Homebrew Esperi Species Details

Esperi Aasimar have the blood of Espers in their veins - mortals infused with the pure magical potential of their progenitors. The Espers exist as a remnant of the War of the Triad, in which three sister Goddesses were banished to the Material Plane and made of it their battlefield.

While technically once mortal, the few Espers who survived the War of the Triad were granted entrance to and habitation upon Mt. Celestia in recognition of their part in ending the conflict, and as recompense for the trauma that they went through to do so. Espers were once mortals, claimed by a member of the Warring Triad and infused with pure magical potential. Ceasing to be mortals, they became weapons of war for their masters. After nearly a century of constant combat, some few Espers managed to regain a semblance of their humanity. These few set about waking their colleagues until a small nation of Espers had formed, devoted to living peacefully outside the conflict they had endured. When the triple goddesses of the Triad turned their gaze from each other long enough to see this fledgling nation, they turned the full might of their enslaved Espers upon it.

In this clash, the awakened Espers sought to avoid killing their foes - instead awakening them one by one until the tide finally turned, with every remaining Esper returned to their own free will. The few survivors of the original Awakened lead a final march upon the Goddesses themselves, and though they were smote to ruin upon the domains of the earth-bound goddesses, the rest of the Espers were able to pool their magical might and seal away the goddesses into statues, ritually arranged so that their own powers would enhance their bondage and nullify each other.

The few Espers who remained were granted their own demesne within Celestia - a place they could live peacefully without being made to fight in the wars of men or Gods ever again.

While most were content in this realm, there is occasionally an Esper who finds themselves longing to visit the Material Plane that was once their home. Even more rare are those who, during these visits, have a tryst with a mortal. And rarer still are children of these unions - mortal beings with a soul comprised partially of raw magical potential - the Esperi.

Though the Espers themselves have forms as varied as the imaginations of the great Goddesses that twisted them with magic, their progeny primarily resemble their mortal parents. Esperi tend to be attractive and lean towards the slight side for their mortal parent's race. They do possess traits that slightly suggest their Esper parent's form. The child of a fairy Esper may have elfin features, while a draconic Esper's child may have rugged features and flashing eyes, and a canine Esper's offspring may tend towards shaggy hair and a sharp, almost lupine bone structure. While these are normally less pronounced than the features of most Genasi, Tiefling, or Aasimar, each Esperi born has the ability to tap into their magical blood in times of desperate need, awakening a powerful transformation reminiscent of their Esper parent's form.

Esperi have great power running through them, though it manifests in different ways for different individuals. While all have some ability to cast magic, many find themselves drawn to martial pursuits, their blood boiling like the war machine their parent once was. Others embrace their magic, frequently becoming bards or sorcerers. Still others find that a minor magical boost can make the difference in more subtle ways - making people more receptive to their requests, turning aside prying eyes, or even twisting dice in their favor.

Esperi Traits

Your esperi character has the following racial traits.

Trance Morph

Starting at 3rd level, you can use your action to unleash the divine energy within yourself, causing your eyes to glow and your body to take a form based on your Esper parent's shape - sprouting wings, growing draconic scales and a muzzle, sprouting fur, or in some extreme cases appearing more like an elemental than a corporeal being. These do not grant any additional attacks or defenses, regardless of how they may appear to (i.e. a wolf's muzzle does not grant a bite attack, a dragon's scales do not increase AC, etc.)

Your transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it as a bonus action. During it, you have a flying speed of 30 feet, and once on each of your turns, you can deal extra force damage to one target when you deal damage to it with an attack or a spell. The extra force damage equals your total character level.

Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Ability Score Increase

Your Charisma score increases by 2. You may choose one other ability score to increase by 1.

Age

Esperi mature at the same rate as humans, but they can live up to 200 years and remain at their prime for most of that time.

Alignment

Imbued with magical power that sings in their blood, few Esperi are able to live a quiet life. While the type of mortal that attracts an Esper's notice tends to raise a child towards Good or Lawful alignments, Esperi vary in alignment as much as their mortal parents. They do tend towards extremes of morality, conviction, and personality, making Neutral alignments less likely. When Esperi feel, they do so with their whole being.

Size

Esperi range in height and weight as much as their mortal parents, though they tend towards "ideal" body shapes as their magic subtly shapes their development.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision

Blessed with a soul infused with magic, your vision can easily cut through darkness. 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.

Your eyes faintly glow the color of your aura while you utilize your darkvision.

Magic Resistance

The pure magical potential that imbues an Esper's being gives them resistance to certain direct magical effects. When affected by a magical effect that deals damage, the Esperi may use their reaction to gain resistance to the triggering effect's damage type.

This ability can be used a number of times equal to the half the Esperi's level (minimum 1). These uses are regained once the Esperi has completed a long rest.

Healing Hands

As an action, you can touch a creature and infuse it with some of your own magical essence, causing it to regain a number of hit points equal to your level. The creature can choose to spend a hit die if they have any available. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Magic Talent

As a child, you learned one magical trick that has always stuck with you. You know one cantrip from the Wizard or Sorcerer spell list.

You can open your perceptions to the flow of magic around you. You can cast Detect Magic, but the effort to do so is wearying. Once you use this ability you may not do so until you've completed a long rest.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Celestial.