Homebrew Shade (Wood Elf) Species Details

Life leaves echoes in its wake, whether crumbled remnants of a bygone civilization, tales of heroes and gods that spawn new beliefs, or even the echo of an individual soul left behind to haunt the living world. The world of Midgard is no stranger to ghosts and specters that linger Beyond Death, but sometimes a person’s passion, Purpose, and will to live are so strong, their tie to the living world so unbreakable, that their memories create a vessel for their soul after their body dies. These people are called shades. Shades can arise from any living race.

 

This version uses the wood elf for determining Living Origin features.

 

Imperfect Undeath: You are a Humanoid, but your partial transition into undeath makes you susceptible to Effects that target Undead. Though you can regain Hit Points from Spells like Cure Wounds, you can also be affected by game Effects that specifically target Undead, such as a cleric’s Turn Undead feature. Game Effects that raise a creature from the dead work on you as normal, but they return you to life as a shade. A True Resurrection or wish spell can restore you to life as a fully living member of your original race.

 

Memento Mori: A shade’s remembrance of their own life, their own self, is the key to their continued existence. When others honor their memory, a shade can draw sustenance and Strength from it. Any token, gift, or even a work of art or poetry intended to honor the memory of the shade carries the giver or creator’s memory and can sustain the shade. Creating a true Memento Mori requires that the creator have a genuine desire to honor the shade. It might seem trivial for a shade’s bard companion to compose poems or songs regularly, thus sustaining the shade, but such attempts fail. Memory is the key, and a creator who is in regular close contact with the shade draws more on that contact than on their own memory. A shade’s traveling companion painting a portrait of the shade during their travels will never become a Memento Mori, but a handmade twine bracelet given by a villager after the shade saved their Village might if the shade moves on. Above all, a true, empowered Memento Mori must carry meaning.

 

Memento Mori Wondrous item, Rare(requires Attunement by the shade for whom it was offered)

 

As long as you have the Memento Mori in your possession, you don’t require food, drink, or sleep. As an action, you can draw on all the stored memory at once, and you receive the Effects of a Potion of Heroism. When the Effect expires, the Memento Mori loses its magic.

Shade (Wood Elf) Traits

Your shade character has a collection of Traits that arise from being a shade as well as a few drawn from life.

Dark vision

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.

Life Drain

When you damage a creature with an Attack or a spell, you can choose to deal extra necrotic damage to the target equal to your level. If the creature’s race matches your Living Origin, you gain Temporary Hit Points equal to the necrotic damage dealt. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a Long Rest.

Spectral Resilience

You have advantage on Saving Throws against poison and disease, and you have Resistance to necrotic damage.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language spoken by your Living Origin. And on language from your Living origin.

Ghostly Flesh.

You become translucent and devoid of color, and the air around you grows cold.

 

Your transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it as a Bonus Action. During it, you have a flying speed of 30 feet with the ability to hover, and you have Resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks that aren’t made with Silvered Weapons. In addition, you have advantage on Ability Checks and Saving Throws made to Escape a grapple or against being Restrained, and you can move through creatures and solid Objects as if they were Difficult Terrain. If you end Your Turn inside an object, you take 1d10 force damage.

 

Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a Long Rest.