Homebrew White Onyx Construct Species Details
Onyx Construct (White Onyx Skeleton)
“Born of stone and spell, their souls burn in the heart of the crystal.”
Physical Description
An Onyx Construct stands as a skeletal silhouette sculpted from pure white crystalline onyx — smooth, milky, and resonant to the touch. The White Onyx variety gleams like polished marble under moonlight, its surface veined with pale gray minerals and etched faintly with runes of animation. Within the hollow sockets of its eyes burns a steady cerulean Blue) flame — a cold fire of arcane essence that pulses faintly when they speak or channel power.
When their emotions rise or their magic surges, the blue fire flares and spreads through cracks in the stone, threading veins of radiant energy through their body like glowing capillaries. Their joints grind faintly, like gemstones against steel, and their voices echo hollowly — deep, harmonic, and hauntingly melodic.
Each Construct is unique. Some are engraved with script-like markings from their creators, others are smooth and featureless — their skulls polished into expressionless perfection.
History
The first Onyx Constructs were not undead, but arcane solutions. In the years following the Spellplague, necromancers and golem-crafters in the Deep South sought a method of animating servitors without desecrating graves or corpses.
White onyx was discovered to resonate with necromantic magic in unusual ways — it absorbed death-aspected energy but purified it, refracting it through the Weave into something stable and self-sustaining. A fusion of golemcraft, runic necromancy, and raw geomancy birthed the first of these beings.
But something unexpected occurred. The onyx did not merely contain the spell — it awakened it. Each construct gained a sliver of awareness, a self-light burning within. The crafters called them Vitae Effigies, but in time, they named themselves Onyx Constructs.
Today, their origins are scattered in rumor. Some say the first awakened by accident when struck by lightning during a storm over a necromancer’s tower; others whisper that a shard of the Plane of Earth bled into the material, granting it life. Whatever the truth, no two Constructs awaken the same way, and most know only that they are — with no memory of creation, only existence.
Society
Onyx Constructs are rare and solitary. Most awaken abandoned or forgotten in ancient vaults, buried beneath ruins, or discarded by their makers. Freed from purpose yet unable to die, they wander the realms seeking identity and meaning.
They have no native culture, but they often imitate those of others. Some adopt the customs of nearby humanoids, taking on habits they find logical — eating though they need not, sleeping though unnecessary, even wearing clothing as a gesture of modesty or mimicry.
In larger cities, particularly in regions where constructs or warforged are known, Onyx Constructs are sometimes employed as guardians, archivists, or bodyguards, valued for their tireless nature and incorruptibility. However, superstition often drives common folk to fear them, mistaking them for undead abominations.
Onyx Construct Names
Most have no names at creation. They adopt those given to them or craft their own from concepts or sounds they find aesthetically pleasing. Some take fragments of arcane formulae, or words from the language of Earth elementals.
Examples:
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Krythar, Obsidian-Three, Echo-Of-Light, Varyn, Kalkor, Thryss, Lumen, Axis, Queneth, Lorn.
Onyx Construct Traits
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution increases by 2, and your Intelligence or Wisdom increases by 1.
Age. You do not age in the traditional sense. Your body can endure for millennia, though cracks and mineral fatigue may accumulate after a hundred years or more.
Size. Onyx Constructs typically range between 5 to 6½ feet tall and weigh between 120–300 pounds depending on density. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. You have darkvision out to 60 feet. You see in dim light as if it were bright, and in darkness as if it were dim light, perceiving only shades of gray.
Construct Nature. You are a Construct, not a humanoid. You are immune to poison damage, disease, and the poisoned condition. You do not eat, drink, breathe, or sleep. Instead, you enter an 8-hour inert rest during which you remain aware of your surroundings.
You are affected by mending, repair construct, and similar effects as though they were cure wounds for you.
Mendable. When the mending spell is cast on you:
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Casting time becomes 1 action.
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If you are at 0 hit points, you become stable.
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The caster may expend a spell slot to restore 1d8 hit points per level of the slot + their spellcasting modifier.
Flame-Imbued Core. The blue flames in your eye sockets and chest act as a reservoir of arcane energy.
Additionally, as a bonus action, you can ignite your core flame to appear more fearsome for 1 minute. During this time, creatures of your choice within 10 feet that can see you must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened until the end of your next turn. You can use this feature once per long rest.
Random Height and Weight
| Base Height | Height Modifier | Base Weight | Weight Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4′ 10″ | +3d8 | 120 lb. | × (2d4) lb. |
Darkvision
You have darkvision out to 60 feet. You see in dim light as if it were bright, and in darkness as if it were dim light, perceiving only shades of gray.
Construct Nature
Construct Nature. You are a Construct, not a humanoid. You are immune to poison damage, disease, and the poisoned condition. You do not eat, drink, breathe, or sleep. Instead, you enter an 8-hour inert rest during which you remain aware of your surroundings.
You are affected by mending, repair construct, and similar effects as though they were cure wounds for you.
Mendable. When the mending spell is cast on you:
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Casting time becomes 1 action.
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If you are at 0 hit points, you become stable.
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The caster may expend a spell slot to restore 1d8 hit points per level of the slot + their spellcasting modifier.
Flame-Imbued Core
as a bonus action, you can ignite your core flame to appear more fearsome for 1 minute. During this time, creatures of your choice within 10 feet that can see you must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened until the end of your next turn. You can use this feature once per long rest.
Luminescent Core
You can shed bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet. You can suppress or activate this light as a bonus action.
Ability Score Increase.
Your Constitution increases by 2, and your Intelligence or Wisdom increases by 1.
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