Homebrew Ethera Species Details

Introduction

The Ethera are humanoid beings native to the Ethereal plane. It is not entirely known how they came to be there but a popular theory is that some humans made it their home and were changed over time - be it from adaptation or some event or the machinations of a deity. 

Appearance

Ethera resemble humans but feature pale white, grey or blue skin with silvery grey or glowing white hair. Their eyes lack pupils and irises effectively being just white glowing orbs. They usually look thin, albeit toned, and typically have a slightly emaciated or wiry visage. Their voices carry a listless and echoing quality.

Culture

The Ethera are typically reclusive hermits or live in small tribes. They are quite well organised, however, to contend with surviving in the Ethereal plane and its less than ideal conditions. Within a small community there are those who focus on hunting, those who focus on scavenging and creating from whatever scraps they can find and those that scout the areas in case of planar distortions. It is not too uncommon for some to travel - finding ways to discover portals or tears that can take them to the Material plane or other places. They are aware of their kinship with humans so there are those who consider it their duty to see how humans have progressed. Such scouts and adventurers often return home with stories. Every Ethera tribe has stories and pieces of human culture. Due to this Ethera are more likely to make their camps or villages relatively close to natural portals or places that overlap with the Material plane. Not only to gather stories but also materials and resources that are considerably less abundant than on the Ethereal plane. Beyond this their culture often resembles human tribal culture in many ways.

While visiting the other planes the Ethera usually hide their appearances and keep to themselves - there mostly to learn or possibly gather materials in secret. Most consider the secrecy of their species to be rather important for their security. There are those, of course, that feel that this is unnecessary or too restricting and those that feel this way are often discouraged from acting upon it. Those that do reveal themselves tend to be met negatively and with fear, often being mistaken for undead.

Age & Family

The Ethera age and have family the same as humans do.

Names

The Ethera adopt many things from human culture and language and names are no different. Many Ethera have human names - usually those of legendary heroes and storied philosophers. Some may instead have names based on accomplishments or embodied virtues. 

Ethera 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 an Ethera you have the following traits.

Ability Score Increase

You may choose to increase your Ability Scores in the following ways:

• +2 to one Ability Score of your choice and +1 to a different Ability Score of your choice.
• +1 to three different Ability Scores of your choice.
• No Increase - select if intending to use a 5.5e / 2024 Background which will grant an Ability Score Itself.

Size

Your size is either Medium (about 4–7 feet tall) or Small (about 2–4 feet tall) - Choose when you select this species.

Ethereal Presence

Your natural connection to the Ethereal plane reduces your physical presence slightly - when you hide your form may slightly fade or bend the shadows and when you move you make less sound. You have Advantage on Stealth checks.

Ethereal Magic

Your natural acclimation to the Ethereal plane has granted you magical abilities. At certain Character Levels you learn certain spells, as detailed below. The spells count as always prepared and use Constitution as your spellcasting ability modifier. You do not need to provide any spell components for these spells. You may cast each spell once at their base spell level and regain the ability to do so when you complete a Long Rest. You may also cast the spells using any spell slots you have of the appropriate level.

Character Level 1: Feather Fall [ 5th Ed | 5.5 Ed ]
Character Level 3: Invisibility [ 5th Ed | 5.5 Ed ]
Character Level 5: Blink [ 5th Ed | 5.5 Ed ]

Ghost Step

Once you have reached character level 3 you can now use a bonus action to enter a ghostly state. When you do and until the end of your turn your form becomes spectral, you gain a fly speed of 30 feet, and you may pass through creatures and physical objects and barriers as though they were not there. For every 1 foot you move while in this state you must spend 2 feet of your movement. If you end your turn inside a space occupied by a creature or completely filled by one or more objects you receive 2d6 force damage and are immediately shunted to the nearest unoccupied space. Once you have used this feature you cannot do so again until you complete a Short or Long Rest.

Languages

You know Common and your choice of 2 other languages.