Homebrew Chithrifa Species Details

Sneaking by in the shadows, hiding within the foliage, scavenging for food, surviving by any means. This is how the chithrifa live. They make small villages in tall grasslands or forests near lakes or rivers, sometimes smaller groups take up refuge in city sewers. Because their lifespans are so short they tend to throw caution to the wind, something already pretty easy for them due to their legendary resilience.

Living Life to the Fullest

With such a short lifespan most would worry about how long they have left, but not the chithrifa. Instead they choose to enjoy every day of their lives, trying to fit as much into every hour that they can. Many will leave their homes to adventure which typically reduces the expected life of any race, but to the chithrifa this just packs their short lives with even more excitement. The idea of death doesn't really phase them like it would most other races, they just accept that its inevitable and roll with it. It's not uncommon to see a chithrifa running head first into danger enthralled by the idea of going out in a blaze of glory or better yet, surviving to become a legend. 

Small, Quick, and Tough

Rats are typically pretty quick for their size, and the chithrifa are no exception to that rule. Even on two legs they can move faster than almost every other race, not to mention how quiet they are while moving. Once they drop down onto all fours their true speed shows, moving fast enough to run a mile in about 2-3 minutes. Their small stature makes them able to hide easily in bushes and foliage, and when combined with their light footed steps they become quite the stealthy creature. Despite their small size they are known for their extraordinary durability, which is ironic due to their short lives. Chithrifa are capable of taking quite the beating before getting knocked down, and they have a natural immunity to both toxins and diseases.

Chithrifa Traits

As a chithrifa, you have the following traits.

Ability Score Increase.

Your Dexterity increases by 2, and your Constitution increases by 1.

Age.

Chithrifa mature rapidly, reaching adulthood by 5. Unfortunately they have incredibly short lifespans, living only around 30 years.

Alignment.

For the most part chithrifa remain neutral. Laws don't really mean much to chithrifa, they prefer to live in the moment and enjoy their short lives.

Size.

Chithrifa typically stand around 3 feet tall, and usually weigh about 30 pounds. Your size is small.

Speed.

Your base walking speed is 35 feet, and you have a climbing speed of 30 feet.

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.

Bite.

Your gnawing fangs are a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Rat's Stride.

You may use the Dash action as a bonus action, running on all fours. This trait can be used a number of times equal to your Dexterity modifier (minimum of 1). You regain all uses of this trait once you finish a long rest.

Light Step

You are proficient in the (Dexterity) Stealth skill.

Chithrifa Resilience.

You have an immunity to disease. You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.

Languages.

You can speak, read, and write common. You can also speak chithrifa*, solely a spoken language as it doesn't actually contain words but rather a series of squeak-like sounds the chithrifa can decipher the meanings of.