Homebrew Azer Species Details

Below is the common lore of Azer across most realms. You may, however, be adventuring in a world where Azer are only Native Outsiders more similar to Fire Genasi than true Elemental spirits. If so, this author encourages you to ignore treat Living Fire as optional, and with it the Damage Threshold from Strength of Flame.

Natives of the Elemental Plane of Fire, azers are master crafters, expert miners, and sworn foes of the efreet. In appearance and manner, an azer resembles a male dwarf, but this is a facade. Beneath its metallic-looking skin, an azer is a being of fire, which outwardly manifests in its fiery hair and beard.

Made, Not Born. Azers don’t reproduce. They are each crafted from bronze by another azer and imbued with a portion of the crafter’s inner flame. Each azer is sculpted with unique features. This crafting process limits the growth of the azer population and is the primary reason that these creatures remain rare.

Volcanic Dwellers. Azers dwell in a kingdom on the border between the Elemental Plane of Earth and the Elemental Plane of Fire — a range of mountains and volcanoes whose spires rise as a series of fortresses. Beneath mountain peaks, under volcanic calderas, and amid rivers of magma, azers extract gleaming metals and glittering gems from the earth. Squads of azer patrol the passes and tunnels of their realm, fending off the salamander raiders whose efreet masters order strikes against the azer kingdom.

Enemies of the Efreet. Long ago, the efreet and the azers were allies. Azers helped create the City of Brass, forging that home of the efreet into one of the most wondrous places in creation. When the azers had finished their work, the efreet betrayed them, making a failed attempt to enslave the azers so as to protect the secrets of the city. Despite occasional raids and skirmishes, however, the two sides have so far refrained from all-out conflict. The azers believe that only the threat of them revealing the hidden ways into the City of Brass keeps the efreet in check.

Masters of Metal and Gems. Azers are masterful artisans, and create beautiful works from the gems and precious metals found in their volcanic habitat. They rate the value of such treasures above all other things, sometimes dispatching parties across the planes to seek out rare metals and gemstones.

When azers are called by magic to the Material Plane, it is typically to help forge an elaborate magic item or work of art, for it is said that their skill in such craft knows no equal.

Azer Traits

Your Azer character has an assortment of innate features, inseparable from Azer creation.

Ability Score Increase

Your Constitution score increases by 2.

Age

Dwarves mature at the same rate as humans, but they’re considered young until they reach the age of 50. On average, they live about 350 years.

Living Fire

You do not need to eat, drink, or sleep. However, you must sill perform eight hours of light activity to gain the benefits of a Long Rest.

Size

Dwarves stand between 4 and 5 feet tall and average about 150 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 25 feet. Your speed is not reduced by wearing heavy armor.

Illumination

You shed bright light in a 10-ft radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet. This can be suppressed as long as you wear a metal helmet that fully conceals your hair and beard.

Form of Brass

You are resistant to fire and poison damage, and have a Damage Threshold against fire equal to your level (When a single source would deal total damage to you equal to or less than your Damage Threshold, it deals 0 damage instead). You have advantage on saving throws against the Poisoned condition.

Brassgaard Militia Training

You have proficiency with the battleaxe, handaxe, light hammer, and warhammer.

Tool Proficiency

You gain proficiency with the artisan’s tools of your choice: smith’s tools, brewer’s supplies, or glassblower’s tools.

Brasscunning

Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to the origin of metalwork, you are considered proficient in the History skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.

Heated Body

Your body gives off extreme heat. You cannot wear nonmagical clothing or armor unless it was made specially for Azer use. Such equipment costs four times as much as normal equipment of the same type.
Additionally, whenever you successfully hit a creature with an attack made with a weapon, or with an unarmed strike, or a creature within 5 feet of you hits you with a melee attack, you may automatically deal additional fire damage to the creature equal to one roll of your Proficiency Die. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum 1), and regain expended uses on a Short Rest.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, Dwarvish, and the Ignan dialect of Primordial.