Homebrew Ratkin Species Details

Ratkin

Ratkin are not a true race; they are the result of experimentation on dire rats and gnomes. Every ratkin knows the story even if the specifics are blurred or contradictory. An ancient Netherese wizard needed servants and used the materials he had, namely giant rats and gnomish slaves. These stories often include a progenerator vampiric ratkin named the Rat King who led an insurrection against their master, although bards and scholars tend to agree that this master, if he existed, was more likely vanquished by an enemy and the ratkin were left to fend for themselves. Hated by other races, the ratkin learned to band together, surviving on the scraps and trash of other races.

Physical Description: Ratkin generally look like humanoid rats, roughly gnome size with a rat’s head and tail and covered in hairy fur. This unfortunately makes them resemble were-rats and many small ratkin communities were wiped out during a were-rat infestation “just to make sure.”

Society: Ratkin tend to form small tribes or bands, living in areas that other races avoid. In the cities, ratkin congregate in slums or sewers. While ratkin appreciate protective laws, they are unconvinced that the authorities have their interests at heart. the wild, ratkin form bands that follow more aggressive tribes, picking the scraps left over from vicious raids.

Relations: Ratkin tend to get along with no one but will manipulate other “outcast” races, such as half-ogres, half-orcs, and saurians, or any race that is a minority in the geographic area through whatever means necessary to obtain what they want. As ratkin have a reputation for being dirty disease carriers, most races give them a wide berth. Still, a ratkin may be tolerated when isolated from other ratkin, and his skills often determine his worth.

Alignment and Religion: As a created race, the ratkin do not necessarily have a patron deity. Instead, ratkin worship a living progenorator known as the Rat King who took upon themselves the vampiric curse of immortal life in order to preserve the race after committing a genocide against all other ratkin leaving only the Rat Queen who similarly took upon herself the curse of vampiric life. Due to a genetic mutation from the magical experimentation at the hands of their former Netherese overlord they are the only two ratkin able to still produce offspring as vampire - other ratkin can only produce wererats in order to extend the longevity of the species. Despite this the progenorator being generally believed and known by all ratkin their approach formal religion as they do everything else; they generally worship deities that have been discarded or fallen out of favor within a particular pantheon. Ratkin priests occupy abandoned temples to such deities and fuse old remnants of rituals with ratkin philosophy. Ratkin tend to be neutral in alignment and rarely good.

Adventurers: Ratkin favor speed and stealth over brute force and martial ratkin tend to be ranger and swashbucklers. This also accounts for there being more ratkin priests than clerics (and, since ratkin don’t feel a connection to the natural world, few are druid or shamans). As befitting a race of scavengers, a large number of ratkin are rogues. While magically created, ratkin have had little interbreeding and as such arcane casters tend to be wizards rather than sorcerers and warlocks. Favored most among ratkin however is the artificer.

Ratkin Traits

Ratkin are not a true race; they are the result of pseudo-magical genetic experimentation on dire rats and gnomes by the Netherese.

Racial Attribute Bonuses

+1 Dexterity, +1 Intelligence: Ratkin are quick in both body and mind.

Extermination Survivor

Due to being carriers of various disease, to which they have an immunity, members of other races have constantly attempted to exterminate them throughout history. As a result, ratkin have developed strong resistances to the effects of poison as well as acid.

• You have resistance to acid damage.
• You have resistance to poison damage.
• You have immunity to diseases.

Darkvision

This creature has darkvision out to a range of 60 feet. A monster with darkvision can see in the dark within a specific radius. The monster can see in dim light within the radius as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. The monster can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. Many creatures that live underground have this special sense.

Carrier

Emboldened by filth and illness the ratkin commonly carry and transmit plagues giving them a natural immunity to most diseases. If a ratkin loses a saving throw against disease, they becomes a carrier and can transmit the disease through contact. If a melee attack strikes or a successful sleight of hand check is made then the disease it transmitted to the target. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 + the ratkin's proficiency bonus + the ratkin's Constitution modifier) or become infected with the disease the ratkin is carrying. The carrier loses any disease they may have currently stored if they spend a short rest bathing with soap.