Homebrew Waykin Species Details

“The grand magister was always the type to chase the fairytales within fairytales; but talk of the farthest spaces, regions of chaos through which the gods dared not tread, would warrant a moment’s pause for even the most ambitious explorer. The research team had trained for decades to steel themselves against what we might witness upon gazing into the realms beyond. We very gradually exposed ourselves to horrors and bizarreries that the uninitiated would only whisper about, as an inoculation against the strange and forbidden. As we set out toward the breech, we were still apprehensive about the tales of men driven mad by the mere sight of unspeakable chaos, and the warping power of magics that defied the laws of the natural world.

Imagine our surprise then when after braving the harsh outer planes; entire worlds of monsters and giants, that we would come to the precipice of a realm only seen in a beholder’s dream and find an uncanny village of all things. It was populated by unusual, child-like humanoids on top of that. The way that they moved and behaved, it was as a parody of the mundane. Whatever is actually out there in the great beyond, the magister might be interested to know that it has the propensity to mock us.”

~Hellen Varhammer, Explorer’s league report 22A

When the barriers between the realms of chaos and order begin to weaken, sometimes one will seep into the other. Often the far realms will produce monstrosities of unimaginable horror, but the interesting thing about a realm of absolute chaos is that it cannot always be expected to achieve that same result. Waykin are a strange mixture of elements that achieve a sum different than the whole of their factors.

Product of Unknowable Origin

Waykin are beings spat forth from the bizarre places which stretch into the unfathomable depths of the spaces between the stars. They have more in common with a Beholder or a Mind Flayer than their sprite-like demeanor would suggest. So strange is a Waykin’s natural home, that even they themselves would be hard pressed to describe it. Most have found their way into the Material Plane though scholars and explorers, or by their own almost arbitrary wanderings, making them a rare sight for even the most traveled individuals.

Hovering Monster Children

Waykin are all small statured humanoids that prefer to levitate a short distance from the ground. Their inky black bodies are usually adorned in simple clothing, always topped with large hoods that cover the entirety of their oversized heads. Their fiery eyes are the only distinctive aspect of their faces, making their expressions and intent difficult to read for those who have little experience with them. When Waykin communicate verbally, it often sounds like three or four unique voices speaking in harmony.

Capricious and Unusual

Sometimes confused with playful sprites, Waykin delight in surprising those around them. Some may consider them a jovial people, but a close observer will note that there is an uncanniness about how they go about their japes and pranks. They seem to lack moral awareness or a sense of consequence to their actions. Waykin often move in eerie ways and make illogical decisions that aspire to meet arbitrary, sometimes insane goals. Where one may be dead set on building an entire empire of silver with nothing but a garden trowel, another may dedicate their whole lives to collecting various tufts of cat hair. As such, even though they are often talented and powerful adventurers, their tendency to take things too far over the line leads other races to be reluctant to deal with them for extended periods of time. Some Waykin even take to mimicry, making themselves a strange imitation of another individual.

Aimless Individualists

The idea of a “Waykin society” is almost non-existent. Though Waykin may group together to form makeshift villages from time to time, these organizations rarely last. The attitudes and passions of Waykin vary so wildly and extremely, that they don’t often get along with their own kind for very long. As a result, most Waykin take to wandering on their own, or on rare occasion, with a few others who happen to share their similar ideology. When dealing with other races, a Waykin will tend to select “favorites” who are often subjected to the brunt of their strange ideas and moods.

Some Waykin may follow a god, offering prayer and servitude to one of the great old ones, or even beings of their own imagining. Most, however, like to remain as agnostic as possible, preferring to achieve on their own rather than following the directive of a separate being.

Waykin Names

Waykin do not inherently use names when interacting with their own kind, as such, they often go by names given to them by comrades or passersby. Some Waykin will even insist on being called the first thing that they are addressed as by an outsider, leading to common Waykin names being: “Heyu” or “Wat’thehelizit”

Waykin Traits

Dispite their varied behaviors, Waykin all share some common atributes:

Size

Waykin range from between 2 and 4 feet tall, and average 30 pounds. Your size is small.

Born From Chaos

You are resistant to madness and fear, you have advantage on saving throws against being driven mad or becoming frightened.

Outside the Laws of Nature

You do not feel the effects of old age and cannot be aged magically.

Inherent Tricksters

You know either the Prestidigitation or Thaumaturgy cantrip. This does not count against the number of cantrips that you can know based on your class.

Unpredictable Movements

If an attack made against you would hit, you may choose for it to miss instead. Once you use this ability, you must complete a short or long rest before using it again.

Ability Score Increase

Your Wisdom increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1

Levitation

You can hover a short distance off of any solid surface, allowing you to fly up to 5ft from the ground at a speed of 30.

Age

Waykin are not bound to the laws of time and thus age is generally not an issue for them. Waykin mature when they like, become adults when they want to and die when they feel like it (provided something doesn’t kill them first).

Alignment

Waykin are inherently chaotic, weather that chaos is directed toward good or evil varies from individual to individual. Some may feign a sense of honor or duty, but it is usually done in satire of an organization or deity.