Homebrew Fay Changeling Species Details

“Once upon a time, in a place much like the one we're in, there lived a woman who loved her husband very much. They tried for years to have a child of their own but nothing they did made the wife fruitful until desperation took root deep inside of the woman's heart. Longing to have a child to call her  own, the wife ventured into the forest to entreat the Fay. She begged them for their magic in order to conceive. She was warned that all magic came with a price. So she promised to give them anything that was in her power to grant them. In the depth of the forest, under a full moon, the bargain was struck and the deal was sealed. The woman went back to her husband and she found out she was pregnant within a fortnight."

Wide eyed, the child looked up to the elder before them and asked, "What happened then?"

"Well sweet child, the man and wife rejoiced! They celebrated their unborn with family and friends. But as the pregnancy progressed it was clear that not all was well. The child pushed at the womb in all manner of twisted shapes. The mother suffered during pregnancy. For a while it seemed as though she would not make it to bare the child. Beyond all expectations, the wife became a mother. But the babe she bore was queer to behold for it was born in such a state that it appeared like a perfect doll instead of a living, breathing child. As time progress the parents began to worry as it never wailed. They worried further as the child seemed to be frozen in time, only growing in small increments compared to other children. Years passed like months to the child and the older the child became, the less it seemed to age. Yet the mother loved it still," as she spoke, the old woman brushed her hand over the child's beautiful hair.

"Was the child okay?"

A heartbroken smile graced her lips as she continued the story, "No one knows. The mother continued to age. And before she knew it, she was too old to continue to care for the child. It was then that the Fay she'd struck the deal with came to her in the middle of the night and told her it was time. The child that they had given her must be returned. She begged and pleaded with the Fay but they both knew that it was for the best. So with a heavy heart the mother accepted her and her child's fate. Graciously, the Fay gave her one day to say goodbye to the babe she had raised."

"Were the fairies kind to the baby?"

"I hope so," this time the old woman leaned forward and kissed her blood goodnight. "When you wake up, no matter what happens, please remember that you were well and truly loved."

After the child woke and found their mother and father would never rise again, a strangely beautiful man came to pick them up from their childhood home. 

Changelings are a magical people of otherworldly grace, living in the mortal world but not entirely part of it. They are born through means of magical congress between a being of the Fay and a mortal mother. They are raised by their mortal parents, growing impossibly slow, until the Fay come back for their offspring. From that point they are raised in the Fay Wild until they decide to set out on their own.

Hauntingly Beautiful

With their unearthly grace and fine features, Changelings appear hauntingly beautiful to humans and members of many other races. They take on the ideal racial traits of their mortal parent as though molded that way. Females are what would be considered average for a human female - between 5'5" and 5'10". Males tend to be between 6' and 6'6". Their physical build tends to be what is considered athletically fit no matter the lifestyle they've lived. Their coloration tends to follow what would be normal in their mother's line though as they age, these colors may shift to resemble their Fay parent more. 

Weird Relations with Time

It is unknown how long Changelings live. Some favor their mother's natural life span while others may take after their sire's. What is consistent is that they age exceptionally slow from the time they are born until they appear the human equivalent of seven years old. From that point they start to age more like their mortal mother. For those that take more after their sire this is when their age slows down once more. For those that take after their mother, they age far more gracefully than those from their maternal line.

Unfortunately for them this inconsistency with age plays a part mentally as well. They might be considered mature for what age they appear but their mind still matures at the same rate as their body. Because of this it takes them more time to learn near skills compared to the mortals around them. They also tend to loose track of time easily and spend much of it resting or enjoying the natural world around them. Along with their loose grasp on time once they make friends or enemies they keep them as life that way. 

Homelands

Most Changelings live with their mortal parents until mid childhood. This could be in the woodlands of the elves, in the underdark of the gray dwarves, in the cities of humans or any other place that their mother was from. Once they reach the age that their Fay Sire comes to retrieve them, they are taken into the Fay Wild to begin the second part of their life. Once they've reached maturity it is up to them to break away from their Fay family or not.

Exploration and Adventure

Not all Changelings do, actually, take up adventuring but for those that do it's often out of curiosity or boredom. They may be out of place in the mortal realm as they retain an unearthly like quality to their movements both mental and physical. Given their Fay nature they may feel more at home in the long lived societies of the Elves. But for those seeking excitement settlements of humans or halflings could provide great distraction.  Some may find themselves taking part in mortal affairs such as war, revolutions, and so much more. Unfortunately for those that settle down they would find themselves in a situation like their mothers' - unable to produce a family of their own. For some this prompts them to move on while others might wallow in their misfortunes until they are forced to move on.

 

Changeling Names

They are given a name that would be considered normal by their mother's people. These names would be considered their True Name as they grow up and as such can be used against them by their Fay Sire in order to help keep them in line. As such, the Sire gives them a new name as they retrieve them to take them back to the Fae Wild. Because of this, some Changeling Children even take up a third name if they decide to break away from their Fay Sire.

Bloodlines

Please ensure you have the Customize Your Origin feature turned on; at level 3 you will find a Bloodline option under your Origins Manager in Race. When you go back into Racial Traits after clicking that additional feature, you'll see your Bloodline Origins in your racial Traits.

There are as many variants as there are Fay. However, some Fay are more likely than others. These include the Anthousai, Leprechauns, Fairy, Sidhe, and Kelpies.

Anthousai are connected to the forest and plant growth. Their specialties lay in poisons, self healing, and earth magics. 

Leprechauns are considered natural performers. Their specialties lay in performing, persuasion, deception, and luck for themselves and allies. 

Fairies are one of the winged Fay races. They gain flying speeds, helping others levitate, and changing their size at will. 

Sidhe are the battle ready Fay. Their specialties lay in their physical prowess and turning the tides for themselves in a pinch. 

Kelpies are deadly water horses. Their specialty lies in their marine adaptations and enchantments. 

 

Fay Changeling Traits

A half-mortal, Half-fay created out of desperation and desire.

Size

Changeling Children range from 5'6" to 6'6"  tall. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, Sylvan, and 1 language of your choice (from your mother's heritage). 

Fay Ancestry Advantages

You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed and you can not be put to sleep with magic. 

Otherworldly Charm

Your Fay heritage has granted you an otherworldly grace which has helped you be more charming than average (+2 CHA). You get the sense that your charismatic nature could become hypnotically good if you worked at it (CHA Max increased to 30). 

Darkvision

You have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. 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. Unlike many other races, you can discern color using with your darkvision. 

Power in a Name

Due to your Fay Ancestry, you have disadvantage on any Wisdom Saving Throws if your ally, foe, or acquaintance knows your True Name and has the intent that you fail the check. Likewise you have disadvantage on deceiving those who know your true name.