Homebrew Arcane Shifter Species Details

         Possibly born out of wild magic, a curse, or maybe in a tinkering laboratory. An Arcane Shifter is gifted, or possibly even cursed with an ability to shift their form to monstrous, debilitating, but powerful form. Though they must always be careful not to push too far or be drowned in their monstrous morphs. 

Arcane Made

         Not usually born, choose another race to appear as your normal form. The form you choose affects your size, but not your speed or racial bonuses. This race is one of a magical morphological shift, not a born race. Maybe a keen eye can see the magical origins, but who knows. 

A Keen Eye

        Possibly your eyes, hair, or maybe even teeth can betray your arcane genetics, Though if any details shine through, they are very subtle. Maybe (if your an avian shifter) feathers baried under your hair, or long talons, or golden eagle-like eyes. Maybe (if your an Aquatic Shifter) Scales somewhere on your body or maybe your skin is always slick with moisture, maybe you have slight webbing on your hands and feet. Maybe (if your an athropod Shifter) you have slivers of chitonous skin, or maybe even hidden mandibles in your mouth. Something along those lines.

 

Names

        They usually change their given names, as they are mostly experiments. The name Attempt X.c.1.67 isn't usually a great name to help connect with others, so they'll change it usually to objects or plants they might have seen or found. Names such as:

Wolfsbane, Hibiscus, Beaker, Ruby, Elm, Ash, Catnip, Pipette, Flask, Bunsen (Burner), Devil's Ivy, Titration

 

Arcane Shifter Traits

Made through the arcane, monster or humaniod, who knows..

Ability Score Increase

Either your Intelligence or Constitution score increases by 2, and either your Charisma or Dexterity score increases by 1.

Arcane made

You have proficiency in arcana and 2 other skills. 

Speed

Your base walking speed is 40 feet.

Shifting

You can shift any amount of times a day, gaining all the advantages- at a risk. 

Shifting

When you shift you gain many an advantage, but the in use you have the chance to lose yourself from the monster.

Claws: As an action make 2 magical weapon attacks (use DEX bonus plus Proficiency bonus), if you hit you do 1d8 +DEX magical slashing damage per strike. 

Bristled Stealth: You have advantage on stealth checks. 

Feral Resistance: You gain advantage on CON saving throws, STR saving throws, and DEX saving throws.

Monstrous Senses: You have advantage on Wisdom (perception) checks and have advantage on Sight or Smell-based Wisdom (perception) checks. 

Shifting Size: Your size is medium, though you can choose to be large or small. 

You can stay in this form for up to 4 hours before needing to shift back. If you don't, go immediately to Feral Shift

 

Arcane Shifts:

Your shifting forces allow you to change forms, only ever into one, choose. 

      Avian:

A giant bird-like or semi avian form

Avian Hunting: if you attack while flying above them you have advantage on both ranged attacks, also add +1 to attack and damage rolls.

Flight: You have a flying speed of 45

     Arthropod: 

A giant insect or arachnid-like form

Envenomation: Whenever you make a Claws attack or a physical touch you can Envenomate them; They have to make a Constitution save equal to your save DC based on your Constitution score, and on a fail, they take 1d4 poison damage at the top of their turn for 5 turns, you can do this once a short or long rest outside of your shifted form, otherwise you are required to be in your shifted form to do. You are resistant to nonmagical poison damage both in and out of your shifted form. 

Chittering Crawling: You have an innate climbing speed equal to 45 both in and out of your shifted form. 

       Mammalian:

Large monkey or bear-like form 

Mammal Metabolism: you can ignore up to 3 points of exhaustion before taking a short rest or long rest, and anyone within 5ft of you when traveling in cold or desert environment gets advantage on any CON saving throws. You also are resistant to cold both in and out of your shifted form. 

Powerful jump: You can jump up to 20 ft.

       Aquatic:

Creatures of the sea or swamp

Oozing Muck: You ooze a silt-like muck from your skin, giving you advantages. You can add either your CHA bonus or INT bonus to your AC, as well as any enemy within 15 ft has to make a DEX save with a DC equal to your CON score or become prone. 

Aquatic Affinity: you can breathe underwater, you have a swimming speed equal to 45, and you have darkvision for 80 ft both in and out of your shifted form.

      Aberrant:

A swirling whirlwind of teeth and eyes, or possibly beholder-like humanoid. 

Aberrant infection: you can speak telepathy, you can infect an unconscious humanoid to turn into a Flumph under your control (you can have a max of your INT modifier under your control) both in and out of shifted form. 

Tendrils of flesh: You have 3 natural weapons, they have a reach of 20ft and deal 2d6+CON psychic, or slashing damage. 

 

 

Reverting

This can be a long and problematic process, and it would be harder without your source entity.

Reverting: Taking a bonus action, you can return to your normal form; doing so requires you to roll percentile dice, if you roll under the specified percentage you go into your failed shift. The first time you try to revert, you must roll over 5% to fully return to your normal form, then roll a d20; if you roll a 1 on the d20 the next time you have to roll the percentage dice you must roll over 10% (every time you roll a 1 on the d20, increase the percentage you must roll over by 5 percent). 

Source entity: They give you the power to shift back, an entity of power; maybe you found an ancient piece of god dust, or a fallen star, maybe a storm that's solidified into an tiny entity. You have a tiny entity, it can contact you at all times. It speaks one language of your choice and has 1 hit point. 

If your source entity is killed, then you immediately shift into your feral shift. After 30 days make a Wisdom saving throw at disadvantage -3, if you beat a DC 25 (or hit a Natural 20 on the taken dice) then you revert to your normal form and cannot shift into your shifted form.

 

Failed Shift

If you fail to leave your shifted form, you begin your mutation. The fallowing things apply. 

You keep all the previous things from your original shift, accept: 

Monstrous Deterioration: Make a WIS or CHA save (whichever is higher), DC equal to your level +10 (max 25). If you succeed remake saving throw at the dawn of every day. If you fail: you are vulnerable to psychic damage; you cannot speak any language though you can understand your previous languages; Your Monstrous Presence extends to your allies as well as your enemies; you have disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks in direct sunlight; and you shed feathers or fur, meaning anyone who wants to track you using a Survival (Wis) check has advantage. 

Mutating Size: Your size is increased to the next largest size, or if already size large, you stay size large. 

Ragged Hold: When near a mobile entity that's under CR 1, roll a Wisdom Saving Throw: if you beat a DC 10 you keep control; if you fail you must spend your action to use the talon attack on that creature and you cannot move away from the creature, reroll every turn. If you succeed ignore rerolling every turn, but the next time you have to roll that wisdom save it increases by +1. 

 

Feral Shift

You keep everything from a failed shift. DMs, if wanted, it can be recommended that you take control of this players character. Before someone uses this race, please disscuss this with the player. 

Feral growth: At the dawn of every day, roll 1d8: on a 1-5, nothing happens; on a 6-7 you grow one size up; and on an 8 you lose 1 INT to your INT score. If you hit 3 INT you lose all your memories (cannot cast spells, cannot speak languages, cannot recognize learned dangers), once you hit gargantuan you grow in size and weight but not past a size in which they are unable to eat enough every day. 

Monstrous Appetite: Your Ragged Hold feature extends to any beast of any CR or any moving entity with a CR under your level. 

Shadows of Hunger: You can teleport between areas of heavenly obscured light (to a range of 500 ft), and you can cast darkness once per long rest. 

 

 

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, deep speech, and one other language of your choice. 

Previous Versions

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