Homebrew Carrionborn Species Details

Carrionborn Traits (5e 2024 Homebrew Species)

Ability Score Increase. Choose +2 Constitution and +1 to Strength, Wisdom, or Charisma.

Creature Type. You are both Celestial and Aberration. Spells that affect either type can target you, but you have resistance to effects that turn undead.

Size. Medium. Your form is ever-changing, taking aspects of those you claim.

Speed. 30 feet (walking), 30 feet (flying with Ethereal Wings).

Senses of the Reaper (Supernatural Awareness)

"They see not with mortal eyes, but with the gaze of the afterlife itself."

Scent of the Worthy: You can sense creatures that have claimed at least one life within the past day.
Reaper’s Sight: You gain Darkvision (60 feet) and the ability to see into the Ethereal Plane (30 feet).
Divine Judgment: You have Advantage on Insight checks against creatures that have taken lives in combat.

The Flesh of the Worthy (Adaptive Evolution)

"Their strength shall be mine. Their legend shall endure through me."

When you slay a creature that has proven their worth in battle, you may claim a piece of their essence, binding their strength to your form.

Upon defeating a worthy foe in combat (DM’s discretion), you gain:

An appendage or trait from the fallen (an arm, an eye, fangs, wings, etc.).
A permanent +1 to Strength, Wisdom, or Charisma (max 20).
A unique ability based on what was taken (see table below).

You may have a number of traits equal to your Proficiency Bonus. When you exceed this limit, you must replace an old trait with a new one.

Claimed Flesh	Gained Ability
A Warrior’s Arm	Gain +1 to attack rolls and can wield two-handed weapons one-handed.
A Beast’s Claws	Your unarmed strikes deal 1d8 slashing and can be used as a finesse weapon.
A Hunter’s Eyes	You gain Advantage on Perception checks and Darkvision 120 ft.
A Predator’s Legs	Your speed increases by +10 feet.
A Monster’s Maw	Gain a Bite attack (1d8 Piercing) that heals you for half the damage dealt.
A Mage’s Essence	You learn one Cantrip from the Wizard, Sorcerer, or Cleric spell list.

Once taken, the Flesh of the Worthy becomes a permanent part of your body.

Usher of the Fallen (Divine Requiem)

"Go now, warrior. You have earned your place beyond the veil."

For the Worthy who fall by your hand, death is not the end—it is the beginning of their legend.

When you slay a creature deemed worthy (DM’s discretion), you may offer them a Divine Passage to the afterlife.
In doing so, you receive a permanent Boon granted by the fallen.
This Boon remains until you receive a new one, at which point the previous blessing fades.

Fallen’s Boon	Effect
Boon of the Guardian	You gain +1 AC permanently.
Boon of the Sage	You gain Advantage on Arcana and Religion checks.
Boon of the Hunter	Your attacks ignore half cover and three-quarters cover.
Boon of the Crusader	You gain Advantage on Saving Throws against being Charmed or Frightened.
Boon of the Stormcaller	Once per Long Rest, you can cast Thunderwave (as a 2nd-level spell).
Boon of the Bloodlord	You regain 5 HP whenever you reduce a foe to 0 HP.

Ethereal Wings (Blessing of the Reaper)

"The sky belongs to the Carrionborn, and so too does the battlefield."

You have spectral, ethereal wings that allow you to fly at a speed of 30 feet.
Once per Long Rest, you may channel their divine nature to bless allies or strike terror into foes:

Blessing of the Reaper: You may use an Action to grant temporary hit points equal to your Proficiency Bonus to all allies within 30 feet.
Wings of Dread: You may force all creatures within 30 feet to make a Wisdom Saving Throw (DC 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + your Charisma modifier). On a failure, they are Frightened for 1 minute. (Once per Long Rest.)

Cursed Mark Scar (The Blood Pact)

"To wound a Carrionborn is to bind yourself to them. Until one of you falls, the mark shall burn."

If a Carrionborn fails to kill a worthy opponent, the connection is not severed—it lingers.

You may brand a creature you have fought and failed to kill.
You and the Marked creature are forever drawn to each other.
While within 60 feet of each other:

Both of you gain +2 to all attack rolls.
Both of you deal extra damage equal to your Proficiency Bonus.
Both of you have Resistance to Fear effects.

The Mark never fades unless one of you dies.

For the Carrionborn, this is an oath—a promise to finish what was started.

Roleplaying a Carrionborn

Why do you hunt? Do you believe in your divine duty, or do you resent your purpose?

What do you remember? The fallen live within you—do you honor them, or do they haunt you?

Do you see yourself as divine or cursed? You are the bridge between the living and the dead. Do you embrace this, or do you struggle with your nature?

Playing a Carrionborn in a Party

A sacred warrior. Some may see you as an executioner of the gods, while others see you as a monster.
A guiding hand. Your role is not just to kill, but to ensure the fallen reach their destined afterlife.
A rival to the Reapers. Gods of Death and the Undead may despise or fear you, as you threaten their claim on mortal souls.

DM Notes & Balance Considerations

The Flesh of the Worthy rewards combat-driven play, ensuring steady progression.
Usher of the Fallen introduces divine rewards, encouraging roleplay and moral dilemmas.
Ethereal Wings make them mobile while offering support utility.

The Carrionborn now balance a hunter’s predatory instincts with the solemn duty of a reaper, making them perfect for divine warriors, tragic antiheroes, and those who walk the line between life and death.

How will you shape the fate of the Worthy?

Carrionborn Traits

"From the blood-soaked fields of war, they rise—not as mere scavengers, but as divine executioners. They claim the bodies of the fallen and guide their souls beyond, ushering the Worthy to eternity while taking their strength for the battles yet to come."

Core Traits