Homebrew Chithelid Species Details
A species that sprung from the boiling rage of the Goddess Lolth. As soon as she was cast into the Underdark, amongst her other feelings, she started dreaming up gruesome thoughts. From these fresh new inspirations of horrors, her body manifested the Chithelid. A gruesome, arthropod-like species that have dangerously sharp mandibles and spikes like serrated knives lining their limbs and their bodies. The true embodiment of Lolth's desire to commit gruesome horrors.
As soon as the Chithelid were birthed, half of the species killed each other, while the others fled to create habitats to survive. Their rather odd high-level of intellect as well as the bodily features that could be used as weapons, gave them a rather high place in the Underdark food chain. However, they slowly lost their thirst for blood and violence, and managed to integrate themselves into the civilised parts of Underdark society. Chithelids are not a very social race. In their first 3 years of their infancy they link up and depend on each other. However in other ages, if Chithelids encounter one another, they tend to initiate battle - and only the one who survives walks out of there. However, Chithelids won't go out of their way to slay one another.
Chithelids resemble slender humanoids plated with carapace that have mandibles and clawed limbs lined with bladed features. Chithelids have a rather deformed face, only with large compound eyes and a mouth secured in their mandibles showing their identity as a Chithelid. They live for around 20 years, and they often spend their last 10 years of their life laying as many eggs as they can. They do not sleep, but often enter a trance-like state where they fold their body and hibernate for 3 days, often every month or so.
Only a few Chithelids made it up above, as they were almost immediately squashed by superior races, due to the more robust use and power of fire in the upper world. Chithelids have managed to extend their influence all over the Underdark, due to their affinity for adaptation. Thanks to this, several Arthropod Ancestries of Chithelids has been developed, that can be seen listed down below:
Insect Chithelids
Chithelids that have adapted to both the sprawling expanses and the cramped space of the Underdark. These Chithelids are more slender and light, and have longer bladed limbs for reach in battle. These Chithelids are the most prominent, as they use the most dirty tactics in battle compared to other Chithelids that guarantee their survival, as well as the ability and option to run away when the situation gets the most dire.
Myriapodic Chithelids
Chithelids that have adapted to the geology of the Underdark, and can now manipulate it via burrowing. These Chithelids are more flexible and longer, and rock hard heads for burrowing. These Chithelids are rather common but are rarely seen, as they live in the earth rather than the Underdark. This sub-species is weirdly somehow the most isolated and rare, while still being the most socialised and welcome.
Arachids Chithelids
Chithelids that have adapted to both the tall caverns and rocky walls. These Chithelids have more limbs for climbing, and can produce poisons. These Chithelids are the most deadly ones. They can often poison their target, and then barrage them with multiple of their limbs for a disorienting and deadly attack. They are often too busy trying to fend off the Chithelids before the poison gets to them. These Chithelids are very carnivorous and hostile, and are the least civilised out of all of them.
Crustacean Chithelids
Chithelids that have adapted to the wide oceans and hidden in the Underdark. These Chithelids can breathe underwater, and have rather big claws. These Chithelids are the most passive ones, and don't really care for violence. These Chithelids are however easily provoked by invading their peace constantly. These Chithelids are the only herbivorous Chithelids, and are therefore endangered - due to the lack of vegetation in bodies of water found in the Underdark and that they are simply not strong enough like the other Chithelids to eat most of the sentient vegetable matter in the Underdark.
Chithelid Traits
Creature Type: Humanoid
Size: Medium (about 5.6–7.4 feet tall)
Speed: 30 feet (can be higher or lower, based on Arthropod Ancestry)
Tremorsense
You have Tremorsense with a range of 10ft.
Mandibles
You now deal 1d6 piercing damage when using your unarmed strike.
Natural Carapace
Your natural Armor Class becomes 13. Whenever you are not wearing armour, your AC automatically becomes 13.
Flammable
You gain vulnerability to Fire damage.
Arthropod Ancestry
You have an ancestry that grants you supernatural abilities. Choose an Ancestry from the Arthropod Ancestry table.
Based on your ancestry, you gain more movement and senses - as well as a signature unarmed strike.
| Ancestry | Movement | Senses | Unarmed strike |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insect Chithelid | Speed is increased by 40ft. | Gain Blindsight up to 50ft. | Unarmed strike has reach up to 15ft. and deals additional damage equal to your DEX modifier + proficiency bonus. You gain proficiency in unarmed strikes. |
| Myriapodic Chithelid | Gain a burrowing speed of 15ft. | Increase Tremorsense up to 20ft. | Unarmed strike now deals bludgeoning damage with the damage die increasing to 1d10. If an 18-20 is rolled on the attack roll, the target is knocked Prone. |
| Arachnid Chithelid | Climbing speed increases to 40ft. | Gain Darkvision up to 120ft. | Picking this ancestry will give you a total of 6 extra limbs. You can now use your unarmed strike 4 times per turn. However, per time you use the unarmed strike consecutively in a turn, you lose all modifiers on the next attack roll and gain a penalty equal to your proficiency bonus, that continuously stacks per roll you have made consecutively in that turn. The unarmed strikes now deal poison damage and if 2 of them consecutively hit, the target becomes Poisoned. |
| Crustacean Chithelid | Gain a swimming speed of 35ft. | Gain Blindsight up to 30ft. and Darkvision up to 60ft. | Unarmed strike can now be changed in between piercing damage and bludgeoning damage. You gain advantage on all attack rolls to do with unarmed strikes while underwater. |
Trance
You don’t need to sleep, and magic can’t put you to sleep. You can finish a Long Rest in 4 hours if you spend those hours in a trancelike meditation, during which you retain consciousness.
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