The Illumian Species for D&D 5e
The Illumians are a race created by sorcery. Through painstaking ritual, they have developed a mystical connection to the magic runes that make up their alphabet. Glowing sigils surround them, granting the power of an eldritch language made flesh.
Illumian Traits
Creature Type: Humanoid
Size: Medium (about 4-7 feet tall) or Small (about 2-4
feet tall), chosen when you select this species
Speed: 30 feet
As an Illumian, you have these special traits.
Illumian Language. Illumians are the physical embodiment of the Illumian language. You know Illumian.
Glyphic Resonance. As the physical embodiment of a magical language, you interact strangely with language-based spells. You have advantage on saving throws caused by the spells Divine Word, Glyph of Warding, Symbol, and Word of Radiance. If you are subject to the effect of the spell Power Word Kill, Power Word Pain, or Power Word Stun, you can make a Constitution saving throw against the caster's spell save DC to avoid the effect.
In addition, you can use magic to interpret other languages. You can cast the Comprehend Languages spell as a ritual.
Luminous Sigils. A circle of luminous Illumian sigils floats around your head. They give off the equivalent light of a candle, shedding Bright Light in a 5-foot radius and Dim Light for an additional 5 feet.
You can make your sigils disappear or reappear, requiring no action. You cannot benefit from your Illumian Word while your sigils are suppressed.
Luminous sigils (including Power Sigils) are insubstantial and disappear into any matter they touch. Your sigils remain present and in effect even when you take another form.
Power Sigils. In addition to the array of dimly glowing luminous sigils that orbits your head, you have two slightly brighter power sigils that grant you certain bonuses. Choose these sigils from the table below.
| Sigil | Meaning | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Aesh | "vigor" | You gain a +1 bonus to Strength ability checks. |
| Hoon | "life" | You gain a +1 bonus to Wisdom and Constitution ability checks. |
| Krau | "magic" | You know one cantrip of your choice from the wizard spell list. Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is the spellcasting ability for it (your choice). |
| Naen | "mind" | You gain a +1 bonus to Intelligence ability checks. |
| Uur | "grace" | You gain a +1 bonus to Dexterity ability checks. |
| Vaul | "soul" | You gain a +1 bonus to Charisma ability checks. |
Illumian Word. Each combination of two power sigils' names makes an Illumian word of great power. Each Illumian Word grants a unique magical ability to an Illumian who possesses it. To access this ability, you invoke your Illumian Word. You can do so a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus and you cannot do so again until you finish a Long Rest. The benefit of each Illumian Word is described below.
- Aeshkrau. Once per turn when you hit a creature with a spell attack as part of your Action, you can immediately use your Bonus Action to cause the creature to take extra Force damage equal to your Strength modifier, be pushed 5 feet away from you, and have the Prone condition.
- Aeshoon. When you hit a creature with a Strength-based attack on your turn, you can immediately use your Bonus Action to sacrifice a number of Hit Points and deal extra Force damage to the creature equal to the number of Hit Points sacrificed, to a maximum of your Wisdom modifier multiplied by your Proficiency Bonus.
- Aeshuur. As a Bonus Action, you can gain Advantage on the next weapon attack or Unarmed Strike you make. If the attack misses, you do not expend the use of this trait. If the attack hits, you deal extra Force damage equal to your Strength or Dexterity modifier (whichever is higher) and you have Advantage on the next weapon attack or Unarmed Strike you make against the same target.
- Hoonkrau. As a Bonus Action, you can cause yourself or another creature you touch to gain a number of Hit Points equal to your Constitution or Wisdom modifier (whichever is higher) plus your Proficiency Bonus. You can expend multiple uses of this trait at one time.
- Hoonvaul. As a Bonus Action, you can sacrifice a number of Hit Points to regain an expended spell slot. The cost is 12 Hit Points for every level of the spell slot you wish to regain.
- Naenaesh. When you cast a spell with your Action that uses Intelligence as the spellcasting ability, you can make one Strength-based attack with your Bonus Action. If the attack misses, you do not expend the use of this trait. If the attack hits, the creature takes extra Psychic damage equal to your Intelligence modifier.
- Naenhoon. When a creature forces you to make a saving throw to avoid taking damage and you fail, you can use your Reaction to force the creature to make a saving throw against your Intelligence- or Wisdom-based spell save DC. If it succeeds, you do not expend the use of this trait. If it fails, you take half damage and the creature takes Force damage equal to the amount of damage you took.
- Naenkrau. When you are hit by an attack, you can use your Reaction to force the attacker to roll two additional d20s and use the lowest of the two rolls for the attack instead. If the attack still hits, you do not expend the use of this trait. If the attack misses, the creature takes Psychic damage equal to your Intelligence modifier.
- Uurhoon. When you hit a creature with a Dexterity-based attack on your turn, you can immediately use your Bonus Action to deal extra Force damage to the creature equal to your Constitution or Wisdom modifier (whichever is higher). You gain a number of Hit Points equal to the extra damage plus your Proficiency Bonus.
- Uurkrau. As a Bonus Action, you can teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. When you teleport, one creature of your choice that you can see within 5 feet of you before you teleport takes Force damage equal to your Dexterity modifier.
- Uurnaen. When you are hit by an attack, you can use your Reaction to gain a bonus to your AC equal to your Intelligence modifier until the start of your next turn, including against the triggering attack. If you are hit by another attack before then or if the triggering attack still hits you, the bonus ends and the attacker takes Force damage equal to your Dexterity modifier.
- Vaulaesh. When you hit a creature with a Strength-based attack on your turn, you can immediately use your Bonus Action to deal extra Force damage equal to your Charisma modifier and cause the target to have the Frightened condition until the end of its next turn.
- Vaulkrau. When you cast a spell with your Action that forces creatures in an area of effect to make a saving throw to avoid taking damage, you can immediately use your Bonus Action to focus the spell on one creature in the area, targeting only that creature with the spell's effect. The creature has Disadvantage on its save. If it succeeds, you do not expend the use of this trait. If it fails, it takes extra Force damage equal to your Charisma modifier.
- Vaulnaen. When you cast a spell with your Action that uses Intelligence or Charisma as the spellcasting ability, you can immediately use your Bonus Action to increase the spell's effective level by 1, to a maximum of the highest level spell slot you have. If no creatures are affected by the spell due to missed attack rolls or successful saving throws, you do not expend the use of this trait.
- Vauluur. When a creature forces you to make a saving throw, you can use your Reaction to gain a bonus to the save equal to your Dexterity modifier. If you still fail the save, you do not expend the use of this trait. If you succeed on the save, the creature that forced you to make the save takes Force damage equal to your Charisma modifier.
Final Utterance. When you die, your body releases the stored Illumian language within it. For a number of rounds equal to your character level, anyone within earshot hears ululating Illumian syllables - usually gibberish, but occasionally a prophetic phrase or a final curse on your enemies. Your body need not remain intact for the final utterance to occur. Even if you succumb to a disintegrate spell, your disembodied voice still utters strange gibberish for several rounds.
Discuss with your DM the effect this has on creatures who hear it.