Homebrew Anikith Species Details

Anikith are mysterious and scarce humanoids that have the ability to magically befriend animals. Mostly, they live in large communities of other anikith deep in the forests, who use their natural magic to befriend the local fauna and convince them to aid them in their work. They settle in large forest clearings they call Burrownests, and build small homes for each of them and for the animals that help them. Birds, wolves, bats, rats, monkeys, bears, even spiders and insects are all considered to be valuable in the eyes of the anikith.

They look like humans for the most part, but can differ greatly in size. They also can have a variety of animal-like qualities. Some have catlike ears or goatlike horns, while others have fishlike eyes or a pair of reptilian legs. Most have many different animalistic qualities at once, seemingly random with their distribution. One may simply have a bear's muzzle and frog fingers, while another may have a bird's beak, a dog's ears, a snake's tail ending in a large fish fin, and insectoid exoskeletal segments protecting their apelike arms. Indeed, their appearance is often chaotic, but they embrace this chaos, and view their animalistic qualities as bringing them closer to the beasts they protect.

The origins of the anikith are hotly debated. Some speculate that they emerged from the Feywild thousands of years ago, with many new species of animal alongside them, while others say that they were once animals themselves that gained sentience and became the protectors of their brethren, while still others believe that the anikith are actually the ancestral link between sapience and beasthood.

Anikith Traits

Your anikith character has the following racial traits.

Ability Score Increase

Your Wisdom score increases by 2, and you may increase any other score by 1.

Size

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

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Animal Affinity

You have expertise in Animal Handling, which means your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses the Animal Handling skill.

Beastlike Senses

You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.

Darkvision

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 can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Wild Tamer

Your anikith lineage grants you innate magical abilities. You know the animal friendship spell and can cast it without expending spell slots. 

When you reach 3rd level, choose one of the following options:

• You can cast the beast bond spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.
• You can cast the find familiar spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.
• You can cast the speak with animals spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.

When you reach 5th level, choose one of the following options: 

• You can cast the animal messenger spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.
• You can cast the find steed spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.
• You can cast the locate animals or plants spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.

Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Sylvan.