Homebrew Feral Changeling Species Details

(Note that the only reason this is not an actual subrace is because I do not own changeling myself. This is a subrace for changeling)

Untamed Shifters

Not all people grow in the comforts and discomforts of society, so of course the same goes for changelings, forcing their previously social-based skills to be turned into weapons of combat. Feral Changelings are those who either never experienced society or have lived away from it for long enough that they were forced to adapt. The environments they grow up in also tend to make them much more cold and prone to violence than their civilized counterparts. Of course, know to choose their battles however.

Feral Changelings have a tendency to be much more pragmatic. They do not use their shapechanging traits as a simple way of expressing themselves, but rather ways to adapt to their surroundings, even having a much more enhanced version suited to this purpose. The idea of shifting constantly for something like this is foreign and frankly baffling to them, thus they tend to stay in their true forms much more often. In some cases however, they do shift as a way to scare off predators, or a way to differentiate in a group of them.

Pack Hunters

While Feral Changelings are not the most social of creatures, even they know it is good to work with likeminded folk. While this is usually the same species they will work with others as needed. Multiple can be seen hunting prey, overwhelming them with not only brute force but overwhelming numbers. This idea tends to carry into the adventurer Feral Changelings, viewing their party as a pack.

Belief of superiority

The ones who know about their civilized variant also have a belief that they are the superior breed, given how they are physically more durable. While some attack other changelings because of this belief, this is extremely uncommon and usually instead treat them patronizingly, as if they were weaker and not simply attuned to a different set of skills.

Feral Changeling Names

Similar to changelings, Feral Changelings make their name a syllable or two and rather simple. They see no reason to make names overly complex.

 

When you make a Feral Changeling, ask yourself these questions: What caused their isolation? Why did they ultimately join up with your party, if the setting is a city? Will your Feral Changeling be completely survival-focused throughout the story or will they find themselves growing attached to people?

Feral Changeling Traits

The Feral Changeling has the following traits.

Ability Score Increase

You gain a +2 to constitution, and a +1 to either dexterity or strength

Age

Like their civilized bretheren, changeling mature faster than humans but have a similar lifespan. Many die before old age however , due to their dangerous lifestyle not being fit for the elderly

Alignment

While not all Feral Changelings actively cause harm to others, they're out for their own protection over anybody else's. This combined with their uncivilized nature makes them lean towards chaotic neutral

Speed

Your base walk speed is 35

Combat Shapechanging

You have a special type of shapechanging suited for battle and traversing terrain, but not fooling others. As a free action, you can change a visual aspect of your character (such as skin color, eye color, etc), which you can have only one of at a time. As a bonus action however, you can make any of the following:

Claws: You give yourself claws, allowing you to deal a special attack that does 1d6 dex or strength modifier slashing damage and gives you a climbing speed equal to your walking speed

Maw: You give yourself razor sharp teeth, allowing you to deal a special attack that does 1d4 + dex or strength modifier piercing damage damage and upon hit gives you temporary hitpoints equal to the amount of damage done

Tail: You give yourself a clubbed tail, allowing you to deal a special attack that does 1d4 + dex or strength modifier bludgeoning damage and has reach. Additionally, if you hit a creature that is medium or smaller it must make a constitution saving throw to avoid being knocked back 5 feet by the force of the blow

Gils: You sprout gils on your body, allowing you to breathe underwater. However, you do not gain a swimming speed so you still use 1 extra foot of movement when traversing it

Additionally, at your dm's discretion, you can come up with additional shapechanges, as long as it keeps with the theme of changing only one part of the body (or two, in the cases of parts that come in pairs like arms and legs)

Primal Instincts

You gain proficiency with two of the following skills of your choice: Athletics, Survival, Nature and Perception

Languages

You can speak common