and speed, you can lift many times your weight. Your race is very smart because of the tactics and traps you use, and thus you gain +2 in Strength and +1 in Wisdom.

Age

Yuan-Ti Abominations can live for 200 years, Malisons 150, and Purebloods 100. They all mature at age 8, as their parents almost never wish to care for them for too long.

Size

Yuna-Ti are larger than a regular human standing at a tall 8ft to 12ft tall. You have long and thick bodies which can often very between other Yuan-Ti. You are around the same height as Dragonborns.

Speed

You have a base walking speed of 35ft

Alignment

An Yuan-Ti's alighnment is not very specific because it is varied among others. Most Yuan-Ti scouts are chaotic good while the higher ups (such as captains) could be lawful neutral.

Snake Skin

You are Resistant to poison type attacks.

Constrict

You may use your tail to constrict (grapple) another creature in range (5ft) as an action. The creature does not move until you let go or the creature succeeds a dexterity saving throw. The creature that is being constructed must not be bigger than you, if it is, the move will simply fail (but you may grapple onto the limb or other appendage).The move will do 1d6 bludgeoning damage plus your strength modifier. Your hands and arms will be free during the duration of the grapple. If the creature is smaller than you, the move's damage will be increase by 1d6. The move's damage will increase by 1d6 when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6) and 17th (4d6).

Acidic Bite

You use your long jaws to a bite down on a creature you see in range. On a hit, the creature takes 1d4 of piercing damage, plus your strength modifier, and 1d4 of poison damage. The damage of the move will be increased by 1d4 (piercing) when you reach 5th level (2d4), 11th level (3d4), and 17th level (4d4).

Snake Tongue

Because you are a snake, other snakes in the wild are not a threat to you unless you make them one. Other snakes can help you fight and will help you with difficult puzzles. They will do all of this and to your party to if they are willing to do so.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, and you can choose between either Draconic, or Abyssal.