Homebrew Deerfolk Species Details

Deer Folk

Deer folk are humanoid deer creatures native to the tundra of the far north. They were first created by a demigod of nature, who upon seeing the simple deer, believed they could be so much more. She shaped new creatures, modeling them after both the deer and the human native to the area thus creating snow deer folk. Shortly thereafter, the demigod was brutally slaughtered by a power-hungry Wizard who imprisoned the deerfolk making them his slaves. The few that were able to flee this tyranny found themselves in the taigas. These people were scarred after what happened to their brethren and believed that if they had only been stronger they could have repelled the invader. This caused the society now known as caribou deerfolk to develop into a militaristic and tribal population akin to orcs. After a few generations of enslavement, a strange event occurred. A child was born to the snow deerfolk with fur whiter than even the strongest blizzard. This child was noticed by the Wizard who decided to train him in the arcane arts believing he was destined for something greater, something that would hopefully allow the wizard to acquire more land for his dark kingdom. The child lived in ignorance, being treated almost as a son to the wizard, until one day he saw the atrocities that were being committed against his people. He decided to flee, bringing the servant girl who had fallen for him. They went far south, farther than the even Caribou-folk, until his group came upon a small forest. Upon exploring this fortress they found the ruins of a small elven fortress that had been abandoned long ago and plentiful resources both mundane and arcane. Here was where they would start their new life and as the pale deer thrust a flagpole into the ground, marking that this war their new land, letting out a magical shockwave that caused the trees to almost dance with joy. The demigod's essence had been imbued in the pure-white deer upon his birth and had fused with the deerfolk's new forest home becoming the Forest Mother. The young couple became married and started populating their new settlement. But upon the birth of their first child they noticed something strange. Opposed to being the light brown of the average snow deer or the pale white of the pale deer, this child was light brown with a white tail. This child also had unique powers unlike the mother or father. They accepted this child and all after it (who had similar powers to the first) with tender love and care creating the third race of deerfolk- the whitetails. Now after many generations, the deer folk are divided into 3 vastly different subraces: the snow, the caribou, and the whitetail deerfolk. Each of these races has a vastly different outlook on life. The snow have a dark yet hopeful look on life hoping that one day they will be liberated with the few that have escaped slavery living in nomadic trading and hunter/gatherer groups. The caribou have a tribalistic raider mentality much like the orcs. The white tail are laid back farmers and druidic forest dwellers with an odd warrior or mage among them, and strangely hate firbolgs.

Ability Score Increase

You gain +1 to your wisdom.

Racial traits

The deerfolk have many varying traits depending on their heritage but all deerfolk have a few basic traits in common.

Size

Deerfolk have vastly differing builds depending on their subrace, but despite that they are all medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30ft.

Natural Weapon

You can use your horns as natural weapons dealing 1d4 piercing damage opposed to the normal bludgeoning damage.

Languages

You can speak common and 1 other language of your choice.

Subraces

There are 3 distinct subraces of deerfolk- the snow, caribou, and whitetail.

Deerfolk Traits

Ability score increase

Ability Score Increase

You gain +1 to your wisdom.

Natural weapon

Natural Weapon

You can use your horns as natural weapons dealing 1d4 piercing damage opposed to the normal bludgeoning damage.