Homebrew Dhoven Species Details

The dhoven (singular dhovah) are a race of otterlike humanoids who primarily inhabit the southeastern shores of the island of Thurinvald. They have little interest in ruling or conflict, preferring to fish their reefs and coves, to worship their beloved Goddess, and to quiet, pleasant lives.

They are covered in dense fur to protect them from the cold waters of the ocean, and sensitive whiskers aid them in exploring and hunting underwater. They have long, thick tails that they use to propel themselves through the water at great speeds, aided by their slightly webbed hands and feet. They tend to prefer loose fitting, comfortable clothing that's easily shed when they enter the water. They sometimes dye their fur in elaborate patterns and colors, especially around festival times.

Friends to All; Kin to the Waves

Dhoven congregate in clans, and, when several clans settle in the same region, they form a illuva - this Aquan word means something between community, village, and family. Dhoven are a friendly and playful folk, treating strangers as friends they simply hadn't met yet. They rarely craft metal, preferring to trade with others for that, but they make crafts of bone, wood, coral, and shell. Their skills as scrimshaw artist on all manner of bone and scale are unmatched.

They believe that their Goddess created them out of water itself. Many of them develop abilities to shape water, eventually learning to conjure or dismiss the stuff and ultimately to give themselves and allies the ability to breath beneath the waves. Whether or not they truly are born of water, their grace in it is astonishing to behold, and many are as comfortable in the waves as they are out, if not more so.

Dhoven Names

Dhoven are given names that have often been passed down through a clan. It's not unusual for a dhovah child to be named for an ancestor of those who lived a hundred years or more in the past. When outside their clan, many have a nickname they prefer to go by. At formal times, a dhovah will use their name, their parents' names, and clan name all together, but this is a mark of a situation of grave consequence. A dhovah who announces, "I am Rhul, son of Khayle and Ranah, Waveleaper Clan," is saying something very different than, "You can call me Pebble."

Male Names: Bahari, Dunnow, Khayle, Rhul, Tummo

Female Names: Cellia, Eshti, Illia, Ranah, Weslah

Clan Names: Foamdancer, Shellshield, Pearlfinder, Tenfathom, Waveleaper

Creating Your Character

At 1st level, you choose whether your character is a member of the human race or of a fantastical race. If you select a fantastical race, follow these additional rules during character creation.

 

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.

Dhoven Traits

As a dhovah, you have the following traits.

Creature Type

You are a Humanoid.

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 swimming speed equal to your walking speed.

Aquatic Grace

You have advantage on all Strength (Athletics) checks made in regards to swimming.

Cousin to Water

You know the shape water cantrip. Starting at 3rd level, you can cast the create or destroy water spell with this trait. Starting at 5th level, you can also cast the water breathing spell with this trait, without requiring a material component. Once you cast create or destroy water or water walk 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).

Hold Breath

You can hold your breath up to 15 minutes.

Joyful Life

You gain advantage on saving throws to avoid being frightened.