Homebrew Hollowbug Species Details

The creature leapt out of the shadows, wielding a weapon made of wood and thorns. The blade flashed once, twice, three times, and the thieves were dead on the floor.

It turned to look at me, and I was struck with fear. Their white mask was emotionless, not even a sliver of regret or remorse hiding in those dark eyes. I was at it's mercy, silently praying that it wouldn't turn it's blood stained blade on me as well.

As quickly as it appeared, it sheathed it's sword, bowed to me, and disappeared back into the shadows.

-Drow Peasant

Hollowbugs are quite possibly the strangest race of the Underdark. Creatures born of foul experiments and torment, these silent warriors are variable, strong, and able to accomplish many tasks that the average bug can't. Created to have no mind for free thought, no will to break, and no voice to cry for help, these failed experiments wander the expanses of the Underdark. They can be found pursuing a variety of different careers or just exploring the world around them.

A Shared Past

Hollowbugs are children of Elricht, The White Mask, born in the Underdark and permanently tainted by the Void. Many did not escape the regret-filled prison, left broken and dying at the bottom of a pit. Their masks form the Abyss Floor, a never-ending graveyard of regret and lost memories. All in an attempt to create a perfect Hollowbug.

Because of this shared experience, Hollowbugs refer to other Hollowbugs as "siblings." While the relationships vary wildly between Hollowbug and Hollowbug, all remember that they share the same void.

Even though they couldn't choose the competitive circumstances they were born in, many Hollowbugs, big and small, will create small "sibling" or "family" groups with other Hollowbugs. Any bug, of any species, can be "adopted" by a Hollowbug, possibly revealing a subconscious yearning for love.

Not Your Average Bug

All Hollowbugs are made of Void and possess a white, wood-like mask that allows them to hold and maintain a physical form. The Void is semi-solid but unsettlingly cool to the touch.

Hollowbugs are genderless, (although some choose to identify with one) and come in all shapes and sizes, although most are somewhat slim and slender. Emotions cannot show on their masks, so they have to show emotion through other means such as body language.

A Regretful Soul

Hollowbugs do not die as regular beings do. If they die, their mask cracks and shatters and they lose their physical form. They become a Shade, a Void shadow of their former self. They can still be seen, but only by those with darkvison. A Hollowbug can only be healed from death by mending their mask by magical means (DM's discretion).

Hollowbug Names

Hollowbugs have barely any rules to their names, and rarely follow the naming ideas and conventions of other species. A wide variety of Hollowbug names exist, everything from colours and objects, to an adjective or an idea from a treasured friend. They may change their names if they find another one that suits their fancy, but most use them as a form of self expression or identity.

Hollowbug Names: Ant, Barney, Charm, Cherry, Dot, Glue, Habit, Horizon, Hut, Inch, Jug, Lint, Lionel, Luck, Mist, Moss, Nubby, Oracle, Ouch, Pimp, Rebel, Rome, Rune, Sharp, Spool, Trail, Traveller, Vernon, Wyrm 

Hollowbug Traits

Your Hollowbug character has a variety of natural abilities, the result of being crafted for perfection.

Ability Score Improvement

Your Dexterity Score increases by 2 and your Constitution Score increases by 1.

Age

Hollowbugs are ageless, but they show 4 distinct stages of life: Young, Middle-Aged, Old, and Ancient.

Alignment

Born without will, at their first stage of life they tend toward true neutral but develop different alignments throughout life.

Bound to the Mask

When a Hollowbug dies, their mask shatters and they can roam the world as a ghost. The Hollowbug can come back only if their mask is mended by magical means.

Darkvison

Hailing from the Underdark, your eyes are well adjusted to the dark. You can see 60 feet of darkness as if it were bright light and another 30 feet as if it were dim light.

Form

There are three forms of Hollowbug. Children of Elricht, Surface Residers, and Underdark Dwellers. They each gain a +1 bonus to Strength, Intelligence, or Wisdom, respectively.

Languages

You can speak and understand a distant form of Undercommon. It sounds more like a series of clicks and coos but anyone who knows Undercommon can hear it in a broken form.

Stage of Life

Hollowbugs are ageless, but they show 4 distinct stages of life: Young, Middle-Aged, Old, and Ancient. You unlock each stage at the levels 0, 7, 14, and 20 and it increses your speed by 10, starting from 20 feet at young.

The ancient stage is split into Underdark Ancient, Surface Ancient, and Elricht Ancient. Each has its own powers relating to the Form it relates to.