Homebrew Unicorn Species Details

"I mislike the feel of this forest," the elder of the two hunters grumbled. "Creatures that live in a unicorn's wood learn a little magic of their own in time, mainly concerned with disappearing. We'll find no game here."

"Unicorns?" the second man inquired. "I thought they only existed in fairy tales. This is a forest, like any other... isn't it?"

"Then why do the leaves never fall here, or the snow? Why is it always spring? I tell you, there is a unicorn in this wood, and as long as it lives in this forest, we'll find no game to hunt here."

— paraphrased from Beagle S. Peter, The Last Unicorn

When an adventurer steps into a bright, lush grove or forest teeming with exuberant life, no doubt they've entered the dwelling of a unicorn. Some mistakenly dub them as magical horses but their relation with them is slim to none. Visually they bear more of a resemblance to deer, but share no blood or kin with either. A unicorn is a celestial creature that typically wanders the sylvan realms, their white coats and silvery manes glimmering like starlight. 

Atop a unicorn's brow sports a single ivory horn, commonly spiraled, whose touch can not only heal the ill and injured, but purify any kind of toxin festering there. It's large ears catch the errant whispers of every creature that shares it's domain, and although they normally speak telepathically they do share tongues with the elven and sylvan folk. Only good-hearted creatures enter their wood, and those who aren't find that a pervasive sense of dread warps the serenity of their blessed ground, a feeling so strong that it deters most travelers from venturing further.

Mythical Mysteries

The origin of unicorns remains somewhat of a mystery, as their such a rarity on the Material Plane that any research that's done on them is scant and muddled. There are a few things that are certain though, such as the unparalleled knowledge these creatures contain. Even as newborns unicorns are incredibly wise and insightful, but due to how difficult they are to find the facts of their kind have been muddled with folklore and legends. Most have come to believe that unicorns are servants of good natured deities who were sent to ward away all evil and impurities from the material plane. Others theorize that the territory unicorns claim are actually tiny fractures in the fabric of the universe, a pocket within the border of our dimension where time is truly meaningless and nothing ever ages, and even that story starts to branch off as people call these enchanted forests a celestial realm all of its own, where nothing that occurs beneath the sun-dappled leaves escapes these creature's notice. There's even talk of unicorns being powerful gods of nature, as their forests seem to thrive beneath their hooves, following their own creed and championing all that's lawful and good. Even the idea of unicorns being solitary nomads yearning for the company of pure-hearted virgin women isn't a far fetched one  to most of the world, and scholars are left to speculate to this very day the true nature of this majestically cryptic beasts, as their magic expertly disguises their true forms. Most people mistaking them for white stallions.

The most common and well accepted myth though is that unicorns are guardians of the forest, commonly enchanted wood like the Feywilds, protecting and nurturing their tiny patch of the world through their magic. In fact, many mistake unicorns as fey beings outright or servants of fey gods because of these legends.

A Unicorns Domain

A unicorn’s lair might be an ancient ruin overgrown with vines, a misty clearing surrounded by mighty oaks, a flower-covered hilltop alive with butterflies, or some other serene woodland location. Regardless, they're a kind that are kindred with nature and expertly hide in their leafy thickets. It's easy to tell when you've stepped into a unicorn's domain, the air is cleaner, the greenery is brighter, more vibrant, life seems to ebb and flow from every nook and cranny and the wildlife chitters away in undisturbed calm. But even if it's easy to tell if a unicorn is present, finding one is quite the challenge. They seem to be almost omnipresent, maintaining an acute awareness of everything within their wooded realm, and with this cognizance and an inborn knowledge of their forest, a unicorn can easily skirt past the probing gaze of nearly any traveler.

Those who rest in a unicorn's domain will find that campfires and torches will refuse to burn, creatures quickly and easily disappear without a trace, curses are suppressed, healing magic radiates with even more power, along with a myriad of mysterious and mythical effects. If the unicorn dies, though, these effects end immediately.

Ceaseless Hunt

Despite the struggle for concrete information the existence of unicorns has never been put into doubt, although their current elusiveness is actually a result of the severe depredation that came as they were revealed to those of that Material Plane. When word got out of magical horses with spiral horns imbued with healing magic, all races scrambled to trap, sell, and often kill this otherworldly beauty for a heavy profit. Thousands of unicorns were ripped from the forest and forced into servitude as mounts or even pets for rich nobles and other wealthy sorts. Their horns were also prized among the alchemical and arcane communities, seeing as a unicorn's horn is the focus of their power, even a shard had powerful divine magic wrought in that pearly ivory. Many warriors and wizard hunted these noble beasts just so strip them of their horns, infusing them into wands, weapons, potions, rituals... the uses were seemingly endless.

The result though? Unicorns all but disappeared in the world, turning to lives of seclusion and isolation to preserve what little numbers were left, and casting a strong spell across all of their kind that blinded the impure and evil from gleaning what they truly were. All they could glean from their graceful forms then was a white mare, and that magic remains to this day.

Additionally, those who take part in the slaying of a unicorn will have but a half-life, a cursed life, and oft wind up dead soon after. Usually by suicide. Love ones who are lucky to find notes of their last words often find scrawl of unrepentant guilt as they're haunted by the puree and innocent being they ripped from the world. Only one who has nothing to lose, and everything to gain, would commit such a crime, and they quickly become the targets of divine retribution for it.

Unicorn Names

Unicorns are often given names by the other races that encounter them, and very few see a need to name themselves. This has resulted in a wide variety of names stemming from typically elven culture, but also humans, dwarves, gnomes, fey, etc. Often adventurers seeking passage through a unicorn's domain will also seek out their company, and as a result they'll keep the name they were given as a sign of mutual camaraderie. If their time has been rather unpleasant though they wont hesitate to discard it.

Male Unicorn Names: Addrak, Ailde, Darnus, Daelar, Farziver, Granmir, Elqen, Iùrnan, Leoris, Tynur, Urilen, Virnelis Vondan, Xalcorin

Female Unicorn Names: Adrieth, Aluroe, Bronlen, Ceana, Enphine, Lysgiel, Mymiphi, Nibys, Sìleas, Tazri, Ulaynore, Valralei, Wromyra, Zylvyre

ARCANE DECEPTION 

There's no doubt that the lives of unicorns have been paved with blood and suffering. They're long lived creatures, and many to this day can vividly recount the gruesome memories of those awful hunts and all the kin they've lost. This doesn't just manifest in how they interact with other races, which are typically met with mistrust and skepticism, but also in the magic that was imbued to protect them. Common folk often can't tell the difference between a unicorn and a small horse or deer, their lustrous horns completely invisible to the untrained eye, visible to only those who search and trust. This magic can be negated at will but it's rare a unicorn will choose to do so, and for those it chooses they either trust them unconditionally or have bound them in vows of secrecy.  

The sad truth is that the unicorns know that not every individual of another race is out for their horns or hide, but they cannot take any chances. The risk is much greater than the reward and so they feel they must paint every member under this same brush. Maybe one day they'll feel more inclined to return from hiding.

 

Unicorn Traits

Unicorns innate physical and magical abilities manifest in a variety of racial traits.

Ability Score Increase

Your Strength score increases by 1, and either your Wisdom or Charisma scores increases by 1.

Age

Being celestial beasts of the forest, unicorns are born with inherently wise beyond their age, meanwhile their bodies mature at about the same rate as a typical deer. Once they reach physical maturity they can live upwards of 1,000 years.

Alignment

Noble protectors sent by good deities, most unicorns are lawful good.

Size

Lithe and slender in form, unicorns exude a fragility in their graceful beauty, akin to that of a deer. Your size is small.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 40 ft.

Darkvision

Thanks to your infernal heritage, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. 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.

Wild Fey

You are immune to being charmed and poisoned.

Quadruped

You are unable to traditionally wield weapons or brandish shields, and cannot use items which require manipulation, including spellcasting focuses, wands, tools, etc.

Charge

As an action, if the unicorn moves at least 15 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a horn attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 1d8 piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 8 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Unarmed Equine

You are proficient in your unarmed strikes, your hooves dealing 1d6 bludgeoning damage and your horn dealing 1d6 piercing damage on a successful hit. This damage increases to 2d6 at 5th level, 3d6 at 11th level, and 4d6 at 17th level.

Celestial Spellcaster

You know the mage hand cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the cure wounds spell once per day as a 2nd-level spell. Once you reach 5th level, you can also cast the pass without trace spell once per day. Charisma or Wisdom is your spellcasting ability, depending on the ability score you chose to increase.

Additionally your horn acts as your arcane focus and all somatic spells can be cast with head movements.

Languages

You can speak and read Common, Celestial, and Sylvan.