Homebrew Carcian Species Details

Carcians are known for their volatile nature and strong beliefs. They're often considered argumentative and abrasive, but a Carcian friend is a strong boon in times of need. These people are opinionated and loyal, grasping onto beliefs at a young age, and only growing firmer in them as they age.

Carcians exhibit the same range of coloration and patterns found among crabs and other crustaceans, and many Carcians enjoy coloring and carving their shells in distinctive ways.

Creating Your Character

At 1st level, you choose whether your character is a member of the human race or of a fantastical race. If you select a fantastical race, follow these additional rules during character creation.

Ability Score Increases

When determining your character’s ability scores, increase one score 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. The “Quick Build” section for your character’s class offers suggestions on which scores to increase. You can follow those suggestions or ignore them, but you can’t raise any of your scores above 20.

Languages

Your character can speak, read, and write Common and one other language that you and your DM agree is appropriate for the character. The Player’s Handbook offers a list of languages to choose from. The DM is free to modify that list for a campaign.

Creature Type

Every creature in D&D, including each player character, has a special tag in the rules that identifies the type of creature they are. Most player characters are of the Humanoid type. A race tells you what your character’s creature type is.

Here’s a list of the game’s creature types in alphabetical order: Aberration, Beast, Celestial, Construct, Dragon, Elemental, Fey, Fiend, Giant, Humanoid, Monstrosity, Ooze, Plant, Undead. These types don’t have rules themselves, but some rules in the game affect creatures of certain types in different ways. For example, the cure wounds spell doesn’t work on a Construct or an Undead.

Life Span

Carcians never stop growing, and although they usually live about 150 years, it's possible for a healthy individual to live up to 300 years, growing twice as large as a usual adult in the process.

Height and Weight

Carcians stand between 3 and 6 feet tall, and usually weigh at least 200 pounds, but are commonly over 400 pounds.

Carcian Traits

As a Carcian, you have the following racial traits.

Creature Type

You are a Humanoid.

Size

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

Speed

Your walking speed is 30 feet.

Pincers

You have Pincers that you can use to make unarmed strikes. When you hit with them, the strike deals 1d6 + your Strength modifier piercing damage, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Tide Dwellers

You can breathe air and salt water.

Crustaceans Shell

Your chitin shell provides you with natural protection from attacks. You can use your natural armor to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC. A shield’s benefits apply as normal while you use your natural armor. Additionally, you have advantage on saving throws against being  petrified.

Carcian Competence

Thanks to your experience of living in the waves of the coast, you gain proficiency with one of the following skills of your choice: Acrobatics, Athletics, Intimidation, Survival.

Protective Claw

While you have at least one free hand and aren't wielding a shield, you gain a +3 bonus to ac.