Homebrew Yeti Species Details

After the raid we had nothing. My single companion, Alaryss, was bleeding heavily and barely able to walk. A snowstorm was rolling in from the mountains and I knew he would not survive the night. I foraged us supplies and healed his wounds enough to begin walking towards the cliffs, to try and find shelter. As we emerged from the forest the blizzard reached us and I feared we were done for. As we fought to walk onwards, one frozen step after another, a shadow loomed in my periphery. Horns twirled back from its furred face, and I felt my heart freeze. We had nowhere to go. Cloaked in snowflakes, it approached us, holding out a small torch, and looking to the North-East. As I followed its gaze, I saw, between the howling snow, a small cave, alight with a warm campfire. 

— Faryn, Notes from a Frozen Adventure

 

At the highest mountain peaks—far above the slopes where trees stop growing, where the air thins and the frozen winds howl–dwell the reclusive yeti. 

Few folk can claim to have seen a yeti, and even fewer still can claim to have spoken to one. 

Yeti wander a bleak landscape of ice, snow, and wind. Their bodies look as though they are carved from ice itself. Their spirits take after wandering winds, making them nomadic people who wander from peak to frozen peak. 

Creatures of myth and legend, the yeti occupy inhospitable mountain homes where dragons dare not roost, and people dare not wander. Their hearts are infused with the cold of their home, regardless of how far they wander. A feeling of great pride surrounding their homeland, and a sense of duty to protect the frozen wilds. 

Society

The yeti have long existed in the snow-covered terrains of high altitudes and icy crags. Some call them ‘abominable snowmen’ due to their frightening visage, others who ventured from the frozen reaches into alpine mountains may be known as ‘bigfoot’. 

Most yeti are peaceful folk, more likely to hide from passersby or elude their gaze, than to confront. This, of course, is on the assumption that the passersby are not getting too close to a yeti dwelling, a youngling (also called a ‘snowball’), or showing disrespect to the yeti’s habitat and homeland. 

They are feared hunters for good reason, but but beyond their well-earned reputation, yeti have a culture and society of their own. They are loyal, brave, and care greatly for their land and communities. 

While territorial, and ruthless warriors, placing great value in strength and fortitude, many yeti also live in harmony. While intelligence isn’t their strongest trait, this doesn’t mean yeti are ignorant or closed-minded. There are some fabled stories of outsiders finding safety and shelter with the yeti in a storm, or even home among them, once their trust is earned, or if they are able prove their worth and offer something of value. 

Tight-knit communal clans and tribes of yeti live together in family and friendship. Yeti care for their young as a collective, raising all children as though they are of the same blood; sharing childcare and hunting responsibilities equally to care for growing families. 

Nevertheless, an innate sense of fight flows through all yetis’ veins, making them territorial and protective creatures. Insult, theft, or aggression between different tribes can end in massacres and entire bloodlines wiped out. Some groups of yeti choose to embrace this sense of power to the extreme. These more violent groups of yeti choose a life of fighting and bloodshed, often becoming the protectors of their clans, or breaking off from yeti society to form raiding parties and war bands that wander the wilds in search of blood. 

Weakness and sickness are considered much the same to the yeti, so it is normal for an injured or ill yeti to leave their village and live in isolation–either thriving in their solitude, making a recovery and returning to rejoin the clan, or quietly fading away into the snow. Similarly, those who die in battle or while hunting will be left where they fall. Clan members may retrieve a token or bind of fur to remember and honour their sacrifice, but burial rituals and mourning are not common. 

Homebodies

The yeti are a nomadic people, urged to explore and wander the wilds. However, they have a strong connection to their homeland, and most do not venture further than the edges of their frozen reach. It is quite common for young yeti to leave home to hunt, join a war party, or explore. They often return home when reaching maturity to rejoin their clan and start a family, but some choose to make a new home for themselves, meaning the race has gradually spread throughout the frozen tundras and mountains of the world. 

Most make their dens in cliffs and caves, the entrances hidden by snowy brush or frozen ice walls, while the more brazen bands of warriors make their homes from abandoned villages and encampments, entrances decorated by furs and skulls to ward of intruders. 

Spirituality

A specific yeti deity is not known, but many yeti are spiritual folk. Many tribes meditate and commune with different spirits of ice and snow, and it’s not uncommon for yeti to turn to druidic practices and attune to nature’s connection to the magical realm. 

Legend has it that the first yeti was a furless creature roaming the land in harmony with humans and elves alike. However, their fearsome roar was misjudged, and their habitat and home burnt by armies of fearful mortals. The yeti fled to the mountains, praying to the elemental spirits and goddess of winter to take them in, and allow them to survive in this harsh environment. 

On the understanding they would guard and protect the realm of ice and snow, the yeti were granted survival, given the traits needed to survive in the frigid cold and traverse the barren mountains. As part of their bargain, the yeti are forever bound to the icy ranges they call home. 

People of few words

Largely speaking, the yeti keep to themselves. This means that their language has not evolved since they first began to speak. Most yeti understand common, and some giant, but cannot read nor write either. The language of the yeti themselves is a minimal one, with little nuance and a small vocabulary. Its written equivalent is much the same, often made up of picograms rather than text. Many yeti prefer to communicate non-verbally, and with their limited language, the stories and folklore of the yeti have been largely passed only in oral tradition–hence much of its misinterpreting and retelling. 

Driven survivors

Every day brings new challenges to a yeti. Food, water, and shelter are rare in the uppermost mountain reaches. A single mistake can bring doom to an entire tribe, while an individual’s heroic effort can create a new leader, and ensure the entire group’s survival.

This dedication to competition has a dark side. Yeti are ferocious combatants and fiercely territorial. Very few yetis live to old ages because of their drive to defend their territories and people. When a yeti tribe’s territory is threatened, the tribe will try to stand their ground, often times fighting until their last breath, even when a clear winner is revealed. 

Appearance

Yeti are tall, muscular, fur-covered humanoids, standing from 7 to 8 feet, and weighing 400 lbs. or more. They have broad shoulders and long arms, and thick legs with big feet. They are covered with a dense undercoat and thick, coarse overcoat of white fur, giving them protection from all manner of elements. 

Their skin ranges from grey to brown and blue, but is rarely visible except on their faces and palms of their hands. They have long ears with tufts of fur, and typically pale white-grey or bright piercing blue eyes. Most yeti, regardless of sex, have large horns that may curl or twist. A yeti typically begins developing horns in adolescence. 

Yeti of any sex are capable of growing long beards, and many do to protect them from the cold. They have sharp teeth, with protruding fang-like canines. 

Clothing is an optional commodity to yeti, with some choosing to don fabric or simple cloth, others enjoying elaborate tunics and jewellery, and some uninterested at all. With their thick fur coat, clothing is simply a way of expressing themselves, though some may wear armour, hide, or leather, when hunting or in battle. 

Yeti Names

Yeti names are not gendered and usually use a tongue that sounds a lot of "ti", "toh", "te", and "teh" sounds. They are unable to pronounce words with consonants strung together like "tch." The "r" sound is often inaudible.

Yeti Traits

Your yeti character has the following racial traits.

Ability Score Increase

The lineage and aptitudes of the yeti give a +1 increase to their Constitution and Strength ability scores. 

Age

Yeti live in harsh environments and in societies where the strongest thrive; which forces them to mature quickly. They enter adulthood in their late teens and usually live less than their maximum lifespan, with most yeti living only into their late sixties and falling in battle.

However, solitary yeti in environments with little or no competition at the top of the food chain have been observed to live, much, much longer–up to around 200 years old. 

Size

Yetis are much larger than any human, averaging 7-8 feet in height and 450+ pounds in weight. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet and you have a climbing speed of 20 feet.

Alignment

Snow yetis are often territorial and aggressive but don't care for politics. Their alignment tends to lean toward neutral or chaotic.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Yeti. You also understand and can speak Common and Giant.

Darkvision

Yeti are by nature nocturnal, and as such are able to see in dim light. 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.

Mountain Born

Yeti are native to mountainous environments at high elevations, and as such they're acclimated to high altitudes, including elevations above 20,000 feet.

Powerful Build

Yeti are much more imposing up close, despite seeming only Medium in size: they have dense and muscular builds and prodigious strength, allowing them to count as one size class larger when determining Push, Drag, and Carry weights, and are not slowed when wearing heavy armor.

Natural Weapons

You are never unarmed. Your horns are a melee weapon that deals 1d6 + your Strength modifier piercing damage, and you are proficient with your horns.

Fur Coat

Your time in the tundra has made you resistant to cold damage. With a thick, coarse outer coat and dense inner coat of fur, snow and ice rolls off you.

Snow Camouflage

You have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide while in snowy terrain.

Snowvision

Snowy weather doesn't obscure your vision. You never have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks because of such conditions.

Snowshoes

At home on snow-capped peaks, yeti have adapted to maneuvering on surfaces that would be hazardous for most others to traverse. You do not treat snow or ice as difficult terrain.

Fear of Fire

After taking fire damage you have disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks until the end of your next turn. Fire bad!