Homebrew Half Humans Species Details

“ No one knew how the phantom thief Goyo Tazune broke through the Lord's most secure vault.

Nor how he managed to escape from the most secure prisons of the province.

Only on his execution day was his secret revealed. When the blade came down on the neck of an old greying man, there was a sudden puff of smoke and he was gone, replaced by an old fox that scurried off into the forest. And he has never been seen since. ”

— Excerpt from the biography of the legendary phantom thief Goyo Tazune.

Half-humans origins aren't quite known. In fact, their existence is barely known at all.

Those who have heard or even seen one argue on their origins : Are they beasts that ran away from the feywild ? Perhaps they are animals that have mutated because of magic ?

Because of their secretive nature, rare are those who knows the answer, but rumors, myths and stories about them are varied and numerous.

Two Lives

The first century of a Half-humans life is spent in its animal form. Members of other races would never know the difference between a mundane lizard and a lizard Half-human in the first half of its life cycle, unless they spent many years observing the creature’s behavior.

During the animal stage of their lives, Half-humans exhibit heightened intelligence and do not progress into old age.

Upon the dawn of their second century, they are able to take a half-animal, half-human shape, or a fully human shape. At this point, their human form is that of an adolescent, and the memories of their past life begin to slowly fade as they transition into the second stage of their life.

From this time onward, Half-humans age at the same rate as humans, reaching maturity about 110 years of age and can live far up to 500 years.

It is said that the oldest Half-humans was a Foxkind that lived 687 years.

Freedom and Friendship

Half-humans are spiritual beings that value freedom and self-determination above all else, both for themselves and those they befriend.

They are diametrically opposed to the schemes of those who would abuse power over others, such as the Zhentarim, and view any attempts to enslave or extort other beings as an unforgivable affront.

Unlike lycanthropes, which tend to be less-than-agreeable and violent, Half-humans are a reclusive, peaceful people.

They are strongly connected to the spiritual world and do not reveal their true nature to anyone they do not implicitly trust due to the storied nature of their race and the many myths involving them throughout history. However, once they let someone into their inner circle, they become stalwart and loyal friends for the rest of their life.

Animalistic Tendencies

All Half-humans begin their lives as animals, and the traits of their animal forms stay with them for the entirety of their lives.

For example, a raven Half-humans might have a pointed nose that hooks like a bird’s beak, and may make short, fast motions when surveying an area, or cock their head to the side while engaged in conversation.

A cat Half-human may be solitary and self-reliant, while a rabbit Half-human may be energetic and playful.

Some Half-humans are predisposed to act more like their animal forms than others. A raven Half-human may be prone to picking up shiny stones, coins, and other items that a raven might furnish their nest with from a market square, while a cat Half-human may be inclined to lazily observe the crowd at the same market square.

Wanderlust

Half-humans generally don’t stay in one place for long, giving into their impulses and exploring the world, either alone or in small groups.

This urge can take a Half-human from distant realms all the way to Baldur’s Gate over the span of many years, granting them a number of opportunities to learn, grow, play pranks, and make friends.

A small number of Half-humans who live among humans develop a strong instinctual urge to protect their friends and neighbors, especially those who share the same or similar values that they do.

These Half-humans remain in their adopted hometowns for several decades under the guise of their animal form or an invented persona. They might pose as a ranger or traveling merchant, providing an alibi for themselves when they need to tend to other business or deal with a nearby threat.

After safeguarding a town or village for a few generations, a Half-humans may finally heed their instincts and set off into the world once more in search of another great adventure.

Half-human Names

Subrace

Half-humans are in fact a way to regroup all of the different subraces of animal that can shapeshift, as any animal that comes in contact with magic might become one, but seven are most commonly known :

Badgerkind

Badgerkinds are typically tough and extremely tenacious, they do not necessary need to hit hard, just to be the last one standing.

Crabkind

Crabkinds are more resilient than others and are alot more powerful then what they might seem.

Catkind

Catkinds are agile and anywhere between, nossy and lazy, going into an adventure out of boredom. And cheer joyfulness driven by discovery.

Dog/Wolfkind

Proud of themselves and Loyal, Dogkinds are the more lawful ones compared to Wolfkinds who are more chaotic in nature. They also don't really dislike Catkinds, they are more viewed as something to sigh to then anything else.

Foxkind

Master tricksters and smart calculators, Foxkind are the most known of the Half-humans for their compulsive instinct to mess with someone else's plan.

Tsubasakind

As calm but nonetheless focused beings, Tsubasakinds share their sense of patience. The main aspect that differs between them is their preference of day or night.

Rabbitkind

As animals, Rabbitkinds are force to be quick on their feet and nimble in their escapes. As such, those abilities transferred when they became Half-humans. 

 Mothkind

Unlike their the others, they are initially insects instead of animals, but they managed to adapt to the human form, even if their basic insect impulses remain.

Half Humans Traits

Your Half-human character has several traits that it shares with all other Half-humans.

Ability Score Increase

Your Charisma score increases by 1.

Age

Half-Humans can live over 500 years, but their life cycle is unique among the races the realms.

Alignment

Half-Humans are typically chaotic due to their animal lives and aren't really enclined to either good or evil.

Size

Half-Humans have the same height and weight as humans. Your size is medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet in human. Your speed in animal form and hybrid form are dependent of your subrace.

Beast Tongue

While you are in hybrid or animal form, you can communicate with beasts and fey creatures that share your animal form or a form closely related (for example, a cat hengeyokai can communicate with a panther).

In human form, you can understand beasts and fey creatures that share your animal form or a form closely related to it, but you can’t directly communicate with them.

Nature's Mask

You can use your action to transform into an animal form, a hybrid form, or a human form.

While you are in animal form, the following rules apply : 

• Your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the beast (based on your subrace), but you retain your alignment, personality, and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. You also retain all of your skill and saving throw proficiencies, in addition to gaining those of the creature. If the creature has the same proficiency as you and the bonus in its stat block is higher than yours, use the creature’s bonus instead of yours. If the creature has any legendary or lair actions, you can’t use them.

• When you transform, you assume the beast’s hit points and Hit Dice. When you revert to your normal form, you return to the number of hit points you had before you transformed. However, if you revert as a result of dropping to 0 hit points, any excess damage carries over to your normal form. For example, if you take 10 damage in animal form and have only 1 hit point left, you revert and take 9 damage. As long as the excess damage doesn’t reduce your normal form to 0 hit points, you aren’t knocked unconscious.

• You can’t cast spells, and your ability to speak or take any action that requires hands is limited to the capabilities of your beast form. Transforming doesn’t break your concentration on a spell you’ve already cast, however, or prevent you from taking actions that are part of a spell, such as call lightning, that you’ve already cast.

• You retain the benefit of any features from your class, race, or other source and can use them if the new form is physically capable of doing so. However, you can’t use any of your special senses, such as darkvision, unless your new form also has that sense.

• You choose whether your equipment falls to the ground in your space, merges into your new form, or is worn by it. Worn equipment functions as normal, but the DM decides whether it is practical for the new form to wear a piece of equipment, based on the creature’s shape and size. Your equipment doesn’t change size or shape to match the new form, and any equipment that the new form can’t wear must either fall to the ground or merge with it. Equipment that merges with the form has no effect until you leave the form.

• You can only switch forms a number equal to your Charisma modifier + Your level. Recharges after a long Rest, in which you can switch forms without costing a use.

Nature's Mask ( bis )

While you are able to transform between animal, hybrid and human form. They are somethings that are set among Half-Humans :

• Human form : The half-human is basically indistinguishable from any other human, people who are aware of the existence of Half-Human can make an Intelligence ( Investigation ) ability check to determine if they are really human 
• Hybrid form : This is the form that allow the most liberty, some Half-human have fur, feathers or plain human skin, but their animal characteristics are visible : Claws, ears, tails and such.
• Animal form : Refer to Nature's Mask Trait

Animal claws

You have claws, fangs, talons or any natural weapons coherent for your race that counts as natural weapons.
Your unarmed strikes deal 1d6 + STR slashing damage.
You're considered proficient with those attacks

Only in Hybrid form.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Sylvan, the language of the Feywild.