Homebrew Tajaros Sül Species Details

 

 

 

'I didn't hear Tala approaching. She always was quiet. But that night, she spoke. Not much, mind you- but her words explained all that needed to be explained. "Te vagy a mi emberek" is what she said; "You are one of our people. You are one of us"  On other days, it may have implied " You must do your part of the work", or, "You must learn your place in the Den". But not tonight. Tonight, I was Sül. Tonight, I was forgiven. And, looking into the dark eyes of Tala, like black, starlit pools, I was damn proud. This night, we would rejoice for our clan. Tomorrow, the Tajaros would avenge the family we had lost. And I would fight with them, a human among the bush-folk.'

-Ordi the Bard, from a diary on his adventures in Neverwinter Wood

 

Bush-folk of the Forgotten Realms.

For all the strange races in the Forgotten Realms, none are quite so different as the Tajaros, or Porcupine folk. Slightly slimmer and shorter than Humans, they look somewhat alike to badgers, but as well as fur, their backs are covered in long, bony spines (called quills), which the Tajaros Sül can shoot like darts at their enemies.

The Den

Tajaros are a family animal, and they live in small communities, called 'Dens', in the forests of the Forgotten Realms, with a vast majority in Neverwinter Wood and the Forest of Tethir. A den is usually around four-thousand square feet, comprised of knitted vines and branches, and beds of leaves from the Bija tree.

Family Bond.

Although their unusual appearance may attract a sideways look from untravelled folk, the Tajaros Sül are usually welcoming and friendly, valuing community as a virtue and necessity for life to flourish. They believe the bond between family is stronger than death. But 'family' is a looser term for the Tajaros, and they are willing to include a brother or sister into the community from nearly any race, so long as they pull their own weight in the Den.

The Naming Ceremony.

Tajaros are named in a special way- seven days after the child is born (for seven is a sacred number), the Den's high druid sits in a hollow tree trunk, inhaling sacred perfumes, and casts carved ivory quills upon an altar for several hours. When the time is right, the druid is whispered a name by the local nature spirits. This is the name given to the newborn, and is often of some significance to that Tjari's life. For example, if that baby is destined to be a famous hunter, the name may be "Sebeskarom" (meaning "Trueclaw" in their native toung)

 

 

 

Tajaros Sül Traits

Tajaros are great nocturnal hunters, projecting their quills at lethal speeds to kill prey....and enemies, if it need be.

Alignment:

The Tajaros Sül are a life loving people, yet stern in their ethics and ideal of justice, so as to survive in the harsh wilderness of their homeland, driving them towards Law and Goodness. A Tajaros who lives as an adventurer may lean more towards Neutral.

 

Ability Score Increase:

Your Dexterity Score increases by 2, and your Wisdom Score increases by 1.

Size:

The typical Tajaros Sül stands a little shorter than a human, being between four and a half and five and a half feet tall. Your size is medium.

Speed:

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision:

Tajaros are great nocturnal hunters, and 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 colour in darkness, only shades of grey.

Nature's Senses:

You have proficiency in the perception skill, and you gain the Druidcraft cantrip.

Rolling Strike:

On your turn, you can choose to curl into a ball and roll a distance up to your movement speed. This movement doesn't provoke opportunity attacks. Immediately after you take this movement, you can make one Spine Shot attack without using your action or bonus action. You can user this trait a number of times equal to the number of Spine shot uses you have left.

Spine Shot:

When you use an action or bonus action to make an unarmed strike, you can instead choose to shoot several quills of bone from your back. This counts as an unarmed strike that deals 1d4 + your Constitution modifier in piercing damage, with the following properties: the attack is a ranged attack, with a range of 10 feet, and the attack hits multiple targets. Make an attack roll against each creature within 10 feet of you. On a hit, that creature takes your unarmed strike damage. If you have a feature that modifies your unarmed strike, it affects this special unarmed strike too.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Constitution Modifier +1 ( A minimum of one time), and you regain all expended uses after finishing a long rest, the quills growing back as you sleep.

 

Languages:

You can speak Common and Elvish, the Tajaros' native toung.