Homebrew Quarian Species Details

Living in the Migrant Fleet, this race is known as wanderers, or even vagrants. The majority of them live in the Migrant Fleet, where they travel around, seeking a place to call home after they lost their original homeland three centuries prior.

(This version of the quarians from Mass Effect is mildly changed from their "official" counterparts, giving them more fantasy elements and less sci-fi ones; feel free to change certain parts for your campaigns and characters, if you deem it necessary.)

 

Physical Traits

Quarians spend their entire lives within suits, which are enchanted to protect them from disease. Their immune systems have been weakened after spending generations within sterilized ships; a single pathogen could result in countless deaths, thus the necessity of their suits, and subsequent weakening of their immune systems.

As for their actual bodies, however, quarians resemble many other humanoids; they have hands like turians, which two thick fingers and opposable thumbs, and similar feet and legs, but with the lithe bodies of elves. The females have pronounced hips, while the males often have broader shoulders.

Very few people have ever seen under a quarian's suit; even among family they remain in suits, and if they were to remove their masks, they would become dangerously ill, but to do it among non-quarians, it would be even worse. To come into contact with bodily fluids from non-quarians would cause them sickness worse than nearly anything. Their faces, however, are rumored to be incredibly beautiful, capable of rivaling even the elves.

Specifically, there are two rumored styles of faces.

One of them is very similar to humans, but often with linear facial tattoos, or with magical augments attached to their foreheads. The second is more like that of elves, with purple skin tones like that of the drow, although fairer in coloration, but with a head crest rising over their scalp, resembling the petals of certain flowers. Of course, as very few people have ever seen a quarian's face, these may only be rumors, and the reality could be very different.

Society

Quarian society is heavily based around serving the good of the Fleet, or whatever group the individuals may be a part of. They are taught from a young age that the Migrant Fleet cannot survive if it cannot sustain itself, so everyone learns skills to help maintain it. They also have a strong sense of community, trying to help those in need whenever possible.

At the age of 15, quarians embark on their Pilgrimage, a rite of passage into adulthood. For this tradition, they leave the Migrant Fleet for the wider world, and only return once they've found something of worth to the Fleet. This could be a large quantity of money, a new ship, or even new techniques that could help farming, maintenance, etc.

Beliefs

A major part of the beliefs of quarians is the reverence of their homeland. One of their most common phrases, "Keelah se'lai," translates to "By the homeland I hope to see one day," and is used to add extra emphasis to a statement, or used as a phrase of surprise. They also pray to ocean and weather gods, as a single storm could wipe out hundreds of ships in mere hours, or throw them days off of their intended course.

One of the biggest hopes of their culture is to return to Rannoch, their homeland, and reclaim it.

History

Three centuries ago, the quarians of Rannoch created the geth, constructs that they used as servants for repetitive or dangerous tasks. Eventually, it was discovered they share a group-intellect, in which a group gets smarter with more individuals within. Eventually, there were enough geth that their group-intellect gave them near-sentience, and they rebelled against their masters. Eventually, after a long war, known as the Morning Star War, the quarians were defeated and exiled from their homeland, forcing them into the Migrant Fleet, where they remain to this day.

Quarian Traits

Quarians' traits are almost all based around practicality, and are usually specialized for tasks that benefit a larger group, most commonly the Migrant Fleet, but can instead be useful for a separate society, or even an adventuring party.

Ability Score Increase

You may increase your Dexterity and Constitution by 1.

Age

Quarians have lifespans almost exactly the same as humans; they reach maturity just before their second decade, and most die before their first century.

Alignment

Growing up in the Migrant Fleet, quarians are taught to help out anyone who needs it, resulting in a primarily Good morality across them.

Languages

You know English, Khelish, and one extra language of your choice.

Quarian Training

You gain proficiency in one tool, and one instrument/game set of your choice.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Weakened Immune System

At the end of a long rest, after completing a battle that you lost over half your total health, or completing a battle where you were hit with a critical hit, you roll a d100.

If you roll a 1, you become sick, granting you disadvantage on all Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, and Charisma checks, as well as Strength, Dexterity, and Wisdom saves.

From this point on, you must make a Constitution Saving Throw at the end of each long rest (DC 20 - Con Mod), and when you succeed, you are no longer sick, and gain an increase of 1 to any stat, which is determined by a d6 roll.

1. Strength
2. Dexterity
3. Constitution
4. Intelligence
5. Wisdom
6. Charisma

Instead, however, certain items and spells can cure you, but you will not receive the stat increase.