Homebrew Vahri Species Details

Slender Striders

The Vahri, often known as Fog-Walkers or Plane-Striders in common parlance, are a nomadic race that lives simple lives deeply connected to nature, finding comfort without the need for buildings or barriers. They typically dwell in small groups, and their presence is often associated with the onset of foggy weather. It remains unknown to scholars whether they are drawn to misty conditions on a subconscious level or if they somehow bring the fog with them through magical means. This phenomenon seems to occur particularly when they travel in large groups. While a few prefer solitary lives, most travel in tribes, ranging in size from as few as five to potentially hundreds. Within their tribes, there appears to be little to no hierarchy, except for the older members watching over the younger ones. They seem to lack castes and class systems, reflecting their typically calm and focused personalities. Their lifespan generally ranges from 180 to 200 years, reaching physical maturity at the age of 25.

Spirit Guides

Some Vahri, who consented to be studied in order to better understand their ecology, have demonstrated the ability to enter a realm they refer to as "the Fog," which shares characteristics with what sages would recognize as the ethereal plane—a parallel world connecting all the inner planes of existence. From an outsider's perspective, the Vahri simply take a step in an unspecified direction and disappear for a brief period, only to reappear later at a different point in space, having traversed there in this echo of our reality. They can sense the spirits and loose astral energies that emanate from all living mortal beings, excluding constructs or undead. Most of them feel compelled to guide these wandering spirits, distinct from the malevolent ghosts and specters of legend, back to their destined afterlife. Those few Vahri who choose a life of adventure and exploration will find great utility in this natural ability, earning favor from their companions as a result.

Call to Action

It is uncommon for a Fog-Walker to be shunned for leaving their tribe and venturing out into the world alone. They rarely take up arms and engage in conflict. However, when they do, it is to protect a sacred place or to prevent senseless, gratuitous violence. Death and the soul itself are regarded as sacred, leading these adventurous Vahri to oppose undead or savage foes. Relentless expansionism by other races or the desecration of nature may also provoke the ire of a Vahri seeking to protect their world.

Vahri Traits

As a Vahri, your character posesses these racial traits:

Ability Score Increase

Constitution +1, Wisdom +1

Age

A Vahri usually reaches the end of their lifecycle at the age of 180 to 200.

Size

Thier tall builds reach a size of 7 to nearly 9 feet. For gameplay purposes, their size is medium, unless it comes to determining carrying capacity, when it would be large.

Speed

With their long legs, they have a walking speed of 35 feet.

Animalistic Physique

Their life in the wilds made them resiliant and sensitive to smell, sound and sight, providing proficiency with the Perception and Survival Skill, while granting darkvision for 40 feet, enabling them to see in dim shades of gray even in total darkness. Additionally, their long and strong arms grant them 5ft extra reach when making melee attacks.

Fog Stride

As a Bonus Action, up to a number of times equal to the Proficiency Bonus per Long Rest, the Vahri can - with everything non-sentient they wear and carry - slip into the Etherial Plane, a ghostly echo and parallel dimension of the inner planes. From there, they can only interact with things that solely exist on the Etherial Plane, not the echoes of Material World that make up the majority of this Realm. That also means that they can traverse normally solid walls and other obstacles, now just spectral echoes in that realm, if they choose to do so. After 30 seconds, unless they leave earlier willingly,  they are forced to return to the plane they have begun their stride from, and reappear at the exact counter location in the material world they have ended their stride at. Should they reappear in a place that is obstruced by solid matter, they will reappear at the closest free position and take 1d4 Aether Damage for every 5 feet of distance they need to travel before they can freely reappear.

When in the Etherial Plane - by the usage of this Trait - they can see other creatures as spectral echoes of the corporeal world. They can choose to attack these and reappear in the Material World right before they would make an Attack Roll, surprising their target and giving their attack advantage.

When a Vahri is on the Outer Planes, and uses this ability, they get transported to the Astral Plane instead, which has essentially the same effect, with the exception that tthey generally find this experience to be less preferable out of the two.

If they start their turn with this trait being already active and them consealed on another Plane, they cannot use it again on that very same turn. Additionally, this trait does not work if the Vahri is already on the Etherial Plane - or Astral Plane - through other means, such as spells or similar.