Homebrew Amonkhet Naga Species Details

Naga resemble enormous snakes with shoulders, arms, and a torso that resembles a humanoid form. They typically hold their heads and torsos off the ground while moving, but they can increase their speed by lowering their bodies and using their hands for extra propulsion. They adorn their torsos with armor, jewelry, and a vague nod toward the clothing worn by other races. Male naga have broad hoods, wider than their shoulders, while females have narrower hoods and longer faces.

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Sweetest Harmony

Naga believe in a principle called the Sweetest Harmony, which describes a perfect balance between the body and the mind. Finding that balance, as they understand it, is a sure path to glory in the trials, since a combination of physical and mental preparation will ensure success in every trial. For an example of this Sweetest Harmony, they point to the Luxa river and the land it nourishes, which exist in a delicate and life-giving balance. Either one without the other would be diminished and useless. Just so, mental strength supports physical capabilities, and physical fortitude feeds mental tenacity, so neither mind nor body can exist in isolation.

In the same way, the naga believe that Kefnet and Rhonas exist in interdependence, and that their trials are best conceived as two halves of a whole. But in practice, as much as they strive for balance and harmony, most naga identify more strongly with one god than the other.

Combat Classes

To the benefit of those naga who struggle with the ideal of the Sweetest Harmony, the training of acolytes encourages specialization. Thus, naga who follow in the path of the snake-headed god Rhonas can cultivate their physical strength as they specialize in hand-to-hand combat styles, while other naga favor the teachings of Kefnet and other combat styles. Naga who specialize in hand-to-hand combat rely on axes, daggers, and shortswords—but also on their own fangs and the constricting strength of their serpentine bodies. They make extensive use of poison, coating their weapons with multiple layers of deadly substances—including, but by no means limited to, their own venom. Quick, well-timed, and well-placed blows, followed by an equally nimble retreat, allow many naga to triumph over opponents who might seem stronger. With acknowledgment of the Sweetest Harmony, these naga cultivate an understanding of strategy and tactics that enhances their physical training.

Speed and accuracy are equally important to naga who specialize in long-range combat. Some prefer to analyze a battle from a distance and pick off the strongest opponents with their ranged weapons, including poisoned spears and arrows. Others ride in chariots driven by trusted drivers (usually other naga) and throw their spears from the midst of battle. In any case, they excel at finding and exploiting strategic advantages. Some naga mages, drawn to the example of Kefnet, Naga Oracle Deruchenko Alexander make extensive use of illusion magic to trick and mislead their opponents. Others apply Rhonas’s teachings to their studies, wielding poisonous magic that weakens opponents or kills them outright with clouds or darts of deadly toxins. Still others, in service to the ideal of balance, use the magical power of their minds to enhance their physical strength and speed.

Amonkhet Naga Traits

Your naga character has the following traits.

Ability score increase

When determining your character’s ability scores, you increase one of those scores by 2 and increase a different score by 1, or you increase three different scores by 1. Follow this rule regardless of the method you use to determine the scores, such as rolling or point buy. The “Quick Build” section for your character’s class offers suggestions on which scores to increase. You’re free to follow those suggestions or to ignore them. Whichever scores you decide to increase, none of the scores can be raised above 20.

The first option is increases one of your stats by two, the second one increases another one of your stats by one

Age

Like humans, naga reach adulthood in their late teens. They show no signs of aging beyond that point except for growing larger, so in theory, a naga could live well over a century.

Alignment

Most naga are either neutral or neutral evil in alignment.

Size

Naga stand about 5 feet tall when upright, but the total length of their bodies, head to tail, ranges from 10 to as much as 20 feet. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Speed burst

You can move quicker by lowering your body to the ground and propelling yourself with your arms. As a free action on your turn, if you have both hands free, you can increase your walking speed by 10 feet until one or both of your hands aren't free anymore.

Natural Weapons

Your fanged maw is a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with your bite, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, and your target must make a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier). On a failed save, the target takes 1d4 poison damage.

As an action you can use your serpentine body to constrict a creature that is large or smaller. You deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, and the target is grappled (escape DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier). While grappled this way, the target is considered restrained, and you cannot constrict another target.

Poison Immunity

You are immune to poison damage and the poisoned condition.

Poison Affinity

You gain proficiency with the poisoner’s kit.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Naga.