Homebrew Zannie Species Details
They walk amongst societies and remain undetected as they go about their lives. They sustain themselves on a diet of pain and suffering. They appear similar to humans in all other ways and use it to feast. Some live in allegiance with their gifts and become healers, medicine folk, and warriors. Others fall into hunger and take what they want. This divide among them while living in fear of those who fear them prevents any sort of cohesive society, though there are subsects who have created their communities. Zannies are defined by their worst and are well-known to be used by others to meet their ends.
Human in Appearance
When meeting with other people, they present as normal humanoids. In height, they’re on par with humans. They range from under 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall, and from 100 to 250 pounds, with men only slightly taller and heavier than women. Sometimes they bear white steaks in their hair though this feature is becoming less common due to their history of being hunted; however, if you wanted to be sure that one was a zannie, you could cut one open and find their internal structure is different, such as having thick black blood.
The Shadows of Society
Zannies have few of their societies, though they are welcome in human cities so long as they conceal their race in large cities in regions where humanoids often, zannies are sometimes numerous enough to form small communities of their own. They enjoy the company of others of their kind, the only people who genuinely understand what it is to live in their unique circumstances. However, this is dangerous due to the bloody nature of some of their fellow members.
In most parts of the world, though, zannie are uncommon enough that one might live for years without meeting another. Since they feed off of others, most throw themselves into the thick of society, using their charisma and social skills to secure a food source.
Touched by Loviatar
While no one knows how they came to be, many believe they descended from the goddess Loviatar—a true tyrant of pain with a small but devoted religious sect. Sometimes Zannies find shelter with these groups as demi-gods, feasting amongst the suffering-obsessed humanoids. It is a gamble, like all things for the zannie, because there is always the chance they become captured by such groups to utilize for their beliefs.
Zannie Names
They use the naming conventions of their parent's races and the culture they were born into.
Zannie Traits
As a Zannie, you have the following racial traits.Creature Type
You are a Humanoid.
Size
Your size is medium.
Speed
Your walking speed is 30 feet.
Restorative Blood
As an action, you can touch a creature with your blood and roll a number of d4s equal to your proficiency bonus. The creature regains a number of hit points equal to the total rolled. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
If used as a ritual, for 2d8 damage you can place a person or creature to sleep for 1d10 rounds of combat or an appropriate amount of time out of combat determined by your DM.
Dolorivore
Zannies have the ability to find out how many people are in their immediate vicinity and where since everyone is in at least some pain at any moment.
Zannies consume pain rather than any sort of physical food source. They can also consume emotional pain instead of physical pain, but the effect is significantly less. It also depends on how the person feeling the pain feels the severity. Therefore, the exact same wound inflicted on two different people can lead to different amounts of pain.
The pain of children nourishes them more due to its intensity. If a zannie does not eat for a longer period of time, they start to feel the pain they last consumed themselves. Over time this pain gets worse if they still don't eat until eventually something internally gives out from shock or stress.
They can be identified by the shivers ecstatically down the spine when they feel the pain of others and consume it. Many zannies succumb to its thrall like an addiction and can turn to less righteous methods of procuring pain.
Loviataran Sense
You can sense the presence and location of emotional and physical pain within 20 feet, feeding of its presence in place of food. With exposure, you may identify the cause of the pain in each case. Due to this, they have the ability to find out how many people are in their immediate vicinity and where since everyone is in at least some pain at any moment.
This feature can penetrate some barriers, but it is blocked by 3 feet of wood or dirt, 1 foot of stone, or 1 inch of metal.
Resistance to Corruption
You have resistance to necrotic, radiant, and poison damage.
Absense of Pain
Once per short rest you may feed on a creature in combat. This allows you to feed on a creature in range and by taking their pain temporarily the target has an advantage on all wisdom, constitution, and death saving throws for 5 rounds if you use one action but when using 2 full actions you can make it last for 10 rounds.
By feeding, you also bolster your own health by a number of d4s equal to your proficiency bonus. The creature regains a number of hit points equal to the total rolled. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a short rest. If you use two turns to use this ability, you can additionally add half of the original amount healed to your hit points.
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