Homebrew Drewer Species Details

Typically forged in the slave dens of the dark elves, where some particularly twisted drow lords can force themselves upon unfortunate mountain dwarf captives with anonymity, drewer babies are rarely allowed to come to birth. When they do, it is even rarer that they be allowed to live unscathed past a time where their shared heritage might make them interesting oddments in the households of the rich. No-one wants these abominations to reach the flourishing of their inherited racial strength and magic.

Just occasionally, drewer may be rescued in raids, either as children or still within their mother’s womb. When this happens, however, their trials are not over. A painful reminder of the degradations of drow captivity, and viewed with suspicion by their dwarf kin due to their striking appearance, they are often shunned or forced into exile.

Short & Lithe, Dark & Hairy

Drewer are typically a blend of their parents’ features, being short and retaining some of the power of  dwarves, but balanced by the leanness and agility of elves.

They take their colouration from the drow side of their lineage, with black or very dark skin, complemented by white or pale yellow hair. Unlike elves, however, their dwarven ancestry grants males the ability to grow thick facial hair. Their eyes are generally very pale, in shades of lilac, silver, pink, red, or blue.

Continually Conflicted

Dwarven communities favour lawfulness, while elves are chaotic. Drewer are usually born of evil situations, though if they live it is often thanks to an act of great bravery and goodness. As such, drewer have an enduring conflict in their souls. Are they redeemed by their goodness, or do they wade into evil, becoming what they hate? Are they resolutely law-abiding, embracing the deep traditions of their dwarven side, or is the chaos of their birth the only way to interpret the world they wander?

This conflict may be lived out in their lives, as drewer may seek vengeance and punishment for those who have caused their pain, or philosophical acceptance of the lot they have been dealt.

Whichever path they choose, escape is not an option; they may never be allowed to forget their past, most certainly not by any dwarves or elves they come across throughout their long lives.

Drewer are typically forced into adulthood earlier than their elvish ancestry would like, though full maturity doesn’t arrive until they are around 75. If they survive, they may live longer than their dwarven kin, though not as long as elves.

Drewer Traits

Your drewer character has an assortment of inborn abilities, stemming from the mixed heritage of drow and dwarf.

Ability Score Increase. Either (a) your Dexterity score increases by 2 and your Wisdom or Strength increases by 1; or (b) your Constitution score increases by 2 and your Charisma increases by 1.

Age. There is very little information on the life-span of these individuals. We know that drewer don’t reach full physical maturity until 75; as for their natural life expentancy, that is guessed to be about 550 years, but of the few that survive drow captivity, fewer still live long enough to die of natural causes.

Alignment. Drewer tend to be a conflicting blend of their parents’ philosophies, such as chaotic good or lawful evil.

Size. Drewer stand about dwarf size, perhaps slightly taller, but generally weigh a lot less, with the slight build of the drow.

Speed. Being relatively light, but with some of a dwarf’s strength, drewer have a base walking speed of 30ft. Heavy armour would be an encumbrance, however.

Enhanced Darkvision. With better eyes than dwarves, but inferior to drow, you have enhanced vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light up to 90 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.

Reduced Sunlight Sensitivity. Unlike drow, you don’t suffer from vision problems except in the brightest of daylights, although any bright lights can be uncomfortable, and take a little longer for you to adjust to. You have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct and bright sunlight.

Dwarven Resilience. You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage (explained in chapter 9 of the Player’s Handbook).

Keen Senses. Your keen elven senses give you proficiency in the Perception skill.

Fey Vulnerability. Your breeding and enslavement by the evil yet charismatic drow has given you disadvantage on saving throws against being charmed by elves. On a failed charm attempt or when coming out of a charmed state, you go into a single immediate use of Rage. While raging, you gain the following benefits if you aren't wearing heavy armour:

• You have advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws
• When you make a melee weapon attack using Strength, you gain a +2 bonus to the damage roll.
• You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.

If you are able to cast spells, you can't cast them or concentrate on them while raging.

Your rage lasts for 1 minute. It ends early if you are knocked unconscious or if your turn ends and you haven't attacked a hostile creature since your last turn or taken damage since then. You can also end your rage on your turn as a bonus action. 

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and either Elvish or Dwarvish, depending on your particluar story: did you grow up in the slave pits of the drow, or in (relative) freedom among your dwarven family? 

Drow Magic. You know the dancing lights cantrip. When you reach 3 level, you have the natural ability to learn to can cast the faerie fire spell once per day; similarly, when you reach 5 level, your innate magical abilities can enable you to also cast the darkness spell once per day. But, if you have escaped from amongst your drow captors, where will you learn how to harness these magical abilities? This is something that might be worth discussing with your DM for inclusion in your story. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Drewer Traits

Your drewer character has an assortment of inborn abilities, stemming from the mixed heritage of drow and dwarf.

Keen Senses

Your keen elven-ancestry senses give you proficiency in the Perception skill.

Fey Vulnerability

Your breeding and enslavement by the evil yet charismatic drow has given you disadvantage on saving throws against being charmed by elves. On a failed charm attempt or when coming out of a charmed state, you go into a single immediate use of Rage. While raging, you gain the following benefits if you aren't wearing heavy armour:

• You have advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws
• When you make a melee weapon attack using Strength, you gain a +2 bonus to the damage roll.
• You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.

If you are able to cast spells, you can't cast them or concentrate on them while raging.

Your rage lasts for 1 minute. It ends early if you are knocked unconscious or if your turn ends and you haven't attacked a hostile creature since your last turn or taken damage since then. You can also end your rage on your turn as a bonus action. 

Ability Score Increase

Either:

a) your Constitution score increases by 2 and your Charisma increases by 1

or

b) your Dexterity score increases by 2 and your Wisdom or Strength increases by 1

Age

Drewer don’t reach full physical maturity until 75, and naturally live about 550 years.

Alignment

Drewer tend to be a conflicting blend of their parents’ philosophies, such as chaotic good or lawful evil.

Size

Drewer stand on the larger end of dwarf size, about 5 ft or perhaps slightly larger, but generally weigh a lot less, with the slight build of the drow.

Speed

Being relatively light, but with some of a dwarf’s strength, drewer have a base walking speed of 30ft. Heavy armour would be an encumbrance, however, and would reduce walking speed to 25ft.

Enhanced Darkvision

Accustomed to life underground, 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 color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Reduced Sunlight Sensitivity

Unlike drow, you don’t suffer from vision problems except in the brightest of daylights, although any bright lights can be uncomfortable, and take a little longer for you to adjust to. You have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct and bright sunlight.

Dwarven Resilience

You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage (explained in the “Combat” section).

Drow Magic

You know the dancing lights cantrip. When you reach 3 level, you have the natural ability to learn to can cast the faerie fire spell once per day; similarly, when you reach 5 level, your innate magical abilities can enable you to also cast the darkness spell once per day. But, if you have escaped from amongst your drow captors, where will you learn how to harness these magical abilities? This is something that might be worth discussing with your DM for inclusion in your story. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and either Dwarvish or Elvish, depending on your particluar story: did you grow up in the slave pits of the drow, or in (relative) freedom among your dwarven family?