Homebrew Auraki Species Details
Auraki
To the outside observer, an Auraki in it's natural State may not seem alive at all. Indeed, among those of other worlds, these glowing clouds of swirling gas are often mistaken for nothing more than mirage-like illusions or atmospheric phenomenon; a disguise that the Auraki as a whole are happy to take advantage of.
Auraki make use of their unique biology to act as passive observers and watchers of other races. Few would suspect the air itself to be listening in on a private conversation, and the gentle curiosity of their race lead more than a few individuals along the path to discover secrets most would prefer hidden.
This secret and intimate knowledge, however, is rarely used to any effect beyond satiating curiosity. Most Auraki prefer to stay out of the affairs of other races, and beyond observing, few individuals have much interest in directly interacting with more terrestrial races. As such, Auraki adventurers are rare. But rare seldom means unheard of.
Living Clouds
While shapes and forms may vary, most sentient life in the universe shares at least one thing in common: a physical body made up of solid matter. Auraki, however prove an exception to this rule. At home on Gaseous worlds devoid of solid matter, Auraki are a strange people made up entirely of shifting gasses and vapours, coalesced by psionic force. Their vaporous bodies faintly glow with a myriad of colors, giving them an ephemeral apperance not dissimilar to the polar lights sometimes known to dance through the nighttime skies.
To the untrained eye, Auraki can often appear to be nothing more than strangely glowing clouds, and their natural bodies are incapable of exerting enough pressure to interact with solid objects or creatures, which puts them at a heavy physical disadvantage to other races. But what Auraki lack in solid substance, they make up for with powerful minds.
These Living clouds are known as highly intelligent creatures, and their centuries old wisdom is valued in any number of important circles. Far beyond that, evolution has also gifted the Auraki with potent psionic abilities, such as telepathy and telekineses, allowing members of the race to communicate with others and manipulate the world around them through thought alone.
That said, these ephemeral dancing lights are not without more traditional ways of interacting with the world, and their advanced technology is, for most races, indistinguishable from magic.
Xexel Containment
Long ago stripped of their own world, Auraki are an advanced people who have been travelling amongst the stars for millions of years. In this time they have adapted to the solid worlds of others through the use ofspecialized pressure-vessels that mimic the humanoid forms of other races. Over the countless centuries, these suits, known as Xexels, have become as intrinsic a part of the Auraki as their own gaseous bodies.
While inhabiting a Xexel, an Auraki is said to be "contained", and can interact with the physical world in a similar way to any other humanoid. Xexels, however, are sophisticated devices which do far more than simply contain an individual's gaseous body. Each Xexel bears a powerful psionic link to it's owner, allowing them to experience the physical sensations like touch, which other creatures take for granted.
Xexels are an intrinsic part of Auraki culture, and an individual's suit is as much a part of their identity as their memories and personality. Xexels are often decorated with intricate designs and patterns which tell the story of an individual's centuries-long life. While it is possible to exit a Xexel and float free in gaseous form, an Auraki would sooner die than leave their Xexel behind to be stolen or gods forbid worn by another creature. Stealing another's Xexel, or inhabiting a Xexel other than one's own, is seen as the greatest taboo of Auraki culture.
Auraki Traits
You have the following Auraki Traits.Ability Score Increase
Your Intelligence score increases by 2, and your Constitution score increases by 1.
Speed
While in your Xexel, your speed is 30ft.
Size
Aurani Xexels are designed to pressurize a gaseous state into the form of a medium humanoid.
Age
Aurani have a different concept of age than
most species, as their ever shifting vapours are never entirely the same from moment to moment. That said, an individual cloud can exist for as long as it's psionic bonds hold, and unless these bonds are destroyed, an Aurani may be said to "live" indefinitely, or until it's diffusion with another cloud gives it new identity.
Gaseous Auraki Xexel Containment
Weak Cohesion;
Your gaseous body struggles to maintain cohesion without the aid of a pressurized suit. Your hit point maximum is reduced by half.
Protective Vessel;
To protect your vaporous body and allow you to physically interact with the world, you are contained within a pressurized suit called a Xexel, which offers you a protective layer of Xexel hit points equal to your hit point maximum.
Xexel Repair;
Your Xexel is a complex piece of alien technology, and must be repaired as it takes damage. Your Xexel can only be repaired by yourself or another member of the Auraki race, and recovers hit points equal to 1 hit dice + your intelligence modifier for each hour spent undergoing repair.
Magical Repair;
Magical methods of repair such as the Mending cantrip can be used to help restore a Xexel to proper working order, but due to the complex, alien nature of a the suit's design, only Auraki themselves, or creatures similarly familiar with Auraki technology are capable of using magic to repair a Xexel. For each foot of material repaired through spellwork, a Xexel recovers hit points as if it had spent an hour undergoing repairs. A Xexel can be repaired this way a number of times equal to the caster's proficiency bonus before requiring manual repairs. Multiple casters do not increase this limit.
Telepathic Communication;
You can speak telepathically to any creature you can see within 60 feet of you. You don't need to share a language with the creature for it to understand your telepathic messages, but the creature must be able to understand at least one language or be telepathic itself.
Breaching Containment
EXTENSIVE DAMAGE
If your Xexel takes extensive damage, it can lose it's ability to properly contain your gaseous body, forcing you out of it's protection. When damage would reduce your Xexel hit points to 0 or fewer, your suit ruptures, and you enter an uncontained state.
CONTROLLED EXPOSURE
As an action on your turn, you may release the pressure latches on your Xexel to enter your uncontained state. When you enter your uncontained state weather through.
Returning to an unruptured Xexel requires an action to complete. However, once ruptured, a Xexel enters emergency repair mode, and cannot be re-entered until after the Xexel has more than 0 hit points. An emergency repair only restores the Xexel to 1 hit point, and the suit must be repaired normally beyond that point. Extensive damage or Controlled Exposure, your Xexel falls empty in your space, along with any worn or carried items or equipment, and you gain the following traits:
Lighter than Air;
While in your gaseous, uncontianed state, you gain a hover speed of 60 ft.
Highly Flammable;
The vapours and gasses that make up your body are incredibly flammable. You are vulnerable to fire damage, and if dealt fire damage, you must succeed on a DC 15 constitution saving throw or continue to take 1d6 fire damage each round. You may repeat this saving throw at the beginning of each of your turns to end the effect.
Insubstantial;
The shifting gasses that make up your body flow out of the way of most physical attacks, and can exert little to no force on their own. You have resistance to non-magical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage, but are incapable of physically interacting with objects and creatures, and cannot wear armor or carry equipment through normal means.
Vaporous Form;
Effects such as strong winds which would disperse gas or vapour are hazardous to you in this state. You cannot willingly enter zones or areas created by such effects, and forced movement caused by such effects is doubled for you. When you are subject to such an effect, you must succeed on a DC 15 constitution saving throw take 1d6 force damage.
Poisonous Cloud;
Your cloudlike body forms a roughly spherical cloud 5ft in diameter, and is made up of luminous gasses and vapours that are poisonous to most creatures. You may occupy the same space as other creatures, and the space within your cloud is considered lightly obscured. Creatures who enter or
start their turn within your space must succeed on a DC 17 constitution save or take poison damage equal to your level.
Languages
You know Common and two other languages of your choice.
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