Homebrew Spanish Species Details

The Spanish are a fierce and devout people forged in the crucible of the Reconquista, a centuries-long crusade to reclaim their sun-scorched peninsula from foreign rulers. Driven by missionary zeal and the iron hand of the Inquisition, they carry the cross into shadowed lands where monsters lurk and heresy festers. Their culture fuses martial discipline, religious fervor, and a stubborn resilience born of endless frontier warfare. In a world of magic and monstrosity, the Spanish are both conquerors and exorcists, planting fortified missions in dragon-haunted wilds and rooting out supernatural corruption with torch and blade.

History and Culture

The Spanish hail from the Iberian Peninsula, a land of arid plains, rugged sierras, and ancient cities reclaimed from centuries of occupation. The Reconquista—launched in the 8th century after the Muslim conquest—has defined their identity, producing warrior-monks, military orders like the Knights of Calatrava, and a society where faith and sword are inseparable. Castile and Aragon lead the charge, but regional kingdoms and fiercely independent towns add layers of complexity.

Religion is the heartbeat of Spanish life. Cathedrals rise beside fortified monasteries, and missionaries venture into monster-infested wilds to convert pagan tribes or exorcise demonic ruins. The Inquisition, born in the 13th century, hunts not only heretics but supernatural threats—vampires masquerading as nobles, necromancers in mountain covens, or fey corrupting remote villages. Spanish steel is often etched with prayers, and their banners bear the red cross of crusade.

In a world of magic and monsters, the Spanish see themselves as God’s chosen vanguard. Their missions double as fortresses, ringed with silvered spikes and holy water fonts. Their knights ride destriers bred for desert and mountain, and their inquisitors wield divine authority to bind devils or shatter undead with a word. Yet their zeal can blind them—burning villages suspected of lycanthropy or clashing with rival Christian orders over doctrine.

Roleplaying a Spanish Character

You might be a knight of a military order, your armor emblazoned with a red cross, sworn to slay dragons in the name of faith. Or an inquisitor, eyes sharp for signs of infernal pacts, carrying a silvered blade and a writ from the Crown. Perhaps a missionary, preaching to goblin tribes while ready to purge them if they refuse baptism. Your Latin lets you read forbidden grimoires or chant exorcisms, but your fervor may alienate allies who question the Church’s methods. You are driven by purpose, but haunted by the cost of purity.

Spanish Traits

Creature Type: Humanoid
Size: Medium (about 4–7 feet tall) or Small (about 2–4 feet tall), chosen when you select this species
Speed: 30 feet

As a Spanish, you have these special traits.

Missionary Zeal

Your faith is a burning light in the darkness. You learn one cantrip from the cleric spell list. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for it.

 

Inquisitorial Wrath

The Spanish Inquisition roots out heresy in all forms, living or undead. When you hit an undead creature with a weapon attack, you deal extra radiant damage equal to your proficiency bonus. This damage is applied once per turn.

Reconquista's grit.

Eight centuries of frontier warfare have hardened the Spanish spirit. You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened while you can see an ally within 5 feet of you. This embodies the camaraderie of military orders and the refusal to break ranks.

 

Frontier Fortitude

Life on the edge of civilization demands endurance. You gain proficiency in the Survival skill.