Homebrew Variant Kalashtar Species Details

I have seen empires rise in the dreams of conquerors. But I have seen their nightmares as well; the things that torment them in the wee hours of the morning. In dreams we indulge in our deepest desires, but so too are we haunted by our own mistakes. What is it that torments you? To me your fortress of brick and stone is but a castle of sand.

—Libis, First born of Thoth

The kalashtar are a varied folk tied to the Realm of Dreams. Sometimes a compound race created from the union of humanity and renegade spirits from the plane of dreams — spirits called quori–and sometimes the spawn of a dream made manifest by the will of a deity or powerful mage. Kalashtar are often seen as wise, spiritual people with great compassion for others. But there is an unmistakable alien quality to the kalashtar, as they are haunted by the conflicts of their otherworldly spirits and the nightmares of those who corrupt the Realm of Dreams.

Bound to Spirits

Every kalashtar has a connection to a spirit of light, a bond shared by other members of their bloodline or tied to the Dreaming. Kalashtar can appear mostly human, but their spiritual connection affects them in a variety of ways. As dreams made manifest they can tether themselves to a dreamlike form of their choosing. Possessing feathers or scales, markings on their skin, colorful eyes, tails, and snouts or beaks like an animal. The only limitation to their form is that of their own imagination, with many choosing to display their bodies proudly like a canvas to the art of their boundless whimsy. While others choose a more human-like form to avoid drawing attention to themselves.

Kalashtar can directly communicate with their quori spirits either telepathically or verbally. Some experience this relationship as a sense of instinct and inspiration, drawing on the memories of the spirit when they dream. This connection grants kalashtar minor psionic abilities, as well as protection from psychic attacks. Many of these quori dream-spirits are virtuous, but some are warriors and others are more contemplative. Work together with the DM to determine the nature of your linked quori spirit. Typically, a kalashtar knows the name and nature of their spirit, but some may know nothing of their spirit or the source of their psychic gifts, such as an orphan kalashtar raised among strangers.

The bond to the spirit can cause some kalashtar to display unusual quirks. Consider rolling or selecting a trait from the Kalashtar Quirks table.

Kalashtar Quirks

Of Dreams or Nightmares

The virtuous spirits tied to the kalashtar fled from The Dreaming to escape evil spirits that dominate it. Some quori believe that through meditation and devotion, they can change the fundamental nature of The Dreaming, shifting the balance from darkness to light. Most kalashtar communities focus on acts of devotion known as the Path of Light. But others succumb to the madness of the Dreaming Dark which roams the Realm of Dreams hungry for the ruin of souls, the corruption of minds, and the fall of nations. 

Tread carefully which road you so choose, for the wanderings of a restful mind can lead one to great or terrible dealings.

Kalashtar Names

Some more spiritually inclined kalashtar names add a personal prefix to the name of the quori spirit within the kalashtar. Such names have no relation to the kalashtar’s gender.

Kalashtar orphans are unlikely to know the name of their spirit and take names from another source.

Quori Names: Ashana, Ashtai, Ishara, Hareth, Khad, Kosh, Melk, Nari, Tana, Tari, Tash, Ulad, Vakri, Vash

Kalashtar Names: Coratash, Dalavash, Dolishara, Halakosh, Khoratari, Koratana, Lanhareth, Molavakri, Nevitash, Sorashana, Torashtai, Valakhad, Vishara

Variant Kalashtar Traits

Your kalashtar character has the following traits.

Ability Score Increase

Your Wisdom score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.

Age

Kalashtar mature at the same rate as humans but can live to see lifespans similar to elves.

Alignment

A quori spirit tied to a kalashtar can drive it toward lawful and good behaviors or chaotic and evil ones. Some kalashtar combine strong self-discipline with compassion for all beings, some live with a lust for violence or hatred, yet still some kalashtar resist the virtuous influence of their spirit. No two kalashtar are the same.

Size

Your size is Medium. To set your height and weight randomly, start with rolling a size modifier:

Size modifier = 2d6

Height = 5 feet + 4 inches + your size modifier in inches

Weight in pounds = 110 + (1d6 × your size modifier)

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Dual Mind

You have advantage on all Wisdom saving throws.

Mental Discipline

You have resistance to psychic damage.

Mind Link

You can speak telepathically to any creature you can see, provided the creature is within a number of feet of you equal to 10 times your level. You don’t need to share a language with the creature for it to understand your telepathic utterances, but the creature must be able to understand at least one language.

When you’re using this trait to speak telepathically to a creature, you can use your action to give that creature the ability to speak telepathically with you for 1 hour or until you end this effect as an action. To use this ability, the creature must be able to see you and must be within this trait’s range. You can give this ability to only one creature at a time; giving it to a creature takes it away from another creature who has it.

Master of Dreams

Kalashtar sleep, but while most other creatures dream, you are guided by your quori into a pocket realm of the Dreaming. Your dreams are lucid enough for you to shape and mold a realm of your own creation, fashioning for yourself a mind palace which you mentally curate each night. While in your mind palace you can freely connect with your quori, your minds draw from the memories of your otherworldly spirit while you sleep. As such, you are immune to spells and other magical effects that require you to dream, like dream, but not to spells and other magical effects that put you to sleep, like sleep.

If someone attempts to cast the Dream spell on a Kalashtar the spell's effects are reversed onto the caster as if the Kalashtar had casted it.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, Quori, and one other language of your choice.

Subconscious Observer

As the kalashtar matures in their connection to the Realm of Dreams they find ways to tap into the subconscious of those around you, learning their desires and fears.

At 3rd level you may cast the detect thoughts a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest.