Homebrew Bladeling Species Details
Ebon could plainly see the arcanoloth Shemeshka the Marauder dining alone at a nearby table, but the fiend's groomer-guard Colcook distractedly said he didn't know if he could gain the bladeling an audience. Ebon simply picked up the surprised tiefling, carried him over to where Shemeshka was sitting, and said in her low gravelly voice, "Ask." When the arcanoloth laughed and bid her be seated, Ebon remained standing. "I'm a good hunter," she said. "I'll find, catch, or kill something for you. Free of charge." She's had success ever since as one of the most infamous hunters, guides and assassins in Sigil.
Bladelings were once rumored to be cambions, the spawn of fiends and humanoids. Unlike the other castoffs of the Lower Planes, however, bladelings are a distinct race unto themselves. Human-shaped, the average bladeling stands about 6 feet tall. The resemblance to humankind ends there. Bladeling eyes glow like translucent chips of glacial ice tinged with purple. Sharp-edged metallic spikes, jutting out at all angles, protrude from an ironlike carapace; bladelings have no soft flesh. They have blood the color and consistency of oil.
Mysterious Planeswalkers
Not much is known about the bladelings, for they discourage any investigation into their lives - harshly. Bladelings are found mainly in Ocanthus, the fourth layer of Acheron, amidst the whirling blades of ice and iron. Their city, Zoronor, lies in the Blood Forest. This pulpy mass of wood (and other less savory, unidentifiable material) protects the residents from the whirling blades that are the main feature of this layer. Zoronor is the only known bladeling city. Here, bladelings obey their priest-king fanatically, having followed his tenets and gained some measure of security, which they will defend with their lives. The city itself yields little except mercenaries and travelers.
Bladelings are believed not to be actual natives of Acheron, but immigrants who have thrived in this hostile plane. Many greybeards claim the bladelings started out as tieflings who established themselves as a distinct race all their own. Though not originally from Acheron, bladelings have established themselves on the plane and are now considered native. However, they were nearly wiped out in the first years after their arrival. Rust dragons inhabiting the plane destroyed large numbers of bladelings with their corrosive breath weapons. Through magical experimentation, however, bladelings finally developed a resistance to corrosion of any sort.
Thriving on Conflict
Life in Ocanthus is difficult at best. For this reason, bladelings learn to trust in their neighbors and to protect them as well. Though they are prone to internal strife and their priests and priestesses in particular are prey to politics (sometimes to the extent of embroiling parts of the city in their maneuvers), bladelings pull together quickly when faced with outside threats.
Bladelings' dispositions are often as prickly as their appearance. They are highly superstitious, and most are exceedingly xenophobic. Though they are courteous to strangers encountered outside their home, they tend to administer swift death to those who invade their territory. A bladeling that ever showed anything even resembling tolerance or mercy for an outsider would definitely be an outcast (and therefore probably an adventurer). Even then, they still tend to view themselves as doubtlessly superior to their associates, and gravitate towards positions of authority.
Clerics are prevalent among the bladelings, who as a whole seem to be a religious people. Some clerics devote themselves to Bane, others who hail from Zoronor worship the Blood Forest as a lesser god called Hriste, the Gray Whisperer. Others, however, worship an unknown force or pantheon, and they will not speak about this belief to anyone, not even to their closest companions.
Bladeling Names
Bladelings are given a name at birth by their parents. When they reach the age of adulthood they pick a descriptor to follow their name which either reflects their abilities or is intended to frighten their enemies.
Male Names: Calamir, Demerik, Kataros, Evakron, Ozerin, Razirin, Urlezar
Female Names: Adamok, Ortoris, Higaria, Delara, Evensha, Jidika, Yolatis
Descriptor: Bloodsmoke, Ebon, Echo, Farrpoint, Greyspear, Grymthorn, Ironfeather, Shadowgash, Shard, Sixedge
Bladeling Traits
Your bladeling character gains traits that enable it to survive the perils of the outer planes.Ability Score Increase
Your Strength, Constitution and Wisdom scores each increase by 1.
Age
Bladelings reach maturity around age of 15 and can live up to 200 years.
Alignment
Most bladelings share the alignment of their home plane of Acheron, lawful evil. However, a small portion of the population is lawful neutral, and it is from this group that many adventurers are found. Even the lawful neutral bladelings may have some evil tendencies, arising from the upbringing that they must overcome.
Size
Bladeling adults typically stand 6 to 7 feet tall and average 260 to 330 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision
Accustomed to the lightless expanses of the lower planes, 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.
Thorns of Hriste
Your blade encrusted fists and the sharp-edged spikes and thorns of your body are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. In addition, at the start of each of your turns, you deal 1d4 slashing damage to any creature grappling you or any creature grappled by you.
Natural Armor
Due to your iron-hard, thorny exoskeleton, you are ill-suited to wearing armor. Your carapace provides ample protection, however; it gives you a base AC of 14 + your proficiency bonus (your Dexterity modifier doesn’t affect this number). You gain no benefit from wearing armor, but if you are using a shield, you can apply the shield’s bonus as normal.
Blessing of Acheron
You have resistance to acid damage and are immune to rusting effects of any kind.
Planeswalker
You're naturally adapted to extreme cold and heat, as described in chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide.
Razor Storm
As an action, you can explode a piece of your outer carapace sending shrapnel slicing into your enemies. Each creature within 5 feet of you takes 2d10 slashing damage unless they succeed on a Dexterity saving throw against a DC equal to 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. This damage increases by 1d10 when you reach 9th level (3d10), 13th level (4d10), and 17th level (5d10).
Using this trait removes the proficiency bonus from your natural armor class and you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.
Riddle of Steel
The metallic nature of your carapace makes you susceptible to spells which specifically target metal such as Heat Metal or Shatter. You have vulnerability to the damage from the Heat Metal spell.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Infernal and Common.
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