Homebrew Alraune Species Details

 "It was then that we entered a clearing of sorts - for the first time in hours, sunlight had pierced the canopy and cast a soft light upon our surroundings. Amidst the moss sat two enormous flower bulbs. Upon approaching them, the petals had started shaking lightly before unfurling, revealing what appeared to be two humanoid women - or at least from the waist up..."

Alraune are born under rare circumstances; it is only when the potent magic from the Feywilds seeps into the material plane and binds the soul of a recently deceased humanoid to a flowers' seed that they come into existence. Once all of the flowers' seeds are released into the soil, chances of survival are of course small. The infused seed, however, is capable of spending a long time in a "resting" state, waiting for the opportune moment to start growing.

Children of Nature

These beautiful men and women, humanoid from the waist up but veiled by large petals are known as alraune. Vines sprout out of the base of their bulb, which they use to absorb nutrients out of the soil. These vines are strong enough to allow for movement should the alraune uproot themselves. Smaller vines grow up out of the bulb, wrapping around their humanoid forms. Alraune often distinguish themselves from one another with various flowers and leaves that they allow to grow out of their upper half.

Their skin comes in a multitude of green shades, although a light brown color is not uncommon in colder seasons when nutrients are scarce.

Family to the Forests

Although they don't form societies or even groups in the traditional sense of the word, alraune are still a part of nature and are willing to share their territory with allies if they find that this could be beneficial to themselves. Should their domain become endangered, they will fight alongside others to regain control. Alraune regard Druids highly, finding their ways with nature inspiring and fitting. Among the classes, druids are popular for them, and alraunes mostly respect their ways with the forests enough to not meddle in their business.

Alraunes tend to shy away from other races, hiding in the deeper parts of the forest - Should they come across a human it's often only from the treetops or as an inconspicuous form within their bulbs. There have been a few cases in which alraune have left the security of their forests with adventurers for a reason known only to them. It is possible that they left to gain experience and knowledge to bring back to their home one day because they have lost everything in a forest fire, or that their seclusion in an ancient forest is endangered.

Alraune Names

The alraune are not born with names, but borrow ones from gnomes, elves, plants of the forest and even simple concepts. Like with most things, they borrow the idea from others, as such, alraunes themselves have no understanding of the gendered ideas that might follow certain names.

Alraune Names: Glaemir, Bryn, Vega, Red, Blue, Azule, Mandarin, Oak, Birch, Bark, Breena, Carlin, Drusilia, Enna, Venus, Lux, Flora, Ivy, Rosemary, Lily, Thorn, Umbra

WHISPERED WORRIES

In the inns, towns, and fields near the vast forests that alraune call home you may hear whispers of stories where adventures were taken captive by the alraune - where they were entangled and slowly digested until not even their bones were left. It is also speculated that consuming humans might be an important part of creating an offspring for alraune, as their origin is connected to the deceased.

Alraune Traits

Alraune are born with certain abilities thanks to their plant-like physiology.

Ability Score Increase

Your Wisdom score increases by 2.

Age

As a sprouting seed, they grow within the bulb of a particular flower for about 5 years depending on the favorability of the soil, after which they sprout into their "mature" state. They can live up to 750 years before returning to the earth from which they were born.

Alignment

Alraunes do not have any innate moral leaning, but many end up working for forces of good. Either way, their tie to nature inclines many alraunes toward a chaotic alignment.

Size

An alraune's height is anything 5 to 6 feet on average, and weigh anything from 60 to 120 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Ingrain and Photosynthesize

Alraune don't need to sleep. Instead, they can root themselves in the favorable soil, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day and absorbing nutrients from the soil. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep. However, if the soil is not favorable you require a full 8 hours of rest to gain the equivalent of a long rest. Rooting yourself requires an action and can only be done on a patch of soil. While in this state your speed becomes 0 and you can uproot yourself as a bonus action.

Part of the Greenery

Thanks to your floral anatomy, you can blend in with the natural world around you. You can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomena.

Alraune Pollen

The alraune produce a powerful pollen with an innate property pertaining to each subrace. As an action, you can release a puff of pollen in a 10-foot radius around yourself or as a 20-foot cone spray in one direction except for behind you, forcing all creatures in that range to make a Constitution saving throw. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Wisdom modifier + your proficiency bonus. On a failure, they come under an effect dependent on your subrace for 1 minute. An affected creature can repeat their saving throw each time they take damage. You can use your pollen a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, you recover your uses of this ability after a long rest.

Dry Brush

Being more plant than person you naturally fear fire, as you have vulnerability to fire damage.

Languages

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