Homebrew Actaeon Species Details

They travel great distances, far across the sunken ruins of the ancient cities and the inverted plains - they trek the Feywild like it is a mission, an incomplete quest. Half elk, half humanoid is the only phrase arrived at after length study. And yet, ever-impressed I stand at their magestic beauty, graceful stride, and boundless knowledge.

— Mordenkainen, Great Wizard and Traveler of the Planes

Actaeon are feyfolk by nature, stemming from the same world as Eladrin, Elves, and the many other fey species. They have the legs of an elk, much like a centaur has the legs of a horse, but the torso and head of eladrin, elf, or even humans. They are like ancient druidic guardians of the forest. Resting atop their heads lie majestic antlers, thicker and more muscled than elks but retaining similarities. Their skin tone is often a purplish hue and their skin tends to have natural growths like bark mixed in gracefully with the smooth tones.

Seekers of Beauty

With their grace and elegant, though beastly, features, Actaeons travel in tribes and traverse the lands of the mysterious Feywilds together. They relish in discovering and finding beauty, resolving to protect it. Tribes of Actaeon will travel for many months just to arrive at a specific location to witness a sunset they have heard is beautiful.

Pride in Looks

Actaeons take great pride in their appearance and are inherently arrogant and even elitist to other, "lesser" races. Nomadic tribes frequently cross paths and such encounters often result in spontaneous festivals of sharing stories and showing off their beauty.

Despite their arrogance, they are regarded as naturally friendly and they are open and accepting of everyone. There is no greater pleasure to Actaeons than the sharing of tales and stories in communal settings. They often engage in physical feats of strength and grace, testing their agility, and endurance, and flaunt in competition among tribal members and other tribes. The greatest in these fields are selected as tribal leaders.

A Rare Call to Adventure

It is an unusual and rare sight for Actaeons to move into the adventuring lifestyle. Actaeons share a deep respect for their cultural values and an even deeper respect for their clan mates. For such a being to venture beyond the Fey usually is indicative of a strong commitment to exploration beyond familial ties or perhaps a cultural clash or even a tragedy of exile or death. Regardless of the reason, seeing an Actaeon adventurer is truly a majestic sight to behold.

Actaeon Traits

As an Actaeon, you have the following racial traits.

Age

Actaeons reach adulthood at the age of 12, and can live up to 350 years old.

Alignment

Most Actaeons are neutrally aligned and are rarely evil.

Size

Actaeons grow to about 6 to 7 feet in height (including their antlers). Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 35 feet.

Darkvision

Accustomed to the Feywilds, 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. You cannot discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Carrier

You can carry one Medium or Small creature on your back. Doing this does not reduce your speed or require any kind of ability check. If you travel like this for more than 5 hours, you require twice the standard rations to recover the energy you spend. While carrying someone like this, you cannot cast spells or take the attack action.

Fey Ancestry

You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

Well-Traveled

You gain proficiency in two skills of your choice.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, Sylvan, and one additional language of your choice.