Homebrew Scourgeborn (Cervus) Species Details
Scourgebornes should not exist. They are an abomination of the world, a vile curse placed on those who peered beyond the veil and succumbed to madness. Their twisted appearance is but a mirror of the darkest recesses of their personality. All sentient creatures harbor a monster within their soul - the dark of you that resents your neighbor for having a better life than you, that hates your friends when they ignore you, that wishes to harm those that wrong you - most are fortunate enough to be able to hide this monster behind a mask of false virtues. Not the Scourgeborne.
Their curse has taken all the most twisted aspects of their personality and laid them bare for the whole world to see. They wear this disfigured appearance every day; the more resentment, hatred and anger one possesses, the more monstrous the appearance.
Many view this Eldritch revelation as a curse - a curse that drives one to slip deeper and deeper into the depths of depravity until nothing but the monster remains. Yet, many refuse to let it break them - with their innermost darkness now visible, they have no choice but to accept it. It is said that accepting a fault is the first step in correcting it. Those scourgeborne who embrace their inner monster, but refuse to let it rule them, often become messianic heroes within the walls of Luyarnha, attempting to redeem the entire world with their actions, and perhaps one day, themselves.
Scourgeborne Features
Ability Score Increase: Your Constitution score increases by 1.
Age: Scourgeborne are made not born. This means that they mature at the same rate as the race they originally belonged to.
Size: Scourgeborne are about the same size and build as humans. Your size is Medium.
Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice.
Speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Feral Limbs: The horns, claws or fangs that you have developed due to your mutation are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. If your alignment is Evil, your feral side is more dominant and the die size for your unarmed strikes increases to a d8.
Eldritch Curse: Your curse is not something mere mortals can undo. You are immune to any spell that would alter your form. (e.g., alter self, polymorph...)
Born of Madness: Your body is not the one you were born with, but rather the consequence to your exposure to eldritch madness:
- If your alignment is Good, you gain control over your darkest impulses. You have advantage on saving throws against madness.
- If your alignment is Evil you let the depraved monster within you influence you. You have disadvantage on saving throws against madness but gain a bonus to Dexterity saving throws equal to your Proficiency bonus.
Subraces: Your subrace is dictated by an eldritch curse, which doesn’t seem to follow a clear reasoning, although it seems that whatever aspect of your personality is most depraved will influence the beast that emerges. There are 4 subraces: Aranea, Belua, Cervus and Vespertilio.
Subrace: Cervus
The rarest amongst the scourgeborne. To become a cervus, also called half-deer or waldschrat, one must have committed the foulest of sins - devouring the flesh of their kin. Or so the rumor went. This urban legend has long since been disproved as many of the town’s most trusted figures have turned into such creatures. Interestingly, it seems that those that become cervus are the most apt at fighting creatures of the night, an achievement that earns them the respect of hunters across the city-state.
Ability Score Increase: Either your Wisdom score or Strength score increases by 1 (your choice), and one ability score of your choice increases by 1.
Goring Charge: If you move at least 20 feet straight toward a creature and then hit it with a melee attack on the same turn, that target must succeed on a Strength saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier) or be knocked prone. If the target is prone, you can make one melee attack against it as a bonus action. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Nimble build: Your movement speed increases by 10 feet.
Scourgeborn (Cervus) Traits
As a Scourgeborn (Cervus), you have the following racial traits.Nimble Build
Your movement speed increases by 10 feet.
Born of Madness
Your body is not the one you were born with, but rather the consequence to your exposure to eldritch madness:
- If your alignment is Good, you gain control over your darkest impulses. You have advantage on saving throws against madness.
- If your alignment is Evil you let the depraved monster within you influence you. You have disadvantage on saving throws against madness but gain a bonus to Dexterity saving throws equal to your Proficiency bonus.
Eldritch Curse
Your curse is not something mere mortals can undo. You are immune to any spell that would alter your form. (e.g., alter self, polymorph...)
Creature Type
You are a Humanoid.
Size
You are Medium.
Speed
Your walking speed is 30 feet.
Goring Charge
If you move at least 20 feet straight toward a creature and then hit it with a melee attack on the same turn, that target must succeed on a Strength saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier) or be knocked prone. If the target is prone, you can make one melee attack against it as a bonus action. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.