Homebrew Face Core Unit Species Details

(Based on characters and mechanics from Xenoblade Chronicles)

Once humanoids living their everyday lives, these unfortunate souls were captured or killed in Mechon attacks and turned into processing units and blood supplies for Faced Mechon. Mostly retaining their knowledge of their previous lives, though some undergo the displeasure of having their memories wiped, they now live their lives as man-machine hybrids, hoping desperately to return to their original bodies.

Escaped Prisoners

Face Units are always compelled to obey their creators, with not an order being able to be disobeyed, even at the Core Unit's behest. Indeed, even when outside of their Face Unit's cockpit, Core Units act within the parameters their captors allow. This torturous existence of forced servitude is shared by all those trapped within Face Mechon, whether they are conscious of it or not.

However, it is not impossible to become free of this imprisonment. When a Faced Mechon is wrecked, destroyed or irreparably damaged and the Core Unit survives, they become free of their compulsion and are able to live free of their constraints. Whilst this existence is often not the most pleasant, usually one of sickness and weakness from loss of blood and organs, being free is well worth the price.

Face Core Units, being made from members of other races, resemble others from their original races, except with parts of their bodies missing in favour of mechanised replacements, other parts being plated in or twisted by metal embedded into their flesh and, for some, heavy scarring covering their skin. The metallic components of a Face Core Unit's body are of uniform colour, made to match the colour of the Faced Mechon you piloted, with gold embellishments. Mostly humans/Homs are used as the base for Face Core Units, although ones made from other medium sized humanoid creatures, such as half-elves and tieflings aren't unheard of.

Face Core Unit Names

Face Core Units use names from the race they were originally, prior to their augmentation. In addition to this, Face Core Units also have a designation that was used for their Faced Mechon, often based on the Mechon's colouration.

Face Designations: Jade Face, Gold Face, Face Nemesis, Bronze Face, Opal Face, Grey Face, Face Genesis, Jet Face

Face Core Unit Traits

Your Core Unit character has certain characteristics from their augmentation

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity score increases by 2, your Strength score increases by 1, and your Constitution score is reduced by 1.

Age

Face Core Units vary on how long they live after being ejected from their Faced Mechon, some dying within a year, others living for the rest of their race's natural lifespan.

Alignment

Most Face Core Units simply wish to return to their old lives and stay away from any further conflict, lending them towards lawful and/or good alignments. Some, however, remain faithful to their captors, even after their Faced Mechon is destroyed, therefore tending towards evil alignments.

Size

Face Core Units are augmented from humans and humanoids of similar size and shape. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Energy Efficiency

Face Core Units do not require food to survive.

Speed Shift

As an action, you kick your altered body into overdrive, as your mechanical components begin overclocking and working at double speed. For the duration, your speed is doubled, you take a -2 penalty to AC, it has advantage on Dexterity saving throws, and it gains an additional action on each of its turns. That action cannot be used to cast spells or use class features. This effect lasts for 1 minute. It ends early if you are knocked unconscious.

When the effect ends, your speed is halved and you can't take bonus actions or use reactions until after your next turn, as your inner machinery takes time to cool down. You can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest. 

Augmented Armour

The new augments you have grafted to your body make wearing armour awkward and unwieldy. Fortunately, however, the metallic nature of your augments provide ample protection; it gives you a base AC of 17 (your Dexterity modifier doesn’t affect this number). You gain no benefit from wearing armor, but if you are using a shield, you can apply the shield’s bonus as normal.

Languages

You can speak, read and write Common and any languages your character's base race would know.