Homebrew Clawdite Species Details

Both the vent shafts and the vault itself are equipped with all kinds of traps and security measures. Todo can take them out, but we'll need help from someone inside the Jedi library, and that's where your talents as a changeling will come in.

— Cade Bane to Cato Parasitti

Clawdites are a sentient humanoid species native to the planet Zolan. Sometimes referred to as Changelings, they are one of the few shape-shifting species in the galaxy.

Clawdites can shift their form by thought, many use this gift as an invaluable tool for grifting, spying, and deceiving. This leads many people to treat clawdites with suspicion.

Biology & Appearance

In their natural form, Clawdites had the appearance of reptilian humanoids, and in fact had evolved from reptomammals. They had sunken cheeks with a narrow nose and a small mouth. A thin line ran down their foreheads and creased the center of their noses. They possessed large eyes with slit-like pupils, and their irises could be yellow, gold, or blue. Their skin was considered to be rough, and ranged in color from green to yellow. 

Due to genetic manipulation, Clawdites possess the extremely rare ability to change their appearance. When using this ability, they could change the color and texture of their skin and eyes, mimicking the appearance of other similarly-shaped beings, such as Humans. Though they could not add physical mass to their bodies, they were able to form hair, and could actually make it quite long.

Masks and Personas

Not all Clawdites use their shape-shifting abilities, but those who did were forced to undertake great physical pain and effort in order to do so. They often learned meditation and concentration techniques, over long periods of time, in order to maximize their capabilities. It was also necessary for Clawdites to treat their skin with specialized oils in order to prevent cracking or tearing of their skin, due to the difficulty in physically maintaining their disguises. 

The few Clawdites who left their world most often took advantage of their natural abilities to join militaristic professions, such as spying, assassination, and bounty hunting. Joining groups such as these were the rare occasions where Clawdites afforded their loyalty to others, and they saw it as a positive contribution to the galaxy. They often sought to protect the liberties of other species, sensing in their pain the disparity their own people suffered.

Clawdite Names

Clawdites have a fluid relationship with gender, seeing it as one characteristic to change among many others.

Clawdite Names: Bargu, Rolsat, Cato, Renneyn, Pol, Zam, Nuri
Clawdite Surnames. Noviee, Parasitti, Virten, Wesell, Durra

Clawdite Traits

Your clawdite character has the following traits.

Ability Score Increase

Your Charisma score increases by 2, and either your Dexterity or your Intelligence increases by 1 (your choice).

Age

Clawdites mature slightly faster than humans but share a similar lifespan — typically a century or less. While a clawdite can shapeshift to conceal their age, the effects of aging still catch up to them.

Alignment

Clawdites hate to be bound in any way, most tend toward pragmatic neutrality as opposed to being concerned with lofty ideals.

Size

In their natural forms, clawdites range from under 5 to over 6 feet tall and have slender builds. Your size is Medium.

Here’s how to determine your height and weight randomly, starting with rolling a size modifier:

Size modifier = 2d6

Height = 4 feet + 5 inches + your size modifier in inches

Weight in pounds = 75 + (1d6 × your size modifier)

 

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Change Appearance

As an action, you can transform your appearance or revert to your natural form. You can’t duplicate the appearance of a creature you’ve never seen, and you revert to your natural form if you die.

You decide what you look like, including your height, weight, facial features, the sound of your voice, coloration, hair length, sex, and any other distinguishing characteristics. You can make yourself appear as a member of another race, though none of your game statistics change. You also can’t appear as a creature of a different size than you, and your basic shape stays the same; if you’re bipedal, you can’t use this trait to become quadrupedal, for instance. Your clothing and other equipment don’t change in appearance, size, or shape to match your new form, requiring you to keep a few extra outfits on hand to make the most compelling disguise possible.

Even to the most astute observers, your ruse is usually indiscernible. 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.

Clawdite Instincts

You gain proficiency with two of the following skills of your choice: Deception, Intimidation, Insight, and Persuasion.

Unsettling Visage

When a creature you can see makes an attack roll against you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the roll. You must use this feature before knowing whether the attack hits or misses.

Using this trait reveals your shapeshifting nature to any creature within 30 feet that can see you. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Divergent Persona

You gain proficiency with one tool of your choice. Define a unique identity associated with that proficiency; establish the name, race, gender, age, and other details. While you are in the form of this persona, the related proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses that proficiency.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Galactic Basic and two other languages of your choice.