Serpentborn Race
My first official homebrew post! A racial option for the world of Neptulora, created because one of my players wanted something different. Each serpent gives you an ASI, and one to two racial abilities. The second page details some lore behind the serpents for Neptulora, stats and more fluff text/lore will come on them. I’ve included a full transcription of the images above below the cut.
This is still being playtested and will be updated!Â
Link to homebrewery!
Serpentborn
Born of serpents, as their name proclaims, the serpentborn walk proudly through a world that greets them with fearful incomprehension. Shaped by serpentine gods or the serpents themselves, serpentborn were placed in the ocean to forge a peace between the sea and the land.
Descended from Sea Serpents
Great sea serpents birthed the humanoid creatures that walk the ocean floor and act as guardians and emmisaries to all land dwelling creatures, interfering in human affairs as their lords see fit.
These intelligent humanoids exist to serve their lords will and will do anything asked of them.
Prideful Serpent Spawn
Serpentborn look very much like sea serpents standing erect in humanoid form. The first serpentborn had scales of green and blue hues matching the colors of their serpent kin. Their hands and feet are strong, talonlike claws with three fingers and a thumb on each hand.
They are a very proud race who rarely come to the surface, keeping to themselves and their depths, only coming on the land when a favor is called upon them or a terrible evil comes down.
Those who dwell on the land are either emmisaries sent straight from their lord or have been cast out and exiled by their tribe for some ill begotten deed. They live by the sea or any body of water that reminds them of home.
Protectors of the Deep
The serpentborn look after the ancient temples from before the ocean claimed their lands and humans claimed everything. They make trade with the merfolk and other undersea folk.
They will trade with passing sailors and other fishermen, not being picky over race, gender, or social standing.
Serpentborn Traits
Your acsent from serpents is manifested by traits passed down to you.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2.
Age. Serpentborn mature faster than humans and have inderterminate lifespans, the oldest known stating that he was over 400 years old.
Alignment. Living mainly with their tribe and staying under the waves, serpentborn are typically neutral.
Size. Serpentborn are taller and heavier than most humans, avereging around 6 and half feet tall and weighing around 200 lbs. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 ft. and your base swimming speed is 40 ft.
Darkvision. Accustomed to the depths of the ocean, you have superior vision at night and underwater. You have darkvision up to 60 ft.
Languages. You speak, read, and write Common and Deep Speech.
Amphibious. The Serpentborn can breathe air and water easily.
Subrace. You are descended from some of the most terryifing creatures under the waves. Being raised as a terror or a blessing to sailors on the sea. The most common serpentborn that walk the shores and land are the descendants of the Briny Serpent, Shallows Serpent, and Wreck Serpent. Those who are more secluded are those born of Aboleth, Kraken, and Leviathan.
Aboleth
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1.
Tail. While the aboleth tried to perfect the humanoid form for their creations they could not remove the tail. Those born under the aboleth have a prehensile tail that does 1d6 + your strength modifier.
Telepathy. The aboleth serpentborn inheirited the ability to communicate telepathically with any creature within 60 ft.
Briny Serpent
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Coiling. The briny serpentborn has advantage on Str. grappling checks.
Kraken
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Ink Cloud. If underwater Kraken serpentborn can use an action to expel an ink cloud in a 30-foot radius, it lasts until the end of the serpentborns next turn. All creatures in the 30-foot radius must succed on a DC 13 Perception check or be blinded until the cloud disappears.
Leviathan
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.
Thunderclap. The serpentborn can cast the thunderclap cantrip at will.
Shallows Serpent
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.
Slippery. You gain adavantage on Str checks to escape grapples.
Wreck Serpent
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.
Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determing your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
History of The Serpents
These creatures which the Serpentborn call master and lord are said to be older than the gods themselves. They were pushed into the depths of the seas by the gods to protect their bipeadal creations. Seeing this the serpents decided to create their own people to worship and love them. This was the birth of the Serpentborn, a mockery of the humanoids the gods protected.
The Aboleth
Long before the gods aboleths lurked in the oceans and underground lakes. They reached our with their minds and seized control of the burgeoning life-forms of the mortal realm, making these creatures their slaves. After the true gods appeared and smashed the abloeths' empire and freeing their slaves, the aboleths turned to creating creatures of their own design.
The first attempts at creating life ended horribly, leaving the creatures that were spawned horribly deformed and unable to live for more than a few minutes at a time outside of water. After centuries of trying they were able to steal a dragon egg and were able to mutate the dragon young into breathing air and water, and walking bipeadal.
The Kraken
These serpents rest under the waves in the deepest rifts and creavases they can fit in. After the creation of the oceans and seeing humanoids begin to sail their waters they decided to make them be fearful of the oceans once again. Once they were being hunted by humanoids did they turn and hide back in their dark corners of the ocean.
The serpentborn birthed of the Krakens magic have lurked in the deep for so long that they appear to be blind but are expert navigators.
The Leviathan
Living even deeper than the kraken and aboleth, the leviathan is a singular creature, once the pet of the sea gods, was cast out for being too blood thirsty and killing any humanoids that crossed it's path.
It gave birth to many different serpents that live in the sea and created their own humanoid offspring.
Briny Serpents
Born of the Leviathan, the serpents occupy the same level that most fish do, staying mainly in its caverns it sends out its humanoid children to retrieve more treasure for it. It will sleep for years at a time, awaking only when it treasure is threatened by outsiders.
Briny serpentborn rarely leave the ocean floor and when they do it's because their master cast them out of their cavern and tribe, leaving them to their devices, knowing that no other tribe will accept them.
Shallows Serpent
This is the smallest of the Leviathans spawn. Living in the shallows, rivers, and lakes it preys on anything smaller than it. Most societies that live with one nearby have sated them with sacrafices and honouring them as gods.
These societies that worship a shallows serpent are sometimes granted a shallows serpentborn as a liason with the creature. These serpentborn are treated as demigods and given the utmost respect.
Wreck Serpent
Another of the Leviathans dark spawn, the wreck serpent prowls just under the sight line of ships and attacks at the most oppurtune moment, sinking ships by the dozens then eating their crews.
It is most commonly mistaken for a kraken due to it's immenisity and prowess in the seas, the only tell signs are it's armored skull made for ramming ships and it is slightly smaller in size.
