Homebrew The Abyss-Touched Species Details
The Abyss-Touched are those who have been irrevocably changed by the unfathomable depths of the Abyss . They are not a natural race but rather a byproduct of the Abyss’s enigmatic influence. Each Abyss-Touched is different—some are born with their affliction, others are transformed by exposure to the void, and some are remnants of something that was never truly mortal to begin with.
Origins & Theories
1. The Lost Survivors
Some Abyss-Touched are the descendants of those who once fell into the Abyss but somehow endured. These ancestors may have clung to floating debris, found sanctuary on one of the Sunken Isles, or were altered by the Eternal Storm before being spat back into the world above. They bear an uncanny resemblance to their original species but have unnatural eyes, voices that echo, and shadows that seem to move on their own.
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Cultural Traits: Abyss-Touched from this lineage often struggle to integrate into normal society, seen as cursed or unlucky. They have fragmented memories of an ancestor’s fall, as if their bloodline retains echoes of that descent.
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Common Backgrounds: Hermit, Outlander, Haunted One.
2. Children of the Watchers
The Watchers in the Dark—enigmatic figures that stand motionless on drifting ruins—are said to choose certain mortals for unknown purposes. Some believe the Abyss-Touched are those who were marked at birth, their souls tied to these beings. Others claim they were once ordinary people, abducted in their sleep and returned as something else.
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Cultural Traits: These Abyss-Touched often possess strange mannerisms, speaking in riddles or pausing as if listening to voices no one else can hear. They are drawn to the unknown, compelled to seek answers they do not understand.
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Common Backgrounds: Sage, Acolyte, Warlock of the Great Old One.
3. Riftborn Mutants
In places where the fabric of reality is weakest—such as where the Abyss meets Arianus—some mortals are changed by exposure to the Rifts. These are tears in space that lead into the void, pulsing with dark energy. A child born near such a rift may emerge as Abyss-Touched, their body shaped by forces beyond mortal comprehension.
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Cultural Traits: Riftborn Abyss-Touched are often hunted or studied by scholars, seen as living anomalies. Some develop abilities beyond their control, experiencing moments where they accidentally phase out of existence.
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Common Backgrounds: Charlatan, Urchin, Criminal (on the run from those who wish to study them).
4. The Hollowed Remnants
Some Abyss-Touched were never born at all. They are echoes of people who fell into the Abyss and should have died—yet somehow returned. These individuals are not quite real, existing on the edge of being and unbeing. Some appear completely normal but do not cast shadows. Others seem constantly faded, as if reality itself struggles to hold onto them.
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Cultural Traits: These Abyss-Touched often have difficulty forming lasting relationships, as people around them instinctively feel their presence is wrong. Some are desperate to prove their existence is real, while others embrace the void.
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Common Backgrounds: Ghostwise Wanderer (custom), Haunted One, Far Traveler
Touch of the Abyss
Touch of the Abyss (Choose One):
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Eldritch Gaze: You can cast Detect Magic at will, but only to sense the presence of planar magic.
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Veil of Shadows: You can cast Invisibility once per long rest without expending a spell slot.
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Grasp of the Abyss: When you hit a creature with an attack once per turn, you can deal additional necrotic damage equal to your proficiency bonus.
Void Adaptation
You do not need to breathe and have resistance to psychic damage.
Darkvision
You can see in darkness (both magical and nonmagical) up to 60 feet as if it were dim light.
Abyssal Step
As a bonus action, you can teleport up to 15 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest.
Whispers of the Void
You have proficiency in either Perception or Stealth
Age
Abyss-Touched mature at the same rate as their parent race but have unpredictable lifespans, some aging rapidly, others seeming ageless.
Skillful
You gain proficiency in one skill of your choice.
Versatile
You gain an Origin feat of your choice.
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