Homebrew Bugfolk Species Details

A seldom seen race of humanoid insects. They have varying traits based on their caste/role/environment. While their intelligence and social abilities can be on par with the other sentient humanoids, their physiology is vastly different. They are resilient enough to be found nearly anywhere in the multiverse, but they aren't often encountered because they tend to keep to themselves.

 Ability Score Increases

When determining your character’s ability scores, increase one score by 2 and increase a different score by 1, or increase three different scores by 1. Follow this rule regardless of the method you use to determine the scores, such as rolling or point buy. The “Quick Build” section for your character’s class offers suggestions on which scores to increase. You can follow those suggestions or ignore them, but you can’t raise any of your scores above 20.

Languages

Your character can speak, read, and write Common and one other language that you and your DM agree is appropriate for the character. The Player's Handbook offers a list of languages to choose from. The DM is free to modify that list for a campaign.

Creature Type

Every creature in D&D, including each player character, has a special tag in the rules that identifies the type of creature they are. Most player characters are of the Humanoid type. A race tells you what your character’s creature type is.

Here’s a list of the game’s creature types in alphabetical order: Aberration, Beast, Celestial, Construct, Dragon, Elemental, Fey, Fiend, Giant, Humanoid, Monstrosity, Ooze, Plant, Undead. These types don’t have rules themselves, but some rules in the game affect creatures of certain types in different ways. For example, the cure wounds spell doesn’t work on a Construct or an Undead.

Life Span

The typical life span of a player character in the D&D multiverse is about a century, assuming the character doesn’t meet a violent end on an adventure. Members of some races, such as dwarves and elves, can live for centuries. If typical members of a race can live longer than a century, that fact is mentioned in the race’s description.

Height and Weight

Player characters, regardless of race, typically fall into the same ranges of height and weight that humans have in our world. If you’d like to determine your character’s height or weight randomly, consult the Random Height and Weight table in the Player's Handbook, and choose the row in the table that best represents the build you imagine for your character.

Credit to MossyMints

Bugfolk Traits

As a bugfolk you have the following racial traits.

Creature Type

You are a Beast.

Ability Score Increases

When determining your character’s ability scores, increase one score by 2 and increase a different score by 1, or increase three different scores by 1. Follow this rule regardless of the method you use to determine the scores, such as rolling or point buy. The “Quick Build” section for your character’s class offers suggestions on which scores to increase. You can follow those suggestions or ignore them, but you can’t raise any of your scores above 20.

Size

You are Medium or Small. You choose the size when you select this race.

Speed

Your walking speed is 30 feet and you have a flying speed of 20 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 discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray.

Insectoid Physiology

Your insectoid physiology grants you resistance to poison, immunity to disease, and eventually even poison and acidic blood.

Strong Limbs

Bugfolk have strong limbs that they use to climb, burrow, and fight.

You have strong limbs that you can use to make unarmed strikes. When you hit with them, the strike deals 1d6 + your Strength modifier slashing damage, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Additionally, you gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed and a 10 foot burrow speed.

Powerful Build

You count as one size larger when determining you carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

Additionally, because of your unique physiology, you have advantage on athletics checks.

Essence Drinker

Starting at 10th level, while you are grappling a creature, as a reaction at the start of your turn, you may deal 1d6 + Con Mod necrotic damage and heal yourself for the damage done.

Armored Carapace

Your carapace provides you a base AC of 15 + Dex modifier (max 2). You can’t wear light, medium, or heavy armor, but if you are using a shield, you can apply the shield’s bonus as normal.