Homebrew Nightkissed Species Details

The nightkissed shouldn't be a feared people. They're exactly like us, except they've fought through death itself and lived for thousands of years. You can't just expect that to not leave a mark... a very dark, otherworldly mark.

-Unknown journal

Marked By Pure Darkness

Those who are unlucky or foolish enough to be caught in the negative plane often die a cold, airless, miserable death. Though there have been a few that by an extravagant stroke of luck, flawless survival instinct, divine intervention, or a combination of the three, manage to find their way back. Though these beaten and battered souls most certainly don't come back untouched. Over the years they have spent in the negative plane, flooded with immense necrotic energy at all points in time, the beings become one with the energy. They evolve. They become nightkissed.

Dark, Powerful, Evolution

Becoming a nightkissed is a harrowing process, caused by a being's unwillingness to die in the plane where death is all there is. During the struggle for survival the person must change themselves in a form of rapid and violent evolution through arcane mutation. The person's entire being changes, their skin becomes an otherworldly, smooth, hairless, black, leather-like hide with a slight blue sheen, their faces adapt to only take in what is needed to survive in the negative plane. Their eyes evolve to see in true blackness, their ears grow to pick up more sound, sometimes resembling a Firbolg's and sometimes more of a bat-like appearance. Their legs evolve to become digitigrade, and their feet evolve to take the shape of small hoof-like pads due to the nightkissed's reliance on hovering. Nearly all fat is shed from the body, being replaced by small amounts of lean muscle. Sometimes growths of black bone-like material form on the shoulders, back, knees, and elbows, along with horns of impressive size and elegance on the head. The nightkissed are a very noticeable people, yet they are hardly ever feared, but rather seen as a sight to behold, with an otherworldly charm. But the plane doesn't just let it go. Whenever the nightkissed moves, a mist of negative energy follows its presence and lingers for a few seconds after, they can hover a few inches off of the ground as well.

Emptiness

Nightkissed feel absolutely no remorse or mercy in killing when it is to maintain their survival, or their allies' survival. From what everyone can tell, they are almost completely void of emotion, with the very little speaking that they do being monotonous whispers in an exotic, dark tongue. Nightkissed have seen the worst of the worst firsthand and have fought it and won, after these events in their lives, they see death as an irrational fear, and "laugh" in the face of it.

Nightkissed Names 

Nightkissed are very simple entities when it comes to names. They are typically short, exotic names.

Male Names: Arxx, Arnn, Borr, Bronn, Carn, Caynn, Dorn, Deus, Eego, Erum, Fel, Forr, Gekk, Gorr, Hel, Hex, Iir, Iilus, Jekk, Jel, Kell, Karnn, Lex, Llor, Merr, Mord, Neus, Noxx, Oor, Orus, Perum, Porr, Quord, Quorum, Rajj, Rux, Sek, Sorus, Torr, Tuxx, Uru, Uxe, Verus, Vox, Wor, Wyx, Xol, Xyx, Yorr, Yuk, Zor, Zyx

Female Names: Ara, Arus, Bora, Brynn, Cae, Cala, Drynn, Dura, Era, Erus, Fere, Frynn, Gael, Gara, Hera, Herus, Iila, Iira, Jir, Jhynn, Kera, Krae, Ley, Llera, Mel, Murff, Nym, Nyx, Ora, Orynn, Pera, Pynn, Quora, Quynn, Rela, Rynn, Saela, Sera, Taera, Trynn, Ula, Ura, Vera, Vyla, Wara, Wynn, Xera, Xynn, Yana, Yora, Zera, Zynn

Nightkissed Traits

Nightkissed have traits gifted to them by their evolution into the apex of necrotic survival.

Otherworldly Body

Your constitution score increases by 3.

Size

Nightkissed are anywhere from 6 to 9 feet tall. They have slender, otherworldly bodies that weigh between 150 and 300 pounds depending on size. Your size is Medium.

Efficiency

Your base movement speed is 30ft, you are able to hover a 1ft off of the ground while moving.

Alignment

A nightkissed alignment is almost always neutral, and almost always chaotic. They are often misunderstood due to their dangerous nature, but really they usually mean little harm.

Age

The nightkissed no longer feel the effects of time.

Languages

You can read, write, and speak common, and deep speech.

Evolved to Survive

You have a doubled proficiency in survival.

Nightkissed Vision

Years in pure blackness rendered you unable to see color and in sunlight, though you do have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light, but any check involving discerning color is automatically failed, along with having disadvantage on attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.

Negative Evolution

Your time living in the negative plane changed the way your body functions, you no longer need to breath, eat, drink, blink, or sleep, but can be forced to do so. Exhaustion still affects you. During a long rest you do not need to sleep, but can instead spend the time fully conscious, but motionless.

Death Means Nothing

After years in the plane of death, negative energy is but a gentle breeze to you. You are resistant to necrotic damage. 

Evolving Being

Your black otherworldly hide evolves as time goes on. At level one, your AC is 4 + CON. At level 5 it increases to 6 + CON, at level 10 in increases to 10 + CON, at level 15 it increases to 12 + CON , and at level 20 it increases to 12 + CON + Proficiency. This effect can be overridden by AC changes provided by class features and bonuses. Your AC can be improved and degraded by external factors. Though because of your necrotic aura, armor you wear is compromised and provides no bonus to AC.

Nightkissed Aura

Your aura of negative energy is so potent that it slowly tears life away from all that come near at any point in time, both ally and enemy. At the start of the turn, all creatures within 3 feet of you take 4 (1d6 +1) necrotic damage. At level 5 the damage increases to 6 (1d6+3) necrotic damage, at level 10 the damage increases to 12 (2d6 +6) necrotic damage, at level 15 the damage increases to 17 (3d6 +9) necrotic damage, and at level 20 it instantly kills any living creature below CR 1 or deals 24 (4d6 +12) necrotic damage. While a creature is in this aura, all healing is suppressed, and their AC is reduced by 2. Undead and machines are immune to this effect.