Homebrew Dyspal Species Details

WELL, IF IT'S MINERS YOU'RE AFTER, NOT EVEN dwarves can get through earth faster than a Dyspal digging team. I might be biased, but I'd advise you non-burrowers to never set foot underground without at least one Dyspal backing you up. Just in case.

-- Dusty Burrowfoot, Dyspal Ranger

Dyspals, or Dyspal, are a race that developed first in the Underdark, but they fairly quickly made their way into the Prime Material, the elemental plane of earth, and even the Shadowfell. Their true origin is lost, but many mages speculate that they were developed from true moles. Regardless of their origin, Dyspal has established themselves as a successful race, and they often have entire secondary cities deep beneath the streets of the better-known ones above.

Underdark Origin

Dyspals evolved first in the Underdark. Instead of darkvision, they navigate by sensing vibrations in the earth, which gives them a distinct advantage. Dyspals appear as bipedal moles, squat mammals with velvety fur and massive front paws. Their eyes and ears are difficult to see, as their fur is patterned to protect them. Those unfamiliar with them often focus their attention on the nose, which stands out from the fur and can have fleshy, sensory appendages on it which give it a star-like shape. They are stout and are typically dressed in practical clothing with subdued tones.

Expert Tunnelers

A Dyspal's most powerful ability is their potent digging power. Their front paws are huge for their size, bigger even than the hands of the largest races, like goliaths. These paws have long claws on each finger, that are both robust and sharp. These allow for both delicate motor functions and startlingly swift digging. While most Dyspals are restricted to digging in dirt, mud, sand, or ice, a few have managed to hone their skill to tunnel through stone, albeit at a significantly slower pace.

Unusual Habits

Dyspals live a substantial portion of their lives underground. Even those who deal with them extensively have only rarely seen their young, who don't even see the sun until they've reached adulthood. While this proclivity towards the subterranean has offered great protection, it has left them with norms that other societies find odd. Dyspal eat insects, often alive and wriggling, and they keep pets that other races find bizarre, like giant centipedes and tamed bulettes.

Natural Excavators

Due to their inherent connection with the earth, most Dyspals can find easy work as archaeologists, tunnelers, grave keepers, and miners. Those who become adventurers often dedicate themselves to paths that benefit from an ambush style of attack, such as assassins and gloomstalkers.

Dyspal Names

Dyspals have first names and surnames, as many other races do. Oftentimes, these names allude to their subterranean lifestyle, as an easy way to break the ice with surface dwellers.

Male Dyspal Names: Dusty, Clay, Delver, Desmen, Urotrich, Surico, Tenrec, Flint, Byron, Grant, Roark, Brock.

Female Dyspal Names: Bertha, Opal, Condy, Lura, Mogera, Roxanne, Amethyst, Amber, Jade, Agatha, Ametrine. Dyspal Surnames: Talpini, Scaptonychini, Neurotrichini, Scaptonyx, Burrowfoot, Spadeshoe, Warrener, Diggums.

Dyspal Personality

Living without sunlight for most of their lives, Dyspals are seen as strange by many surface-dwellers.

Dyspal Quirks

d8	Quirk
1	You suffer from agoraphobia, and you cannot sleep under an open sky.
2	You keep a gnome-constructed, clockwork device that buzzes all night as a tremorsense white noise machine.
3	You have a bad habit of tunneling out of buildings, instead of using doors, which causes damage.
4	You compulsively make puns about how much you "dig" things and how you get "tunnel vision."
5	You sleep-burrow.
6	You get really defensive when you find something or someone that tunnels faster.
7	You find Underdark critters cute, and keep things like big spiders as pets.
8	You pick at your claws the same way other humanoids pick at their nails; it's just a lot more noticeable.

 

Dyspal Traits

Dyspal can do most things humanoids can and everything a mole can. Your dyspal character has certain traits deriving from the species evolving and living their lives underground and in the underdark.

Ability Score Increase

Increase one ability score by 2, and increase a different one by 1.

Age

Dyspal age faster than humans and live longer, reaching adulthood at 15 and living 120 years on average.

Size

Dyspal average 4 and a half feet tall and weigh about 70 pounds. Dyspal are either medium or small.

Speed

You have a base walking speed of 25 feet and burrowing speed of 40 feet

Extra Senses

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.

Using the natural vibrations in the earth, you can sense the shape and position of objects and creatures within 15 feet while you are on the ground. Any creature within this range must make stealth (Dexterity) checks against you with disadvantage.

Claws

You have long claws that augment your unarmed strikes. They deal 1d6 slashing damage and have the light and finesse properties.

Hold Breath

You are accustomed to digging in closed tunnels and living in low-oxygen environments. You can hold your breath for fifteen minutes without penalty.

Languages

You speak Common and Undercommon.