Homebrew Vulkan Species Details

As the night grew ever darker, we knew something wasn't quite right. We heard twigs snap far behind us, but we just assumed it was some bugbear waiting to have some fun. We would have been lucky for it to be a bugbear.

Cursed by their lycanthropic heritage, the vulkan are pack-hunters of the highest degree. With the tight knit societies of wondering warriors, few forces can stand up against a faction of vulkan.

Beasts of the Wild

Originally from the cold, Northern forests, vulken are natural born hunters. Their impressive teeth and claws paired with keen senses make a vulkan, let alone a pack, a nightmare for any who oppose them. Vulken appear very bestial, often snarling and sniffing instead of speaking. They're muscular frames help them run on all fours to take down any prey they like.

Lycanthropic Outcasts

To an untrained eye, a vulkan may appear very similar to a werewolf. Despite many similarities, vulken are very different. Vulken are a fully sentient being compared to the feral werewolves. A vulkan is capable of changing its form at will and are much more intelligent than a ravenous lycanthrope. As such, those vulken who have accepted a more civilized lifestyle very rarely maintain a bestial form while in the presence of other humanoid races, preferring to contain their true form for interactions with fellow vulken and combat.

Vulkan Traits

Your vulkan character has the following racial traits.

Ability Score Increase

Your Constitution score increases by 2, and your Strength score increases by 1.

Age

Vulken mature at a rate similar to humans but can live to be a few hundred years old.

Alignment

Vulken tend toward neutral alignments, generally acting how ever is most beneficial to their pack at the time.

Size

Vulken are slightly taller than most humans and generally very slender with large muscles through their legs and shoulders. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 35 feet.

Darkvision

You have a cat’s keen senses, especially in the dark. 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.

Feral Agility

Your natural instinct aid in running on all fours. While you are knocked prone you do not lose any movement speed.

Wolf Claws

Because of your claws, you have a climbing speed of 15 feet. In addition, your claws 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.

Lycanthropic Tendancies

In addition to being a humanoid, you count as a shapechanger. You can use a bonus action to polymorph into a human form. This human form is directly influenced by your true vulken  form. None of your statistics change when you use this feature. You polymorph back to your original form upon taking damage, making an attack, gaining benefits from either your Feral Agility or Wolf Claws racial features, or falling unconscious or dying.

Keen Senses

You have proficiency in Perception. In addition, you have advantage on Perception checks.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice.