Homebrew Half-Banshee Species Details

The woman appears, wreathed in shadows. A puff of vapor escapes her lips as she stares at the encampment of Orcs below. She steels herself and pulls her attention from the frigid air to the sword clenched in her fist. Her form begins to shine and lift. She knew on this night she would have her revenge. On this night, she would save her friends.

 

— Amorondus Aquilius, A Corrupting of Foes

A dark ritual, a chance encounter, or a difficult fight gone wrong. It’s hard to say exactly how these humanoids came to be. The people who know rarely live to tell the tale. However, Half-Banshee most certainly do exist. Beings of both life and death, Half-Banshee are contemptuous and vain in nature which often leads them to isolation from those who might seek to befriend them or to become outcasts from civilization entirely. This makes many Half-Banshee fiercely loyal to the few they call true friends.

(Artwork courtesy of Oliver Momo aka momo13 on DnD Beyond, original concept of Half-Banshee race by DnD Beyond user Peter_Calcutt)

Undead Ancestry 

Half-Banshee live in a world divided. In many ways, their undead ancestry is almost unnoticeable. However, given their unusual aura and generally pallor skin, it would be difficult to say Half-Banshee are completely inconspicuous. While young, a Half-Banshee might be misidentified as a sickly child. This is not actually the case, and many find they even have a particularly strong immune system. Due to their ancestry, their hair and eyes tend to be white, gray, silver, or black. Some have even been known to have blue or red eyes. Their skin tone tends to take after their paternal lineage.

Lost Soul

Banshee are known for being a cursed soul, trapped on the material plane and unable to travel to the otherside. The Half-Banshee have inherited aspects of their mother’s curse and are quite frequently unlucky. They are imbued with a strong sense of wanderlust, perhaps as a way to circumvent their mother’s curse. In fact, much of their personality seems to derive from the curse of their lineage. Few will follow religious paths as they feel their lot has been forsaken by the gods or perhaps have even been cursed by the gods themselves.

Half-Banshee Names

Half-Banshee use the naming conventions of the humanoids who raise them. However, many will take on Elvish names to reflect their Banshee mother’s Fey Ancestry. 

Half-Banshee Traits

Half-Banshee share certain supernatural abilities, due to their undead heritage.

Ability Score Increase

Your Charisma score increases by 2, and your Dexterity score increases by 1.

Age

Half-Banshee mature at the same rate that humans do and reach adulthood around the age of 20. They live somewhat longer than humans, however, and have been known to live to the age of 120.

Alignment

Half-Banshee tend to be chaotic and frequently feel pressured by society to follow the path of evil. However, due to their stubborn nature, many will reject the influence of others and follow a more righteous path.

Size

Half-Banshee are about the same size as humans, ranging from 5 to 6 feet tall. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision

Due to your undead ancestry, 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. However, you can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Undead Resistance

You have resistance to necrotic damage.

Fey Ancestry

You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

Ethereal Shroud

You can use your action to tap into the preternatural energy within you, causing your form to grow luminous, shimmer, and float. Any loose garments or hair begin to flutter and stream around you.

Your transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it as a bonus action. While cloaked in the shroud, you have a flying (hover) speed of 40 feet, and once on each of your turns, you can deal extra necrotic damage to one target when you deal damage to it with an attack or spell.

The extra necrotic damage starts at 1d4 at 1st level and increases to 2d4 at 8th level, and 3d4 at 14th level.

Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Hypersonic Wail

Starting at 3rd level, you have a greater understanding of your heritage and can use your action to let out a horrifying scream. The wail has no effect on constructs or undead. All other creatures within 30 feet of you that can hear you must make a Constitution saving throw. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus.

A creature takes 2d6 psychic damage on a failed save, and half as much damage on a successful one. The damage increases to 3d6 at 6th level, 4d6 at 11th level, and 5d6 at 16th level.

After using your hypersonic wail, you can’t use it again until you complete a short or long rest.

Languages

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