Homebrew Parasite Species Details
The parasite does not have its own backstory, the story is instead based on the character you are first introduced as infront of the party as when you take control of a creature you also gain the memories while erasing the original hosts presence entirely from the body. If you change body your name will change aswell, you can remember small things like nicknames but you have no name of your own.
The parasite can not keep a creature bigger than Medium under control for longer than 15 minutes and rolls with disadvantage against them. As always, the DM gets to choose what kind of creatures you can attempt it with, you might be able to control a giant for a short period of time but not a dragon etc.
Decay
A body abandoned by the parasite will decay faster than an average body since it no longer has the parasite taking care of it. If you enter within a 6 hour span you can enter the body like normal and only need a turn to gain back full functionality. If you enter the body within a 12 hour span you can still repair it yourself and use it like normal after a short rest. If you enter it after 12 hours but before 24 hours has passed you can keep it stable while waiting for someone to cast a heal on the body after which you will need a long rest to regain full functionality. After 24 hours someone must cast resurrect for the body to become stable enough for your to use it but no rest is required.
Memories
When the parasite enters a host body it will gain the memories of whatever creature the body belonged to, but some pieces may be missing, you may have to do an ability check to see if you can recount a specific event. If the body belonged to someone that is of higher level than yourself you will not be able to remember how to cast the spells of that level, likewise you will not have all of the feats available at the host body's level. (DMs may allow alterations for story purposes)
Make it my own
Did the body you entered not fit a class you prefer to play? Does it have a feat or ability that you'd like to change?
You can choose to change feats of the body aswell as multiclass, you can however not change the mainclass itself, if the host was a wizard you'll remain a wizard. Stats can be assigned either by the DM, rolled for or assigned with a points distribution system agreed with the DM.
Parasite Traits
Parasite TraitsMute
You are unable to communicate in parasite form, you know no languages when you're outside of your host. However you can communicate in whichever language the host uses, be it animals, humans, orcs or any other race you can control.
However you can't keep track of all the languages, for every 2 languages you know a third one will be ignored. Example: Common, undercommon and dwarvish. You may select two languages that you want to keep while the third one slips your mind. So if the host knows 6 languages, you will only be able to remember 4 of them.
This also prevents you from communicating through items/magic/sign language or any other means of communication with party members while you are not inside of a host. So do you inform the party of your true form or keep it a secret?
Sharp Claws
Being used to switching from host to host until adulthood you developed sharper claws which allows you to easier slice through flesh and even get through leather and other softer types of armor
Ageless
No one knows what you are or how you came to be, infact no one alive knows that you even exist. Every now and then someone sees your true form but time passes by and they and their families have long since died of old age and other means and you turn from a reality to a story to a legend to non existant and forgotten and so history repeats itself several times over.
Take Control
The main ability as a parasite will be taking full control of a body. No ability modifiers will be added other than those stated under any parasite ability for specific situations.
You will need to succeed a DC 12 to take control of a target that is either dead, dying, asleep or tied up. Targets with +3 modifier to either Wisdom or Intellect will up the DC requirement to a maximum of 17 as they have stronger minds and are more likely to repell you. Example: DC 12 + 3 WIS/INT = DC 15 to succeed, +4 modifier = 16 DC & +5 modifier = 17 DC
You will need to succeed a DC 15 if the target is still alive. Same WIS/INT modifiers apply here to a maximum of 20
If you for whatever reason use this against another player character or a character of DMs choosing(Including NPCs). The DM or player chooses if you roll with a disadvantage with no ability modifier on a DC 16 or they can choose to roll against you with their own WIS/INT modifier.
If you fail in taking control of a body, you can use a bonus action to either jump away 15 ft or burrow 5ft below ground under the target
DMs have the final word in PvP moments and if they won't allow you to control another players character you are unable to gain control of that character.
Detach
The parasite may at any point abandon the body it resides in, for a short period of time you will still have a connection to the body you detached from so depending on the class of the host body you will gain certain temporary bonuses that last for 30 minutes after detaching.
Ability modifiers will not affect these bonuses, what matters is the primary ability. For example Barbarian = Strength, Cleric = Wisdom & Rogue = Dexterity. If a class uses more than one like a paladin which has Charisma + Strength you can choose whichever stat you prefer when detaching.
Strength: After leaving the host body you still remember what it is like to use brute force, therefore you will gain +4 to your claws to make it easier to force yourself inside and control a body.
Wisdom/Intellect: After leaving the host body you feel more in control when entering a new host. You gain +4 modifier to your next attempt at taking over control of a host.
Dexterity: After leaving the host body you feel more agile, you're able to move at twice the speed, climb twice as fast and if your previous body had any bonuses for moving in the water you gain triple the current water moving speed. Which helps you to be able to chase down your next host.
Constitution: You feel more durable and gain 1D4 per level in hitpoints in your parasite form.
Charisma: After leaving the host body you feel lucky, you will be allowed to reroll your D20 if you're not satisfied with the result when taking over a new body but must use the new dice.
Play dead
The parasite constantly keeps the host body fresh to prevent it from decaying but if they're ever brought down to 0 HP they may use this ability to slowly let the body rot, however without the parasite the body will rot faster than a normal body would. After 12 hours the body will be too damaged for the parasite to reconstruct the body to a stable condition. Ability can also be used if you failed three death saves as the parasite will still be alive within the body, a short rest or healing from another player/NPC will be required to bring the body to a usable conditon. If 24 hours has passed the only way for the parasite to use the body again is if resurrection has been cast on it.
Eternal life
As the parasite constantly keeps the body healthy it can also prevent ageing, which allows for races otherwise known to have short life spans to live for as long as the parasite controls the body.
Soulless
When the parasite dies it will not be able to resurrect, fail 3 death saving throws and that's it. Succeeding the saving throws however will bring you up to 1 HP and allow you to function at half your regular speed in all actions. You can also attempt to burrow below ground to hide but being weakened you'll roll with disadvantage against a DC 15 saving throw
Comments