Eternals
After clawing through the flesh, the symbiote attaches itself to the spinal cord. The wizened old elf opens his eyes, hops on his legs - tossing away the walking stick - and stretches his arms. "Ah, far better. That glass jar was far too cramped for my liking." as he looks to his pale-faced companions. "This... is disgusting." the Aasimar replies, holding his golden shield up as if to fend off the sight he just witnessed. "Is it? I found him rather adorable in his symbiote form." the halfling chuckles, strapping his lute over his shoulders, ready to carry on. "Well, I can't help being who and what I am. I am just glad we came across this idiot of an elf, flinging spells at us... that madman."
adventuring company
Eternal Physiology
A tiny leech-like symbiote creaturse, Eternals inhabit and take control over bodies of other races. They possess scythe-like claws with which they move and are capable of burrowing deep into the flesh of a creatures body and attach themselves to the spinal cord in the neck region. Their skin appears in a variety of different colors, but all of them possess a prismatic shimmer when light shines upon them. Elder Eternals develop the capabilities of emitting a light glow from their eyes and thick, vein-like bulges running across the sides of their head. They are hermaphrodites, laying a handful of small oozing pods from which new Eternals hatch.
Eternal Names
Eternals tend to describe themselves with adjectives instead of giving themselves full names more common with the other races.
Symbiote Names: The Adaptable One, The Venerate, The Furious, The Brutal, The Serene One, The Mischiveous, The Agile One, The Greedy One, The Humble.
Eternal Traits
Your Eternal has unique qualities related to its symbiote form.
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma increases by 2.
Age. Eternals mature within a few months timespan. Due to strong regenerative fluids produced within their bodies which they secrete, they have an indefinite lifespan which lets the bodies they inhabit age at half their usual rate, but are otherwise still mortal.
Alignment. Being creatures of possibly indefinite lifespans, Eternals gravitate to no specific alignment. They can be found in the lawful ranks of orders or inhabiting beings wandering free, gravitating towards chaotic alignments. Their past experiences make them suitable candidates for both good and evil alignments. Due to their lifespan, they tend to form strong opinions, leading to neutral aligned Eternals being a rarity.
Languages. You can speak, read and write in Common and Deep Speech.
Symbiote Form. You possess a symbiote form with its own traits.
Host Body. Eternals live within humanoid host creatures with their own traits.
Master of the Mind. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed.
Soothing Thoughts. Eternals do not require sleep. Instead, their minds turn inwards into a tranquil state of soothing thoughts. While in this state you have disadvantage on all rolls perceiving or reacting to your surroundings. After resting for a period of 8 hours in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.
Host Bodies
Your eternals host body possesses its own features and racial traits. While controlling a host body you gain the following traits.
Size. You use the size of your host body.
Speed. You use the walking speed of your host body. If the host body has a special type of movement, you also gain access to it.
Regenerative Fluids. Your symbiote body produces regenerative fluids that can be secreted. You have a pool of healing power to your total level × 3. As a bonus action, you can secrete these regenerative fluids to restore a number of hit points to your host body, up to the maximum amount remaining in this pool. This pool replenishes on a long rest.
Gaining a Host
After successfully using Flesh Dive on a creature, you can assume control of it as part of a long rest. The target creature must be of the humanoid type. While wrestling for control over the body, you do not get the benefits of resting during that long rest and are considered incapacitated. You retain all class levels and attribute score increases when switching to a new host body.
Leaving a Host
As an action, you can leave your host body. You deal 1d4 points of piercing damage, but the creature remains otherwise unharmed. The creature regains full control over its body. You lose access to the racial traits and ability score increase granted by your host body.
Hit Points
While in your host body, you use your normal Hit Points as described by your classes.
Taking Damage
All damage you take is dealt to your host body and the standard damage rules apply. If your host body dies, you can remain within it for 1 Minute. You can still be targeted within the dead body by a creature aware of your existence. After 1 Minute you are forced to leave the body in your symbiote form.
Equipment
You have access to, and gain all benefits of equipment and magical items you wear, wield and use while in your host body.
Your First Host
At character creation you can choose a host of your choice. You can define their looks and sex as you desire. Work with your DM to work out which races are available in the setting and the most likely candidates for your first host. Keep in mind that you do not inhabit any of the races traits, unless otherwise clarified in the Host Racial Traits section.
Host Racial Traits
While inhabiting a host body you do not gain access to any languages, spells, skills or tool proficiencies from your host body, nor any traits accumulated through societal understanding or knowledge. However, you do gain the following additional Traits based on its race.
Dwarf. Your Constitution score increases by 1. You gain the Darkvision and Dwarven Resilience traits.
Elf. Your Dexterity score increases by 1. You gain the Darkvision and Keen Senses traits.
Halfling. Your Dexterity score increases by 1. You gain the Halfling Nimbleness trait.
Human. Two different ability scores of your choice increase by 1. You cannot increase your Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma using this trait.
Dragonborn. Your Strength score increases by 1. You gain the Damage Resistance trait depending on its Draconic Ancestry.
Gnome. Your Dexterity score increases by 1. You gain the Darkvision trait.
Half-Elf. One ability score of your choice increases by 1. You cannot increase your Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma using this trait. You gain the Darkvision trait.
Half-Orc. Your Strength score increases by 1. You gain the Darkvision and Relentless Endurance traits.
Tiefling. Your Dexterity score increases by 1. You gain the Darkvision and Hellish Resistance traits.
Aasimar. Your Constitution score increases by 1. You gain the Darkvision and Celestial Resistance traits.
Firbolg. Your Constitution score increases by 1. You gain the Powerful Build trait.
Goliath. Your Strength score increases by 1. You gain the Powerful Build and Mountain Born traits.
Kenku. Your Dexterity score increases by 1. You gain the Mimicry trait. You are not affected by the Kenkus inherent curse and can speak and think normally.
Lizardfolk. Your Constitution score increases by 1. You gain the Hold Breath and Natural Armor traits.
Tabaxi. Your Dexterity score increases by 1. You gain the Darkvision and Feline Agility traits.
Triton. Your Constitution score increases by 1. You gain the Amphibious and Guardians of the Depths traits.
Bugbear. Your Strength score increases by 1. You gain the Darkvision, Long-Limbed and Powerful Build traits.
Goblin. Your Dexterity score increases by 1. You gain the Darkvision and Nimble Escape traits.
Hobgoblin. Your Constitution score increases by 1. You gain the Darkvision trait.
Kobold. Your Dexterity score increases by 1. You gain the Darkvision and Sunlight Sensitivity traits.
Orc. Your Strength score increases by 1. You gain the Darkvision and Powerful Build traits.
Yuan-Ti Pureblood. Your Constitution score increases by 1. You gain the Darkvision and Poison Immunity traits.
Symbiote Form
While detached from the spinal cord of a host body you control the Eternal in its symbiote form, gaining access to the following traits.
Size. Eternals are creatures ranging from 5-12 inches in size. Your size is tiny.
Speed. An Eternals symbiote speed is 10 ft.
Flesh Dive. You can burrow into a creatures body as an Action. You deal 1d4 points of piercing damage to the target creature. At the start of the creatures next turn it falls unconscious. You cannot burrow through solid metal, stone or wood.
Feeble. Your symbiote form is very small and delicate. You cannot speak, but you still understand the languages you know. You are incapable of wielding or wearing any kind of equipment. Your Armor Class is 10. You can't take the Attack, Cast a Spell or Use an Object action while in this form, and you have a maximum HP of 1. Dropping to 0 Hit Points in this form immediately kills you.
Symbiote And Host Relation
While playing an Eternal character, it is generally a good idea to keep in mind that you are the symbiote creature inhabiting the host body, not the host body itself - even though you have total control over it. Consider your host body as an extension, a tool - your only fleshy symbiote equipment you wear.
Variant Rule: Simple Hosts
If you desire a simpler approach to racial traits gained by your host body you can use the following rules.
At character creation, in addition to your Ability Score Increase, one additional ability score of your choice increases by 1. You cannot increase your Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma score using this variant rule, and you cannot change which ability score you chose afterwards.
If your host body has access to the Darkvision and Sunlight Sensitivity traits, you also gain these racial traits.
Licenses
Eternals Race for D&D 5e by Dominik Köllges is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC and available at https://dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document. The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.