Homebrew Eridian Species Details

Biology of the planet 40 eridani

Eridians have five legs radiating out from a roughly pentagonal thorax. The entire creature is covered with an articulated exoskeleton shell. It will shed pieces as necessary when growing new ones. The average height of an Eridian, from the ground to the top of the carapace, is about 50cm. But they can stand on three limbs and use two more to reach upward, being effective to a height up to 1.3 meters.

An Eridian has five identical limbs spaced evenly around its thorax. Each limb has a ball-and-socket joint at the point of connection to the thorax. The next joint is a hinge joint, similar to a human elbow or knee – located about halfway along the limb. Each limb ends in a trifurcated claw. When the claw is closed, the limb comes to a point (usable as a weapon). It can open to the point that the three prongs are coplanar – allowing it to serve as a foot.

Eridians are “pentadextrous” – they can use any of their 5 limbs for any purpose based on convenience. If they use all 5 for motion, they can be extremely sure-footed on uneven terrain. When using just three, they can move very fast. When idle, an Eridian typicaly stands on three limbs and uses the other two like arms. Though they will transpose which limbs are hands and which are feet whenever comfortable, either for convenience of grabbing something or do to simple fatigue.

They have no concept of “facing” any given direction.

Eridian Culture

The word “Eridian” was invented by the novel’s protagonist (Ryland Grace) and fashioned after the name of the star. And due to the inconvenient name that humanity has for the homeworld, the protagonist took to calling it “Erid”.

Eridian Names

Eridians are hermaphroditic and do not have an understanding of gender. Additionally, their names are only able to be pronounced by Eridians. As such, Eridians who are working with non-Eridians tend to pick up nicknames that their allies can say, usually referencing the Eridian’s rocky appearance or personality.

Example Names Rocky, Adrian, Apollo Creed, Magma, Metamorpho, Sylvester Stone, Ben Grimm, Geodude

Eridian Traits

Your Eridian character has a number of traits from their extraterrestrial life.

Ability Score Increase.

Your Intelligence score increases by 2, and your Constituion or Wisdom score increases by 1.

Age.

Eridians live to be around 600 years old. It is not known when or if they reach an age of maturity, but due to their sedimental composure, they age gracefully.

Size.

Full-grown Eridians can stand up to roughly 20 inches tall when standing on all five legs, and are extremely dense, weighing up to 880 lb. Your size is Small.

Speed.

Your base walking speed is 40 ft. If you are not holding anything and you devote all limbs to locomotion, your speed increases by 10 ft.

Alignment.

Eridians tend to be Neutral, though their personalities can be shaped by their environment.

Eridian Perception.

You are completely blind and cannot distinguish between colors when not using a perception device and are unaffected by darkness or bright light.

Tremorsense

You can detect and pinpoint the origin of vibrations within 1,000 feet, provided that the monster and the source of the vibrations are in contact with the same ground or substance. Tremorsense can’t be used to detect flying or incorporeal creatures. Due to your enhanced echolocation, you have proficiency in the Perception skill when using hearing or touch.

Creature Type.

You are considered a Monstrosity.

False Appearance.

While not wearing armor or carrying equipment, you appear indistinguishable from any similar-colored rock.

Irregular Sleeping and eating

As an Eridian, you are extremely vulnerable when sleeping. In order to recieve the benefits of a full-night’s rest, you go into a state wherein you are completely paralyzed and incpacitated for the duration of your slumber. At the DMs discretion, you can roll to determine the length of your sleep using (2 + 2d6) hours. When you eat, you will immediately go to sleep in this way.

Natural Armor.

When not wearing armor, your AC is equal to 12 + your Dexterity modifier.

Perfect Memory

All Eridians have what humans would describe as ‘photographic memory’ even though Eridians cannot see photographs.

Natural Weapons.

You have natural weapons in the form of your five claws. Both are Strength-based weapons and if you hit with them, you deal 1d4 + your Strength modifier piercing damage.

Temperature Sensitivity

You are able to survive and thrive at temperatures higher than nearly any other creature. You are most comfortable at extremely high temperatures and you are hypersensitive to lower temperatures. You are immune to fire damage and are weak to cold damage.

Languages.

 You can understand and read Common, but you can only speak Eridian. Eridian is a tonal language that can only be spoken by Eridians, or mimicked using magic.