Homebrew Shapechanger Species Details

". . . I know this might sound a bit strange and comes out of nowhere, but. . . if you would have the power to just change whoever you are. . . who would you become?   Do you have something specific in mind or someone you want to be like?"

To be greeted with stares and whispers, to suffer violence and insult on the street, to be forced away with exorcism: this is the lot of the changeling. And to twist the knife, this treatment is a result of their ancestors' terrible deeds in the Ten Years War.

A Shapeshifter's Form

Changelings are a race of humanoids whose arms and legs are slightly longer than it would fit their appearance, with skin tones ranging from the palest grey to varying shades of very light blue. Changelings also usually don't grow body hair, but it is rumored that if a dwarf was one of the parents they possibly could. Their eyes are dark as the night, which makes it difficult to see the iris and pupil. If transformed, a changeling's eyes appear normal to others according to what is imitated, but on a closer examination, the conjunctiva around the iris is slightly tinted in a weak yellowish tone. On their forehead, they have two small horns above the eyes on the hairline. The base color of the hair is based on the skin color, but includes an other color in varying intensity, commonly violet. Their ears tend towards a double pointed form, like an elves ear, but with a split-tip and the noses can range from flat and slitted like a skeleton to subtle or even beautiful button noses.

In contrast to their distant appetence, the doppelganger, changelings can be male or female, but are bound to the one sex they were born with and are omnivores. They can tolerate eating raw meat, but most can't digest raw fruits and plants well. A changeling's body features are often described as a bit strange or even off-putting by the common folk.

A Shifting Hive

The majority of changelings live in Redwater Ravine, in shifting caverns in the walls.  It is unusual to spot one cave in the walls for longer than a few seconds, as the deep caverns are imbued with the same magic that lets the changelings change them and their script and their words.  The caves, called the Hive by their inhabitants, have no specific map, due to the frequency of shifting tunnels.  They do, however, have specific rooms that shift as the tunnels leading to them squirm.  The material that the walls are made of is unknown to most, though the changelings call it kevlar.

Each Hive Sector has a specific leader, called a lord or lady, depending on the gender.  These rulers are siblings, and whichever parent of theirs was born into the bloodline rules the Hive as a whole.

The official name for changelings is 'shapechangers,' but few use this name, instead using the easier and more comfortable 'changeling.'

HIVEMIND

The ruler of the Hive has an inherent ability to control the actions of the Hive.  She cannot, however, control the thoughts or emotions of the Hive, and she cannot read their thoughts.  If any changelings of the Hive leave, the leader cannot control them.

In the past, this ability has been used for both evil and good.  On the good side, Queen Hex I used this ability to defend the hive and many other creatures with the most powerful fighting force in history.  On the bad side, King Ranoth used the power to ensleve the Hive for his entire reign, using them to conquer many other kingdoms.

Once, the Hivemind was used to stop a huge forest fire that may have burned the whole world to ashes.

Changeling Names

There are three categories of changeling names as a whole.  Those who are born into other cultures and keep their names, those who create their own names and keep them, and those who change their names at a whim.

Changeling Non-Traditional Names: Alaine, Crelol, Emme, Githra, Illithere, Kredol, Maren, Olol, Quarnath, Sylval, Ubiqiosk, Wailith, Yarhnath

Changeling Traditional Names: Bell, Drana, Fleuri, Hansolen, Jarosk, Lynth, Naroth, Prilitav, Raxlith, Tezleg, Vroth, Xrn, Zalet

Shapechanger Traits

Due to your base form always staying the same, you have a few racial traits.

Ability Score Increase

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

Age

Changelings reach maturity within the 15th year of life and can reach ages of 70 to 90 years under good circumstances.

Alignment

Changelings tend to be mostly neutral, with most variance coming from their parent race alignments, due to their doppelganger heritage.

Size

Changelings range from just over 4 feet to almost 7 feet.  Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision

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.

Shapechanger

As an action, you can polymorph into an intelligent being of the sizes small to large that you have seen before.  You cannot change your gender, and you do not gain the same speech patterns and mannerisms of this creature.  You know any basic knowledge this person would know, but you forget this information when you change forms.  You may gain extra limbs, such as wings, but this does not mean you know how to use them.  If you rouse suspicion, or if a wary creature suspects something is amiss, you have advantage on any Charisma (Deception) check you make to avoid detection. You revert to your true form if you die, lose consciousness by any means, or if you become frightened. At reaching the 6th level, you become versed with transforming and you don't revert back anymore to your true form upon becoming frightened.

Shapechooser

As an action, you can morph into another creature of about the same size.  You may choose almost every feature of this creature, though it must make sense. (You cannot put wings on a tiefling.  Just don't.) You also may not change your basic shape or gender.  You revert back to your true self if you lose consciousness, die, or become frightened.  You gain all the abilities of this creature, but they replace your own.  The only ability of your own is that you may, as an action, revert back to your true form.

Read Thoughts

You can cast the detect thoughts spell once with this trait at will, without the need for components, and you regain this ability when you finish a short or long rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for this action.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Changeling.  Choose a language that others percieve it as.