Homebrew Dullahan Species Details

A dullahan is a type of fey creature born of the Unseelie Court. Dullahan resemble undead due to their headlessness, but both head and body are kept alive by a fey curse. Inclined to travel by Unseelie magic and their own appearance, grim folklore sprung up about them over time. Dullahan are created by Unseelie Fey when they decapitate a humanoid, often as part of a dark ritual. Newly created dullahan are able to retain most of their personality of their humanoid self, but memories of their past life is mostly forgotten. Only a few dullahan manage to remember a memory from their past life often due to a trigger or a lasting impression the body will never forget.

Since they resemble most normal humanoids so strongly, most dullahan are fully capable of integrating themselves into society more so than most tieflings, half-orcs and dullahan who resemble tieflings and half-orcs. The differences they do possess are minimal until their headless nature is exposed. Showing their headlessness in public is viewed as off putting at best, sometimes creepy. Sometimes dullahan are compared to undead, viewed negatively to holy places and organizations, other times monster hunters or guards get called to the scene as a misunderstanding of dullahan. Due to this, dullahan hide this trait very easily by reattaching their heads onto their bodies. To save further unwanted attention, some also prefer professions that allow them to travel and live nomadic lifestyles or to hunker down and live like a hermit. Regardless of profession, dullahan tend to have an approachable or unapproachable demeanor; which happens to work in hiding their headless nature by either making friends or turning people away.

Dullahan Traits

Dullahan Traits

Ability Score Increase

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. You can't raise any of your scores above 20.

Creature Type

You are a fey.

Size

You are Medium

Speed

Your walking speed is 30 feet

Unseele Magic

You know the Toll the Dead cantrip.
Starting at 3rd level, you can cast the Hunter's Mark spell with this trait. Starting at 5th level, you can also cast the Find Steed spell with this trait. Once you cast Hunter's Mark or Find Steed with this trait, you can’t cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast either of those spells using any spell slots you have of the appropriate level.
Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells when you cast them with this trait (choose when you select this race).

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.

Frightening Persuasion

You have proficiency in either the Intimidation or Persuasion skill.

Headless Nature

Your head and your body are separated, the wound that separated them permanently scarred. You gain the following effects:

  • You can attach and detach your head using your Object Interaction. Your ability to sever your head prevents you from being killed by decapitation, however, being struck by a critical hit by a weapon attack or unarmed strike causes your head to fly off. Your head lands in a space within 10 feet of you.
  • You always know the distance and direction to your head or body unless it is on another plane of existence or if it's blocked by an effect that prevents divination magic.
  • Unless your head is being carried by your body or another creature, it can be targeted, its AC being equal to yours. You cannot be damaged twice by an area of effect due to this. Your head automatically fails Dexterity saving throws that target just your head
  • When separate, your body can see and hear so long as your head can see the body. If your head's vision is obscured, your body gains 10 feet of blindsight.
  • Your headless body cannot speak but it can consume food and drink as well as cast spells, even spells with verbal components as long as the separated head is not silenced or gagged.

Weakness to Gold

You have vulnerability to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from gold plated weapons. If you are carrying or touching anything made of gold, make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or release the item. Repeat this save every turn you carry the gold.

Languages

Your character can speak, read, and write Common, Sylvan 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.

Previous Versions

Name Date Modified Views Adds Version Actions
8/19/2024 6:00:04 AM
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8/19/2024 6:04:16 AM
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