Xeriith
"Yup, that's my daughter... touched by the wild magic of the world, y'know? Though she may not be of my own kin by blood, I would die for her, I'll tell ya. Hm? What are you talking about? Her mouth? Perhaps your looking too close, friend!"
-Daedr Fiamo'r, Leader of the Far Travelers
Whether by accident or purposefully, the mystical power of aberrations can sew their threads into the weave of many a humanoids bloodline. Neither human nor elf nor orc is safe from their accursed touch, and each strand of aberrant magic presents it's own strange anomalies.
Mutant Aberrations
Xeriith come from humanoids infected by the terrifying magic that powers the far realm and the various beings born of it's universe warping magnitude. When a humanoid is inflicted with such energy, it may not rear it's head for many generations.
A xeriith may not know it's secret origins, as their form will not change for the former part of their life, but when it does, these traits overpower their original tendencies. The being will become a new breed, different from their original kind. The transformation is gruesome, usually painful, yet rarely life threatening. Over the course of weeks, new appendages will grow, bumps and boils will turn into eyes, the sheen of sticky smelly slime will cover their bodies.
Creeping Wanderers
Much like a tiefling, a xerrith is a normal humanoid by all accounts, and can live a perfectly normal life, yet rarely will. Urges may start to form from their newly aberrant minds, a taste for the thoughts of others, to create a lair and rule over weaklings, to hoard and hide items, to do despicable things. A sense of planning, a deep though structure, a paranoia that mutates the minds of those afflicted.
Xerrith may find themselves as travelers and adventurers simply due to circumstance. Their exceptional abilities aiding them in monster hunting and dungeon exploration. Rarely accepted in the towns they stop in due to their mutant appearance, they will continue to wander. The average peasant has never seen a mind flayer, a beholder, or an aboleth, so xerrith will go unaffiliated with any horrible being and instead be judged based on the oddness of their skin, the dangling tentacles, and the bulging eyes.
Many sides of the Same Coin
In the same way Aberrant minds differ from one another, how Beholders and Mind Flayers are so different yet still under a single classification, so too are xerrith all of such different make and physiology yet still under the same race.
Certain differences find themselves between the subraces as well, yet they're still classified under the same name. Two beholderkin could be entirely different, one more closely related to a death kiss while another is fleshy like a gauth, yet they still fall under the same umbrella.
Xerrith Names
Due to the mutation taking place later in the life of a xerrith, their names will come commonly from their original race. Still, certain xerrith will allow their aberrant tendencies to take over their sociality, and will take names more often taken by their distant brethren
Xeriith Traits
Your aberrant character has a plethora of racial benefits, due to their strange biology.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1
Age. Xeriith begin showing their strange features in their mid-teens, and live about a hundred years. Abolethborn live far longer though, up to four centuries.
Alignment. Despite their heritage, xeriith are humanoid at heart, the best and worse can be found among them. Though they have a tendency for selfishness
Size. Xeriith can range between 5 feet to over 6 feet. Your size is medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Aberrant Mind. You have resistance to psychic damage, and have advantage on saving throws against creatures attempting to read your mind.
Languages. You can read, write, and speak Common and Deep Speech.
Subrace. Not all aberrations are the same, and in the same way, neither are all xeriith. You may choose a subrace based on your heritage; Aboleth, Beholder, Flumph, Mimic, Morkoth, or Illithid.
Aboleth Tainted
As an aboleth tainted, your heritage wasn't a mistake, nor an experiment. You are part of infinitely deep schemes of a far away being. This being may have forced it's power into your bloodline, or may have struck a deal with a great great grandparent. Whether or not you're willing, you're a stitch in the endless weave that is it's plans for power.
An aboleth tainted will usually sport gills on their neck, vestigial tentacles sprouting from their back. They may have pale skin, sharp teeth, or perhaps an extra eye. Their eyes may be completely black, and they may have fewer fingers than the average person of their race. Their skin will shine a bit more, and may have a slimy texture.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2
Amphibious. You can breathe both air and water.
Ancient Knowledge. You gain proficiency in the history skill, you have advantage on remembering planar events.
Aquatic Physiology. You have a swimming speed of 30 feet.
Psychic Drain. As a bonus action, you can force a creature within 30 ft. of you to make an intelligence saving throw, on a fail, they take 2d6 Psychic Damage. The DC of this saving throw is equal 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier. This damage increases to 3d6 at 6th level, 4d6 at 11th level, and 5d6 at 16th level.
Once you do this, you must take a short or long rest before doing it again.
Beholderkin
From a far away realm where Gauth, Gazers, and Beholders roam, the reality warping dreams of these selfish creatures manifested in you. Perhaps they dreamed of a particular random human, and that unfortunate being was your great grandmother. Now, you share at least a bit of kinship with these creatures.
Beholderkin have the wide range of features beholders have. Though they all share a few traits. Their eyes are much more pronounced, and they may have blind, numb eyes on certain spots of their body. They could even sport an vestigial eyestalk or mouth tentacle. Their skin may have patches of scales. Their eye color varies from harsh white to deep black.
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2
Beholder Float. You have a fly speed of 15 ft. You cannot use this speed when wearing medium or heavy armor
Telekinisis Ray. You know the mage hand Cantrip.
Disintigration Eye Ray. As an action, you can shoot a glare at a creature within 100 feet of you, shooting a beam from your eye. Make a ranged spell attack using Charisma as your spellcasting ability. On a hit, the target takes 2d6 + your charisma modifier force damage. If this damage reduces the target to 0 hit points, it is disintegrated. This damage increases to 3d6 at 6th level, 4d6 at 11th level, and 5d6 at 16th level.
Once you cast this, you must take a short or long rest before doing it again.
Flumph
The most confusing, rare, and ill studied of the xeriith kind, Flumph are a subset that wear about them bulging eyes, vestigial tentacles, and a positive attitude. Though many are from the underdark, there are those who are born on the surface. It is theorized that Flumph appear in areas where psionic activity is high. Flumph are the most positive and kind of the xeriith, and have a tendency to be good people, though solitary.
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2
Psychic Hunger. Whenever you are targeted by psychic damage from a hostile creature you gain all the nutrition you would from a days worth of rations and water.
Psychic Shroud. Your mind cannot be read unwillingly through telepathic or magical means.
Telepathic Sense. You cannot be surprised by creatures who use Telepathy, and can listen in to any telepathic conversation within 60 feet of you by concentrating on it (following concentration rules for spellcasting)
Positive Being. You know the friends Cantrip. When you reach 6th level, you become able to cast calm emotions once per day, your spellcasting ability for this spell is Charisma.
Mimic Spawn
Mimic Spawn are not humanoid, not even close. You were born from a Mimic, sprouted from the back of a behemoth or simply birthed a normal chest with teeth. Now brought up from your low intellect to something greater. Having a sentience beyond instinct, you wander the world, ever hungry.
Mimic Spawn, though naturally looking human (or of any other medium race), have a variety of imperfections; orange eyes, blue shaded tongues and lips, and a gooey sheen of adhesive fluid across their skin, all betraying their true nature.
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2
Adhesive. Your skin is sticky with a strange ooze you secrete, you have advantage on checks against being disarmed or shoved.
Iron Stomach. You have advantage on Constitution Saving Throws against harmful effects caused by foods you have ingested. You can also consume up to 30 pounds of metals and regurgitate them at will, any object you eat can be no larger than a cubic foot (You are able to unhinge your jaw to eat large things such as this)
Sharp Teeth. Your powerful teeth are natural weapons, you can use them to make an unarmed strike. If you hit with this, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage for a normal unarmed strike.
Shapechanger. You count as a shapechanger for the purposes of spells and effects.
Once per short rest, you can use your action to change your shape into a common object that is of your size or smaller. While in this object form, your speed is reduced to 15 feet, and you can only use your bite attack. Any equipment you have changes with you. While in this form, you are indistinguishable from an ordinary object. You can use your action to change back to your true form at any time.
Morkothkin
The Petrified Husk of a long dead god embedded it's power in one of your ancestors, this deity which spawned the first morkoths, passed it's strange greed and lust to you.
Morkothkin regularly have tentacles, and strange glassy eyes like a fish. They also will normally grow gills and their lips might be harder, like a beak.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 2
Amphibious. You can breathe both air and water.
Squidlike. You have a swimming speed of 30 feet.
Cantrip. You can cast the mage hand cantrip
Hypnosis. As an action, you can force a creature within 30 ft. of you to make an Intelligence saving throw or be charmed until the end of it's next turn. You can do this once per long When charmed in this way, the target will be unable to do anything but move towards you, using it's dash action until it is within five feet of you. If it succeeds on this saving throw, it is immune to your hypnosis for 24 hours. The DC of this saving throw is equal 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier. The number of creatures you can affect with this at a time increases to 2 at 6th level, 3 at 11th level, and 4 at 16th level The creatures affected must all be within 30 ft. of you.
Once you do this, you must take a long rest before doing it again.
Illithid Tainted
In a much more sinister series of events, one of your ancestors was a guinea pig for mind flayer experiments, or might have been a mutated mind flayer. Regardless, your blood is stained with the taste of these brain eating monsters.
Illithidborn sport slimier skin, perhaps shifting into blue tones. They'll also have a vestigial tentacle growing from the back of their necks, or even over their mouths. Their eyes will usually be a full black, and their hands may be a bit elongated.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 2
Detect Thoughts. You can cast detect thoughts once per long rest, but are only able to detect surface thoughts of a single creature. You can achieve the same effect as the deepest thought probe of detect thoughts by eating the brain of a creature that has been dead for no longer than ten minutes.
Minor Telepathy. You know the Message cantrip
Psychic Blast. As an action, you can force a creature within 30 ft. of you to make an Intelligence saving throw or be frightened of you until the end of it's next turn. The DC of this saving throw is equal 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier. The number of creatures you can affect with this at a time increases to 2 at 6th level, 3 at 11th level, and 4 at 16th level.
Once you do this, you must take a long rest before doing it again.
Qualith. You can read and write Qualith. When you write in this tactile based language, you may specify a series of three messages embedded inside of no more than 20 words each as well as it's intended receiver. The intended recipient is able to understand all the messages left behind by touching the writing. All rules for Qualith otherwise apply.
Quirks
Even if you can hold your aberrant traits at bay, your mind still suffers from aberration thoughts, roll or pick a quirk below to highlight the alien features of your mind.
Aboleth Tainted Quirks
| d4 | Quirk |
|---|---|
| 1 | I speak with a haughty, above it all attitude, as I know I am the true ruler of the material plane. |
| 2 | I believe my role in my Aboleth's plans essential, and I wish only to meet it so I may help. |
| 3 | I treat my allies and friends as minions |
| 4 | I wish to create a lair, and regularly add water to whatever spot of rest I find myself in |
Beholderkin Quirks
| d4 | Quirk |
|---|---|
| 1 | I believe my form is the height of Beholders, and that other Beholders are always trying to kill me |
| 2 | I cover one eye to emulate the central eye of a beholder |
| 3 | I get satisfaction from licking magical objects like a gauth |
| 4 | I am endlessly paranoid and over-plan for all occasions |
Flumph Quirks
| d4 | Quirk |
|---|---|
| 1 | I always try to offer helpful advice, no matter who I'm talking to |
| 2 | I enjoy being as close to others as possible, with their psychic energy filling the air, it's like smelling pastries |
| 3 | I smell very very bad |
| 4 | I enjoy being in high places, pretending I can float |
Mimic Spawn Quirks
| d4 | Quirk |
|---|---|
| 1 | I retain many of my instincts, and behave animalistically |
| 2 | I enjoy eating raw meat, and refuse to eat cooked foods |
| 3 | I love dank and dark locations to rest in, especially dungeons and other subterranean areas |
| 4 | I make up identities and personalities for different outfits, as if trying to shapechange into other humanoid forms as well as objects |
Morkothkin Quirks
| d4 | Quirk |
|---|---|
| 1 | I believe there is an island out there for me, and will find it at all costs |
| 2 | I love hoarding gold and goods, almost as much as I hate thieves |
| 3 | I think of my friends not as friends, but as my own personal collection of humanoids |
| 4 | I am the center of attention, the most important person in the room, and will always act as such |
Illithid Tainted Quirks
| d4 | Quirk |
|---|---|
| 1 | I wish to start a colony of Mind Flayers, as I believe myself to be an Ulitharid. |
| 2 | I constantly fear Gith attacks, though it's unlikely I'd ever meet one. |
| 3 | I constantly have a craving for brains |
| 4 | I am infatuated with scientific research, and I lose all sense of personal space and danger when I am interested in a creature |
Racial Feats
(Untested, buyer beware!)
Aboleth Memory
Prerequisite: Aboleth Tainted
Your mind becomes a tome of knowledge. You gain the following benefits.
- Increase your Intelligence score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- You can recall any historical information you have ever heard.
- You can recall any planar event of major note, regardless of whether you have heard of it or not (DM's discression).
- You have advantage on all checks to recall any history relating to Aboleths
Beholder's Eyes
Prerequisite: Beholderkin
Once per long rest you can change your eye ray to one of the following options. The Save DC for the appropriate ray is 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier.
Slowing Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a Wisdom Saving Throw or have their speed halved for one minute.
Enervation Ray. Your disintigration ray's force damage is replaced by necrotic.
Anti-Magic Ray. You can use your eye ray to cast Dispel Magic as a 3rd level spell.
Brain Expert
Prerequisite: Illithid Tainted
You grow increasingly connected to your Mind Flayer origins, giving you the following benefits.
- You can now reach the second level of thought probing with your detect thoughts.
- There is no longer a time limit on how long a creature can be dead before you eat it's brain.
- Your Qualith becomes indecipherable by recipients it is not meant for.
Island of your Own
Prerequisite: Morkothkin
You gain access to an extra planar island for you to place your treasure and goods. This island is 10 ft. in diameter and can support up to 300 pounds of material, nothing can fall off or leave the island without you removing it. You can perform a 10 minute long ritual to open a portal that any medium creature can pass through in order to access this island once per long rest. Any creature other than you that remains on this island after the portal closes will be frozen in time until it is reopened.
While on the island you can open a portal at any time to exit.
Artist - http://haohi.tumblr.com/ (AKA Less) but colored by me. WARNING NSFW
Backdrop for Beholderkin - Dormamu's Domain from Doctor Strange, owned by Disney