Homebrew Vulkari Species Details

VULKARI

Mystical Fey Tricksters

Creature Type: Fey

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Vulkari are elegant, fox-like fey beings with slender bodies covered in soft, luminous fur that often shimmers with faint magical energy. Their coloration ranges from ethereal silver and midnight blue to autumn orange with arcane patterns that glow subtly when they cast magic. Vulkari possess large, expressive eyes that shine with otherworldly hues—violet, gold, or cerulean—and reveal their emotional state to careful observers.

Most distinctive are their multiple tails—a mark of both age and power. Young Vulkari are born with a single tail, with additional tails manifesting as they grow in magical potency or years, with the most ancient and powerful sporting the full nine tails of legend. Each new tail unlocks greater access to the inherent magic of their kind.

SOCIETY AND CULTURE

Vulkari society exists in the liminal spaces—hidden groves within enchanted forests, misty valleys where the veil between worlds grows thin, or settlements that exist simultaneously in both the Material Plane and the Feywild. Their architecture blends seamlessly with natural surroundings, often incorporating living trees and plants shaped through centuries of patient magic.

As natural tricksters and illusionists, Vulkari value cleverness, creativity, and subtlety over direct confrontation. They are renowned storytellers and keepers of ancient lore, passing down tales through elaborate illusion-enhanced performances. Many serve powerful archfey masters, acting as messengers, spies, or courtiers, while others wander independently as travelers between the mortal world and fey realms.

The giving and receiving of favors forms the backbone of Vulkari social interactions, with complex unspoken rules governing such exchanges. They take bargains and promises with deadly seriousness, honoring the letter if not always the spirit of agreements made.

TRAITS AND ABILITIES

Fox's Claws. Your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Burrow Instinct. As an action, you can quickly dig a temporary shelter or hiding spot in loose soil, sand, or snow. This creates a space large enough for you to hide in, providing three-quarters cover. You can maintain this burrow for up to 1 hour before it collapses. Once you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you complete a short or long rest.

Cunning Reflexes. When a creature you can see attacks you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. If the attack misses, you can move up to half your speed without provoking opportunity attacks. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Vulpine Agility. You have advantage on Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks. Additionally, when you take the Dash action, difficult terrain doesn't cost you extra movement until the end of your turn.

Keen mind. You have proficiency in Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma saving throws.

Foxfire. As a bonus action, you can summon a dancing flame of foxfire that orbits your body. This flame sheds bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet. As an action, you can hurl this foxfire at a creature you can see within 60 feet. Make a ranged spell attack. On a hit, the target takes 1d8 fire or radiant damage (your choice when you create the foxfire). The damage increases to 2d8 at 11th level. Once you use your foxfire, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Trickster's Escape. You can cast the misty step spell once using this trait. You regain the ability to do so when you finish a short or long rest. At 9th level, you can cast this spell twice between rests.

Nine-Tail Ascension. Your connection to fey magic grows stronger as you advance in power, represented by the growth of additional tails. You begin with one tail and gain an additional tail at 3rd, 9th,15th, 17th, and 20th levels. For each tail you possess beyond the first, you gain one of the following benefits (choose one each time you gain a new tail):

• Increase one ability score of your choice by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• Gain proficiency in one skill of your choice.
• Learn one cantrip from the bard, druid, or wizard spell list. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this cantrip.
• Gain resistance to one damage type from the following list: cold, fire, lightning, necrotic, or radiant.
• Gain the ability to cast one 1st-level spell from the bard, druid, or wizard spell list once per long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell.

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

Darkvision. 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 can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

ROLEPLAYING A VULKARI

When playing a Vulkari character, consider the following characteristics:

• A playful approach to truth, preferring clever wordplay over outright lies
• Deep appreciation for art, beauty, and cleverness
• Fascination with mortal emotions and creativity
• A long-term perspective that comes from fey longevity
• Caution around iron and other materials that harm fey
• Complex, often cryptic speech patterns filled with metaphor and allusion

"Mortals see our tricks as deception, but we see them as lessons. Those who do not learn to look beyond appearances are doomed to be fooled by them." —Lysandra Seven-Tails, Vulkari Elder

Vulkari Traits

As a Vulkari, you have these special traits.

Darkvision

You have Darkvision with a range of 60 feet.

Fey Ancestry

You have Advantage on saving throws you make to avoid or end the Charmed condition.

Keen Mind

You have proficiency in Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma saving throws.

Trance

You don’t need to sleep, and magic can’t put you to sleep. You can finish a Long Rest in 4 hours if you spend those hours in a trancelike meditation, during which you retain consciousness.

Fox’s Claws

You can use your claws to make unarmed strikes. When you hit with them, the strike deals 1d6 + your Strength modifier slashing damage, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Burrow Instinct

As an action, you can quickly dig a temporary shelter or hiding spot in loose soil, sand, or snow. This creates a space large enough for you to hide in, providing three-quarters cover. You can maintain this burrow for up to 1 hour before it collapses. Once you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you complete a short or long rest.

Vulpine Agility

Your reflexes and agility allow you to move with a burst of speed. When you move on your turn in combat, you can double your speed until the end of the turn. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you move 0 feet on one of your turns.

Cunning Reflexes

When a creature you can see attacks you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. If the attack misses, you can move up to half your speed without provoking opportunity attacks. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Nine-Tail Ascension

Nine-Tail Ascension. Your connection to fey magic grows stronger as you advance in power, represented by the growth of additional tails. You begin with one tail and gain an additional tail at 3rd, 9th,15th, 17th, and 20th levels. For each tail you possess beyond the first, you gain one of the following benefits (choose one each time you gain a new tail):

• Increase one ability score of your choice by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• Gain proficiency in one skill of your choice.
• Learn one cantrip from the bard, druid, or wizard spell list. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this cantrip.
• Gain resistance to one damage type from the following list: cold, fire, lightning, necrotic, or radiant.
• Gain the ability to cast one 1st-level spell from the bard, druid, or wizard spell list once per long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell.

 

Fox Fire

As a bonus action, you can summon a dancing flame of foxfire that orbits your body. This flame sheds bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet. As an action, you can hurl this foxfire at a creature you can see within 60 feet. Make a ranged spell attack. On a hit, the target takes 1d8 fire or radiant damage (your choice when you create the foxfire). The damage increases to 2d8 at 11th level. Once you use your foxfire, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Trickster's Escape

You can cast the misty step spell once using this trait. You regain the ability to do so when you finish a short or long rest. At 9th level, you can cast this spell twice between rests.