Homebrew Oneiraxi Species Details

"I was four years old the first time she spoke to me. It was a language I had never heard, yet I understood it perfectly. From her first word, I knew Ceres would never hurt me. In the same way I knew the sun would rise tomorrow, I knew she would always put me first, that my happiness meant everything to her. And I knew that even when I drew my final breath and beyond, I could trust her." —Rosalind

What would it be to share your existence with another? Two minds tethered to one soul? How would you experience your life as a dual being? What would death mean? Could you ever be lonely or would your other half be an eternal companion?
There are the questions we sought to explore in developing the Oneiraxi and their dream spirits, the Somni. Two distinct personalities, two minds to help process information and experience the world around them. To many, it would seem like it must be maddening, however the Oneiraxi can imagine it no other way.
So dreamwalk with us as we explore these mystical dial being and the eternal dance that binds them together.

This Species, along with many other 5e options, is originally created by Cloaks and Capes. find them at:

@CloaksAndCapes on Tumblr, Pintrest, and YouTube,
@CloaksAndCapesTTRPG on Threads and Instagram,
and join Robbie for live homebrew at twitch.tv/robbie_landis

Lead Writer: Kali Scales
Editor: Robbie Landis
Layout Design: Mia Denis
Illustrator: Liz Gross

Transcribed to D&D Beyond by me, with permission.

 

Two Minds, One Soul
"She is me and I am her. You cannot love or hate one without the other, for we only exist as one." —Ceres

Oneiraxi are often referred to as dual beings, with many mistaking them for two people in one. However, any Oneiraxi will tell you they are but a single person, despite two distinct consciousnesses.
From the moment they are born, an Oneiraxi is linked to the realm of dreams, Somnus. Within this realm of dreams, their Somni spirits resides and watches over them. It is said that an Oneiraxi knows instinctively, wity\h all the certainty of knowing how to breathe, that their Somni spirit will never harm them and will always watch out for them.
Oneiraxi can be quite different from their Somni soirits, with distinct abilities and preferences. Yet, just as one would not consider the left and right hemispheres of the brain to be two different people, neither should one consider an Oneiraxi and their Somni as seperate individuals. In fact, the Somni language has no singular pronouns, as Oneiraxi and the Somni spirits always speak using collective pronouns. For one only exists with the other and never are they separated.

Ashala, The Eternal Dance
"And so my life is at an end. What say you, Ceres? Shall we go 'round again?" —Rosalind

This connection between oneiraxi and Somni extends even into death. When an Oneiraxi dies, they enter the Dreamscape of the Somni spirit. There, something of a role reversal takes place.
Oneraxi becomes Somni, and Somni becomes Oneiraxi. What once was watcher and guardian now lives again, and what passed on on now takes their vigil. Such do they continue on in the Eternal Dance that the Oneiraxi call "Ashala."
This cyclical nature makes it difficult to estimate how old the Oneiraxi people are. to the Oneiraxi, their age is simply how old they are. Their Somni guardians, however, would measure in terms of how many cycles of Ashala they have passed through.
To remember dozens or even hundreds of lifetimes would destroy the mind of a young Oneiraxi. So Oneiraxi do not remember their passed lives or existences. However, the sane us bit true of the Somni, who can recall their many lifetimes of experience together. After all, history may not repeat, but it does tend to rhyme.

From One Cycles to the Next
"I was surprised when she was born a boy. I couldn't recall any other incarnation where that had happened. In truth I was uncertain whether I should tell her what her true name was. By the time she was five, though, I saw the telltale signs. She hated her name, she hated the way the world looked at her. And the moment I called her Rosalind, her smile lit up the world." —Ceres

Ashala often leads to Oneiraxi having a unique perspective on life and death. to an Oneiraxi, death is not the end but merely the next step in the Eternal Dance. It is a step they have taken before and will certainly take again.
But knowing they will live again one day does not erase the loss felt in death, for Oneiraxi are not reborn the same in every incarnation. Ask any Somni, and they'll tell you that certain traits tend to resurface time and again in their Oneiraxi, but each incarnation is unique and beautiful. The Somni would say, "Who we are is not just the product of our biology, but the circumstances that raise us."
Oneiraxi can be born to any set of parents and can be difficult to distinguish at a glance. Their most-notable physical trait is their silver hair; apart from that, they can appear as varies as the plane they appear on.

Suggested Characteristics

Oneiraxi share an experience unlike any other and their unique origin and nature often manifests in physical, dream-like characteristics.

d6	Oneiraxi's Physical Trait
1	Silver Hair. A manifestation of the realm of the Somni. It has an ethereal shimmer when it moves.
2	Heterochromia. Many Oneiraxi will display this trait with one eye color from their Somni spirit.
3	Birthscars. The body remembers old wounds, like a scar from a prior life appearing as a silver birthmark.
4	Moon-kissed. The Oneiraxi’s skin will give off a faint luminescent glow when under moonlight.
5	Dream Scent. Oneiraxi sometimes give off unusual scents that remind people of something nostalgic.
6	Somni Blood. The Oneiraxi’s blood has an unusual shimmer and silver coloration.

 

Oneiraxi Traits

When you choose this Species, you gain the following benefits:

Ability Score Increase

When determining your character's ability scores, increase one score by 2 and increase a different score by 1. you can't raise any of your scores above 20.

Age

Oneiraxi develop physically at the same rate as their parents and have similar lifespans.

Creature Type

You are a humanoid.

Size

Your size is medium, and your weight and height are determined by your parent's ancestry.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Past Life

You can consult your Somni spirit on past events and their accumulated knowledge. You gain proficiency in the History skill.

Mental Shield

You have advantage on saving throws against charm effects.

Combat Reflexes

You know instinctively to listen to your Somni spirit in battle, which aids your reflexes. You may add your Wisdom modifier to your initiative rolls and you have advantage on Dexterity saving throws.

Dreamwalker

Oneiraxi sleep, but they do not connect to the Plane of Dreams as other creatures do. You are immune to magical spells and effects that require you to dream, such as the Dream spell, but not to spells and effects that put you to sleep, such as the Sleep spells. In place of dreaming, an Oneiraxi will sometimes Dreamwalk, a process by which their Somni spirit helps them to see and possibly interact with the dreams of those close to them.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice. You can also speak Somnal, a language spoken via the mental link between Somni and Oneiraxi.