Homebrew Nycter (Bat Folk) Species Details

''If you ever get lost in the darkness of the caverns, beware of the dangerous creatures you could meet. You'll be fine if you encounter a nycter, though. Nice fellas, always arboring beautiful clothes and a large fangy smile. If they're tall and look like they want to eat ya, that's a desmodu though. Less nice.''

— Hesdraic Mudcoat, wandering merchant

The Underdark's caves and tunnels are often talked about in fear, being the homeland of many monstrosities and evils all more strange and dangerous than the other. But a few races defy that generalization, the nycter being one of those.

While still quite savage looking, being bat-like humanoids arboring the trademark ears, snout, fangs and wing, nycters are actually the opposite of wild, having created for themselves a civilization based on organisation and mutual aid.

Community as a Pillar

Nycter culture takes roots in a strong sense of community, where everyone expects mutual help. From this was built a strong sense of duty, all nycters doing their upmost to contribute to their group. With this approach to life, nycter communities then to get big fast, resulting in the construction of underground towns, kingdoms and routes only accessible by whom is considered allies.

Treaties and Pacifism

Nycters prefer peace over war. If they encounter other potential dangerous creatures without being noticed in turn, they often choose to avoid them altogether. If confronted, they will try to parlay and seek solutions leading to agreements. However, they fight fiercely to defend themselves or their territory if pushed to it.

With time, nycters groups will often establish peace treaties with different communities of other races in their area, often giving them in exchange access to the different passageways they maintain and keep hidden or blocked.

Trade and Merchants

With peace comes trade, and many nycters choose to become merchants. The Underdark offers a wide array of resources to sell to people on the surface, and the existence of hidden nycter routes combined with their natural ability to travel silently and cautiously give nycters an edge in commerce.

Befriending a nycter merchant could allow a unique access to precious exotic goods hard to get normally, where trying to swindle one would almost certainly result in never seeing a nycter again in your life.

Tradition and Honor

Nycters appreciate their way of life, often considering it the best approach to life for an intelligent creature. As such, while admiring the virtue of freedom, they will often follow a rigid code of honor and tradition. A creature respecting it will be accepted in nycter communities with open wings, where one regularly breaking the rules will be forced to exile.

As apparently unbending the nycter code of conduit seems to be, nycters will always listen to pleads before taking decisions as a whole community.

Nycter Names

A nycter’s first name is chosen during the Defining Day, a celebration where all nycters born during the year are given a name by the community. This first name will be followed by the name of the community itself, to officialize the link between it and the nycter. A nycter exiled from its community will be forbidden to use this second name until reincluded.

Male Names: Vladimir of Batsoury, Julius of Venzor, Dreven of Arkala, Orien of Tranmere, Sliske of Underwinter, Dorian of Jongvale, Emil of the City of Fire, Balthazar of Hull, Acheron of Aramoor.

Female Names: Minerva of Erast, Psyche of Hiddenhaven, Deidre of Grimsby, Hildegarde of Acrine, Abigale of Llyne, Vespera of Bury, Tiana of the Waterfalls, Ursuline of Brokensky, Circe of Ilfracombe.

Subraces

Two main subraces of Nycter exist, defined by their alimentation: the Sanguine nycter, and the Fruit nycter. Choose one of these subraces.

Nycter (Bat Folk) Traits

The two different kinds of nycter share certain racial characteristics.

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity score increases by 1, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Age

Nycters reach maturity by age 5. Compared to humans, nycters don’t usually live longer than 40 years.

Alignment

Nycters have a culture and society that revolves around the community. Members of such communities usually are lawful, where nycters separated from their groups tend to be more neutral or chaotic. In any case, nycters are peaceful and social creatures aiming for good through relationships with other groups and mutual benefits through trade.

Size

Nycters are about 4 to 5 feet tall. They have small, lightweight bodies that weigh between 70 and 100 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 25 feet.

Flight

You have a flying speed of 40 feet. This speed is halved to 20 feetif you use medium armor, and not usable if you wear heavy armor or are encumbered. While flying that way, you cannot execute complex hand gestures, including attacks and somatic elements for spells.

Fangs

You are proficient with this natural weapon, which deal 1d4 piercing damage on a hit.

Darkvision

Accustomed to the darkness of the caves of the underdark where your kind thrives, 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 colours in darkness, only shades of grey.

Sun Sickness

While in direct sunlight, unless otherwise concealed or in dim sun light, you have disadvantage on Strength, Dexterity and Constitution based ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws.

Echolocation

As an action, you can emit a high frequency sound that grants blindsight for 30 ft in all directions, lasting until the end of your turn. This effect does not go through or around walls or other solid material. Being in a silenced or deafened state will negate this ability until you are no longer silenced or deafened.

Sensible Hearing

You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that involve listening, unless deafened.

While your keen hearing can be helpful, it is also one of your weaknesses. You are vulnerable to thunder damage, even if deafened.

Languages

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