Homebrew Novakid Species Details

Easily one of the most enigmatic known races, the Novakid are sapient glowing gas-bags in a humanoid shape, with metallic "brands" where their faces would be. A generally carefree and capricious people with notoriously short memories and attention spans, they live in the moment, wandering the land in search of adventure or whatever, with little reflection on the past. So unconcerned are they with what happened before now, they have forgotten their own origins, having never bothered to catalog their history. Thus where they came from and how they were formed may forever be a mystery.

Compounding the oddity of their existence is their biology, which, while seemingly organic, is unlike any other humanoid. Much to the dismay of scholars, studying their internal makeup is nearly impossible, as everything but their brand dissipates upon death. All that is known is that their bodies seem to be made up of extremely hot gas. Their brands emit a field that locks the outer edge of these gasses in place, effectively solidifying it and giving it a smooth, gel-like texture. This field also keeps most of their inner heat in, preventing them from damaging their surroundings, although they are still quite warm to the touch. Their colors can range across the entire visible light spectrum, and their brands can be almost any shape, except that they are almost always a single unbroken piece of metal.

They possess all the same basic senses that other humanoids do, their brands sensing light and sound, feeling resistance against their "skin", and, despite the exact details of the function being unknown, they insist they can smell and taste as well. They do require air and sustenance like other creatures, but unlike others they do not require water specifically, and their waste is nothing but crumbly ash. New Novakid are formed when two Novakid mix their gasses until this mixture forms its own brand out of condensed gas and separates, forming a "protokid". These "protokids" are the infant stage of a Novakid and lack a defined shape, existing as a small ball of gas held together by their brand by until they have grown enough to form a body, normally after 8 - 10 months. Other than this, their maturing process is mostly comparable to that of humans, reaching full size and maturity at around 18 years of age.

Despite the frustrating lack of knowledge on their biology, Novakid have an easy time maintaining themselves medically. Their unique anatomy makes them immune to all mundane diseases, and although their "skin" and brands can be damaged, they repair themselves over time as long as they are well-fed. It even seems that if a large portion of their body is lost, their outer field can reshape to prevent any more gas from escaping and even regenerate these lost parts over time. They do have their limits however, too much damage and lost gas too quickly destabilizes their body, putting them at risk of losing form and dying.

Though they have a high intuition and aptitude for learning, they are extremely lacking in patience and attention span to the point of making them terrible students and teachers. As a result, only a small fraction of each generation’s knowledge is passed on to the next - the rest of it constantly being re-discovered or re-invented. Despite this, the Novakid as a race are responsible for many advancements in engineering, the sciences, and the arcane due to their innate aptitude for discovery, yet these discoveries are only cemented in the world by the other societies that actually have the sense to write them down.

While not exactly reclusive, they seem to have a relatively small population and their communities largely keep out of political affairs, making Novakid something of a rare sight in the world.

 

 

Novakid Traits

Your novakid character has certain characteristics in common with all other novakid.

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Intelligence score increases by 1.

Age

Novakid grow and mature at about the same rate as humans, reaching adulthood at 18. The only effect age has on them is the corrosion of their brand, which eventually makes it impossible to stabilize their body. They usually live to around 150 years of age.

Size

Novakid vary widely in height and build, from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall. They are lighter than most, averaging around 90 pounds. 

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Gaseous Anatomy

You have resistance to fire damage and are immune to disease. You do not require water to survive. When you die, most of your body dissipates, leaving nothing but your brand behind. Any resurrection magic used on you that normally requires a complete body instead only requires your brand.

Quick Learner, Bad Memory

Novakid are known for their knack for learning, and even more known for how bad they are at remembering. You gain proficiency in any skill of your choice, but have disadvantage on all History checks.

Useful Discovery

Novakid have a knack for stumbling into useful knowledge through nothing but trial and error. You gain one feat of your choice.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra language of your choice. Novakid can pick up new languages remarkably quickly, and typically learn the languages of other peoples they deal with, including obscure dialects.