Homebrew Yordle Species Details

The yordles are a proud and curious short-folk that come from self-contained pocket within the spirit realm, with no direct "mirror" in the material realm. The origin of this race is unknown but can be traced back to a prehistoric time when there were no civilizations on land. At that time they were said to be a nomadic race, travelling from one part of the world to the other. Records show they had presence in ancient wall painting and granite statues. They lived in tight and neat family groups as well as near early humans. Because of their small stature, they were mostly prey for many animals.

Curious and sociable

Overtime as human civilizations advanced, so did yordles appearances and capabilities. To easily blend in human areas, yordles at one point started using an ability called "Glamour", which gave them the appearance of a small stature humans - making people believe that they were just halflings. To this day, most yordles stay inside the mystical spiritual realm only venturing out on rare occasions, but a select few of them have chosen to live in society among other humanoids - some of them even in their actual yordle-appearance - although this is very rare. There are numerous gateways across the world that yordles, and others more knowledgeable and perceptive, are able to use to get to in and out of the yordles' magical spirit realm.

Small and Fluffy

A yordles' skin texture ranges from being completely smooth, to very lightly covered in fur, to ultimately being significantly furred. Their hands have four digits (some yordles are also seen with five digits) while their feet differ greatly depending on the individual (from four to two digit feet). Their skin tone runs a much broader spectrum of colors than their human counterparts, containing most of the colors of the rainbow, and some consider this to be a sign of the yordles’ attunement to the world's magical nature. Their large eyes feature a large, circular iris with a vertically oval pupil, and they generally have inferior vision in the normal spectrum of light than humans. Yordles nevertheless have much better hearing, due to their large fox-like ears and are able to see into the infrared spectrum of light, whereas humans cannot. Furthermore, they are commonly characterized by their dependence on language, as well as their creation and utilization of complex tools.

Civilization: Bandle City 

Opinions differ as to where exactly the home of the yordles is to be found, though a handful of mortals claim to have traveled unseen pathways to a land of curious enchantment beyond the material realm. They tell of a place of unfettered magic, where the foolhardy can be led astray by myriad wonders, and end up lost in a dream...

In Bandle City, it is said that every sensation is heightened for non-yordles. Colors are brighter. Food and drink intoxicates the senses for years and, once tasted, will never be forgotten. The sunlight is eternally golden, the waters crystal clear, and every harvest brings a fruitful bounty. Perhaps some of these claims are true, or maybe none—for no two taletellers ever seem to agree on what they actually saw.

Only one thing is known for certain, and that is the timeless quality of Bandle City and its inhabitants. This might explain why those mortals who find their way back often appear to have aged tremendously, while many more never return at all.

Yordle Traits

Your yordle character has a variety of natural and magical abilities due to their connection to the powerful magic of the world.

Ability Score Increase

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

Age

A yordles age remains unknown and they are said to be immortal, mystical creatures. Yordles have exceptionally longer life spans than the average human, and this is partially due to the innate magic within all yordles. Most yordles live to be well over 2000 years old, and many of them even longer.

Alignment

The moral compass of Yordles is most often pointed toward goodness and benevolence. Their desire for social interaction drives them toward this ethos, as the mental health of a yordle is very much dependent on the positive company he or she keeps. This does not mean, however, that they are incapable of cruelty and evil.

Size

Yordles are sexually dimorphic and much shorter than humans; both genders rarely exceed 4 feet, with most averaging between 2 to 3 feet tall. Your size is small.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 35 feet.

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. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Fey Ancestry

You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

Keen Senses

You have proficiency in the Perception skill.

Many Colors

Yordles come in many shapes and sizes, and not two are similar to one another. Choose one ability from the Yordle Ancestry table.

Yordle Ancestry

Yordle Type	Effect
Amphibian	Swim speed, underwater breathing, Aquan language
Braveheart	Immune to being frightened, +1 to AC
Engineer	The ability to make 2 bombs after a long rest
Grim Adventurer	Proficiency with intimidation, proficiency with vehicles (water)
Heavy Lifter	Proficiency with athletics and a martial weapon of your choice
Magical Artist	You can summon a large magic paint brush that you can use as a weapon or spell focus
Master of One	Being able to summon a familiar
Small Fury	The ability to deal extra damage
Trickster	Gain the spells minor illusion and invisibility

Languages

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