Homebrew Footman Species Details
Footmen, also known as quarterlings, are fascinating human-like people who are remarkable for their extremely small size: They average only one foot tall. Being so small, they rarely live on their own or build their own structures. Instead, they almost always exist as part of another people's lands, and almost always in settlements of at least a few thousand people. The quarterlings then take up residence in the attics, basements and, most commonly, the walls of the larger people's homes.
Footmen have a rich and deep heritage of community-focused living. They often "adopt" their larger cohabitators, and they use their diminutive bodies to go places others cannot, often cleaning and doing repairs, killing rats and large bugs, and similar tasks.
Quarterlings are not just short, but their bodies are almost universally quite thin. They tend to dress similarly to their closest relatives, humans.
Footman Traits
Your footman character has a number of traits in common with all other quarterlings.Stealthy
Due to your tiny size, any Dexterity check, save, or skill you make has Advantage.
Tiny and Weak
Due to your tiny size, any Strength check, save, or skill you make has Disadvantage.
Tiny Weapons
Any weapon made for and used by quarterlings weighs only 1/4 the normal weight, and inflicts 1/2 damage.
Ability Score Increase
Your Dexterity score increases by 2.
Age
A footman reaches adulthood at the age of 18 and commonly live into their seventies or eighties.
Alignment
Most quarterlings are some variety of neutral, and commonly good. As a rule, they are good neighbors, and a family of quarterlings living in the walls of a human house will often consider the people they live with to be "our" humans, a sort of friendly adoption. Being as small as they are, they rarely try to resist evil and tyranny, opting instead to hide, adapt, or move away. This doesn't mean they do nothing, however, and quarterlings are often subversives in a tyrannical society, quietly passing along information, spying on the oppressors, and helping in any other way they can without likely getting caught.
Size
Footmen average about 12 inches tall and weigh somewhere around 7 pounds. Your size is Tiny.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 15 feet. In addition, you have a climb speed of 5 feet.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language. As quarterlings live in such close proximity to humans, they have no language of their own.
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