Homebrew Firenewt Species Details

Heat Seekers. Firenewts need hot water to live and breed. A firenewt becomes sluggish, mentally and physically, after spending a week away from an external source of moist heat. A prolonged lack of heat can shut down a firenewt community, as the creatures within go into hibernation and their eggs stop developing.

 

Firenewts delve for sources of heat in the earth, such as boiling mud and hot springs, that make ideal places to settle. Through excavation and mining in the area, they fashion living space and obtain an ample supply of minerals for other uses, such as smelting, smithing, and alchemy. A firenewt lair features a network of channels and sluices to circulate hot liquid through the settlement.

 

The alchemy practiced by firenewts focuses on fire. One of their favorite mixtures is a paste of sulfur, mineral salts, and oil. Firenewts chew this blend habitually, because doing so produces a pleasant internal heat and it enables a firenewt to vomit forth a small ball of flame. Most firenewts carry a container with this mixture in it.

 

Religious Militants. Firenewt society and culture are based on the worship of Imix, the Prince of Evil Fire. This veneration of Imix leads firenewts to be aggressive, wrathful, and cruel. Firenewt warlocks of Imix teach that by demonstrating these qualities, a firenewt warrior in combat can become “touched by the Fire Lord,” entering a nearly unstoppable battle rage.

 

Warlocks of Imix command warriors to prove their worth by going on raids to bring back treasure and captives. The warlocks take the choicest loot as a tithe to Imix, and then those who participated in the raid divide the rest according to merit. Prisoners that have no apparent usefulness are sacrificed to Imix and then eaten. Those that are deemed capable of mining and performing other chores around the lair are kept as slaves for a while before meeting the same fate.

 

When firenewts muster for war, rather than merely staging occasional raids, they take no prisoners. Their goal is nothing less than the annihilation of their foes — and they reserve their greatest animosity for others of their kind. If two groups of firenewts come upon each other, it’s likely that they’re in competition for the same territory, and a bloody battle is the usual result.

 

’Tis always a fight to death for them, so ’tis also one for ye.

 

— Elminster

 

Giant Striders. Firenewts have a close relationship with a type of monstrous beast they believe Imix sent to aid them — borne out by the creatures’ ability to send a gout of flame against distant enemies. Called giant striders, these monsters appear birdlike and reptilian, but are truly neither. Firenewts provide shelter, food, and breeding grounds in their lairs for giant striders, and the striders voluntarily serve as mounts for elite firenewt soldiers.

Firenewt Traits

Firenewts have the following racial features.

Ability Score Increase

As a firenewt, your Constitution score increases by 2 and your Intelligence score increases by 1.

Age

Firenewts typically reach adulthood around the age of 5, and typically die by the age of 30. Longer lived firenewts have been known to reach their mid 120's, however.

Alignment

Due to their worship of the ancient primordial Imix, the Prince of Evil Fire, Firenewts are usually neutral evil. Firenewts of other alignments usually leave their community out of fear of persecution.

Size

Firenewts are often mistaken for short and stocky red dragonborn, even though their skin is often closer to the color and texture of wet red granite. Your size is Medium, and it is rare for firenewts to reach 6 feet tall.

Speed

You have a walking speed of 30 feet and a burrowing speed of 20 feet.

Darkvision

Accustomed to living in poorly lit caverns punctuated by pools of glowing lava, you are adept at seeing in dark and dimly lit areas. You have darkvision out to 60 feet.

Born of Fire

Firenewts embody a portion of elemental fire. You have immunity to fire damage.

Fire Absorption

As a reaction to being dealt fire damage, you can draw the essence of the fire into you and regain health points equal to half of the damage dealt. You can use this reaction a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier per short rest.

Spit Fire

As an action you can gather your flammable saliva into a lava like globule and hurl it at an enemy or enemies within 30 feet that you can see. All targets must be within 10 feet of each other. The target(s) must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 2d6 fire damage and half as much again at the beginning of their next turn as your saliva sticks to them. This damage increases to 3d6 at level 5, 4d6 at level 10, and 5d6 at level 15. Constitution is your ability modifier for this attack, and you can use this action a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus times per long rest.

Heat Seeker

Firenewts require exposure to heat in order to survive. If a week passes without exposure to an external source of heat, such as boiling mud, hot springs, or a fire at least 5 feet by 5 feet large, you gain a level of exhaustion. For each additional week you go without, you gain another level of exhaustion. This exhaustion can only be removed by exposure to an external source of heat. Once you reach exhaustion level 5, in addition to the normal effects of exhaustion, you enter a hibernation like state. While in this state, you stop gaining additional exhaustion, but you are rendered unconscious until you are immersed in a heat for at least 10 minutes, after which you awaken and your exhaustion is reset to zero.

Language

You can read, speak, and write Common, Draconian, and Ignan. You are able to converse simply with creatures that speak Primordial and its other dialects.