Core Person (Kai) (5e Player Race)

From Dragon Ball to D&D

Adapting races from existing media to D&D; finding a tether between being faithful to the source material, and being able to justify and balance said material within the frame work of D&D, is always a difficult task.

The core person race of the dragon ball series: most commonly known by their kai and supreme kai iterations, is one that I feel has some measure of potential, able to thematically reside within the wider world of D&D.

Of course some serious adjustments have to be made, such as reducing their monumental life spans, and base abilities to suit a less "planet busting" setting. Another major change was somewhat altering the way in which the race comes about, as to give them a way to exist on the material plane, though they would widely be natives to the celestial planes.

Fruit of The Core Tree

The weave: it is the source most magics present across all the planes, malleable, adaptable, and easily manipulated by those willing to learn. There are times when knots are woven into the weave, though these often give rise to powerful sorcerers, another anomaly has recently taken hold of the planes: the birth of core trees.

When powerful magic is concentrated into a single area for a long enough period of time, there is a chance that a core tree may sprout. Core trees are almost exclusively found within the celestial realms, and the nine hells; though they can be found on other planes, such a thing happening is so rare it is often considered to be a miracle onto itself.

The fruit of the core tree is special in that once the fruit falls it gives rise to core person. With the bounds of the celestial realms and the nine hells, beings born of the core tree are referred to as Kai: this moniker having spread across most other planes, and is generally used as the default when referring to anyone born from a core tree.

Doesn't Fall Far

Young kai are easily influenced by the surroundings at the time of their birth, those born in the celestial realms may quickly take on goodly qualities, while cunning may overtake those born in the nine hells. The rare kai that are born onto the material plane, most often among institutions of magic or deranged cults are too, quickly and easily influenced by those around them.

Almost Human?

Strangely enough most kai are so visually similar to humans that were it not for their pointed ears and occasionally colorful skin, they could easily be mistaken as one. Some may think the Kai nothing more than a human that has somewhat altered their appearance with magic. Even shorter kai can be mistaken as halflings, a race visually similar to small humans

Core Person (Kai) Traits

Ability Score. (a) Choose any +2; choose any other +1 (b) Choose any +1; choose any other +1; choose any other +1

Size. Your size may be small or medium.

Speed. You have a walking speed of 30 feet.

Age. Kai have a lifespan that rivals even the elves, living to be around 800 years old. Similar to elves, kai are not considered adults until they reach 150 years of age; at which point their body ceases the aging process entirely for 600 years. Once this time elapses, kai undergo rapid aging, and will often expire with half a century. Among the kai, it is said that those of them who gain supremacy over magic are able to extend their lives almost indefinitely. To most this is seen as nothing more than a baseless myth, but since it is widely known that the kai are beings literally made of magic some take it as fact.

Fruit of The Core Tree. You do not need to breathe or sleep, and you only need to consume food and water once every half year; you still can perform these activities at your leisure. To gain the benefits of a long rest you can instead choose to perform light activities as determined by your DM.

Flight. You have a flying speed of 30 feet, and can hover. This flying speed is reduced to 10 feet while you are wearing medium armor, and you cannot benefit from this flying speed while you are wearing heavy armor.

Core Magic. You learn one cantrip from either the cleric, druid, or sorcerer spell list. Constitution is your spellcasting ability for this cantrip.

The first time you would gain either the spellcasting or pact magic feature, you may replace any references the class makes to its intended spellcasting ability with constitution.

Language. You can speak, read, and write common, and one other language of your choice.

Optional Racial Feats