Homebrew Dullahan Species Details

A dullahan is a type of fey creature born of the Unseelie Court. Dullahan resemble undead due to their headlessness, but both head and body are kept alive by a fey curse. Inclined to travel by Unseelie magic and their own appearance, grim folklore sprung up about them over time. Dullahan are created by Unseelie Fey when they decapitate a humanoid, often as part of a dark ritual. Newly created dullahan are able to retain most of their personality of their humanoid self, but memories of their past life is mostly forgotten. Only a few dullahan manage to remember a memory from their past life often due to a trigger or a lasting impression the body will never forget. Dullahan are also capable of producing offspring, the newborn in question becoming undoubtably a dullahan with characteristics of the dominant race from both partners.

A side effect of being "topless" and versatile with their head, dullahan have a built in instinct to fear gold as a countermeasure by the Unseelie Court to control them in the Feywild. in the Material Plane, while no one controls dullahan, thier feebleness to gold is distracting, even harmful. Despite the downside, many dullahan circumvent payment problems by asking to be paid in valuable gemstones or even platinum, depending on profession. Of course, there are organizations that hunt dullahan out of fear or ideals, likely aware of the race's weakness and using gold plated weapons to efficiently kill dullahan.

Dullahan Traits

Headless: Your head and your body are separated, the wound that separated them permanently scarred. You gain the following effects: You can attach and detach your head using your Object Interaction. Your ability to sever your head prevents you from being killed by decapitation, however, being struck by a critical hit by a weapon attack or unarmed strike causes your head to fly off. Your head lands in a space within 10 feet of you. You always know the distance and direction to your head or body unless it is on another plane of existence or if it's blocked by an effect that prevents divination magic. Unless your head is being carried by your body or another creature, it can be targeted, its AC being equal to yours but without the benefit of Dexterity or armor that does not include a helmet. You cannot be damaged twice by an area of effect due to this. Your head automatically fails Dexterity saving throws. When separate, your body can see and hear so long as your head can see the body. If your head's vision is

Headless

Headless: Your head and your body are separated, the wound that separated them permanently scarred. You gain the following effects:

  • You can attach and detach your head using your Object Interaction. Your ability to sever your head prevents you from being killed by decapitation, however, being struck by a critical hit by a weapon attack or unarmed strike causes your head to fly off. Your head lands in a space within 10 feet of you.
  • You always know the distance and direction to your head or body unless it is on another plane of existence or if it's blocked by an effect that prevents divination magic.
  • Unless your head is being carried by your body or another creature, it can be targeted, 
    • Your head's Armor Class is 8 + your Con + your Dex, regardless of armor.
    • When separate, your body can see and hear so long as your head can see the body. If your head's vision is obscured, your body gains 10 feet of blindsight.
    • Your headless body cannot speak but it can consume food and drink as well as cast spells, even spells with verbal components as long as the separated head is not silenced or gagged.
    •  You have a totem that you use as a replacement for your head; a helmet from a suit of armor, or a large smooth-cut crystal orb, or even a carved pumpkin. You are able to use your totem head as a focus for spellcasting, and it can be removed as normal and is filled with a perpetual ghostlike flame. If your totem is lost or destroyed, you can attune to a new one over the course of an hour. While using your totem as a spellcasting focus, you can cast spells without needing a verbal component.

Transplant conciousness

The body of a dullahan is a mysterious curse that remains with plenty of secrets for one to manipulate and discover. One such ability is to become someone else entirely.

Over the course of 30 minutes, you preform a ritual to bind yourself to a head within 5 feet of you, the ritual ends if you move more than 5 feet away from the head. you can bind to multiple heads equal to your Charisma modifier, not including your own head. If you attempt to bind to a new head that exceeds your maximum limit, you can choose to break a binding to one of your existing heads, not including your own head. You can only bind to a head if it's size and sex is the same as yours. By completing the ritual, the head no longer decomposes while you are bound to it and gain the following features:

  • You can spend 30 minutes to transfer your consciousness to a different head. You can do this during a short rest if applicable. Doing so changes the head's skin pigment, eye and hair color to match your existing body and head. Alternatively, you can choose for your body to match the pigments of the current head.
  • You gain insight into the general characteristics of the head's life, allowing you to mimic the person in both voice and mannerisms. You gain advantage on Charisma checks when passing yourself as a different person.

Darkvison

 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.

Unseelie Magic

You know the Toll The Dead cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level you can cast find steed once per long rest. The mount conjured is considered a fey creature. Additionally the steed can be dismissed into your shadow as an action, acting as a pocket dimension from a find familiar spell, and can be retrieved as a bonus action.

Once you reach 5th level you can cast knock once per long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

menacing

Menacing. You gain proficiency in the intimidation skill.

Unseelie tongue

Unseelie Tongue: You can speak, read, and write Sylvan.

fey ancestery

 You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.