Homebrew Dullahan Species Details

History
A dullahan is a type of fey creature born of the Unseelie Court. Dullahan resemble undead due to their headlessness but both head and body are kept alive by a curse. Inclined to travel at night by Unseelie magic and their own appearance, grim folklore has sprung up about them. Dullahan are created by Unseelie fey when they decapitate a human, or a similar race, as part of a dark ritual. Due to this ritual, most dullahan tend to retain most of their characteristics of their human self, but memories of their human life is mostly forgotten, only a few dullahan manage to remember a few memories from their human life due to a trigger or a lasting impression that can never be forgotten. Dullahan are also capable of producing offspring, but much like a tiefling, the offspring will be a dullahan, regardless of the partner's race.

 

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Life of a Dullahan
Since they resemble humans so strongly, most dullahan are able to integrate into society
more easily than most tieflings or half-Orcs. However, the differences they do have and their headless nature are still viewed negatively by other races, often being described as creepy, sickening, and often being compared as a monster. Dullahan tend to keep their nature hidden as much as possible in order to save themselves some unwanted attention and discrimination. All things considered, dullahan are still a rare race to encounter in most large cities or towns as they mostly prefer to travel, often due to their profession or to simply live a nomadic life. They are even rarer due to their common birth-defined jobs to cleanse the realm of lost, corrupted and restless souls, as well as living corrupt souls who enslave lost or restless souls unjustly. 

 

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Physical Appearance
Dullahan resemble humans with either dark tan, pale blue or porcelain white skin. Their eyes are usually black with their iris's usually being any natural or unnatural color, or unnatural colored human-ish eyes. A dullahan's hair can be any natural color but is frequently black, gray, or white. Dullahan mouths can become very wide, reaching to the sides of their heads, but not all dullahan share this trait due to years of evolution to appear more human than monster to other races. While a dullahan's head is separated from their body, an ethereal, non-lethal flame accompanied by a glowing smoke/fog forms on top of their wounded neck as a means for the body to see, hear and speak.

 

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Dullahan Names
A dullahan's true name tend toward repeating syllables, often times adopting a human name, but not limited to that culture. They don't willingly reveal their true names to anyone but another dullahan, only because they don't want to become targets from people who fear dullahan. As a solution, some dullahan take on nicknames when interacting with other races, only revealing their true name to someone they absolutely trust or even love. Very rarely, a few dullahan take on their human name from their previous life through a potential memory.
Male: Mnoh Vis, Khit Tuc, Frur Tor..
Female: LaLa, LeeLee, MeiMei, ViVi ...

 

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Credit
cat-i-on: on Reddit for creating the idea and traits of the dullahan

JesterMasquerade: On Reddit for offering a new perspective of the race and I borrowed some of his ideas and mixed it with others.

Zekus720: For fine tuning and adding personal touches and flavor and converting the Dullahan onto GM binder.

ApolloDearest: For more fine tuning and adding personal touches and flavor, as well as converting the Dullahan onto D&D Beyond.

 

 

Dullahan Traits

Due to fey ancestry, Dullahan have many unique inborn traits.

Ability Score Increase

 

 Your Charisma increases by 2 and two other ability scores of your choice increases by 1.

 

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Age

 

Whether they were born by a dark ritual or reproduction, dullahan mature at the same rate as humans, but live far longer. They become adults when they are 20 and can live for over 300+ years.

 

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Alignment

 

 Dullahan tend toward neutral alignments as they believe death comes equally to everybody at their own pace and also to avoid being ostracized as monsters.

 

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Size

 

 Dullahan are about as tall or slightly taller than the average human. Your size is medium.

 

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Speed

 

 Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

 

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Languages

 

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

 

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Darkvision

 

 You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in Darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in Darkness, only shades of gray.

 

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Frightening

 

 You have proficiency in the Intimidation skill.

 

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Hybrid Nature

 

 Your creature type is fey in addition to humanoid. You can become the target of any ability, spell or effect that affects either of your creature types.

 

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Trance

 

 Dullahan do not need to sleep. Instead, they enter a dormant state and remain semiconscious for 4 hours a day. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep. During this trance, you remain somewhat alert and can notice approaching figures, etc.

 

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Headless

 

 Your head and your body are separated, the wound that separated them never healing, although you may always attach or detach your head at will as an action. While your head is separated from your neck you gain the following effects:

- You cannot be killed by decapitation.
- You always know the distance and direction to your head unless it is on another plane or if an effect prevents divination magic it will also prevent this effect.
- Unless your head is being carried by you or another creature, it can be targeted, its AC being equal to yours but without the benefit of Dexterity or armor that does not include a helmet. You cannot be damaged twice by an area of effect due to this. Your head automatically fails Dexterity saving throws.
- When separate, both head and body can see, hear and speak. As well, the gap where the head is supposed to rest will emit out a sort of glowing smoke/fog, the color of which varies based on the Dullahan. 

 

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Unseelie Magic

 

 You know the Chill Touch cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level you can cast "find steed" once per long rest. The mount conjured is considered a fey creature. Additionally the steed can be stored in your shadow as an action and can be retrieved as a bonus action. Once you reach 5th level you can cast "knock" once per long rest.

 

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Weakness to Gold

 

 You have vulnerability to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from gold plated weapons. If you are carrying or touching anything made of gold make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or release the item. Repeat this save every turn you carry the gold.

 

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Fey Ancestry

 

 Dullahans are a type of creature descending from the Fey Wild's Unseelie Court. This gives you immunity against being charmed and magic can not put you to sleep.

 

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Devourer of Souls

 

When you kill an undead or destroy an artifact that controls the undead, you can take 1 minute to feed your head its soul/power. This will restore 1d8+[CON Modifier] hit points. This increases to 2d8+[CON Modifier] at level 5, and an additional 1d8 at levels 7 and 10 too. 

 

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