Homebrew Demi-Tortle! Species Details

Everyday we train. We train our minds. We train our bodies. We train in every skill passed down to us by The Alchemist that gave us life. It is the only way to honor his work and his sacrifice, as well as the sacrifices of those before us.

-Nardo

Physical Description

Demi-Tortles are humanoid. Adult Demi-Tortles stand at roughly 5'-6'6" and can weight upto 350 pounds. Their smaller shells and leaner frames make them much lighter than their Tortle forefathers. They've lost the ability to retract into their shells but have retained their claws and scales. They are unable to grow hair but have shown that they can have different colored eyes.

History

An alchemist wanting to make chimera experimented on Tortle eggs, splicing them with his own human DNA. After many failures, he finally found success with the last 10 pairs of eggs he had.

The eggs hatched and grew. The alchemist commissioned builders to make a few homes for the Demi-Tortles. Eventually they reproduced. The alchemist commissioned more homes for them as their small colony grew.

The Demi-Tortles showed the same versatility in knowledge, combat, and magic that humans have, with some of the physicality as their Tortle heritage.

Society

Their small community grew. Under the tutelage of the old alchemist, they grew to like magic. The community is close and tight knit.

They've developed a tribal system where the leader is chosen through a series of physical and mental challenges every 10 years. The winner will be the chief of the village while the previous leaders will act as advisors.

Demi-Tortles, like Tortles, are a generally peaceful race. Their martial prowess comes from finding tranquility in training.

Demi-Tortles reach maturity at age 40 and have a lifespan of +250 years. Also, unlike Tortles, they begin mating early in their lives and continue to do so until they're about 200 years old. They only produce 10-15 eggs at a time that take 8 months to hatch.

Demi-Tortles exhibit the same range of coloration and patterns found among turtles, and many Demi-Tortles enjoy adorning their faces in distinctive ways.

Alignment

Demi-Tortles tend to lead orderly, ritualistic lives. They develop customs and routines,
often leading them becoming immersed in their work. Many are warriors while the others are mages or builders.
Becoming more set in their ways as they age, most are Chaotic Good or Neutral Good.
A few can be selfish and greedy, tending more toward evil, but it’s unusual for a Demi-Tortle to shuck off daily order in favor of true chaos.

 

Ability Score Increases

Your Dexterity score increases by 2

Your Intelligence score increases by 1

Languages

You speak Aquan, Common and Draconic

Creature Type

Humanoid

Life Span

Demi-Tortles are long lived, but since they're a new race, no one knows exactly how long they live. The oldest Demi-Tortle in their village is 223 and still shows the vitality of a 40 year old

Height and Weight

Adult Demi-Tortles stand at roughly 5'-6'6" and can weight upto 350 pounds.

Demi-Tortle! Traits

As a tortle, you have the following racial traits.

Creature Type

You are a Humanoid.

Size

You are Medium or Small. You choose the size when you select this race.

Speed

Your walking speed is 30 feet and your swimming speed is 50 feet

Claws

You have claws that you can use to make unarmed strikes. When you hit with them, the strike deals 1d6 + your Strength modifier slashing damage, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Hold Breath

You can hold your breath for up to 1 hour.

Natural Armor

Your shell provides you a base AC of 14. You can’t wear light, medium, or heavy armor, but if you are using a shield, you can apply the shield’s bonus as normal.

Nature’s Intuition

Thanks to your mystical connection to nature, you gain proficiency with one of the following skills of your choice: Animal Handling, Medicine, Nature,  Stealth, or Survival.