Homebrew Abducted Species Details

“You know the ol’ Bekker family? Yeah, the ones with the farm out on the western hills- see, they say that two dozen years ago, ol’ man Bekker, well, he were young man Bekker then...he hears a commotion outside, his dogs are hollarin’ and cryin’ away, so he goes out in the middle o’ the night, thinkin’ he’ll have ta chase some goblins away from ‘is sheep or somesuch. Instead, he sees a thing comin’ down from the clouds- the whole village saw it, ya know, they say it looked like one of those sea monsters, all tentacles an’ a spiral shell, but to hear him say it, t’was a ship, a huge ship sailin’ the sky. It plucked him righ’ up from the ground an’, well...he won’t talk bout it much. Said that there were creatures onboard, evil things, inhuman an’ unlike anything else. That they did somethin’ to him, he weren’t sure what, an’ then they dropped him back on th’ same hillside- a year anna half later. Scared his poor wife half ta’ death apparently. He’s always been a lil’ strange ever since, but his kids...well, you just look at ‘em, you can tell tha’ there’s something about them that ain’t quite human. I reckon that whatever happened ta him, those kids are payin’ the price.”

 - Local Tavern Keep, explaining the presence of Abducted in the village.

BEYOND SPACE AND TIME

Aberrations have many names- the Outsiders, the Lords of Madness, the Old Ones, the Eldritch, Alien. While some dismiss them as the gibbering of madmen, as nightmares, Aberrations are those from beyond- beings from worlds, planes, or even times beyond our own. Some claim to be older than the gods, others from far futures of darkness- some from the deepest depths of worlds, others from far past the moons and stars in the sky. As Fiends have mingled their bloodlines into Tieflings, Celestials to Aasimar, there are Aberrations who have tainted mortal bloodlines to create the Aberrant-touched, called the Abducted. Regardless of where or when they are from, Aberrations are all alien in some respect, and the Abducted share this otherworldly nature. They are beings of alien environment and adaptation, despite their humanoid heritage, and feel perpetually out of place, singular and alone in the world.

INHUMAN VISAGES

Abducted appearance varies greatly, but even those who resemble humanoids the most tend to have unsettling proportions or an unnerving air about them, making other folk wary. This means that in travel, they often hide their features, donning heavy scarves or hooded cloaks or avoiding eye contact and gaze. Abducted traits can be somewhat indicative of their exact nature of their heritage, or may simply be random manifestations of their inhuman sides. They may have inhuman eyes, or too many eyes, they may have tentacles instead of hair or instead of a tongue, their skin may be translucent or mottled or unpleasantly textured, they may have too large of mouths with too many teeth- any manner of uncanny features may arise. Abducted typically look more human in their youth, and steadily grow more alien in appearance as they age. With every decade or level that passes, you may wish to add additional alien features, or perhaps your character was prompted to begin adventuring by the sudden development of an inhuman appearance. For inspiration, one may wish to look at various creatures with the aberration type and draw features from them- the single cycloptic eyes of beholders, the beaks of illithids, so on, so forth...

RANDOM ABDUCTED HERITAGE TABLE (d10)

1. Aboleth
2. Beholder
3. Slaad
4. Neogi
5. Grell
6. Flumph
7. Illithid
8. Daelkyr
9. Morkoth
10. Unknown, features completely random

MASTERS OF THE MIND

As the connection between Aberrations and matters of the mind is strong, with many Aberrations displaying psionic capabilities and oftentimes a taste for exploring the minds and thoughts of other sapient beings. The Abducted have an uncanny awareness and control over their own mind, and some insight or influence into the thoughts of others. Being natural psions, Abducted are capable of telepathic communication, and have several psionic talents that tend to manifest in their youth, only further cementing their unsettling nature as Abducted may be seen as manipulative or as mind-readers regardless of their actual abilities.

ANCIENT AND ALIEN

As Abducted grow older and more powerful, they become less human in appearance- and some suspect they become less human in mind as well. As a result of their changing visage, older Abducted will often retreat from society as it becomes harder to hide or accept their Aberrant nature, and thus the true lifespan of the Abducted is unknown. Some are said to live upwards of two-hundred years or more, while others seem to grow old and pass as young as their seventies or eighties. However, there are rumors that the oldest Abducted cease resembling humanoids at all, becoming entirely alien beings themselves, or even becoming the same Aberrations that tainted their bloodline. None of this is confirmed, but Abducted may be aware of the possibility that they, too, will someday vanish from others’ company.

Abducted Traits

Abducted are born of creatures not from this world, or anything like it, and their abilities reflect their aberrant alien heritage.

Ability Score Increase.

Your Intelligence score increases by 2. Your Charisma score decreases by 1.

Age.

Abducted mature at the same rate as humans, but their potential lifespan is variable and unknown.

Alignment.

Abducted show no preference towards lawful or chaotic behavior, but often trend towards otherwise neutral alignments with an alien mindset and inhuman morality.

Darkvision.

Your eyes are adapted for hidden, dark places. You can see in dim light up to 60 feet as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You cannot discern color in darkness, only shades of grey.

Unsettling Nature.

Your unsettling appearance and alien air are unnerving to many, which can lead to social disadvantages. Abducted appear extremely rarely and randomly, and it's unlikely for any two Abducted to share a strong resemblance, and so Abducted are alien in virtually any society or setting. Their potential resemblance to dangerous aberrations only furthers this mistrust that many Abducted encounter. Abducted with unusual physical features may also find that certain items intended for common usage are uncomfortable or outright unusable. An Abducted with a single eye of a beholder cannot use nightvision goggles without extensive modifications, and an Abducted with tentacles in place of hair may find even a common comb to be useless to them.

Aberrant Psionics.

You know the Friends cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast Dissonant Whispers once with this trait, and you regain the ability to do so once you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast Calm Emotions or Detect Thoughts once with this trait, and you regain the ability to do so once you finish a long rest. Intelligence is the spellcasting ability for these spells. You can cast them using this trait without components.

Alien Mind.

You have resistance to psychic damage, and advantage on saving throws against being charmed or controlled through magical or psionic means.

Passive Empathy.

You have advantage on insight checks to determine the emotional state or honesty of other beings with an Intelligence of 5 or higher.

Languages.

You can speak, read, and write Common, Deep Speech, and one other language of your choice. You also have telepathy up to 120 feet with any willing creature you can see and share a language with, though your telepathic speech may be alien, unsettling or upsetting to others. If you do not share a language, you may attempt communication via simple concepts or images.

Size.

Abducted range between 5 and 7 feet tall, often with slightly warped proportions regardless of weight and build. Your size is Medium.

Speed.

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.