Homebrew The Returned Species Details

The Returned are a race that is not well known on the planes, and often merely mistaken for tieflings by the common folk. Though a shared appearance, The Returned are created, not born, and never by their own choice. Having been brought back to life by the power of a fiend as the result of a pact made, often by a desperate loved one.

Infernal Influences

The Returned can have been of any race before their death, though after their resurrection they all have a similar appearance to other Returned. Returned stand at an average of 7 feet tall, with pale white skin, black eyes and black hair. They have at least one pair of horns on their head which vary in shape and size, though some may have more than two. Their lower canines often poke out from their mouths like that of a half-orc often does. From their lower back grow tails, commonly long and thin and rounding off at the end like that of a snake. Some more extreme cases of the fiendish influence can result in strangely shaped legs, clawed hands, gradients of black color along their extremities or the base of horns starting over their eyes.

Necrotic Remains

Another aspect of The Returned is the trace of death that is left upon their very soul, sometimes even noticeable to creatures associated with the gods or other fiends. These creatures do not sense The Returned as an undead creature themselves, but instead a heavy shroud of necrotic energy around them. Some worshippers of gods act violently upon this sense, and attempt to hunt down The Returned when they are encountered. Due to this, many Returned develop a fear of the gods and their associates, staying away from temples and clerics alike.

The Returned Names

The Returned have many options for their names. Some choose to use the name that was given to them before their deaths which reflect their original heritage. Others are given a new name, either by the one who created the pact, or the fiend in question themselves. Lastly, there are those who choose their own new names, which can be of any origin.

Lonely People

The Returned are an incredibly rare race due to the nature of their creation. The lives they lead are never ordinary, some are used by the fiends that raised them for their own nefarious plots. Others attempt to continue the life they had before, but find that the people they knew so well now treat them differently. Their strengthened bodies suit themselves well to those who train in different types of combat, some therefore join a monastery or learn the art of combat under a master. While not all Returned feel a disconnect from humanity, some opt to keep to themselves in their life, hiding themselves away in high mountain peaks or the most wild center of a forest.

 

Lingering Traces of Death

Having been forcefully returned from the death, some traces may linger after this act. You can roll on the table below to customize your character in addition to your trait, ideal, bond and flaw from your background.

d12	Trace of Death
1	All food tastes like ash to me.
2	While I sleep, I appear to not be breathing and have no heartbeat.
3	I have a brand on my back, representative of the fiend who brought me back to life.
4	Animals seem to avoid me like the plague.
5	I do not cast a shadow.
6	When I look in a mirror, all I can see is myself in the state that I was in when I died, only I can see this.
7	My skin is always ice cold
8	I feel a constant hunger that does not seem to be satiated by anything.
9	I only see the world in shades of grey.
10	I am prone to suffering nightmares about the circumstances of my death.
11	The wound that killed me does not hurt, but never heals.
12	I know the traces left by resurrection, and can sense when a creature was previously resurrected.

 

The Returned Traits

The Returned share certain racial traits as a result of the infernal influence upon their soul.

Ability Score Increase

Your Strength or Dexterity score increases by 1, and your Constitution score increases by 2.

Age

The Returned initially mature at the same rate as humans but their physical aging slows down between the ages of 20 and 40, they can live to be around 400 years old.

Alignment

The Returned have witnessed life and death and have returned back to life where many view the world as black and white, the returned often see the amount of grey in between and lean towards the neutral alignment.

Size

The Returned stand strangely tall around 7 feet. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision

Thanks to the infernal influence on your life, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. 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.

Necrotic Resistance

Due to your experience and connection to death itself, you have resistance to Necrotic damage.

Infernal Influence

You know the spare the dying cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the false life spell as a 2nd-level spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the speak with dead spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Languages

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