Homebrew Flayerspawn Species Details

Flayerspawn are usually humanoids who are failed Illithid experiments or converts. It is unknown what causes the defect, but they fail to make the transition to full mindflayer and instead become flayerspawn. They lack some of the more dangerous abilities of Illithids but retain some lesser forms of psychic manifestations. The failed experiment usually results in a type of amnesia amongst the affected, leaving them with few memories of their life before their change. They also tend to suffer from nightmares and minor forms of madness that range from obsessive compulsions to violent reactions. Due to their altered appearance most flayerspawn are shunned by almost all polite society and are rarely accepted in large population centers unless they disguise themselves very well.

Appearance: Flayerspawn resemble their original race only in passing. Whatever they were before their skin takes on a purplish hue and gains a rubbery texture. Their foreheads grow larger and their heads slightly conical to fit the enlarged brains. Their fingers and toes don't always fuse, but most end up with two-three toes and no more than four fingers. Most terrifying however is that their mouths are forever changed. Their skulls and face mutate and contort to form two tentacles that take the place of their mouth, their teeth disappearing into the skull. This makes speaking normally very hard, and Flayerspawn are lucky in that their increased brain results in the ability to communicate telepathically. Other features may change or not depending on the level of defect. Some have ears while others do not, some keep their hair, and some even maintain such things as height and weight usual for their original race. Regardless of how much of their base nature they retain, all Flayerspawn are completely infertile and cannot reproduce.

Age: Flayerspawn have a range of ages. They are usually at peak condition when stolen by Illithids, and therefore are usually mature adults for their original species. Once the change comes upon them they have a strange lifespan. Flayerspawn may choose to use their racial aging or that of the Illithid. If they choose Illithid they can live to be up to 140.

Flayerspawn Traits

Despite their unique difference; all Flayerspawn share some traits.

Ability Score Increases

When determining your character’s ability scores, increase one of those scores by 2 and increase a different score by 1, or increase three different scores by 1. Follow this rule regardless of the method you use to determine the scores, such as rolling or point buy.

Creature Type

You are an aberration.

Size

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

Speed

Your walking speed is 30 ft.

Telepathy

Without the assistance of magic, you can’t speak the languages you know. Instead you use telepathy to convey your thoughts. You have the magical ability to transmit your thoughts mentally to willing creatures within 120 feet of yourself. A contacted creature doesn’t need to share a language with you to understand your thoughts, but it must be able to understand at least one language. Your telepathic link to a creature is broken if you and the creature move more than 120 feet apart, if either of you is incapacitated, or if either of you mentally breaks the contact (no action required).

Telepathy is a magical ability that allows you to communicate mentally with other creatures within a specified range. A creature without telepathy can receive and respond to telepathic messages but can’t initiate a telepathic conversation. You don't need to see a contacted creature to send or receive telepathic messages.

A creature within the area of an antimagic field or in any other location where magic doesn’t function can’t send or receive telepathic messages.

Mental Blast

Your change has left you with a severely weakened version of Mind Blast. A number of times per Long Rest equal to your proficiency bonus you may emit a 15ft cone of psychic energy. Each creature in the cone must succeed at an intelligence saving throw DC 8 + proficiency bonus + intelligence or charisma modifier (your choice) or be stunned for 1d4+1 rounds. The creature may make a new saving throw at the end of each of it's turns, ending the effect on a success.

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.

Magic Resistance

You have advantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws against spells and other magical effects.