Homebrew Pevishan Species Details

Touched at birth by the mysteries of the arcane, many believe the pevishan—quite literally—have magic in their blood. Stories of generations past suggest that the pevishan were born in the image of the god of magic, a chosen people who could truly master and control the arcane powers.

Touched by Magic

Pevishan are very similar to humans in physical appearance. They have a series of birthmarks resembling magical inscriptions from a particular school of magic. Their hair color also coincides with birth school, as do their eyes, which have no irises (except for those of the necromancy birth school) and glow faintly.

Birth school (birthmark color):
Abjuration (silver): Abjurers' markings take the form of sharp angles and shields.
Conjuration (gold): Conjurers typically have no hair upon their heads. Their markings take the form of depictions of planar maps.
Divination (white): Diviners' markings take the form of eyes and are displayed prominently on their faces.
Enchantment (blue): Enchanters prioritize their appearance, which their beautifully flowing blue markings assist in doing.
Evocation (red): Evokers wear their red markings like war paint and tend to prefer combat to negotiation.
Illusion (purple): Illusionists' slight markings, hair, and eyes are a subdued purple.
Necromancy (gray and black): Necromancers have black hair streaked with gray, coal black eyes, and gray irises. Their markings accentuate their skeletons under their skin.
Transmutation (green): Transmuters change their looks often. Their markings shift form and placement over time.

Society

Though most pevishan have a mutual respect for one another, their differing magical influences cause many disagreements in their communities. While they are of a single race, the birth-schools are too different from one another to truly unify. Most pevishan worship a deity of magic or knowledge, who they believe to be their creator.

Pevishan Names

As with many of the facets of pevishan society, pevishan names tend to be widely diverse. Generations of travel and exploration have marked the pevishan in many ways. But the process of choosing names is probably the most heavily influenced, depending on the child’s birth-school. For example, enchanters tend to favor more extravagant names that reflect the child’s personality, while necromancers might opt for a simple, one-word name (something that can be easily forgotten, as they prefer not to draw attention to themselves).

Creator's Note

The Pevishan are adapted from the Legends & Lairs: Mythic Races - Character Race Compendium by Fantasy Flight Games, published under the terms of the Open Game License. The book is an amazing collection of 30 incredibly unique races for D&D 3e. This is my 5e interpretation of this race.

Pevishan Traits

Pevishan have the following traits:

Ability score Increase

Your Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma all increase by 1.

Age

Pevishan mature at a typical human rate. Their maximum lifespan is directly linked to their magical capabilities. If a pevishan learns no magic, their lifespan is only about 60 years. For every level of spells they gain the ability to be cast, their lifespan increases by a decade.

Alignment

Pevishan can be of any alignment, but magic that runs through their veins can have a strong influence on their psychology and actions. General tendencies are listed below:
Abjuration: lawful good
Conjuration: any alignment
Divination: lawful alignments
Enchantment: chaotic alignments
Evocation: chaotic alignments
Illusion: true neutral
Necromancy: non-good alignments
Transmutation: chaotic alignments

Size

Due to their origins in many varying human cultures, pevishan vary widely in height and build, from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall. Regardless of your position in that range, your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Limited Magic Resistance

Whenever you make a saving throw against spells in your birth school, you can treat a d20 roll lower than your level as though it were equal to your level.

Limited Detect Magic

You can see a faint aura around any visible creature or object within 30 feet that bears magic corresponding to your birth school.

Tapping the Power

You know a cantrip corresponding to your birth school. When you reach 3rd Level, you can cast a 1st level spell corresponding to your birth school as though cast with a 2nd level spell slot once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a Long Rest. When you reach 5th Level, you can cast a 2nd level spell corresponding to your birth school once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a Long Rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Birth School	1st level	3rd level	5th level
Abjuration	Resistance	Shield	Arcane Lock
Conjuration	Mage Hand	Find Familiar	Misty Step
Divination	Guidance	Identify	Detect Thoughts
Enchantment	Vicious Mockery	Charm Person	Suggestion
Evocation	Fire Bolt	Magic Missile	Shatter
Illusion	Minor Illusion	Disguise Self	Invisibility
Necromancy	Chill Touch	False Life	Ray of Enfeeblement
Transmutation	Prestidigitation	Expeditious Retreat	Alter Self

Languages

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