Tortle Subraces
Tortle Traits
All tortles share the following traits.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2.
Age. Young tortles crawl for a few weeks after birth before learning to walk on two legs. They reach adulthood by the age of 15 and live an average of 50 years.
Alignment. Tortles tend to lead orderly, ritualistic lives. They develop customs and routines, becoming more set in their ways as they age. Most are lawful good. A few can be selfish and greedy, tending more toward evil, but it's unusual for a tortle to shuck off order in favor of chaos.
Size. Tortle adults stand 5 to 6 feet tall and average 450 pounds. THeir shells account for roughly one-third of their weight. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Hold Breath. You can hold your breath for up to 1 hour at a time. Tortles aren't natural swimmers, but they can remain underwater for some time before needing to come up for air.
Natural Armor. Due to your shell and the shape of your body, you are ill-suited to wearing armor. Your shell provides ample protection, however; it gives you a base AC of 17 (your Dexterity modifier doesn't affect this number). You gain no benefit from wearing armor, but if you are using a shield, you can apply the shield's bonus as normal.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Aquan
Hardback Tortle
What many hardback tortles consider a simple life, others might call a life of adventure. As soon as they're able to walk on two legs, they become nomad survivalists eager to explore the wilderness, experience its many wonders, put their skills to the test, and make new acquaintances.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Claws. Your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Survival Instinct. You gain proficiency in the Survival skill. Tortles have finely honed survival instincts.
Shell Defense. You can withdraw into your shell as an action. Until you emerge, you gain a +4 bonus to AC, and you have advantage on Strength and Constitution saving throws. While in your shell, you are prone, your speed is 0 and can't increase, you have disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws, you can't take reactions, and the only action you can take is a bonus action to emerge from your shell.
Snapjaw Tortle
More prone to violence than their more peaceful hardback cousins, snapjaws tend to hang on the edges of whatever society they find themselves wandering into, waiting for that chance to strike.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Bite. Your beaked 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.
Shell Defense. You can withdraw into your shell as an action. Until you emerge, you gain a +4 bonus to AC, and you have advantage on Strength and Constitution saving throws. While in your shell, you are prone, your speed is 0 and can't increase, you have disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws, you can't take reactions, and the only action you can take is a bonus action to emerge from your shell.
Keen Observer. You gain proficiency in the Perception skill. Snapjaws have finely honed their ability to read others.
Seafarer Tortle
Where the wanderlust of hardbacks and snapjaws take them deep inland from where they were born, seafarers chase the horizon. Their heart lies in the ocean, and they will plumb its depths for adventure with joy and optimism.
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1.
Speed. You have a swimming speed of 30 feet.
Hold Breath. You can hold your breath for up to 6 hour at a time.
Voyagers of the Sea. Adapted to even the most extreme ocean depths, you have resistance to cold damage, and you ignore any of the drawbacks caused by a deep, underwater environment.
Boisterous Explorer. You gain proficiency in the Persuasion skill.
Dragon Tortle
The blood of dragon turtles runs through your veins. Whether created through magic or a particularly brave ancestor, your draconic heritage is unmistakable. Rarities even among the rare tortles, they forge their own paths through a world that may not have a place for them.
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1.
Draconic Ancestry. You are distantly related to a dragon tortle. You gain a breath weapon and resistance to fire damage.
Steam Breath. You can use your action to exhale scalding steam in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a Constitution saving throw. The DC of this saving throw is 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. A creature takes 2d6 fire damage on a failed save, and half as much damage on a successful one. The damage increases to 3d6 at 6th level, 4d6 at 11th, and 5d6 at 16th level. After using your breath weapon, you cannot use it again until you complete a short or long rest.
Intimidating Presence. You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill
Credits
Hardback is simply the vanilla tortle, created by WotC, and is included for completions sake. Snapjaw and dragon created by DillonIsHere. Seafarer created by EmpiricalMoose.