Homebrew Dullahan Species Details

The Dullahan are often regarded as a fearsome creatures, undead beings created at the macabre whims of powerful fae or cursed by their own undying need for vengeance. However, they are not always immediately beholden to their rampages. Rather, if they are left whole, they often retain much of their state of mind that they had in life. Their bodies go through various changes, beginning with their skin becoming a dull complexion and the new magic coursing through them giving them magical scars and glowing eyes, rendering it impossible for them to hide their new state, often forcing them to be on the run. If they do not run fast enough, they often discover other new traits of their body, namely their unique ability to retain control and awareness of their body, no matter how many pieces they are cut into or how much they wish to ignore the agony of such an act.

Their complex state grants them the chance to develop many skills and abilities they would not have been able to gain in life such as enhanced physical abilities or magical prowess, that allows them to become notable adventurers, as long as they are left to their own devices. These same qualities often make them targets of undead slayers or magical practitioners that wish to study their bodies, and if those hunters are careless, this could trigger a state of madness which has brought life to fables of powerful undead beings who will stop at nothing to put their bodies back together.

Unable to die so easily like many other undead, age, or enjoy many of the pleasures they did in life, Dullahan often lead secluded unlives, but it is not unheard of for them to linger with other undead beings, in war torn towns, or in the outskirts of their hometown, longing for companionship and the lives they lead before. Should someone give them the chance to, they become loyal confidants and dutiful body guards, or if allowed to stay in place long enough, become local legends as guardians of their descendants. If allowed to keep from succumbing to delusion but choose to wander the lands, they sometimes work as slayers of beasts similar to themselves, or to prevent others from sharing their lonely fate. Ultimately, whether they succumb to the insanity that the magic within them threatens, or are left alone, the Dullahan are bound to become either the subject of nightmares or of legends.

Dullahan Traits

You have the following racial traits

Creature Type

You are an Undead Humanoid.

Size

You are Medium or Small.

Speed

Your walking speed is 30ft.

Darkvision

You have darkvision out to 60ft.

Undead Features

• You don’t need to eat, drink, or breathe.
• You don’t need to sleep, and magic can’t put you to sleep. You can finish a long rest in 4 hours if you spend those hours in an inactive, motionless state, during which you retain consciousness
• Resistant to Necrotic Damage.

Some Assembly Required

Dullahans have the unique ability to maintain control of their entire body, even when they are detached from the head or main body. When first created, they can only unattach their heads, but as an action and 2d6+4 of damage to themselves, they can sever parts from their body themselves. Critical hits are also likely to sever limbs due to the nature of their undead body.

These severed body parts can be reattached with a bonus action, creating a permanent magical scar and the ability to remove it again as an action. The severed part takes it's turn directly after yours and is treated like a familiar with it's own statblock. If these severed parts are brought down to 0, they are rendered inactive until reattached or it has the equivalent of a long rest.

• Any skill checks done by these detached parts if out of the main body's sight are done at disadvantage.
• The dullahan can have a number of detached parts up to it's proficiency bonus. If it exceeds this limit, it will trigger a completeness compulsion.

Completeness Compulsion

A dullahan has complete control and awareness of their body, no matter the distance from their parts at any given time. However, after 4 hours, they must make a Wisdom save (DC13+1 for every hour after the initial four) to fight the urge to do whatever it takes to bring itself back together. On a failed save, the dullahan will use anything at its disposal to try and reconnect with its body parts, nothing will be considered an impassable obstacle, not even friends.

Decapitation Delirium

If their head is left unattached from their body for more than 7 days, the dullahan goes mad and frenzied in order to find their head. Even if their head is reattached, only a Greater Restoration spell can cure them of their madness.