Homebrew Xubaiyi Species Details
The Great Colony
Xubaiyis were originally an agricultural people with scattered colonies in the forests and woodlands of Kara-Tur, but strong competition and predation kept their society small. Around -1800 DR, several colonies of Xubaiyis were united and led by three royal families on an exodus to inhabit the magnificent stone labyrinths of the Greater Stone Forest in southern Kara-Tur. The Greater Stone Forest provided them an impenetrable fortress and vast vertical surfaces for agriculture. That was the start of the Great Colony and when Xubaiyi society had begun to flourish as they transformed the once-lifeless stone labyrinths into a living and breathing marvel.
The Great Colony was an isolationist society until the late 1200s DR, when they were convinced by Emperor Wai Lo Yan to ally themselves with the T'u Lung Empire in its civil war against the vast and superior Shou Lung Empire. This opening up of society was not expansionary in nature but for practical survival as they were made to believe that the Shou Lung Empire’s massive forces were bound to attack and destroy the Great Colony. It was then that Xubaiyis started to interact with the humans and other races of T’u Lung, and even ventured out of the Greater Stone Forest.
Today in the 1400s DR, the Great Colony is an industrious society inhabiting the Greater Stone Forest and its surrounding areas. They have three distinct royal courts with each court comprising a King and a Queen Xubaiyi, who are responsible for reproduction, and a royal executive council consisting of members of the alate caste, who are responsible for every other aspect of their society. Xubaiyis cultivate countless species of plants, fungi, and lichen on the vertical gardens within the stone labyrinths. They also have a well-developed mining industry surrounding the Greater Stone Forest. They produce many types of food, herbs, medicines, potions, chemicals, stones, and metals which they use for trade with numerous cities in Kara-Tur. After the civil war conflicts between the two empires had eased, the Xubaiyis sent numerous diplomats to Shou Lung to establish trading ties.
Surviving in a big world
The Xubaiyis are a small race when compared to humans, both in terms of size and numbers. The royal executive councils have agreed that the only way for their race to survive and thrive was to build goodwill and soft power among the other nations. This was the directive instilled among all Xubaiyi adventurers, tradesmen, and merchants that leave the Greater Stone Forest. Unfortunately, many folks view them as vermin and may be disgusted by their appearances. Yet, the determined Xubaiyis are eager to please, albeit never at the expense of the Great Colony.
Docile, cooperative, and hardworking
All Xubaiyis start their lives in the Greater Stone Forest where they rely heavily on the support of their community. They collectively care for the young and old, and tend to the numerous trades and roles which they are instructed to perform. Xubaiyis tend to be docile, cooperative, and hard-working due to this common upbringing. However, Xubaiyis that leave the Greater Stone Forest may have changed and adapted their demeanour in order to survive.
Xubaiyi names
Xubaiyis do not have birth names as there is no need to identify as individuals within the Great Colony. They simply work collectively and share responsibilities. However, Xubaiyis that leave the Greater Stone Forest are often given names by the people they interact with.
Xubaiyi Traits
Your Xubaiyi character has a number of traits in common with all other Xubaiyis.Ability Score Increase.
Your Dexterity score increases by 2.
Age.
A Xubaiyi reaches adulthood after molting three or four times, typically at the age of 5, and live about half a century.
Alignment.
Most Xubaiyis are lawful neutral. They tend to be orderly and cooperate to carry out tasks that need to be done.
Size.
Xubaiyis average about 3 feet tall and weigh about 25 pounds. Your size is Small.
Speed.
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Adhesive and Hooked Limbs.
You have a climbing speed of 30 feet.
Xubaiyi Nimbleness.
You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours.
Xubaiyi Alertness.
You are always alert as your compound eyes are sensitive to the slightest of movements and your body is filled with fine and sensitive hairs which can pick up minute changes in air motion near you. You gain a +5 bonus to initiative. You can’t be surprised while you are conscious. Other creatures don’t gain advantage on attack rolls against you as a result of being hidden from you.
Languages.
You can speak, read, and write Common, Kao te Shou, and Xubaiyi. The Xubaiyi language uses sounds, chemical pheromones, and vibrations to communicate with others, and has been evolving to incorporate verbal words from other languages. Almost all Xubaiyis speak Common or Kao te Shou to converse with the people in whose lands they dwell or through which they are traveling.
Subrace.
Rather than true subraces, Xubaiyis are born into four different castes: alate, nasute warrior, mandibulate warrior, and worker. Choose one of these subraces.
Alate
It is said that the Great Colony was built upon the brilliance of the alates. The alates are a ruling caste that typically take on the roles of planners, governors, and executives. They are the only caste known to be part of the royal executive councils. As an alate, you have an increase in intelligence and two pairs of wings.
Ability Score Increase.
Your Intelligence score increases by 1.
Flutter.
Your wings allow you to move with a burst of speed. When you move on your turn in combat, you can double your speed until the end of the turn. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you move 0 feet on one of your turns.
Mandibulate Warrior
Mandibulate warriors are tough melee defenders of the Great Colony. They are usually deployed at the first sign of danger to guard the entrances of the Great Colony, slicing through any approaching threats with their mandibles. As a mandibulate warrior, you have an increase in strength, a pair of strong mandibles, and an admirable tenacity.
Ability Score Increase.
Your Strength score increases by 1.
Mandibles.
Your mandibles are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Tenacious Strike.
In battle, you can draw out your innate tenacity. As a bonus action, you can make a special attack with your mandibles. If the attack hits, it deals its normal damage, and you gain temporary hit points equal to the damage done. After you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Nasute Warrior
Nasute warriors are perceptive ranged defenders of the Great Colony. The acid they produce is an evolutionary defence mechanism against trolls who often see Xubaiyis as food. As a nasute warrior, you have an increase in wisdom and a fontanellar gun on your forehead which can forcefully eject acid.
Ability Score Increase.
Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Fontanellar Gun.
You can use your action to make a ranged weapon attack against a creature or object within 60 feet of you. Wisdom is your modifier for this attack. The attack allows you to recoil up to 10 feet away from the target, which you can choose by adjusting your grip on the ground. This recoil movement does not provoke opportunity attacks. On a hit, the target takes 2d6 acid damage and is marked by the acid, causing the next attack roll made against this target before the end of your next turn to have advantage. After you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Worker
Agriculture, mining, and trade are the lifeblood of the Great Colony’s economy and the workers are at the heart of it all. Workers also fill the roles of essential services such as caring for the young, producing and distributing food and water, infrastructure maintenance, and managing wastes. As a worker, you tend to instinctively run and hide from danger until backup arrives.
Nimble Escape.
You can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of your turns.
Previous Versions
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Posted Aug 27, 2021Comments are welcomed, especially for balancing. Feel free to use this race for your D&D run and I'd be happy to hear how the experience went.
This was an idea for an insectoid race based on termites of the subfamily Nasutitermitinae. "Baiyi" is the Chinese term for termites, meaning white ant. "Xubaiyi" is the Chinese term of one genus in this subfamily. Many species of this subfamily openly forage for moss, lichen, and fungi on forest floors. They are usually dark-brown in colour, unlike white-bodied termites that stay hidden underground or in trees.
Illustrations of the subraces were made using Microsoft Powerpoint.
The Greater Stone Forest was inspired by the Stone Forest in Yunnan, China. The write-up on the Great Colony referenced Kara-Tur locations and nations, which is to the east of Faerûn.