Homebrew Beastkin Species Details

The early history of the beastkin is incredibly unclear. Each group of beastkin, and indeed each individual tribe, have a number of different oral and physical stories as to their origin: a pact with a nature spirit, or prince of the Feywild; a lycanthropic curse among an entire village; a surge of transmutation magic upon an originally human hamlet. Regardless of their origin, the beastkin all share an innate connection with nature. They are not protectors of it, exactly; merely "children of the land". In strengthening this connection, they developed a way to attune with nature's magic itself: the beaststone. Charged with magical power, the beastkin could use these stones to assume new, more powerful forms, suited to their societies in the forests, mountains, and misty springs of the world.

As the tribes of the beastkin grew, however, so too did their notoriety. Enormous lupine monsters with blazing red eyes, thirsting for the blood of the young. Creatures even greater than werewolves, that could snap a man in half. Whole tribes of foxes dedicated to trickery. The human nations of the world were the foremost believers of these rumors--and the diffusers of them as well. Confrontation was inevitable between the expansive forces of civilization and the beastkin's quiet ways of life.

Quickly, the fear and greed of the humans overcame their goodwill. Of the 12 different varieties of beastkin, only three barely survived, the rest slaughtered by torch-wielding huntsmen. What living few who were not killed for their precious hides were taken into forced servitude, with no qualms raised over 'inhuman pets'. No tribe avoided this fate; even the kitsune, with their illusory talents, could only delay the inevitability of their downfall.

As the world changed, and times became more enlightened, the other races of the world began to object to the humans' prolonged use of slavery. Though many of the common people's prejudices could not be wiped clean, diplomacy and logic swayed the gentry, and the forced bondage of the beastkin was forbidden. What few families remained among the beastkin unified, and tribes were re-formed, some based on old blood ties, others a mere collection of people based on proximity.

From there, the beastkin spread, some returning to the glades and hills where they found home, others settling on the outskirts of towns and hamlets to try and make a living as "civilized people". They keep to themselves and remain in their own communities, occasionally integrating to human society, but mostly taking lengths to protect themselves in the form of gangs reminiscent of their old tribes. Those that have returned to the wilds fare no better; the tribes of old value strength and cunning, and each beastkin must be prepared when they are set upon by yet another "beastkin hunt" or risk a repetition of their troubled history.

Beastkin Traits

You are a humanoid capable of shapeshifting into a mythical animal

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity and Wisdom scores each increase by 1

Acute Senses

You have proficiency in the Perception skill, and have advantage on Perception perception checks based on hearing or smell.

Beast Transformation

This transformation lasts for 1 minute, until you die, or until you revert to your normal form as a bonus action. When you shift, you gain temporary hit points equal to your level + your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1 temporary hit point). You also gain additional benefits that depend on your beastkin subrace, described below. Your gear, with the exception of any light armor you are wearing, melds into your beast form. You are unable to activate, use, wield, or otherwise benefit from any equipment that has melded into your form. You may use this ability up to a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. Once you have expended all your uses of this ability, you need to finish a long rest before you may use it again.

Language

Common + 1 Language of your choice

Darkvision

Dim light within 60ft as if bright light

Darkness as if dim light

Can't discern color in darkness