Homebrew Wispling Species Details

Wisplings are planetouched descendants of halflings and devils. With a heritage touched by hellfire and Baator's laws, it's hard to find a chaoticlly aligned Wispling. They embody everything that is small, quick, and deceptive. Wisplings retain a sort of "fun loving" trait, their pranks and jokes range from casual to cruel. A Wispling's light brown skin, bright red hair, and angular features set it apart from other small humanoids. Although their devilish heritage grants them stealth abilities beyond those of many other races, Wisplings have a taste for bright clothing that might otherwise mark them in a crowd. Speed and smarts make Wisplings far deadlier than their size and slight frame would suggest. 

Small and Practical

The diminutive Wisplings, like their Halfling cousins, survive in a world full of larger creatures by avoiding notice, or barring that, by taking extremely lethal offensive measures. Both genders stand at about 3 feet tall and appear relatively harmless. Because of this, they have managed to survive for centuries in the shadow of empires, on the edges of wars, and outside of political strife mostly unnoticed. They tend to be stout, weighing between 40 and 45 pounds.

Wisplings’ skin are light-tan with a ruddy cast, and their hair is usually bright red to a dark crimson, and can vary from straight to wavy. They have brown or hazel eyes. Wispling men often sport long sideburns; beards are rare among them, mustaches even more so. They like to wear simple, comfortable, and practical clothes, favoring bright colors.

Wispling practicality extends beyond their clothing. They show interest far beyond their basic needs, and relish in lavish pleasures. The wealthiest of Wisplings keep their treasures locked away, rather than catering to any sense of philanthropy. They have a knack for finding the most straightforward solution to a problem, and have little patience for dithering.

Cruel and Cautious

Wisplings can be morbidly cheerful people. They cherish the bonds of friendship, not an easy task to accomplish in the first place. Family and friendship are all good and well, as are the comforts of hearth and home, but dreams of gold or glory keep a steady thirst for adventure. The adventurers among them usually venture into the world for reasons of friendship, wanderlust, or curiosity. They love discovering new things, even simple things, such as an exotic foods or an unfamiliar style of clothing. Wisplings are stoic by nature, but have a tendency to enjoy a particular sense of schadenfreude. They are greedy, to the point of hiding away the things they find, rather than sharing what they have— even in lean times.

To Blend Amongst the Crowd

Wisplings are adept at infiltrating into a community of humans, dwarves, or elves; and setting themselves up as valuable members of the community. The combination of their inherent stealth and their unassuming nature helps wisplings to avoid unwanted attention.

Wisplings work readily with others (when they have to), and they are adamantly loyal to the people that they have given their trust, whether wispling or otherwise. They can display remarkable ferocity when their friends, families, or communities are threatened.

Nomadic By Necessity

Most wisplings live in small, familial groups of Wisplings, living amongst other races, where the their hard work and loyal outlook offer them abundant rewards and worldly comforts. Wispling communities travel as a way of life, driving wagons or guiding boats from place to place and maintaining no permanent home. Due to the prjeduce from the locals. Wispling typically don’t recognize any sort of nobility or royalty, instead looking to family elders to guide them. Families preserve their traditional ways despite the rise and fall of empires. 

RIGID AND CYNICAL

Wisplings try to get along with everyone else, but sometimes make sweeping generalizations, especially negative ones.

Dwarves. “Dwarves make loyal friends, and you can count on them to keep their word. But ask them for one favor and they’ll gripe to the end of their days about it.”

Elves. “They’re the most gracious beings to grace this plane. But there’s no telling what’s going on behind those beautiful faces—surely more than they ever let on.”

Humans. “Humans and their sense of duty! Sworn to protect, to care, and to serve. What a laughable lot of whelps. You can always count on a human to follow their calling, especially so if it one of dark origins. Those are the ones you have to keep an eye out for.”

Adventuring Wisplings

Wisplings usually set out on the adventurer’s path to get away from the prejudice of their communities, support those that they have grown close to, or explore a wide world of possibilities. For them, adventuring is less of a career than an opportunity to experience the world’s true nature.

Wispling Names

Wispling naming conventions are very simular to halflings they have a given name, a family name, and possibly a nickname or a personally chosen name. These names are chosen to acknowledge their heritage as a decendent of Baator. Family names are often nicknames that stuck so tenaciously they have been passed down through thegenerations.

Male Names: Alton, Ander, Cade, Corrin, Eldon, Errich, Finnan, Garret, Lindal, Lyle, Merric, Milo, Osborn, Perrin, Reed, Roscoe, Wellby

Female Names: Andry, Bree, Callie, Cora, Euphemia, Jillian, Kithri, Lavinia, Lidda, Merla, Nedda, Paela, Portia, Seraphina, Shaena, Trym, Vani, Verna

Family Names: Brushgather, Goodbarrel, Greenbottle, High-hill, Hilltopple, Leagallow, Tealeaf, Thorngage, Tosscobble, Underbough

Chosen Infernal Male Names: Akmenos, Amnon, Barakas, Damakos, Ekemon, Iados, Kairon, Leucis, Melech, Mordai, Morthos, Pelaios, Skamos

Chosen Infernal Female Names: Akta, Anakis, Bryseis, Criella, Damaia, Ea, Kallista, Lerissa, Makaria, Nemeia, Orianna, Phelaia, Rieta, Thea 

Chosen Infernal Ambiguus Names: Alurra, Anzu, Cagnazzo, Khoshekh, Kudzu, Lark, Macho, Mal, Puck, Sirene, Trizzoth

Wispling Traits

Your Wispling character has a number of traits in common halflings, as well as some unique to their infernal bloodline.

Ability Score Increase

Your Charisma score increases by 2 and your Dexterity score increases by 1.

Age

A Wispling reaches adulthood at the age of 20 and generally lives into the middle of his or her second century.

Alignment

Most Wisplings are lawful evil, but their motivations and moral alignment can very to a shade of gray. It is not common for a Wispling to be chaotic, as the blood of devils courses through their veins, a decisive inclination towards order compels them. Wisplings may relish in a degree of schadenfreude, as they tend to enjoy the ridicule and misfortune of others.

Size

Wisplings average about 3 feet tall and weigh about 40 pounds. Your size is Small.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 25 feet.

Lucky

When you roll a 1 on the d20 for an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll.

Darkvision

Thanks to your infernal heritage, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. 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.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, Halfling and Infernal. Wisplings have a strong oral tradition, passing down fables and tales from both sides of their bloodline, preserving their ability to speak in the infernal tongue for each lasting generation.

Wispling Variance

Due to the variance in demonic bloodlines amongst the Wispling race, you may manifest your infernal heritage differently than other Wisplings. Choose one of the following three traits:

Ultimate Disguise

Due to your fiendish blood you have the natural ability to cast the Alter Self spell. You gain the ability to use this trait again after a long rest. 

Winged

You have bat-like wings sprouting from your shoulder blades. You have a flying speed of 30 feet while you aren’t wearing heavy armor.

Wisplike Agility

You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours, when you do so you become intangible for a brief moment as you pass into the ethereal realm to bypass the creature.

When using this action in combat you are immune to attacks of opportunity. This ability cannot be used outside of combat. If you would end your move inside of a solid object you are shunted to the closest unoccupied spot and take 1d4 + your character level as damage.