Homebrew Castalen Species Details

I swear I'm telling you the truth! I thought they were just some weird winged tiefling, but next thing I know, with a bright flash of light, they looked like one of those aasimar people when they have their wings out. No! I really am telling telling you all the truth! One minute they were a tiefling, the next they were an aasimar! This isn't another one of my exaggerated stories I tell you all to pay me more gold! No I haven't been drinking any ale today! I saw what I saw!

— Lilavar, random half-elf bard

The Castalen are a race shrouded in mystery. Descended from humans like many other races, Castalen are unique in the sense that the combination of infernal and celestial blood in their veins mixed in a way that produced something never before seen. Most Castalen are mistaken at birth for either being a tiefling or an aasimar, it is only later down the line in their lives will they learn their true nature.

Mysterious Nature

Since Castalen are such a secretive race, being that they can slightly alter their appearance whenever they shift their form, it makes learning about them quite difficult. That isn't to say people haven't tried to learn more about them, it's just that it's incredibly easy to mistake them for other races.

It's that very reason because they are so easily mistaken for other races that makes hiding in plain sight and being secretive so easy for Castalen. However, just because it's easy for them to hide, that doesn't mean that all Castalen wish to be secretive, some openly show their dual nature. 

Conflicted Souls

Due to being born looking like one thing, many Castalen find it very unsettling when they undergo their first shift. Many Castalen usually have some kind of understanding of who they are, so when they undergo this shift in form, it's usually never received with positive feelings. This shift in form tends to shatter an Castalens image of themself.

Because of this break in image, Castalen tend to leave home and go out into the world to either rebuild their personal image or forge a new one that they are just as comfortable with. Whether this means experimenting with their forms in any way they can or just staying in their new alternative form for extended periods of time, they do it all in an effort to rediscover who they are and what that means.

Castalen Names

Most Castalen are derived from human bloodlines that have been mixed with both an angelic and a demonic heritage. Due to this, Castalen use the same naming conventions as their native culture. Sometimes, however, a Castalen will do something similar to what a tiefling would do, and will instead adopt a "virtue" name.

Castalen Traits

Your Castalen character has the following racial traits.

Ability Score Increase

Your Constitution score increases by 1, and one other ability score of your choice increases by 2.

Age

Castalen mature at the same rate as humans, but they can live up to 500 years.

Alignment

Imbued with both celestial and abyssal power, most Castalen are neutral. Castalen that tend to lean more into their angel side are usually good. Castalen that tend to lean more into their demon side are usually evil.

Size

Castalen have the same range of height and weight as humans.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet. Your base flying speed is 40 feet.

Darkvision

Thanks to the combined powers of your fused celestial and infernal soul, it's relatively easy to see in the dark. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Combined Resistance

You have resistance to fire damage and radiant damage.

Alternative Form Shift

As a Castalen, you have two different alternative forms. One alternative form looks like that of a humanoid angel, while the other looks like that of a humanoid demon. As a Castalen, you are always in one of these two forms. As an action, you can shift your appearance to your other alternative form. You determine the specifics of the changes, including your coloration, hair length, and sex. You can also adjust your height and weight, but not so much that your size changes. You can't make yourself appear as a member of another race, though you can give yourself minor traits from other races such as patches of Dragonborn scales or long Elf ears. You can’t duplicate the appearance of other creatures you’ve seen before, and you must adopt a form that has the same basic arrangement of limbs that you have. Your clothing and equipment aren’t changed by this trait.

You stay in your alternative form until you use an action to revert back to your other alternative form.

Infernal Burst

As an action once per short rest, send forth a blast of energy in a 30 ft. line for 2d12 fire Damage [6th] 3d12, [11th] 4d12, [16th] 5d12

Celestial Healing

As a bonus action once per short rest, touch a creature and restore 2d8 [6th] 3d8, [11th] 4d8, [16th] 5d8 hit points. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a short rest.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, Celestial, and infernal.