Homebrew Foreclaimer Species Details

Foreclaimers are something of a mystery, as their civilization disappeared suddenly more than 2,000 years ago. What little is known of them has been gleaned from the ruins and artifacts of their once-expansive empire and from surviving lore and legends. The sudden reappearance of a Foreclaimer would certainly cause great interest and upheaval in the world of Ambria. A Superior Body Foreclaimers are distantly related to elves, specifically Drow, and share similar features such as pointed ears, slender physiques, and long lifespans. However, they were taller than their ancestors and typically stood at six to seven feet tall. Their skin was light gray, and their hair colors were varied pastel hues such as earthy greens, soft blues, and muted reds. Where they diverged significantly from elves was in their use of technology. Foreclaimers advanced well beyond their natural abilities through extensive technological modification called “augmentation.” Some researchers have recently attributed the Forelaimers’ acceptance of radical physiological changes to meddling by the Seraphim Stella, but the exact truth is lost to the ages. Ruthless Researchers Foreclaimers reached adulthood at the early age of 20, and while an unaugmented Foreclaimer could live to around 700 years old, an augmented Foreclaimer could live up to 1,400 years. With such an unnaturally long lifespan, they saw events in the world differently and were able to accumulate huge amounts of knowledge and wisdom. Events like global catastrophes didn’t trouble them but were instead seen as important research opportunities. Foreclaimers would stop at nothing to further the goal of their society: the efficient pursuit of becoming the ultimate, perfect form of life. This endless pursuit of knowledge and efficiency was the principle underlying Foreclaimer society. They were ruthlessly curious about the world, gathering knowledge about all of its aspects and researching how to improve upon them. The concept of efficiency was an obsession to them, and this ideal guided them in every task they undertook. People who encountered Foreclaimers would’ve done well to flee, lest they be captured and taken for further study or killed if seen as a threat. There was a key distinction that set Foreclaimers apart from other races in Ambria: they did not possess empathy, lacking the ability to understand or connect with the emotions of another being. In fact, they saw the concept of empathy as a flaw, an undesirable defect that stifled growth. It is unclear how the otherwise brilliant Foreclaimers began to see empathy as a flaw. Still, the consequences of this thinking was clear in how they behaved. Foreclaimers acted without mercy, as they did not value lives in the same way as other races. This led Foreclaimers to dull their own ability to feel emotions further as part of their self-experimentation, making them exceptionally brutal and remorseless in their interactions with others as well as with their own kind. Justin Chan & Dingo 4 Conquerors of the Jungle Even at the height of its power, Foreclaimer society remained mostly contained to a single megacity called Soladin, which spanned the entirety of the Bellowing Wilds during its estimated 3,000 year reign. Their advanced weapons and technology established them as the apex predators of this jungle region and scared off even the most imposing opponents. They did not trade with other nations nor use their own currency. Resources were distributed as needed among the Foreclaimer citizens. Foreclaimers provided superb care for their citizens, so long as it did not cause a strain on resources. Outliers, inefficient individuals, and those incapable of contributing were exiled and left to die in the harsh jungle on the outskirts of Soladin. Foreclaimer society adhered to a strict collective approach, using what they considered a simple hierarchy. For the sake of efficiency, they had an Emperor, although the position was based on intelligence and expertise rather than a bloodline. Once a Foreclaimer reached adulthood, they had a profession assigned to them based on their interests and aptitudes. They worked within that profession for their entire lives, barring unexpected obsolescence. During the twilight years of their life, elder Foreclaimers assisted in educating the next generation. Most Foreclaimers chose to receive an augmentation associated with their profession in addition to their power crystal, which allowed them to contribute to their society at peak efficiency. Powerful Augmentations Power crystals, which store sunlight as magical energy, were a vital element of Foreclaimer society. For centuries the crystals powered early Foreclaimer machines. After considerable research and experimentation, Foreclaimers determined that the crystals could also power their bodies. In order to avoid adverse effects, it was determined that augmentation would only occur once an individual reached adulthood. At that time, a socket for power crystals was surgically inserted into a Foreclaimer’s stomach, completely replacing their natural metabolism. The use of power crystals eliminated the Foreclaimer’s need to sleep, eat, or drink and dramatically slowed the aging process. This new metabolic process also maintained the body’s fat and muscle masses at optimal levels for daily tasks, which could be adjusted as needed. A single power crystal could power a Foreclaimer for up to 50 years, at which point it would need to be replaced. The crystals could be removed with relative ease, which could unfortunately be abused by enemies. Once augmented with power crystals, a Foreclaimer relied on them for the rest of their life. During the first hour without a crystal, a Foreclaimer suffered terrible fatigue and stomach pains. If unpowered for more than a day, a Foreclaimer would lose all benefits the power crystal granted them: they would once again need to sleep and consume food and would experience an accelerated aging process. To avoid such repercussions, Foreclaimers replaced their crystals as quickly as possible. The longer a Foreclaimer relied on power crystals, the worse the effects of going without one became. If a Foreclaimer who had been augmented with a power crystal for more than 500 years became unpowered for more than a year, their bodies declined rapidly, significantly weakening them. In addition, their remaining lifespan would be reduced to a mere 100 years, at most, whether they were re-powered or not. Foreclaimers considered these potential downsides an acceptable trade-off, as their power crystal supplies were abundant. During the power crystal augmentation process, Foreclaimers could also choose to have their bodies modified in one additional way. These additional modifications normally had to do with their assigned specializations, such as extra strength for miners or greater speed for scouts. Despite the remarkable changes their bodies underwent, Foreclaimers were unable to sustain more than one additional augmentation in addition to their original power crystal receptacle. 5 Foreclaimer Traits Foreclaimers have a plethora of abilities, some of which evolved over many years, while others are artificial augmentations they add to their bodies. Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity, Intelligence, and Wisdom scores each increase by 1. Age. You reach adulthood at the age of 20 and can live up to 1,400 years if augmented and powered by power crystals. Unaugmented Foreclaimers have a lifespan of around 700 years. Alignment. Foreclaimers typically do not possess empathy and, as such, tend toward neutral and evil alignments. Size. Foreclaimers are taller than their elven ancestors, standing between 6 and 7 feet tall with a near-perfect physique. Your size is Medium. Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. Lack of Empathy. You have disadvantage on all Deception, Insight and Persuasion checks. Observant. You gain proficiency in the Investigation and Perception skills. Efficient Metabolism. You are sustained by your power crystal and do not require food or drink. You are also unable to sleep, do not require it to rest, and cannot be put to sleep by magic. To benefit from a long rest, you must spend at least four hours not moving and doing only light activities. You remain conscious and aware of your surroundings during this time. You can also benefit from a short rest in half the time typically required. Stella’s Blessing. You can cast light at will, using Intelligence as your spellcasting ability. Once you cast the spell, you can’t cast it again via this trait until you finish a short or long rest. Solar Power. Your augmentations and racial benefits only work while powered by a power crystal. If the crystal is removed for longer than 1 day, you lose your Augmentation benefits, Stella’s Blessing, Efficient Metabolism, and any racial ability score increases. In addition, your remaining lifespan is reduced to a maximum of 500 years. One hour after your crystal is removed, you suffer one level of exhaustion. Your unpowered body also rapidly degrades over a period of 30 years, deteriorating your physique and appearance. If you have been continuously powered for at least 500 years and your crystal is removed for longer than 1 year, your remaining lifespan is permanently reduced to a maximum of 100 years, regardless of whether you gain a new power crystal. Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Stelkin. Stelkin was the ancient language of Foreclaimers, derived long ago from Elvish. It was a language of harsh precision, with sharp tones and faster pacing. Outsiders who wished to master it needed to learn an entirely new breathing technique, as Foreclaimers avoided taking any unnecessary breaths while speaking. Augmentation. Adult Foreclaimers may choose to take a single augmentation to assist them in completing their projects more efficiently. Justin Chan & Dingo 6 Aggressive Reflexes You add your Proficiency Bonus to your Initiative rolls. Agility Boost Your base walking speed increases by 5 feet and you ignore difficult terrain movement penalties. Cat’s Eyes You gain darkvision out to a range of 60 feet. Climbing Claws You gain a climbing speed of 20 feet. Gills You can breathe air and water. Muscle Fiber Enhancement Your Strength score increases by 1 up to a maximum of 20. Nerve Deadening You are able to ignore the sensation of pain and your sense of touch is numbed. You gain a +1 bonus to your Armor Class. Sixth Sense You gain proficiency in Dexterity saving throws and are not easily surprised in combat. Tempered Skin You gain resistance to fire damage. Toxic Blood You become immune to diseases and the poisoned condition. Your blood is toxic, and any creature who consumes it must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for 1 hour. (The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus.) Creating a Foreclaimer Character Here are some questions to consider when developing your Foreclaimer character: 1. Foreclaimers completely vanished thousands of years ago. Why did you not vanish with them, or how have you reappeared? Does your character know what has happened to themselves or not? Work with your GM to find a way to incorporate your character’s backstory into the campaign. 2. Most Foreclaimers specialized in a certain profession, like hunting or research. What was your specialization? 3. Foreclaimers typically do not feel empathy. Do you have that ability for some reason? How do you cope with it if you do, or how do you overcome this limitation if you don’t? Justin Chan & Dingo Augmentation Record Subject: Gothica Diossol Age: 20 Occupation: Leadership (Princess rank) Install Power Crystal Socket? Yes No Requested Additional Augmentation: Surgeon: Alva Carnossa Alva Carnossa Operative Summary: This case was an anomaly, as an additional augmentation is not expected for individuals in high leadership ranks. However, I was in no position to question orders, and with Diossol’s insistence, I proceeded with the additional augmentation. As Diossol was led into the operating room, she was animated, exhibiting disproportionate anticipation, which runs contrary to the painful recovery period ahead. Following standard anesthesia, the installation of the power crystal socket was successful. Per protocol, socket model Antares was installed to match occupational rank. The body did not show signs of rejection. Initial power crystal test confirmed predicted augmentation lines forming across the body with a glow within normal parameters. Lifespan extended to a projected 1,220 years. Innate metabolism successfully halted and replaced by crystal energy. Muscle and fat tissues successfully connected to new augmentation lines. Following a standard recovery period of 4 hours, the procedure for the additional augmentation of Gills was undertaken. Incisions were properly made in the neck area. Gills removed from Merfolk #20945 successfully transplanted into Diossol. Additional augmentation lines were carved to ensure gills comply with new crystal metabolism. The body did not show signs of rejection. Vitals remained within acceptable parameters. Initial water and air tests confirmed gills as fully functional. As requested by the Emperor, I attempted to identify the cause of her unusual behavior and rectify the defect. Unfortunately, I was unable to determine the cause. Further testing would have negatively impacted the augmentation procedure. Continued monitoring of this subject’s mental state to ensure it stays within acceptable parameters is required. If further deviation is identified, I recommend early termination or sterilization to prevent further undesired defects in subsequent generations. I must note a secondary concern after the second recovery period of 24 hours began. Diossol’s royal sharkhound, specimen “Jawbone,” would not leave her side during recovery, potentially compromising the safety of other patients in recovery. I recommend a replacement sharkhound be acquired and the current one be terminated due to the problematic and exceptionally strong bond these two exhibit

Foreclaimer Traits

efficient metabolism gills