Homebrew Bonefolk Species Details

While some undead are condemned to stand dormant for millennia, others gain sentience and break their bonds with their past. Bonefolk are rare, but desperately want to rejoin society. Most are polite, well dressed, and clean, in order to make themselves more personable and acceptable.

Bonefolk are skeletons that broke free of their programming, and are coming to grips with their past lives. They generally look like clean skeletons that wear clothes or armor like a normal person would. They have no flesh, tissue, or hair, but often wear hats, helmets, and gloves. 

Little wisps of magic float in their eye sockets, giving the effect of eyes, and deep, resonant voices are produced from their mouths, though magically so. They are ancient, but most have only come to consciousness recently. As such, they are always completely skeletal, with no tissue remains on their person. Many clean their own bones like you would brush your teeth, and most are polite, with a unique perspective on (and a second chance at) life.

Bonefolk were all once normal people, most of them human, but a few elvish or half elvish in blood before their demise. It is unclear if the smaller races can even achieve posthumous sentience, but it is theoretically possible.

Bonefolk Names

Most bonefolk choose to use the name they had in their previous life, but some may use a name they think will fit in or sound respectable. Check human or elf names for inspiration.

Age

Bonefolk were all adults of their original species that died and were reanimated eons ago. After mindlessly existing for a few hundred years, consciousness may blink back into the empty skulls of an animated thrall. They must then find their way out of their location and original assignment in order to regain society and get a grip on their new lives.

To determine your age, roll 1d4 and multiply that number by 100. That is the number of years since your reanimation. You no longer age and can not die of old age.

Alignment

Most bonefolk want to rejoin society, which lends them to a more lawful or good alignment.

Size and Type

Coming primarily from humans and elves, your size is medium and you are an undead humanoid.

Undead Nature

You do not need to eat, sleep, or breathe. You spend most nights in a conscious trance-like torpor, where you remain motionless but aware of your surroundings.

 

Art by JohnnyMorrow on DeviantArt

 

Bonefolk Traits

Undead nature, Darkvision, Extra Language

Darkvision

Originally designed for work in dark dungeons, 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.

Ability Score Increase

Bonefolk are a tough and magically inclined people who wish to rejoin society. Your constitution increase by 1, and you may choose between charisma or intelligence to increase by 1.

Undead Nature

Despite their familiar forms, bonefolk are necromantic creations and lack organs or muscles.

You are immune to the poisoned condition, and can not be put to sleep. You do not need to sleep, and instead must spend 4 hours each day motionless in a trance like torpor in order to recover. You are not blinded while resting in this way.

You are resistant to poison and necrotic damage.

You do not need to eat or breathe.

Additional Language

As you regain memories from your first life, as well as your reanimation, you also regain knowledge of a language you knew in your first life, or perhaps what your necromantic master spoke.