Star Child

SHE SAT STARRING BLANKLY AT THE NIGHT SKY sighing. She knew it was going to be a hard couple of days, being so close to such highly populated areas, but it was still tiring. She could remember the days before her blood awakened, and she could remember the brief period of time when she was forced out of her home. She didn't blame her ex-neighbors, the deformities that began showing around that time were hardly pleasant to look at, but that didn't stop her from lamenting her situation. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't have gone anywhere near such large settlements, but she had heard rumors that there was an encampment filled with others like her, yet different in certain ways. She truly hoped this wasn't a trap, but the possibility to meet others who shared her experiences, and to find a place of safety and rest where simply to good to pass up on that risk.

It was almost time to start moving again, the moon was almost at its apex, so she simply got and finished with packing up her camp, and started in the direction she heard the encampment, North-East. She was on her way to a new home, or so she hopped.

— Jess S. Veilfranch, The Star Follower

"Star Child" is something of a catch all term to describe individuals who have been altered in some fundamental way by forces of great, and unnatural power. There is a great amount of diversity among the Star Children, as they come about in a myriad of ways, from bloodlines, to accidental exposure to planar radiation, or even failed attempts at turning the individual into something else, Star Children are about as diverse as they come.

Self-relient and Savvy

Star Children are not the necessarily the most trusted of individuals, and are by far some of the least welcome. Their appearance alone is often enough to cause many to assume that they mean harm, and they hardly ever get to say their piece before they are run out of town. As a result, many have lead solitary lives, giving them an edge when surviving outside of civilized areas, and are more than used to having to hide their appearance when they do have to get into contact with civilized areas, gaining a unique skill set to manipulate others to get what they need, or want.

Mark of the outside

The singular most aspect of a Star Child is the nature of their exposure to the aberrant energies that made them the way they are. If they were born that way, then they often feel alien impulses or desires, some that may even be called outright evil. If they they slowly developed their alien features, they may hold grudges against their former friends, family and neighbors, or simply adopt a fatalistic world view. If they became what they are through experiments, they may exult in their transformation if it was intentional, or be horrified by what they turned into if it was accidental. If they were intentionally twisted into their current state, they are wracked with senses of loss for their former lives, and anger for those that turned them into what they are today.

Survivors or Masterminds

All Star Children are skilled enough to survive on their own, otherwise they would have died long before they reached maturity. However, some have taken this a step further. More often than not, the only individuals that are willing to accept a Star Child are those who often suffer from extreme prejudice themselves, other Star Children, or individuals who see them as blessed from an alien influence. As such, whenever a Star Child is apart of a large community, it is often a settlement built from scratch and filled with society's rejects, or as a part of a cult. Nonetheless, in most cases, a Star Child is more than willing to lay down their life for the sake of their adopted family or community, with no cost being too high. In other cases, they excel in leadership positions, as their experience manipulating others gives them an advantage in positions of powers.

Star Child Traits

Your Star Child character has a number of traits in common with all other Star Children

Age. Most Star Children mature at the same speed as humans, although some mature at an incredible pace, reaching mental and physical maturity at 5 years of age. Most live less than a century, though some can live up to three centuries or more, while an extremely small few live only to be 20 years old.

Alignment. Star Children are almost always neutral in some regard, always leaning towards being as pragmatic as possible. Very few tend toward lawful natures, as most settlements that would allow such an alignment are often to hostile towards Star Children for it to be almost an impossibility. Quite a few tend towards being chaotic, as both their inherent nature and environment encourages such a trend. Very few are of any good alignment, since the world is a thankless one for them, but those that are tend to be paragons in selflessness. Quite a few end up being evil, simply due to it being in their very blood, and/or the world forcing them there.

Size. Your size is somewhere between 5 to 8 feet tall and weigh somewhere between 160 to 340 pounds. Your size is medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision. Accustomed to twilit forests and the night sky, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it w ere bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Aberrant Blood. You have advantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws against magic.

Savvy Survivor. You gain proficiency in the Survival skill and your choice of one of the following: Persuasion, Intimidation, Deception.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Deep speech.

Subrace. Technically, there are no subraces among the Star Children as they are not truly related on a genectic level, but there are enough similarities between the groups to have grouped them all under the term "Star Child". There are six primary groups: Far Infested, Abolethic, Half-Illithid, Slaadi-touched, Beholder-Spawned, Aberrant Experiment, and Elder Spawn.

Far Infested

As Far Infested Star Child you are by far the most common of the six potential groupings of Star Children. Your very form and mind has been twisted and mutated almost beyond recognition. No two Far Infested look alike, and they often can be held up as examples of the chaotic energies of the far realm. You can remember your past life, but whether or not that is a source of grief differs between individuals, as the exposure that turned you into what you are may very well have been intentional.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2 and your Strength or Dexterity score increases by 1.

Aberrant Mutations. Your body has been twisted almost beyond recognition, but it has gained great weapons in exchange. You are able to choose anywhere between 1 and 7 of the options below, but you must choose at least one.

Deformed Arm. One of your swells and twists into a mutilated parody of itself, as such it can’t wield weapons, but you can make slam attack that deals 2d6 bludgeoning damage.

Tumorous Eye. A mass of tumor appears somewhere on your body, at the center of which is a giant eye. You gain a +2 to your passive perception, but are unable to where armor around the tumors unless it is specifically made around it, nor do you gain the bonus if the eye is covered.

Acidic Pustules. Your body is covered in bulbous pustules. When a creature within 5 feet of you hits you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction and take an 1d4 of the attacks damage to deal 2d4 acid damage to your attacker.

Acidic Bile. Your stomach has begun mass producing stomach acids, giving you the ability to regurgitate a stream of it. You can use your action to force every creature within a 15ft. cone to make a dexterity save. Those that fail are dealt 1d12 acid damage. You must eat an amount of food equal 1/2 of your body weight, rounded up, everyday or suffer from a point of exhaustion. You can only recover from this exhaustion through magic or by consuming the necessary amount of food. The damage goes up to 2d12 at 8th level, 3d12 at 12th and 4d12 at 18th level. The DC of this saving throw is 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus.

Gnarled Hide. Your flesh has become armored with a combination of scales, thickened hide, and a pieces of a carapace, giving you an AC of 13 + your constitution modifier. However, you have a permanent -2 to all of your Persuasion and Deception rolls.

Gliding Membrane. You have formed a gliding membrane that sprouts out from the sides of your body and the undersides of your arms. When you fall and aren't incapacitated, you can subtract up to 100 feet from the fall when calculating falling damage, and you can move up to 2 feet horizontally for every 1 foot you descend, but are unable to wear clothing or armor that has not been made to accommodate it.

Creeping Legs. You sprout from your back 3-6 multi-jointed, twisted, gnarled, chitinous legs. You gain the ability to move up, down, and across vertical surfaces and upside down along ceilings, while leaving your hands free. You also gains a climbing speed equal to its walking speed. However, you are unable to wear clothing or armor that has not been specifically made to accommodate these limbs.

Amphibious Metamorphosis Your skin becomes slimy and smooth, you gain webbing between your fingers and toes, while you gain gills that open up along your neck. You can breathe air and water, and you have a swimming speed equal to your walking speed. However, you must immerse yourself in water for at least 1 hour during a day, or you suffer one level of exhaustion at the end of that day. You can only recover from this exhaustion through magic or by immersing yourself in water for at least 1 hour.

Grappling Tendrils. You sprout a number of tendrils from around your body at random areas. As an action, you can use one of them to try to grapple a creature. Each one is also a natural weapon, which you can use to make an unarmed strike. If you hit with it, the target takes bludgeoning damage equal to ld6 +your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. Immediately after hitting, you can try to grapple the target as a bonus action. The creature can attempt to break the grapple by making a strength save, the grapple ends on a successful save. The creature can attempt the save again on each of its turns. The Tendrils can't precisely manipulate anything and can't wield weapons, magic items. or other specialized equipment. You have a -2 modifier to all of your Persuasion and Deceptions checks if theses tendrils are exposed, but are unable to use them if they are hidden. The DC of this saving throw is 8 + your Strength or Dexterity modifier + your proficiency bonus.

Crushing Claw. One or both of your arms twist, contort, and split into a carapaced crustacean claw. As an action, you can make an unarmed strike against a creature within 5ft. of you. On a hit, you deal 1d6 +your strength modifier, and you can attempt to grapple the creature as part of that action. For every turn the creature is grappled in this way, it takes an additional 1d6 bludgeoning damage. The creature can attempt to break the grapple by making a strength save, the grapple ends on a successful save. The creature can attempt the save again on each of its turns. The DC of this saving throw is 8 + your Strength or Dexterity modifier + your proficiency bonus. You are unable to hold items or weapons with the claw, but you can break them on a Strength check. The DC for the check is determined by the DM.

Tentacle Arm. One of your arms breaks and twists repeatedly, until the bones inside are nothing more than dust, which is then absorbed as it elongates into a massive tentacle. You are unable to hold weapons with the arm, but you can make a whipping attack using it. On a hit, the tentacle deals 1d6 slashing damage and 1d4 acid damage, it has the reach property. It cannot be used for anything other tan attacking.

Slashing Claws. One of your hands compress and break, large beastial claws sprout from the gnarled fingers. You are unable to hold items or weapons with the claws. You can make a slashing attack using them, dealing 1d8 slashing damage on a hit.

Gnashing Jaws/Piercing Mandibles. Your jaws enlarges or begins to split as your teeth elongate and sharpen, or are absorbed. You gain a bite attack, dealing 1d6 piercing and 1d4 poison damage on a hit. The target must make a Constitution save or be poisoned for 1d4 rounds. You are unable to speak except in a halting, faltering, stuttering manor, and become unable to cast spells that require vocal components.The DC of this saving throw is 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus.

Abolethic

As an Abolethic Star Child, you are one of the singular most rare examples of a Star Child, only the Elder Spawn are rarer. You were born as you are, be it because you ended suffering from sudden mutations in the womb, or simply developed into your current form. You are the result of two incursions on your bloodline, the first of which was an Abolethic servitor somehow sired a child with an unaltered humanoid, the second was exposure to the extremely powerful psychic energies an Aboleth posses, most likely due to a pact made with one. These two incursions has caused you to develop features akin to that of an Aboleth.

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 3

Amphibious. You can breathe air and water and have a swimming speed equal to your walking speed.

Tentacles. You have 4 tentacles that sprout from the base of your neck. These tentacles have a reach of 5ft. and can hold items weighing up to 10lbs. each. You cannot wield weapons using these tentacles, and they can shrink to a smaller size to get out of the way, but are useless unless they are their natural size.

Aboleth's Eye. You have a third eye in the center of your forehead. This eye is just like your normal ones, but is extremely unsettling. You have advantage when attempting to frighten a creature.

Telepathy. You can speak telepathically to any creature you can see within 60 feet of you. You don’t need to share a language with the creature for it to understand your telepathic messages, but the creature must be able to understand at least one language or be telepathic itself. Creature's that normally can't respond to you are unable to.

Abolethic Urges. You have a number of urges that come directly from you bloodline. You are compelled to be in control of others, you must make a Wisdom save every time an opportunity comes that would let you take control of, or enslave, another creature. The DC is determined by the DM, and the roll is made at disadvantage.

Half-Illithid

As a Half-Illithid Star Child, you carry some baggage. Your creation had nothing to do with actual breeding, but was instead a result of a failed instance of ceremorphosis. The tad pool that was meant to consume your brain was uncommonly weak, and failed to consume more than your brain stem, which it had then replaced. Under normal circumstances, both you and the tad pool would have died, but you managed to survive the process. Failures are not unheard of, but they are often killed due to the fact that their existence is an embarrassment to Illithids everywhere, but every so often, one manages to escape and survive. Your body has been altered by the tad pool, you've lost all body-hair, your skin is smooth and often clammy, your finger nails grow longer and thicker, your gums recede from your teeth, your cranium expands slightly, and your pupils change to that of an Illithid's. Your expirence was painful, and traumatic, but you use it to strengthen your resolve.

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 2 and your Dexterity score Increases by 1.

Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). You know the Mage Hand cantrip. At third level you can cast Detect Thoughts and Levitate once per long rest. Intelligence is your casting ability for these spells.

Trauma Induced strength. You have advantage against being frightened, but must make a Wisdom save when confronted with some event, object, or creature that has something to do with Mind Flayers. On a failure your are considered frightened and stunned, you may repeat the save to end the effect, afterwards you are immune to this effect for 24 hours. The effect lasts until you successfully make the save, or until someone removes the cause of the effect from your line of vision, though you maintain the frightened condition for 1 additional hour. The DC is set by the DM, as appropriate for the situation, and the roll is made with disadvantage.

At 5th level your ceremorphosis is complete.

Tentacles. Two Tentacles sprout from the base of your skull. These tentacles cannot be used offensivly, but are highly dexterous, and can be made to manipulate tools, and can carry items weighing no more than 5lbs. each.

Slaadi-touched

As a Slaadi-Touched Star Child, you were born as a normal individual of your race, though you displayed multiple odd traits that were associated with all Star Children. However, as you began to mature, you began to take on traits that were more like that of a Slaadi than whatever you originally were. Your origins start with either a green slaad, or a gray slaad that had decided to experiment with an unborn child. Eventually these expirements lead to the creation of children that would slowly transform into something the looked like a half-slaad, and even eventually granted them limited shape shifting powers once they fully matured.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2 and either your Strength or Dexterity score increases by 1.

Slaadi Maturation. Starting at 3rd level you develop a stronger and wider than normal jaw, giving you a bite attack that lets you make an unarmed strike that deals 1d6 +your strength modifier piercing damage instead of your normal bludgeoning damage. At 5th level you develop claws akin to that of a green or gray slaad, which lets you make an unarmed strike that deals 1d8 +your strength modifier slashing damage instead of your normal bludgeoning damage. At 9th level you develop the ability to enter into a state of heightened metobolic action, causing you to regain hit points equal to 1/2 your player level (minimum of 1), rounded down, for 1 minute as a free action, but you gain one level of exhaustion once it has ended. You also now look like a half transformed slaad.

Shape Changer. At 10th level, you count as a shapechanger and can freely revert back to your originale form, or to your true form. You are unable to use your natural weapons if you are not in your true form. Additionally, you can innately cast Alter Self twice per long rest, and Polymorph once per long rest. Charisma is your casting ability for these spells.

Beholder-Spawned

As a Behilder-Spawned Star Child, you have a very strange outlook on life as a general rule. Your kind formed when a Beholder dreamt about what it would be like to exist as a humanoid, which would be something of a nightmare for them. Most of your kind lacks the ability to give birth, since beholders would have little to no knowledge about the concept, but a few have experimented with themselves to be able to give birth via budding eyeballs that fall off and eventually form into their own being. It is precisely because of this that the Beholder-Spawned Star Children still exist to this day, instead of being wiped out. If you were dreamt up, you have no recollection of a previous life, you have always been the equivalency of an adult and have no real identity except for the one that you decide to give yourself. If you were birthed, your early years were filled with nothing but concerns of survival, your intelligence little more than a domesticated pig's. Eventually, you matured into an adult in body and mind, and you have long since established a sense of identity for yourself. Your appearance varies drastically, from being a humanoid with a miniature beholder for a head, to a mass of eyes in humanoid form, there is a lot of distinction between Beholder-Spawned Star Children.

Ability Score Increase. Two ability scores of your choice each go up by 1.

Hungering Maw. Your fanged maw is a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. You can use your bonus action to gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of once). You can only do so once every short or long rest.

Eye Rays. You can use your action to shoot up two of the following magical eye rays at one or two creatures you can see within 90 ft. of you. You can use each ray only once per long rest.

1. Confusion Ray. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw, or it can't take reactions until the end of its next turn. On its turn, the target can't move, and it uses its action to make a melee or ranged attack against a randomly determined creature within range. If the target can't attack, it does nothing on its turn.

2. Paralyzing Ray. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

3. Fear Ray. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, with disadvantage if you are visible to the target, ending the effect on itself on a success.

4. Wounding Ray. The target must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw, taking 1d10 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Aberrant Experiment

As an Aberrant Experiment Star Child, you have a nihilistic and depressing world view for the majority of the time. The second most common type of Star Child, they are only less common than the Far Infested simply because they often don't survive the experiments that create them. The experiments that were done to you were extreme, and highly invasive, not only in body, but also in mind. The reason for them is unknown to you, but they had happened when you were of an extremely young age. Interestingly, Aberrant Experiment Star Children could be considered the progenitor for both the Aboltheics and Slaadi-Touched Star Children, as they do often give birth to them. In fact they occasionally give birth to Far Infested, these individuals being born with their mutations instead of gaining them later in life. You can remember something of your past life, but do to how early you were taken and experimented on, they are only blurry fragments. You may be accepting of your current lot in life, wish to yourself, or simply want vengeance. As an Aberrant Experiment that lived, your life is for you to decide.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 3.

Trauma Induced strength. You have advantage against being frightened, but must make a Wisdom save when confronted with some event, object, or creature that has something to do with the type of aberrant that experimented on you. On a failure your are considered frightened and stunned, you may repeat the save to end the effect, afterwards you are immune to this effect for 24 hours. The effect lasts until you successfully make the save, or until someone removes the cause of the effect from your line of vision, though you maintain the frightened condition for 1 additional hour. The DC is set by the DM, as appropriate for the situation, and the roll is made with disadvantage.

Forced Mutations. Choose 3 mutations from the Aberrant Mutations list of the Far Infested. These mutations still give the same affects and maluses as they normally would

Progenitor's Mark Choose 2 features from any of the other sub races presented.

Aberrant Physiology. You have advantage against the poisoned and Diseased conditions, as well as resistance against poison damage.

Painful Rigors. At the start of each day, roll a d20. On a 1 you have your constitution modifier subtracted from your hit point maximum (minimum of 1) for the next 24 hours.

Eldritch Agonies. Every time you suffer from a critical hit, you take an additional 1d4 psychic damage and 1d4 bludgeoning damage as a seizure overtakes your whole body. You must make a DC 15 Constitution save, at disadvantage, otherwise you are considered incapacitated. You can repeat the save on each of your turns.

Horrid Visage Every creature that sees you is automatically considered unfriendly if you are not wearing obscuring clothing. Creatures that know you personally treat you normally.

Strengthened Will. You are used to the torments of your life. Once every two days, you can give yourself advantage, ignoring your disadvantage, on one saving throw caused by a racial feature. Alternatively, once per long rest, you can regain hit points equal to your character level.

Elder Spawn

An Elder Spawn Star Child is the rarest example of a Star Child. Your ancestry is very recent, maybe only one or two generations ago, or perhaps you are the start. Either way, you have been born as a hybrid between a humanoid and an Elder Evil, alternatively known as Great Old Ones. As such, you appearance is directly linked to the entity that either spawned you, or is the origin of your bloodline. You were born the way you are, and have not gone through any significant changes except those expected during maturation. Chances are that you weren't born in a good household, or were abandoned at an early age, possibly at birth. Your view points on world are often alien, or nonsensical to others. You are used to being by yourself, literally or simply emotionally. However, your bloodline could be considered a curse or blessing, as the forces that eventually spawned you are rarely anything other than malicious.

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence, Charisma, and Wisdom scores all increase by 1.

Aberrant Mind. You have advantage against being Frightened or Charmed.

Mind Blast. You magically emits psychic energy in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence saving throw or take 2d6 psychic damage and be stunned for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Telepathy. You can speak telepathically to any creature you can see within 60 feet of you. You don’t need to share a language with the creature for it to understand your telepathic messages, but the creature must be able to understand at least one language or be telepathic itself. You can use your bonus action to

Aberrant Gifts. You have resistance to psychic damage.

Elder Evil Urges. Your bloodline is tainted by incredibly malign powers, often causing you to have violent impulses. Whenever you have an opportunity to destroy something, or to harm a creature, you must make a Wisdom save. The DC is determined by the DM.

Alien Comprehension. Roll a d20 at the start of every day. On a 1 your are only able to speak Deep Speech for the rest of the day, but you can communicate normally using telepathy.

Horrid Visage Every creature that sees you is automatically considered unfriendly and you have a permanent -2 modifier to all Persuasion and Deception rolls, but have a +2 to your intimidation rolls if you are not wearing obscuring clothing. Creatures that know you personally treat you normally.

Symbiote. You are born with a symbiote. Choose one of the three options presented below.

Placental Blade. Your placenta is attached to the veins of one of your wrists. After your birth, it contorts and shifts into a blade. It has the light, finesse and thrown properties. It deals 1d8 slashing damage on a hit and has a range of 10/30 ft. If you throw it, it returns back to you hand immediately afterward.

Skin Scarf. You have thin flaps of skin that act like scarves. These flaps can be used to grab items weighing no more than 5lbs. each. You have 4 flaps, they cannot use weapons or other specialized equipment.

Mutualistic Twin. You have a twin that was born with you. The twin uses the same stat block as a cat, except its creature type changes to Aberrant. You are mentally connected to your twin at all times, seeing what it sees and feeling what it feels. If your twin is harmed in any way, you take psychic damage equal to the amount your twin took. Your twin's appearance looks like a deformed and underdeveloped version of yourself.

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