Homebrew Curse of the Jackal Species Details
History: The cursed are from the hot desert of the white plane, during a large scale war with another clan, the scions of the head noble family were cursed by the opposing warlocks. After the curse their family was ousted and forced to wander the wastes on the other side of the river guarding the Valley of the Dead. They became the guardians of grave sites protecting them from those who wish to steal the nobility's riches.
Society: They are viewed by many to be societies cast offs, the mighty who have fallen, but only when one is not near. They are trained warriors and magicians who still retain ‘the divine blessing’ and the ‘right to rule’ and thus are feared as protectors of the dead. The younger jackals are often referred to as trickster spirits. They play pranks on those who wander too far into the sands. They create mirages of water and civilization to further lure prideful travelers to their deaths. Sometimes they help those they deem worthy of their company.
Names: Names are recommended to be inspired by ancient egyptian naming conventions and mythology.
Examples: Amon, Akenaten, Bast, Hathor, Ra Sekt, Serapis, Thoth.
Curse of the Jackal Traits
Shapeshifting Jackal PeopleKeen Hearing and Smell
The jackal has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell due to their large ears and overly sensitive nose. Note: Only in jackal form does the smell apply.
Ability Score Increase
Jackals dexterity gain +2 to Dexterity and +1 to charisma
Age
The cursed reach maturity at 100 years and seek a similar form of enlightenment to Kitsune's that will make them immortal
Darkvision
As a hunter of the night 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.
Shifting Size
Medium as a humanoid. Small as a Jackal
Optional Speeds
As a human their speed is 30 ft. As a Jackal their movement is 40 ft
Languages
Languages: Common and Animal Speech
Shape Changer
Shapechanger. You can shift between a humanoid form, an animal form, and your True Form as an action. Your True Form is a jackal eared and tailed humanoid. Your animal form is a jackal.
All forms retain an identifying feature such as eye color, hair color, or a scar. Changing shape this way does not change your statistics. Taking damage you must make a concentration check. On a fail you revert to your True Form.
Illusion Sensitivity
Illusions are your lifeblood. You have played with them since you were a child. You have advantage on Wisdom(Perception) checks when attempting to see through the illusion.
Mystic Tail
The Jackal's tail is a highly magical part of their body. You can perform the somatic gestures for spells with your tails. If a spell requires a somatic component, the Jackal must have free use of their tails or at least one hand/paw to perform the gestures.
Proficencies
The cursed get proficiencies with perception and stealth.
Comments