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 an additional passive cultural trait from a different culture.

Dwarf

Ihmisi

Orc

Regional Lineages

Hobgoblin (Western Noefra)

Gwerin (Western Noefra, Southern Soefra)

Halfling (Western Noefra)

Dragonborn, True (Western Noefra)

Sher'ka (Great Rift)

Zandolit (Great Rift)

Ophidian (Jungle of Fangs)

Soulforged (Western Noefra)

Barbegazi (Nocthean Caldera)

Jazuu (Noefra)

Rare Lineages

Cysgor

Goror

Gnome

Kalasaa

Touched Lineages

Light-touched (Celestial)

Fiend-touched (devil)

Hell-touched (demon)

[Flame|Ocean|Wind|Stone]-touched (elemental)

Dragon-touched

Fey-touched

Cultures

Generic (multi-region)

Cosmopolitan

Maritime

Tribal

Rootless

Rural

Specific

Wall-builder (God-bound)

Wyrmhold Clan

Ancestral

Fang-kin

Uulani

Abandoned Clan

Major Lineage Features

Desperate Plea: When you make an attack roll, saving throw, or ability check and fail, you can choose to reroll the d20 but must take the second result. You can use this a number of times equal to half your proficiency bonus per long rest.

Stone's Endurance: Once per rest when you spend a hit die, you can choose to either remove a level of exhaustion or maximize the healing received from the hit die. If you remove exhaustion, you still roll the hit die and recover hit points as usual.

Legacy of Knowledge: When you make an Intelligence or Charisma ability check, you can choose to apply double your proficiency bonus instead of whatever level of proficiency (including none) would apply. Proficiency bonus per long rest.

Voices of the Kami: While on the mortal plane, can meditate for 1 minute. During that time, senses expand to 100ft (200 @ 5, 500 @11, 1000 @ 17) (vision and hearing) and can sense any creature within range. Location of "unnatural" creatures (fiends, undead, aberrations, celestials) are pinpointed and type is known. Half-prof/LR. In cities or other "worked" environments, range is halved and only unnatural creatures are known.

Fury's Legacy: You can rage as if you were a level 1 barbarian once per day. During this special rage, you can concentrate on spells but cannot cast them. If you have the Rage class feature, you instead gain another use of that (and can concentrate while raging as well).

Weaponized Charm: Proficiency bonus per long rest, you can force a target that is either in combat with your or with whom you are interacting 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.

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 + CHA + 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.

Draconic Soul: Choose:

• Breath weapon (as in Fizban's)
• Innate sorcery (Magic Initiate: Sorcerer)
• Draconic Fear (as Xanathar's Feat)

Lightning Core: As a bonus action, you cause your weapon attacks (including unarmed strikes) to deal an extra 1d4 lightning damage on hit for one minute. Proficiency/LR

Kami-Touched: Magic Initiate: Druid

By the Book: After you roll a d20 but before you know the outcome, you can choose to replace the die rolled with a 10. Proficiency/LR.

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.