Homebrew Bladeling Species Details

Bladelings are considered natives of the Outer plane of Acheron, with most living in their city of Zoronor, situated in the Blood Forest on the layer of Ocanthus. However, old legends said that the bladelings had originally come to Ocanthus from another plane, variously said to be Gehenna, Baator, or even an unknown metal plane. Yet other rumors stated they had originally been tieflings who became their own species. Bladelings are also known to live in the Barrens of Doom and Despair.

Some bladelings, normally female but not always, have the ability to call upon their mysterious deities; these individuals typically become clerics and leaders amongst the bladelings. Most other bladelings become fighters, while a few males are known to become monks or rogues.

Zoronor was ruled by a priest-king whose tenets gave some amount of safety to the bladelings, and thus they obeyed him fanatically and would defend Zoronor with their lives. Other clerical bladelings were prone to playing politics, as bladelings in general have a tendency to internal strife; though only the clerics' politics were known to sometimes embroil whole districts. However, bladelings pull together quickly when faced with an external threat. Few bladelings leave their city except as assassins or as travellers.

It is said that a blade golem can only be made using the spirit of a bladeling as the animating force.
The skin of bladelings, although metallic, is immune to rust, and resistant to both acid and fire; they were known to be resistant to some magics, although this seemed to be a property of the unknown metal their skin was made of rather than a property of bladelings themselves. Additionally, spells that targeted metal, such as heat metal, could target bladelings.

The metallic skin of bladelings also offer them some protection from attacks (+2 AC). They can also unleash what was called a "blade storm", wherein they expel part of their skin as high-speed shrapnel. However, this lowered their natural resistances and armor (-2 AC).

 

Bladeling Traits

Bladelings share certain racial traits as a result of their infernal descent.

Skin of Acheron

+2 Bonus to AC.

Ability Score Increase

Your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma score increases by 1, and your Strength, Constitution, or Dexterity score increases by 2.

Age

Bladelings mature at the same rate as humans but live a few years shorter.

Size

Bladelings are about the same size and build as humans. Your size is Medium.

Resistance

Resistance to Acid and Fire

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision

Thanks to your infernal heritage, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. 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.

Blade Storm

You gain the Blade Storm ability. 
This causes a sphere of shrapnel to explode around you, piercing anyone near by and lowering your defenses for a time.

As a Bonus Action, you cause the blades embedded in your skin to explode, creating a 15ft burst of shrapnel around you. This shrapnel is jagged infernal metal that lacerates anyone in the area of effect.
All creatures and items in the burst must make a dexterity saving throw (DC = 8 + proficiency bonus + dexterity mod) or take 2d6 + Dexterity mod piercing damage. On a failed Dexterity save, the creature must then make a Constitution save at the same DC or start bleeding for damage equal to the caster's proficiency bonus every round. The creature can attempt this save at the end of it's turn each round to stop the bleeding, or take an action to make a DC 10 Medicine check. Healing equal to or more than the bleeding damage also staunches the bleed.

Blade Storm damage increases to 3d6 at level 7, 4d6 at level 12 and 5d6 at level 18.
This ability can be used once per long rest, then an additional time as the damage increases.

When all uses are expended the ability does cause the Bladeling to lose some of it's protection, causing it's AC to decrease by 2 and losing their resistance to acid and fire.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Infernal.