Homebrew Zombaneri Species Details
“But you do see the way people look at you, curse one.”
"Those hungry red eyes, burning like the hells, we're staring right into her heart" and the sudden seriousness in his voice jolted her.
“What is it they say?” he asked. “One’s a curiosity, two’s a conspiracy—”
“Three’s a curse,” she finished. “You think I haven’t heard that rubbish before?”
“I know you have.” When she glared at him, he added, “It’s not as if I’m plumbing the depths of your mind, dear girl. That is the burden of every monster. Some break under it, some make it the millstone around their neck, some revel in it.” He tilted his head again, scrutinizing her, with that wicked glint in his eyes. “You fight it, don’t you? Like a wildcat, I wager. Every little jab and comment just sharpens your claws.”
To be greeted with violence and fear on the street, to see mistrust and hate in every eye: this is the lot of the Zombaneri; And to twist the knife, Zombaneri know that this is because of powers out of their control, the inability to protect themselves, and the need to survive, that the curse exists and took hold of them. Their appearance and their nature are not their fault but the result of an ancient curse, for which they and all the peoples will suffer.
Living-Dead Curse
Zombaneri were normal humanoids, and in the broadest possible sense, they still look like themselves. However, their curse has left a clear imprint on their appearance. Zombaneri have large black marks on their skin that take any of a variety of shapes. They have a heart that pumps super heated 'blood' around the body, and the heart glows in their chest like a furnace; the heart itself encased within the ribs in a hard black metal like 'cage'. They have unnatural looking red orbs for eyes and their often long, sharp fingernails and teeth only further them from the living. Permanent scars, bruises or a noticeable limp are also not uncommon. They can sometimes sport 'constructed' limbs, not unlike that of a warforged or construct. Their potentially withered and faded skin, their coloration covering the full range of the race they once were, but can also include various shades of white, grey and black. Their hair almost always becoming silver, white or other pale colors.
Self-Reliant and Hungry
Zombaneri subsist in near non-existent minority found rarely, roaming; if found in a town they're often in the roughest quarters of those places. Sometimes they live among wildfolk in enclaves where they are treated with more respect.
Lacking a homeland or numberd, Zombaneri know that they have to make their own way in the world and that they have to be strong to survive. They are not quick to trust anyone who claims to be a friend, but when a Zombaneri’s companions demonstrate that they trust it, the Zombaneri learns to extend the same trust to them. And once a Zombaneri gives someone loyalty, the Zombaneri is a firm friend or ally for life.
Zombaneri Names
Zombaneri names fall into 3 broad categories. Some have names stay from their past life. Some change it so that it reflects their curse. Other Zombaneri striving to keep a place in the world, adopt a name that signifies a virtue or other concept and then try to embody that concept. For some, the chosen name is a noble quest. For others, it’s a grim destiny.
Cursed Names: Darkness, Blazing Blood, Black Patch, Vahpyr, Hard black, Rage Cage, Negasol, Corus, Deah.
“Virtue” Names: Art, Carrion, Chant, Creed, Despair, Excellence, Fear, Glory, Hope, Ideal, Music, Nowhere, Open, Poetry, Quest, Random, Reverence, Sorrow, Temerity, Torment, Weary
Zombaneri Traits
Zombaneri share certain racial traits as a result of their infectious curse.Ability Score Increase
Your Charisma score increases by 2 and you Strength, Dexterity or Wisdom increases by 1.
Age
Zombaneri don't outwardly age and live for about 200 years.
Alignment
Zombaneri have an innate tendency toward evil, and many of them end up there. Evil or not, an independent nature inclines many Zombaneri toward a chaotic alignment.
Size
Zombaneri are about the same size and build as humans. Your size is Medium.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Heightened Senses
Thanks to your curse, you can see within 60 feet of you even in complete darkness with thermal vision, you see heat signatures and an additional 60ft lowlight vision, out to 120ft dim light is treated as well light. Most Constructs and undead are immune to thermal vision. You can be blinded by sudden bright light or fire, magical or otherwise for 1d10 rounds minimum of 1; or the damage in seconds if it was a spell - your con and wis mod. (15 damage - 3 from con mod - 1 from wis mod = 11 rounds of being blinded) A successful con save, DC 15 can prevent blindness or remove the blindness at end of your turn.
You have +2 on all Intelligence (Investigation) and Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
Ungodly being
You are vulnerable to radiant and lightening damage, if you're a construct; but resistant to necrotic, poison, cold and extreme cold environments, radiation and radioactive environments and non-magical slashing damage.
Your creature type is undead, humanoid, and optionally construct. You are treated as undead or construct for effects that target undead or constructs but you have advantage against such effects, otherwise your treated as humanoid for the purposes of spells and effects that would have no effect on undead or constructs. However, you are resistant to healing spells and immune to healing provided by items such as a healing potion
You have hardy skin like that of iron, you benefit partially from this. While unarmored, your Armor class is equal to 11 + your Dexterity modifier, or 13 + your Constitution modifier, whichever is higher; you may wear a shield and still gain this benefit.
You are built for long chases against prey over vast distances. You have advantage in Constitution saving throws against exhaustion.
You do not need to eat in the typical sense but you can ingest (but not digest) food and drink if you wish. You can gain nutrition from corpses, ignoring any detriment. You may consume dead, rotting bodies and flesh to fulfill your food requirement, and you are immune to any diseases or effects that would render you poisoned when you do so. When consumed, you gain temporary hit points equal to the CR of the devoured, minimum 1. You cannot target constructs or undead with this trait. Once you use this trait, you need to finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.
Cursed Heart
Zombane and Zombaneri alike are notoriously hard to fell due to their tough bodies, which rumours say can only be killed by piercing the hard cage through to their hearts or decapitation. Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 again each time you gain a level. When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. When you are subjected to death saving throws, you may grant yourself advantage on the next roll. You must finish a long rest before using these feature again.
- Your naturally aggressive behaviour and red eyes, scare people causing you to have disadvantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks, but gives you advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks.
- While awake, you maintain a degree of control over the curse raging within. However, when your unconscious or incapacitated, any creatures within 10 feet of you must succeed a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or be inflicted with a disease. On success, the creature is immune to this trait for the next 4 hours.
- You do not need to eat or drink to sustain yourself, but you are required to consume the blood of at least one creature once a week and can remain sane for a number of additional days equal to your Constitution modifier. If you go for longer than seven days without drinking at least one ration of blood, you suffer the effects of long term madness starting on the midnight of that day, which you can recover from only by drinking a ration of blood. After consuming one ration of blood, you are considered cured of your madness. As an action, you may feed on the blood of a willing, or unconscious creature within 5 feet of you. Feeding this way is equal to consuming a ration of blood.
"A ration of blood is a vial or quart, roughly 4 ounces; while that is just enough to sustain you each week, you still feel the urge to drink and may still appear twitchy or ravenous in the heat of battle or when treating a wounded ally. A pint, such as that contained within a flask, is considered a healthy amount to keep you going."
- Whenever struck with a melee attack from a creature, that's deals more than a quarter of their health, their blood can infect the attacker, uses your reaction. The target must succeed a Constitution or DEX saving throw with a DC of 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier or take 2d4 poison, 1d4 fire, 1d4 acid damage or 1d4 necrotic. The damage increases to 3d4 of any combination at 6th level, 4d4 at 11th level, and 5d4 at 16th level. Once you use this trait, you can not use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Reconstructed.
Instead of taking a long rest, you must spend four hours and 1 vial of grease/oil/lubricant oiling your joints and gears. If you have been in a swamp, dessert, in salt-water, or any other environment that would cause dirt, grime or other particles to enter your body, the time required is doubled. You must spend this extra time to clean your gears and joints of the gunk, sand and/or salt, before lubricating them. When you finish this maintenance, you gain the benefits of a long rest. If you do not do this once every 24 hours, you gain one level of exhaustion. In addition, instead of a Wisdom (Medicine) check a Intelligence (Tinker's Tools) check can stabilize you.
- Your body makes it hard to swim and you have - 5 on all swim checks and your swim speed is 5ft. As well as this, when you are in very cold temperatures and environments you are resistant to the extreme cold condition but your movement speed decreases by 10ft.
- The subtle sound of moving gears, springs and other mechanical components inside you, cause you to have - 3 on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common and 1 other language.