Homebrew Ethereal Species Details

Unlike other universi where matter and energy separated into solid states, gases, and stars, the Ethereal plane was a place where energy itself became sentient and extra energy from the creation of everything, went to, and occasionally sometimes still flows to and from, creating instability and chaos.  Where the principle of ‘nothing is created or destroyed’ may exist in other dimensions/universes, where energy flows to and from this Ethereal plane (some say from black holes or dark stars), this law is in flux, and chaos results.

Ethereals are intensely magical energy beings, but due to the restrictions of their caste system and laws of energy of their plane, can only use limited magical abilities upon being reborn into stage 1.  Their caste system is founded on necessity and provides structure in an otherwise chaotic universe.  The idea behind this is one of first knowing oneself before seeking to wield true power so as to not be corrupted by power, but at the same time not be helpless in a chaotic universe.  Ethereals true power lies within their own realm, and although they carry some with them into other realms, they are never as powerful as they are in the Ethereal plane in each of their respective castes.

Appearance:

Although they have no ‘form’ in their Ethereal plane, when they travel to a new universe/dimension, they take on the form of a being inside armor (some who are lucky to get close enough, and survive, say 'bound'), with magical energy underneath, representing their caste and restricting their natural energies.

Background:

Ethereals are deeply inquisitive and have an inbound desire to explore everything, although leaving their plane is an intensely terrifying experience for them – leaving a world of total chaos, struggle, and noise to enter anywhere else not so, is disturbingly quiet for them, and although they can communicate briefly with their peers at home, they are largely left to explore their new dimension and to their own thoughts and the loneliness is deafening.  This is why, frequently, Ethereals join adventurers and quickly bond with groups on heroic missions.  It is thought that this brings growth to the Ethereals and their civilization at home, as when they return their thoughts and experiences are shared and their exuberance of youth is praised for its bravery.

Society:

Although Ethereals would be seen by others as being chaotic in nature, as they are race born despite and perhaps because of the chaos of creation, they place an extreme value on loyalty, family, community, helping others, and learning.

Ethereals are a strict caste-based honor bound culture, where in each caste those of that caste are expected to fulfill their duties in their phase of life as this is how their civilization continues to exist in the midst of their chaotic universe.  This caste system however, allows for every individual to transition up to a higher caste, but with each higher caste comes more responsibility, duty, and less freedom to explore.  There are 3 castes, with the first being the movers and shapers of energy, the 2nd being those that guide the shapers, and the 3rd being those that seal the breaches in their universe, which when done the individual is reborn into the 1st caste while losing their memories of their previous life; for this reason of sacrifice for others, the 3rd caste is revered for its growth, knowledge, and sacrifice for Ethereal civilization.

History:

Although in the Ethereal plane all voidborn/Ethereals share connected feeling, emotion, knowledge, collectively feel the pain of one another, and loss, newly reborn Voidborn -not yet designated as the 1st caste- are sent into other worlds, to learn new experiences without much if any previous shared knowledge of their civilization– they do not have the ancestral knowledge of their communities, just instinct.  This is both to protect their civilization, and others, from the chaotic nature of their universe, lest anyone seek to travel there and open a rift between the universi.  Ethereals coming over to other planes, start out as precaste so they may learn of other worlds, adventures, and bring this knowledge back with them when they return to their universe to share with their civilization.

Religion:

Their religion, or deity, is the laws of energy their universe or the 'void spark' that started existence. Ethereals hold dear the idea that there is much more to existence than their own universe, part from desire to know that not all existence is chaos like theirs, and part of a deep feeling that creation exists because something created it.

The single most revered and reviled -because voidborn hold many views all at once on the same subject- voidborn was Arkaster, a legendary adventurer who ascended to the 2nd stage/caste, but choose not to return to the ethereal plane.  In the most of dire circumstances on another plane, where all had been lost and the worst had happened, Arkcaster sacrificed its soulcore (or life essence that connects an Ethereal to its home) to save its defeated party. 

Although party loyalty and devotion to ones friends is highly praised, because the voidborn are reborn, it is expected that dying and thus being reborn for ones friends is more than enough – in denying its rebirth by sacrificing its soulcore, Arkaster lost it’s connection to the ethereal plane forever, a loss so profound that the memory of this is burned into the memory of every voidborn and is the single memory alone that all voidborn know for certain from birth.

As ‘punishment’ (some say mourning) by the laws of energy in the Ethereal realm, as Arkaster completed reviving its dead party with the use of its soulcore, Arkaster was turned permanently into Obsidian, and forever locked into that plane, never to return or be reborn on the Ethereal plane.  It is rumored that the choice of material is based on the strongest material of the dimension the Ethereal is in, as a physical reminder of their loss to the community.

Ethereal Sayings:

‘memory is an unlearned future’
'all of existence is transition’
‘ascension is rebirth’
‘nature is chaos and chaos is nature; the divine weaves its song’

Size:  roll a d4+3 to determine size of Ethereal.  Plays no role on HP or strength.  considered medium size mechanically.
Movement: Can move 35 instead of 30
Age: ?? (they don't know either) Even Arkcaster wouldn't know how many generations came before it.
No-gender: it, them, their, they.
States(stats): when picking, pick one attribute to add +2
Misc: Their mood dictates their energy's color (mood-ring)

Ethereal Traits

Ethereal

Ethereal Mulligan

Once per day, choose to re-roll d20 (before DM speaks result)

Ethereal Advantage on History Checks

Ethereal Advantage on History Checks: Skill

Call it intuition or dejavu, sometimes Ethereals just know things and can't remember why.

Ethereal Advantage on Arcana

Being a kind of energy, Ethereals have Proficiency in Arcana checks.

Ethereal States

When picking stats, pick one attribute to add +2

Ethereal Resonance

Ethereals 'sleep' via long rest, for 4 hours.  While this happens they transfer knowledge back to Ethereal realm.  They don't learn anything new from realm, other than hellos from family, but transfer knowledge to civilization (like a letter back home) about what they've learned about this new world.