Homebrew Ratfolk Species Details

Ratfolk have existed for as long as anyone can remember, and they have thrived in the underbelly of society. They are at home in the gutters, sewers, and trash heaps left by other races, and feed off the refuse that gets discarded everyday. They can be found on any continent and often stow away on ships to travel undetected to new lands. While they are most comfortable in the dark, they are not afraid to venture into the light if it will get them something they want.

As natural scavengers, ratfolk tend to excel in roles that do not put them into direct melee combat. They prefer to stay back and strike from a distance, or move in and back out before their opponent has a chance to retaliate. They do well as rangers, rogues, or spell casters.

Mysterious Beginnings

No one knows from where the first ratfolk came. They have just always been around, lurking in the shadows and feeding on whatever their little hands can find. It has been speculated that they have stowed away on ships to spread to all regions as they can now be found in every major city, and most minor ones as well. While not as common, they can even be found out in the wild. Their diminutive size allows them to more easily move around undetected. To help them blend in, they often learn the predominate languages of whatever land into which they settle.

The Guide to Survival

Ratfolk, despite facing many hardships, are excellent at surviving. They will often do whatever it takes to continue their existence, and are often found in great numbers when they find a place that can support their growing nest. The bigger the city, the greater the population of ratfolk hiding within. Because they often live in the seedier sides of society, they will scavenge, scrounge, and steal supplies like food, clothing, weapons, and if needed, armor. A benefit of being able to grow the population to large numbers quite quickly, they often have a surplus of workers and scavengers to bring these supplies and food back to those that are unable to go out on their own. Most of the time this leads to equipment being mismatched in size, but somehow they make it work. They have adapted to be comfortable in almost any situation.

Because they prefer to remain hidden from the rest of society, they have created their own hierarchical structures. This is generally comprised of a few elder ratfolk leading the masses, but it can differ from city to city. They will generally keep guards around their territory, but will usually not maintain any armies. Most of the population are scavengers, with a focus on food. If they are unable to find an easy supply of food, they will form hunting parties, but they would rather not have to resort to this.

Ratfolk tend to focus heavily on survival, and as a result they often have no religious affiliations. Most tend towards being atheists or agnostic. Those that do turn to religion often adopt a religion of those they live near. This can sometimes lead to conflict, as most do not want ratfolk worshiping alongside them.

Ratfolk adventurers

Ratfolk adventurers are generally individuals that have decided to leave their nest due to overcrowding or a lack of food. Sometimes they even leave to avoid internal conflict with other ratfolk. Some just get bored and venture forth. Some are curious what is out there in the world. Whatever the reason for leaving, most know that once they are gone, there is no returning to the nest as they will be branded deserters for having abandoned their kin.

Since ratfolk are so spread out across the world, they know of most other races and do not have any prejudices against them. The same cannot be said of the prejudices other races hold towards ratfolk. They are often seen as second class citizens, to be ignored at best, and killed or enslaved at worst. Even the kindest individuals will look at ratfolk as being nothing but thieves. Those that travel with ratfolk will generally keep their purses a little closer at all times.

Ratfolk Traits

Your ratfolk character has the following racial traits.

Ability score increase

Ratfolk have their dexterity score increased by 2.

Age

Ratfolk generally reach adulthood at the age of 15 and live 50-60 years.

Alignment

Ratfolk are generally neither good nor evil. They are often chaotic though.

Claws

Ratfolk have claws that can be used to deal slashing damage as an unarmed attack, doing damage equal to 1d4+STR modifier.

Bite

Ratfolk can choose to make a bite attack as an unarmed attack, dealing piercing damage. This deals damage equal to 1d4+STR modifier.

Survival Instincts

Ratfolk grow up learning how to survive in tough conditions. They are taught how to forage for food and move around their surroundings at a very young age. Because of this, they are proficient in Survival

Size

Ratfolk are generally 2.5-3 feet tall. Most weigh around 30-40 pounds.

Speed

Ratfolk have a base move speed of 35 feet.

Keen Smell

Living mostly in the shadows and darkness, ratfolk have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.

Darkvision

Ratfolk have superior vision in dark and dim light. They can see up to 60 feet in darkness as if it were dim light, and dim light as if it were bright light. They are unable to discern color in darkness, only shades of grey.

Languages

Ratfolk can speak Common and one other language of their choosing.