Race Overhaul

WARNING: UNDER CONSTRUCTION. NOT FOR ACTUAL PLAY...YET

Rethinking how races (now called "lineages") work for PC construction.

Lineage: The "biological" part. Every lineage specifies

• Size (both category and suggested height/weight bands)
• Age (both age of physical maturity and usual max age)
• Base speed (walking + any others as appropriate)
• Ability Score Increase (+1 to one ability score from the list given, total ASI cannot exceed +2 to any given ability score)
• Status. One of "core", "regional X", "rare", and "X-touched". Core lineages are found everywhere and raise no especial eyebrows. Regional lineages are common/normal in region X, but will raise eyebrows elsewhere. Rare lineages raise eyebrows everywhere. Touched (X) is special--these are more like templates attached to core or regional lineages rather than independent lineages. They may add, change, or modify characteristics of the parent lineage.
• Some combination of features. One minor feature only counts as half of a major feature; each lineage has the equivalent of 2 major features.

Culture: The area you come from. In general, any lineage can come from any culture. Restrictions are as noted in each description. Cultures specify

• Region (where they're mostly found)
• Ability Score Increase (+1 to one ability score from the list given, total ASI cannot exceed +2 to any given ability score)
• Extra languages. 1 or more languages other than Common, which every adventurer speaks.
• Proficiencies. 3 total proficiencies (tools, skills, or otherwise).
• Feature. One major-equivalent feature.

Background: As currently, except also pick an ability score to increase by +1 of your choice. Total from lineage, culture, and background can't exceed +2 to any single ability score (so +1/+1/+1 or +2/+1).

Lineages

Core Lineages

Human

• Ability Score Increase: +1 Intelligence OR Wisdom
• Age: adult at 16, lives until 80-ish
• Size: Medium. 5' - 6'6", 100-300 lbs
• Speed: 30ft.
• Status: core
• Desperate Plea: As a reaction when you make a d20 test, you can choose to reroll the d20 test and take the second result. If you had advantage or disadvantage, the reroll does as well. You can use this trait a number of times equal to half your proficiency bonus, regaining expended uses when you finish a long rest.
• Cultural Mimicry: Choose any feature granted by a different culture.

Dwarf

• Ability Score Increase: +1 Constitution
• Age: physically adult at 20, lives until 150-ish
• Size: Medium. 4' - 5'6", 150-250 lbs
• Speed: 30ft.
• Status: core
• Stone's Endurance: When you expend a hit die as part of a short rest, you can choose to either remove a level of exhaustion (keeping the rolled healing) or maximize the healing received from that hit die. You can use this feature once per short rest.
• Darkvision: You have darkvision out to 60ft.
• Poison Resistance You have resistance to poison damage and make Constitution saving throws against being poisoned at advantage.

Ihmisi (aka wood elf)

• Ability Score Increase: +1 Dexterity
• Age: adult at 20, lives until 120-ish
• Size: Medium. 5' - 5'9", 80-180 lbs
• Speed: 30ft.
• Status: core
• Voices of the Kami: While on the mortal plane you can meditate for 1 minute. During that time, your senses (vision and hearing) expand to 100ft (increasing to 200ft starting at level 5, 500ft starting at level 11, and 1000 ft at level 17) regardless of natural obstructions and you can sense the presence and number of any creatures within range. The exact location of "unnatural" creatures (fiends, undead, aberrations, or celestials) are pinpointed and you know their type. In cities or other "worked" environments, the range is halved and only unnatural creatures are sensed. You cannot see through or into buildings or other constructed obstructions. You can use this trait a number of times equal to half your proficiency bonus, regaining expended uses when you finish a long rest.
• Trance: Instead of sleeping during a long rest, you spend the 6 hours of 'sleep' in a semi-conscious state, still able to perceive your environment.

Orc

• Ability Score Increase: +1 Strength
• Age: physically adult at 12, lives until 70-ish
• Size: Medium. 5'6" - 7', 150-350 lbs
• Speed: 35ft.
• Status: core
• Red Fang's Legacy: Once per long rest, you can rage as if you were a level 1 barbarian, except that you can concentrate on spells (but not cast them) while raging in this way. If you have the Rage class feature, you instead can use that feature an additional time per long rest and can concentrate on spells while raging with the feature
• Relentless Advance: Your speed increases by 5ft.
• Brutal Critical: When you critically hit with an attack, instead of rolling the damage dice twice, roll the damage dice for the attack once and add the result to the maximum roll of the dice (ie max + roll). Features that increase the number of critical dice are not maximized.

Regional Lineages

Hobgoblin (Western Noefra)

Gwerin (aka high elves)

• Ability Score Increase: +1 Intelligence
• Age: adult around 20, live to 190-200
• Size: Medium. 5'4" - 6'5", 100-200 lbs
• Speed: 30ft
• Status: regional (Western Noefra, Southern Soefra)
• Legacy of Knowledge: When you make an ability check involving either Intelligence or Charisma, you can choose to apply double your proficiency bonus instead of whatever level of proficiency (including none at all) would normally apply. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining expended uses when you finish a long rest.
• Aetherically Sensitive: When you make an ability check to disbelieve an illusion or a saving throw to resist an illusion, you do so at advantage.
• Trance: Instead of sleeping, you remain semi-conscious and aware of your surroundings.

Halfling

• Ability Score Increase: +1 Dexterity OR Charisma
• Age: adult around 10, live to 60-ish
• Size: Small. 2'8" - 4'0", 40-70 lbs
• Speed: 30ft
• Status: regional (Western Noefra)
• Weaponized Charm: As an action, you can force a target that is either in combat with your or with whom you are interacting socially to make a Wisdom saving throw against a DC of 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. On a failure, the target makes attack rolls against you at disadvantage and their attitude increases by one step (hostile -> indifferent -> friendly) for the duration of the interaction. In combat, targets that fail can repeat their saving throw at the end of each of their turns, ending the effect on a success. Creatures that succeed on their saving throw or for whom the effect ends cannot be affected by this ability again for 24 hours. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining expended uses when you finish a long rest.
• Small: You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours.
• Diminutive Target: When you gain cover against an attack from another creature, it counts as 3/4 cover, not half cover.

Dragonborn, True

• Ability Score Increase: +1 Charisma OR Constitution
• Age: adult around 16, live to 80-ish
• Size: Small. 5'0" - 6'6", 110-300 lbs
• Speed: 30ft
• Status: regional (Western Noefra)
• Draconic Soul: Choose either (a) Breath weapon (as in Fizban's), (b) gaining the Draconic Fear racial feat from Xanathar's, or (c) Vestigial Wings, gaining a fly speed of half your walking speed but must land every other turn.
• Draconic Ancestry: Choose a color from the table in dragons and gain resistance to the related damage type. If you chose the breath weapon, this also sets the damage type, saving throw, and shape of the breath weapon.
• Minor Draconic Trait: Choose either (a) Vestigial Wings--you gain a flight speed equal to half your base speed, but must land every other turn or (b) Armored Hide--your AC is equal to 13 + your Dexterity modifier while not wearing armor.

Sher'ka (Great Rift)

Zandolit (Great Rift)

Ophidian

• Ability Score Increase: +1 Intelligence or Charisma
• Age: adult around 15, live to 70-ish
• Size: Medium. 4'9" - 6'0", 90-190 lbs
• Speed: 30ft
• Status: regional (Jungle of Fangs)
• Distracting Charm: Proficiency bonus per long rest, as a reaction when you are targeted with an attack by someone you can see, the attacker must make a DC 8 + your Charisma modifier + proficiency Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, you can force them to change the target of the attack to another creature of your choice within range or choose to make them lose the attack.
• Entwining Limbs: When you successfully grapple a creature, you can make them restrained instead. If you do so, you cannot drag them along with you.
• Heat Sense: You can detect the presence (and pinpoint location) of living creatures within 30ft even through opaque concealment but not total cover. You do not count as able to see them for spells and effects that require sight, but they are not concealed from you and do not count as an unseen attacker.

Soulforged, Steelborn

• Ability Score Increase: +1 Strength
• Age: null. No soulforged is more than 40 years old, but adulthood is not defined nor is a maximum age known.
• Size: Medium. Usually 5'6"+, 200-400 lbs
• Speed: 30ft
• Status: regional (Western Noefra)
• Lightning Core: As a bonus action, you can cause your weapon attacks (including unarmed strikes) to deal an additional 1d4 lightning damage on hit for one minute. You can use this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining expended uses when you finish a long rest.
• Living Construct: You are immune to disease and do not require food or air. You do "sleep" normally, however.

Soulforged, Shrine Guardian

• Ability Score Increase: +1 Wisdom
• Age: null. No soulforged is more than 40 years old, but adulthood is not defined nor is a maximum age known.
• Size: Medium. Usually 5'0"+, 150-350 lbs
• Speed: 30ft
• Status: regional (Western Noefra)
• Friend of the Kami: The kami whisper to you about possible threats. You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks to find hidden creatures. Additionally, if you are not surprised but a creature that can hear you within 30' is, you can spend your reaction at the start of combat to alert them, removing the surprise.
• Living Construct: You are immune to disease and do not require food or air. You do "sleep" normally, however.
• Natural Mimicry: While in natural environments and stationary, you appear indistinguishable from a tree to visual inspection.

Barbegazi

• Ability Score Increase: +1 Strength OR Constitution
• Age: adult around 10, live to 60-ish
• Size: Small. 3'8" - 5'0", 60-100 lbs
• Speed: 30ft
• Status: regional (Nocthean Caldera)
• Ice Burst: All creatures within 5' must make a Dexterity saving throw with DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier saving throw or take 1d8 cold damage per point of your proficiency bonus and be reduced to half their speed until the end of their next turn. On a success, targets take half damage and no other effect. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining expended uses when you finish a long rest.
• Small: You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours.
• Ice-born: You have resistance to cold damage and are comfortable in any degree of normal cold weather without other precautions.

Jazuu

• Ability Score Increase: +1 Constitution or Wisdom
• Age: adult around 18, live to 110-ish
• Size: Medium. 6'0" - 8'10", 200-600 lbs
• Speed: 30ft
• Status: regional (Western Noefra)
• By the Book: After you roll a d20 test but before you know the outcome, you can replace the number rolled with a 10. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining expended uses when you finish a long rest.
• Powerful Build: You count as one size larger for determining encumbrance and grappling/shoving

Rare Lineages

Cysgor

Goror

Gnome

Kalasaa

Touched Lineages

For all of these, start with a base lineage. The first feature listed for that race (under the boilerplate that everyone gets) is removed and you choose one of those listed for the -touched lineage. For all other purposes, you count as being a member of the base lineage. Some Touched lineages also may change other features; those replace the appropriate feature entirely.

Light-touched (Celestial)

• Ability Score Increase: +1 Charisma instead of the normal lineage ASI.
• Avenging Wrath: When you hit with an attack, you can cause a flare of light to erupt, potentially blinding the enemy. The target must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. On a failed save, they take 2d6 radiant damage and are blinded until the end of their next turn. On a success, the target takes half as much damage and is not blinded. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining expended uses when you finish a long rest.
• Wings: As a bonus action, you can cause glowing wings of energy to extend from you, granting you a fly speed equal to your walking speed for one minute. Once you use this trait, you cannot do so again until you complete a long rest.
• No End to Duty: As an action, you can touch a creature and restore hit points equal to 3 times your level. Starting at 5th level, instead of healing someone you can use this trait to cast lesser restoration. Starting at level 9, you can use the trait to cast greater restoration instead of any other effect. Once you use this trait, you cannot do so again until you finish a long or short rest.

Fiend-touched (devil)

• Ability Score Increase: +1 Charisma instead of the normal lineage ASI.
• Hellfire Blast: When you hit with an attack, you can cause a flare of hellfire to erupt around the target. The target takes 2d6 fire damage and must make a Wisdom saving throw with a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. On a failed save, they are frightened of you until the end of your next turn. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining expended uses when you finish a long rest.
• Wings: As a bonus action, you can cause leathery wings to extend from you, granting you a fly speed equal to your walking speed for one minute. Once you use this trait, you cannot do so again until you complete a long rest.
• Diabolical Sight: You gain Darkvision with a 60ft range and can see through magical darkness. As an action, you can bestow this sight on an ally within 30' of you for 10 minutes. Once you use this trait to bestow darkvision on another, you cannot do so again until you finish a long or short rest.

Element-touched

• Firelight Flicker: As an action, you can teleport to an unoccupied location you can see within 30' that is not behind total cover. You can use this trait a number of times equal to half your proficiency bonus, regaining expended uses when you finish a long rest.
• Shielding Stone: As a reaction when you or a creature you can see within 30' of you is hit by an attack, you can increase the AC of the target by your proficiency bonus against the triggering attack and all other attacks until the end of the current turn. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining expended uses when you finish a long rest.
• Rushing Waves: As an action, one creature within 5' must make a Strength saving throw of a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your choice of Strength or Constitution modifier. On a failed save, they are pushed 10' and knocked prone. On a success, they are only pushed 5'. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining expended uses when you finish a long rest.
• Lightning Burst: As an action, all creatures within 5' must make a Dexterity saving throw with DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your choice of Strength or Constitution or take <proficiency>d8 lightning damage and be unable to take reactions until the start of their next turn. On a success, half damage. You can use this feature a number of times equal to half your proficency bonus, regaining expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Dragon-touched

Fey-touched

Cultures

Generic (multi-region)

Cosmopolitan

• Region: Any major city
• Ability Score Increase: +1 Wisdom
• Languages: any one common language
• Proficiencies: Insight, one musical instrument and one game set
• Coin Counter: You can buy for a 10% discount and sell for a 10% markup.

Maritime

• Region: Byssia, Serpent Dominion, Southshore
• Ability Score Increase: +1 Dexterity OR Strength
• Languages: sena'ka OR ihmisi OR gwerin
• Proficiencies: water vehicles, Survival, cartographer's tools
• Like a Fish: you have a swim speed equal to half your speed.

Tribal

• Region: Fiatch Wood, Kotimaa, Byssian Highlands, Jungle of Fangs, and many others
• Ability Score Increase: +1 Strength, Constitution, or Wisdom
• Languages: Ngyon Toi (goblin), ard-teang (orc), or ihmisi
• Proficiencies: Survival, woodcarvers and leatherworkers tools
• Hardy: Once per long rest, you can reduce your Exhaustion level by one when you finish a short rest.

Religious

• Region: Sea of Grass, Jungle of Fangs
• Ability Score Increase: +1 Wisdom OR +1 Charisma
• Languages: Old Imperial OR lucian (infernal/celestial...ish)
• Proficiencies: Religion, Insight, one artisan's tools of your choice
• Ascendant Guidance: You can cast augury as a ritual.

Rural

Specific

Wall-builder

• Region: Sea of Grass
• Ability Score Increase: + 1 Wisdom
• Languages: Old Imperial
• Proficiencies: Religion, Insight, a musical instrument
• Consensus Builder: You have advantage on any Charisma (Persuasion) check made to improve someone's attitude toward you.

Wyrmhold Clan

Ancestral

Fang-kin

Uulani

Abandoned Clan

Major Lineage Features

Fiendish Inheritance: Magic Initiate: Warlock (including fiend warlock extra spells)

Celestial Inheritance: Magic Initiate: Cleric

Flicker: Non-magical misty step, half-proficiency/LR

Shielding Stone: As shield, but can target either self or another creature within 30'. Lasts until the end of the current turn (not round).

Rushing Water: One creature within 5' must make a Strength saving throw of a DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + the ASI you chose for this legacy. On a failed save, they are pushed 10' and knocked prone. On a success, they are only pushed 5'.

Lightning Burst: All creatures within 5' must make a DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + ASI Dexterity saving throw or take <proficiency>d8 lightning damage and be unable to take reactions until the start of their next turn. On a success, half damage. Prof/LR.