Homebrew Arthrop Species Details
The Arthrops are a race of medium sized insect beasts with empowered evolutionary traits. Based on the conditions of their environment, and their own wishes, certain parts of their genome become unlocked. As such, no Arthrops look anything like another. However, in most cases, the Arthrops has a multi segmented body and a hardened exoskeleton. They can have up to four eyes or even compound eyes. Some have wings and others have snapping jaws. Some even have extra limbs. With a few exceptions, Arthrops tend to be more docile humanoids that, despite their high intellect, live very simply in non-civilized locations.
All Hail the Queen
The Arthrops are very reclusive, keeping to themselves either underground or in deep forests. Although more cultured, these main cities have a very insect-like culture with a queen, breeders, workers, drones, etc. The queen is the central figure to every Arthrop society, as she is the bearer of the young. This is carried on from their original insect societies. Drones help attend to the queen and keep watch over workers. Workers bring food to the queen and take care of the eggs and young in huge nurseries underneath the palace grounds.
Arthrop society values their queen above all as their living goddess, giver of life and future. With few exceptions, they worship the queen as a deity. As such, offerings of food are generously apportioned for the queen to feed. Arthrops are often seen prostrated before their queen when they aren't working. They are often taught from young ages of their queen's supremacy as the heart of any Arthrop society. They are expected to live and die for their queen. As such, larvae are brought up and indoctrinated at an early age. Deviants are not tolerated and are eliminated.
Some Arthrop settlements sport a large and fierce military, particularly those of larger swarm subraces. Some can inhabit levels of the underdark that even the drows haven't come upon. This doesn't bother the isolated race, which seems to mostly mind its own business. Arthropsare also known to trade amongst other races.
Arthrop Names
Insectoids speak with lispy noises and clicks, making their names nonsensical to surface walkers. They communicate their real names in pheromones exchanged by antennae, which cannot be translated.
Male: Kricketh, Plakt, Shlip
Female: Rocklith, Schrash, Cerkesh
Arthrop Traits
Your Arthrop character is as unique to themselves as they are to other species.Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common and Undercommon.
Ability Score Increase
Your Intelligence score increases by 2 and one other ability score of your choice increases by 1.
Age
Arthrops do not live long. Larvae turn to pupae around 2 years old. Upon hatching to a full grown Arthrop, they are mature, usually around 3. Arthrops never live older than 50 years.
Alignment
Arthrops, due to their insect minds, are almost always lawful.
Size
Arthrops vary very widely in height, from barely 4 feet to well over 6 feet tall. 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.
Insect Adaptation
Your body has certain insect characteristics. You choose one insect adaptation at 1st level, a second at 3rd level, and a third at 5th level.
Camouflage - Choose one type of terrain: arctic, coast, desert, forest, grassland, mountain, swamp, or the Underdark. When you are located within these terrains, you have advantage on Dexterity(stealth) checks.
Elytra Wings- You have transparent wings. You have a fly speed equal to your walking speed.
Tarsal Claws - You have claws modified for climbing. You can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Burrower - You gain a burrowing speed equal to your walking speed. You can use your burrowing speed to move through sand, loose earth, mud, or ice, not solid rock.
Mandibles - Your mandibles are a natural weapon, which you can use to make an unarmed strike. If you hit with it, the target takes piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the damage normal for an unarmed strike. Immediately after hitting, you can try to grapple the target as a bonus action. Your mandibles can’t precisely manipulate anything and can’t wield weapons, magic items, or other specialized equipment.
Hardened Exoskeleton - Your skin in places is covered by a thick shell. You gain a +1 bonus to AC when you’re not wearing heavy armor.
Spit Venom - You know the Poison Spray and Acid Splash cantrips.
Hive Mind - You can speak telepathically to any creature you can see and are familiar with, provided the creature is within a number of feet of you equal to 10 times your level. You don’t need to share a language with the creature for it to understand your telepathic utterances, but the creature must be able to understand at least one language. The creature can only reply within the turn you spoke to it. This process of communication is slow and limited, allowing you to transmit and receive only simple ideas and straightforward concepts.
Saltitorial Legs - You have enlarged legs modified for jumping. Your jump distance is tripled.
Pollinator - You have advantage on Intelligence(Nature) checks with determining information about plants, flowers, and bugs.
Ocellus Eyes - You have false eye patterns on your body, confusing the enemy. You cannot be surprised.
Spinnerets - You can cast the Web spell once a day. You can also secrete a sticky adhesive to stick 2 objects together. One application can cover a 1-foot square surface. The adhesive takes an action to apply and 1 minute to set. Once it has done so, the bond it creates can be broken only by the application of Universal Solvent, Oil of Etherealness, or similar means. The adhesive cannot be stored or preserved.
Probiscus - Your needle-like mouth is a natural weapon, which you can use to make an unarmed strike. If you hit with it, the target takes piercing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the damage normal for an unarmed strike. The target then must succeed a Constitution Saving throw or take necrotic damage equal to your character level and the target’s hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken. If this effect reduces a creature’s hit point maximum to 0, the creature dies. This reduction to a creature’s hit point maximum lasts until the creature finishes a long rest or until it is affected by a spell like greater restoration.
Compound Eyes - Your unique bug-like eyes give you proficiency in the Perception skill.
Stinger - You have a stinger as a natural weapon, which you can use to make an unarmed strike. If you hit with it, the target takes poison damage equal to 1d4 + your Dexterity modifier, instead of the damage normal for an unarmed strike. The target then must succeed a Constitution Saving throw or be poisoned for one minute. You can use this feature only once per long rest.
Previous Versions
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