Homebrew Brineforged Species Details
"Constructs of the deep. Forgotten tools. Now free to wonder why."
No one alive remembers who first forged the Brineforged. Some scholars claim they were made by a drowned civilization to guard their cities against gods or monsters. Others argue they were weapons left behind by coastal empires, relics of a divine war long sunk beneath the waves. A few whisper that they were never meant to awaken again.
Whatever their origin, the Brineforged are not golems, mindless and bound. Nor are they true warforged, crafted for mass production and conscious design. They are something older, more enigmatic—single-purpose constructs, made with lost techniques and bound with runes, soul-fragments, and purpose rather than wires or commands.
For centuries, they lay dormant—buried in silt, overgrown by coral, forgotten in trench-chapels and sunken vaults. Some were guardians. Others, weapons. A few were simply left behind.
And now… something has changed. The world above has shifted. Currents stir where they once stilled. One by one, the Brineforged wake, climb from the depths, and step onto dry land, their plating still slick with salt and memory.
They are not sure why they were made. They remember the shape of things, but not the meaning. Some seek answers. Others invent new purpose. A few cling to ghosts of orders long forgotten.
To the people of the world, they are curiosities, threats, or miracles. To themselves, they are questions in motion.
Brineforged Traits
Your body is a relic of forgotten craftsmanship, shaped by magic and pressure, corroded by time, and hardened by purpose. You are not born—you are awakened, a construct of mysterious design now walking a world that no longer remembers your name.Constructed Form
You do not need to eat, drink, breathe, or sleep.
You are immune to disease and have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned.
You can’t be put to sleep by magical means.
You must complete a long rest to regain expended features, but you remain conscious and aware during it.
Abyssal Endurance
Centuries beneath crushing depths and hostile currents have hardened you. You have resistance to cold damage and advantage on Constitution saving throws made to resist extreme environments (cold, pressure, etc.).
Pulse Core (Once per long rest)
You release a surge of long-dormant energy or hydraulic force. As a bonus action, choose one of the following:
Burst Step: Immediately move up to 15 feet without provoking opportunity attacks.
Pulse Shock: Each creature within 5 feet must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + Constitution modifier) or take 1d8 lightning or thunder damage (your choice) and be unable to take reactions until the start of your next turn.
You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all uses on a long rest.
Runic Core Imprint
Choose one of the following core imprints to represent the ancient purpose written into your design:
Warden Core:
"Protect, contain, preserve."
You gain +1 AC when not incapacitated.
When a creature you can see within 5 feet is hit by an attack, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on that attack. You can do this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest.
Archivist Core:
"Record, remember, restore."
Gain proficiency in History and one language of your choice.
Once per long rest, when you fail an Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma saving throw, you can reroll it.
Siege Core:
"Breach, destroy, finish."
Your unarmed strikes deal 1d6 bludgeoning damage, and you are considered proficient with them.
Once per turn, when you deal damage to an object or structure, it is doubled.
You gain proficiency in one martial weapon of your choice.
Delusions of Greatness
You are utterly convinced that you are the most intelligent, capable, and important being in existence. This belief is so strong that it sometimes distorts reality—or at least your perception of it.
Your delusions can inspire greatness… or get you in deep water.
You begin play with a pool of Delusion Dice:
You have a number of d4s equal to your proficiency bonus.
You regain all expended Delusion Dice on a long rest.
You may expend a Delusion Die in the following ways:
Unshakable Confidence:
When you fail an Intelligence-based ability check, you may roll a Delusion Die and add it to the result, possibly turning failure into (misguided) success.
Impressive Display:
When you attempt to do something flashy, overcomplicated, or narratively absurd, the DM may let you roll a Delusion Die and add the result to a Charisma (Deception or Performance) check—even if the logic of your action makes no sense.
Hubris Consequences:
Once per long rest, when you roll a natural 1 on an Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma ability check, your delusions fully override reality.
The DM may trigger a Delusion Surge, one of the following effects, by rolling a delusion dice (the outcome is determined by the dice roll):
1. You loudly proclaim an obviously false fact as irrefutable truth, granting advantage on your next Deception check, but disadvantage on your next Intelligence check.
2. You make up a fake spell or scientific principle on the spot. For 1 minute, allies who play along with your lie gain +1 AC, while those who contradict you get -1 to all rolls due to your sulking.
3. You invent a word and insist it’s real. You gain advantage on Persuasion checks made using that word, but only if no one understands what it means.
4. You loudly declare your superiority and gain temporary hit points equal to your level, but enemies have advantage to hit you until the end of your next turn due to your distracting arrogance.
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