Homebrew Elytran Species Details

Native to the vast arboreal valleys and hills of Omysera, the Elytrans are a relatively young race of insectoids bred for war. The Elytrans have a long and bitter history with Omysera's Wood Elves, enduring centuries of slavery until they grew numerous and powerful enough to break their chains. They are strange and inscrutable to most, often dismissed as violent and ruthless creatures; in truth, they are a sophisticated people with complex personalities and strong senses of honour, justice and community.

Chitin and Antennae

Elytrans are composed as insectoid humanoids, having a head, thorax and abdomen as the core of their bodies. All Elytrans have two arms with hand-like claws, two legs and a pair of vestigial forelegs at the waist. Their exact proportions vary wildly depending on genus; some are stout and thick-limbed, while others are lithe and narrow. An Elytran's genus influences its general look; a Beetle Elytran may have a broad body and heavy chitin plates, while a Moth Elytran may sport dusky wings and patterned fur. Many Elytrans are winged.

Elytrans can be anywhere between 4 and 7 feet in height, with a nearly infinite variety of colours for their chitinous exoskeletons and hairs. Elytrans are usually blind to the distinction of their genus within Elytran culture, having fairly broad physical diversity within each of their Great Hive societies. 

Harmonics of the Earth

The Elytrans usually give their fealty to two things: the Great Hives that rule them, and the silent. primordial Rhythm that pulses up from the very depths of the earth. This Rhythm, sensed by their antennae, has been felt by Elytrans since they were first created, and holds a deep spiritual significance to them. Elytran priests and shamans mostly worship the Rhythm, and have maintained their abilities and devotion in spite of the Starfall. Elytran druids and clerics typically revere the Rhythm.

Elytran Hive culture is deeply holistic, with high (and sincere) regard given to the wellbeing of the Hive as a whole. Elytrans integrated into a Hive exist in a trance-like state of coexistence, much like the drones of ant colonies of beehives. Those who have left their Hives rapidly exit their trances, yet many who have done so say that life is easier and more pleasant in the Hive, and that the burden of individual thought is heavy following the relatively mindless bliss of the trance. While most Elytrans are happy to remain in their Hives for life, some special individuals resolve to accept the difficulties of a life outside Elytran society - the fewest of which being those who choose to become adventurers.

Elytran Names

Elytrans have rich, descriptive names... that exist only in their native Signalling language. Considering that an Elytran's whole life story is encoded in their name, they tend to translate a highly truncated version of it into Common for others to use. Most often, they pick a memorable event, place or descriptor from their lives, although sometimes they will simply settle for a word or sound they find pleasant.

The Elytran Great Hives are the noble houses from which the vast majority of Elytrans hail. These tend to be named according to some genetic insignia that appear on their bodies and house banners.

Names: Greatleap, Tower, Lowvalley, Cutter, Goldleaf, Slowvenom, Duel, Longpeace

Hive Names: Threestripe, Redwing,  Narrowlimb, Sixeye, Silverheart

Elytran Traits

Your Elytran genus determines your physical features and racial abilities.

Blindsight [10 ft.]

A complex combination of micro-organs in your antennae and limbs allow you to sense the world without seeing. You can perceive your surroundings without relying on sight, within 10 ft.

Ability Score Increase

Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Age

Depending on genus, Elytrans can develop from newly hatched eggs to full adults within a few weeks to a few months. They have a lifespan of approximately 150 years, although many Elytrans live for only a few years within a brood or hive.

Alignment

Elytrans tend to perceive the world as a vast interconnected hive, and have a strong (if alien) sense of right and wrong regarding harm done to the world at large. Good Elytrans typically fight to protect places, communities or civilisations, while evil Elytrans often disregard the perspectives of others and pursue the ends of themselves or a superior with absolute merciless utilitarianism.

Size

Elytrans have high diversity in shape and size, ranging from 4-7 ft. with generally long, light limbs and body. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Elytran Genus

You belong to an Elytran genus. Specific racial features are granted to you based on your genus, as shown in the table.

Elytran Genus

Genus	Features
Ant	Wallcrawl, Nimble, Natural armor
Bee/Wasp	Wings [fly 30 ft.], Sting
Beetle	Natural armor, Wallcrawl, Glider wings
Butterfly	Wings [fly 30 ft.], Gossamer, Skill proficiency (Performance)
Dragonfly	Wings [fly 30 ft.], Natural armor
Flea	Vaulting Legs, Wallcrawl, Draining Bite
Mantis	Naturally stealthy, Glider wings, Chitinous blades
Moth	Wings [fly 30 ft.], Darkvision 120 ft.

Wings [Fly 30 ft.]

Your wings are large and powerful, allowing you to fly and hover at a speed of 30 ft. 

Sting

You have a venomous sting, and may be used as a natural weapon dealing (1d4 + STR bonus) piercing damage. On a successful hit, the target must succeed a CON save (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus) or be Poisoned until the end of its next turn. You can make this sting attack a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Wallcrawl

Your limbs and extremities are lined with adhesive pads and hairs, allowing you to climb most surfaces with ease, at your current walking speed. Your vestigial forelegs assist in climbing, allowing you to use both hands freely while climbing. You may climb inverted-horizontal surfaces such as ceilings.

Nimbleness

You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours.

Natural Armor

When you aren't wearing armor, your AC is 13 + your Dexterity modifier. You can use your natural armor to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC. A shield's benefits apply as normal while you use your natural armor.

Glider Wings

You have wings that allow you to glide over large distances, even if they are not strong enough for sustained flight. Instead of falling, you may choose to glide with your wings as a move action, which slows your rate of falling to 60 ft. per round. If you land while gliding, you take no falling damage. If you are hit by an attack or otherwise take damage, you must succeed on a DEX or CON saving throw (your choice) against DC 10 or half the damage taken (highest of the two). If you fail, the glide is interrupted and you fall normally . 

Vaulting Legs

You may jump from a standing position as though you had a running start.

Chitinous blades

The edged protrusions on your armplates are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Naturally Stealthy

You can attempt to hide even when you are obscured only by a creature that is at least one size larger than you.

Gossamer

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

Draining Bite

Your mandibles are a natural weapon, which count as a simple melee weapon with which you are proficient. You add your Constitution modifier, instead of your Strength modifier, to the attack and damage rolls when you attack with this bite. It deals (1d4 + CON modifier) piercing damage on a hit. When you attack with this bite and hit a creature that isn’t a Construct or an Undead, you regain hit points equal to the piercing damage dealt by the bite. You can make this bite attack a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Bugcipher. Bugcipher is a highly atypical language spoken with mandible clicks and antenna motion, and written as a codified cipher-text. Non-Elytrans may speak Bugcipher with some effort, replicating the mandible clicks verbally and using their arms as a substitute for antennae.