Homebrew Ersatz Species Details

You died once, but that wasn't the end as you have been dragged back to the material plane to mock your once living existence as an ersatz. Your soul is just a fleeting memory to give life to a construct of synthetic, bones, muscles, flesh, and even the blood. However, everything within are just arcane duplications to the real thing. A marvel of magic and science, artificially created in everything but in the spirit. That must be stolen so to drive this elaborate puppet. Some are of such quality that they physically appear real, yet still give off the feeling as if looking into the uncanny valley.  Some ersatz are just stitched together from disparate beings, or bearing mysterious minds in manufactured bodies. Yet nothing can hide the empty void within an ersatz's artificial eyes.                                                                                                                                                                                    Inspired by the Reborn (UA)

Artificial Bodies

Due to the ersatz’s shape and general size, they can be easily mistaken for a humanoid. A closer inspection, however, reveals an odd uncanny valley about them, especially with the eyes which look of glass and have no pupils, the ersatz’s flesh is revealed to be cold and synthetic. Ersatzs are made up of petrified bone, enchanted steel, alchemical skin, and esoteric ichor, that has an amber color. They do not need to breathe, eat, or sleep. They mimic male and female body types, but the souls shunted into them does not always match up to the body.  Some are finally crafted and could look natural and could fool those even on close inspection, however not all are of quality, where the stitches on the alchemical skin can be seen, the eyes are nothing but white orbs in the sockets, and may not even have all 10 fingers or toes.  The quality of one’s construction doesn’t necessary mean it effects ones abilities and is more of a cosmetic detail.

Detailed Construction

Ersatz were originally created to act as slaves, their stolen souls hidden from the knowledge beyond the nefarious minds of their creators.  Sold as an object that could replace a laborer, soldier, concubine, or any variety of servant, and its where their name is derived from. They were originally designed to even have an artificial soul, however the wizards of these imitations of life could never come close to mastering such an ability, and opted to simply steal souls of the living and recently dead to operate these facsimiles.  Their true nature and creation can be seen as an affront to not just the living but that of the undead, as their nature is artificial alchemical nature is harmful to them. Yet they are so similar to the real thing, through their engineering allows them to be effected by most spells and effects that can also work on a living humanoid in all but the ability in changing it's form. 

Faded Memories

Ersatz suffer from some manner of discontinuity, being dragged back to the world of the living that their minds are ill equipped to deal with. Their memories of events before this hijacking are often vague or absent. Occasionally, the most unexpected experiences might cause sensations or visions of the past to come rushing back.

Rather than sleeping, ersatz regularly sit and dwell on the past, hoping for some revelation of what came before. Most of the time, these are dark, silent stretches. Occasionally, though, in a moment of peace, stress, or excitement, a reborn gains a glimpse of what came before. When you desire to have such a dreamlike vision, roll on the Lost Memories table to inspire its details.

Lost Memories

d8	Memory
1	You recall a physically painful moment. What mark or scar on your body does it relate to?
2	A memory causes you to shed a tear. Is it a bitter or cheerful memory? Does recalling it make you feel the same way?
3	You recall a childhood memory. What about that event or who you were still influences you?
4	A memory brings with it the voice of someone once close to you. How do they advise you?
5	You recall enjoying something that you can’t stand doing now. What is it? Why don’t you like it now?
6	A memory carries a vivid smell or sensation. What are you going to do to recreate that experience?
7	You faintly remember a place that couldn’t possibly exist. What is this vision? How does it make you feel?
8	You experience a memory you’re certain isn’t your own. How does it seem unnatural? Could it be a glimpse of a past nightmare or something worse?

Ersatz Traits

Your ersatz lineage character has the following racial traits.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Ability Score Increase

When you determine your ability scores, increase one of those scores by 2, and increase a different one by 1. These increases can’t raise a score above 20. You follow this rule regardless of the method you use to determine the scores, such as rolling or point buy.

Languages

Your character can speak, read, and write Common and one other language that you and your DM agree is appropriate for the character. The Player’s Handbook offers a list of widespread languages to choose from. The DM is free to add or remove languages from that list for a particular campaign. 

Constructed Nature

Though you are a construct you are made of materials that imitate humanoid life to such detail that if an effect or spell works on the humanoid creature, such as cure wounds or hold person it still effects you. With the only exception of changing your shape as you have an immutable form.  You are immune to any spell or effect that would alter your form, including wild shape ability.

Size

Your size is Medium or Small (choose when you gain this lineage).

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.

Synthetic Design

Your ersatz construction made from exotic arcane materials with a soul of a once living life shunted into it, brings about the following benefits:

• You have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned, and you are immune to diseases
• The ersatz is resistance to lightning damage,
• The amber magical ichor that flows through your body like blood is harmful to undead if immediately exposed to it from the body. If it touches the ichor before 1 minute from leaving your fabricated body it causes 1d6 acid damage. If consumed by an undead it causes 6d6 acid damage and prevents all regeneration effects or spells for one minute.
• You don’t need to sleep, and magic can’t put you to sleep. You can finish a long rest in 4 hours if you spend those hours in an inactive, motionless state, during which you retain consciousness.

Knowledge from a Past Life

You temporarily remember sporadic glimpses of the past, perhaps faded memories from ages ago or a previous life. When you make an ability check that uses a skill, you can roll a d6 and add the number rolled to the check. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.