Homebrew Eldren Species Details

Eldren look as if they are remnants from a bygone age.

To say that is untrue would not reflect what is known. Sightings have been recorded for centuries, and all convey a similar picture. 

The eldren are tall, but do not appear as heavy as their height would betray. Both of these aspects, however, have great variance in known records. Their legs, ending in hooves, make up half their height, and shift in tone as they descend, nearly the same as their home turf at their base. Antlers, covered in lichens and mosses, adorn their heads, sometimes portrayed similarly to those of moose, other times more closely to those of elk. Like their horns, their bodies are said to be covered in what appeared to be fur, covered by mossy patches. No records have a general consensus on any other details, such as their faces, sometimes described as round and soft, elsewhere said to be sharp and hard. 

Two accounts with the most detailed descriptions, however, both note that they do not seem to possess any known system for reproduction. Speculation from this hints at the eldren being truly ageless, as no reports of young have been recorded in their long history.

There are no recorded accounts of an Eldren interacting with another of its kind, and very few of any leaving their wooded homes. They have, however, always peacefully coexisted with any occupants of their forests unless they are provoked.

The aforementioned few accounts of one leaving their homes are mostly made up of Eldren who had no choice but to leave, as their forests were destroyed and they remained, left to the aftermath. These are the hornless Eldren, whose antlers have fallen away, potentially dying with their lands.

Eldren Traits

Sightings have been recorded for centuries, and all convey a similar picture.

Ability Score Increase

Your Wisdom score increases by 2 and another score of your choice increases by 1.

Size

Eldren have been observed to from 8 to 10 feet in height. Your size is Large.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 25 feet. You are not slowed by heavy armor.

Oversized

One of your chosen starting weapons becomes oversized. This increases the damage die by one step and modifies properties according to the Oversized Weapons rules, seen below. Additionally, your unarmed stikes count as Oversized.

Darkvision

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.

Caregiver

The flora and fauna of the wooded lands are your charges, and you have the ability to speak with them to a degree and, on occasion, in detail. Beasts can understand your speech, and you gain the ability to decipher their noises and motions. Most beasts lack the intelligence to convey or understand sophisticated concepts, but a friendly beast could relay what it has seen or heard in the recent past. 

In addition, you may cast Speak With Animals, but only as a ritual. At 5th level, you may also cast Speak with Plants in the same manner. 

This ability doesn’t grant you friendship with beasts, though you can combine this ability with gifts to curry favor with them as you would with any nonplayer character.

Wooded Step

You can move through any sort of nonmagical undergrowth (such as thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) without being slowed or damaged by them, and you leave no trace when doing so.

Hardy

You are a creature of the seasons, and can exist comfortably in all temperatures between 20 and 100 degrees fahrenheit. You gain advantage on Constitution saving throws against exhaustion when in environments of extreme heat or cold.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Sylvan and enough broken Common to get by.