Homebrew Bladeling Species Details

Bladelings are cutters through and through—born (or made, depending on which chant you believe) in the endless grind of Acheron, where iron cubes crash together and wars never truly end. Their bodies reflect that reality: flesh turned to a strange, living metal, ridged with blades that grow, shed, and regrow like calluses earned in battle. Every bladeling carries the look of a weapon that learned to walk, their purple, glassy eyes giving away little of what lies beneath. They don’t soften with time; they sharpen.

Most bladelings trace their roots to the city of Zoronor on Ocanthus, a place of bitter cold, metallic forests, and stricter order than most primes can stomach. There, a priest-king and his loyal clerics maintain a rigid hierarchy that keeps the species unified against the constant threat of annihilation—whether from the plane itself, invading forces, or their own internal rivalries. Politics among bladelings is sharp and dangerous, often waged through manipulation, assassination, or calculated shows of strength. Still, when an external threat appears, those same factions lock together without hesitation, like interlocking blades forming a single edge.

Their reputation across the planes is simple: dangerous, disciplined, and not to be crossed lightly. Bladelings don’t start fights without reason—but their definition of “reason” tends to be narrower than most. Trespass in their territory, show weakness at the wrong moment, or fail to respect their customs, and you may find yourself on the receiving end of a very efficient execution. Yet for all that, they are not mindless killers. A traveler who approaches with respect, purpose, and strength of will might be granted cautious passage—or even a conversation. Among planewalkers, it’s said that earning a bladeling’s respect is worth more than earning most people’s friendship.

Their bodies are as much a liability as they are a strength. The same metallic nature that protects them from flame, frost, and corrosion also leaves them vulnerable to magic that targets metal directly. Many a careless bladeling has learned the hard way that spells like heat metal can turn their greatest defense into a liability. Even their signature technique—shedding their own blades in a deadly storm—comes at a cost, stripping away part of their natural protection until their bodies can harden again. Survival among bladelings means understanding exactly when to spend your edge and when to keep it.

As for their origins, the truth is as fractured as the planes themselves. Some say they were shaped or enslaved by Bane, forged into living soldiers before breaking free of his control. Others claim they descended from fiend-touched mortals, or emerged from Baator or Gehenna, or even stranger places no one agrees on. Ask three bladelings where their people came from, and you might get three different answers—and a warning not to ask a fourth time. Whatever the truth, Acheron is where they endured, adapted, and became what they are now: a people defined not by where they began, but by what they survived.

Bladeling Traits

You are a Humanoid. Your size is medium. Your base walking speed is 30 ft. Your body is metalic with blades and spikes. You have a war-hardened mind.

Size

You are Medium, typically between 5 and 6½ feet tall.

Speed

Your speed is 30 ft.

Natural Spikes

Your body is covered in sharp metallic protrusions. Your unarmed strikes deal 1d6 slashing damage When a creature grapples you or hits you with an unarmed strike or natural weapon it takes slashing damage equal to your proficiency bonus. 

Metallic Body

Your flesh is composed of a strange, living metal.

• You have resistance to cold and fire damage
• You have immunity against corrosion or rust effects or conditions (from the environment or monsters)
• You are considered a metal creature for the purposes of spells and effects (such as heat metal)

War-Hardened Mind

 You gain proficiency in Intimidation. You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.