Eft

Efts are certainly an enigma. Very little is currently known about them as they’re relative newcomers to Faerie. Are they merely vestiges of a forgotten past when the Material and Elemental Planes were more intimately entwined, or are they a sign of things to come? Uncertain, and the efts certainly haven’t divulged. But we can observe and record like good scientists.

These fey don’t make it easy though. They are explorers, never overstaying their welcome nor putting down roots. Though superficially affable, they remain constantly guarded, never letting outsiders get too close—and really, everyone not an eft is an outsider. They do have a reputation for overreacting but are largely measured: quick to laugh, quick to fight, and quick to move on. They are observant and clever, and they seem to share an impenetrable intensity, a drive for something, but what that thing is isn’t clear.

Appearance

Efts appear like humanoid newts, often walking upright but just as capable of walking on all fours. They tend to stand anywhere from 3-1/2 to 5-1/2 feet tall, and their tails lend an additional foot or so to their length. Their skin can come in just about any color and pattern: spots and stripes are common, as are bright colors, though often just as accents. Their skin is smooth and supple, and secretions make it slick to the touch, offering direct protection from the elements and indirect protection from other creatures due to exuded toxins. They wear minimal clothing, opting almost entirely for utility, such as belts and bandoliers and strategic pieces of armor, though they often have a favorite flourish, such as a roguish hat or flowing cape.

Society

It’s unclear whether efts have any complex or substantive society. They rarely gather in great numbers, even among other efts, and never for long, and they seem to prefer wandering in pairs (or small groups for a time) or even alone. They are always friendly to other efts and, perhaps oddly, seemingly fully accepting—completely unflappable and never surprised—by one another’s presence or actions.

Toward others they nearly universally maintain tolerance and curiosity at best, a casual but warm aloofness.

They are a part of the subset of fey known as the elementals, including fey such as sylph, undine, and the equally newfound knockers. However, they seem to have no especial further connection with those fey, whether through fondness or enmity. (Which may seem an oddness to you mortals, always needing to create opposition whether warranted or not, but we fey are devious like that. Or maybe we just don’t know the whole story yet. The elementals have been exceedingly quiet of late.) Perhaps strangest, there has been no indication that the efts serve a sovereign. Now that’s not unheard of—and it might lend toward explaining their general dispersion—but it is at least curious, especially in these modern times. There is even some whispered speculation that they may have arisen by spontaneous generation. It may surprise you, or not, that that notion is troubling to many fey: you think us so monumentally chaotic, but the courts require rules to exist, even if just so one knows what it is they’re breaking, and this . . . this would be a wrinkle of unknown proportions.

Traits

As an eft, you have the following traits. Choose either the firebelly or hellbender subtype.

Ability Score Increase. See your chosen subtype.

Creature Type. Your creature type is fey. Spells and effects that specifically target humanoids do not affect you.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Sylvan.

Size. Firebelly efts are Medium or Small (choose at character creation). Hellbender efts are Medium.

Speed. Your walking speed is 30 feet, and you have a swimming speed equal to your walking speed*.

* “Why would a fire creature have a swim speed?” you ask. Remember that an eft is an elemental fey, not an elemental. While their salamander cousins are elementals and swathed in flames, efts are still just flesh and blood (at least as much as any fey). Think of efts more as conduits for fire, as pyrokineticists. At their core, aside from the fire, they are giant newts, so an amphibious aspect to their lives is important. Perhaps you can consider them as extremophiles, akin to the aquatic critters that thrive near hydrothermal vents (or even volcano snails). Otherwise, we can just say, “Magic!”

Born of Flame. You have resistance to fire damage.

Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray.

Obsession (Optional). You are obsessed with something. This is more of a roleplaying opportunity than a mechanical one, but your Gm can help you work out how this affects you. The focus of your obsession should be some goal that your character will strive toward throughout their lives: examples include “to be the best combatant” or “to find enlightenment” or “to end all oppression” or “to rid the world of evil” or “to destroy the gods.” It should be something that will remain with you, that will color your decisions, something you will unrelentingly be drawn toward, again and again.

The obsession trait is intended to be fun, so by all means, if it isn’t, don’t use it. As written, it has no mechanical element and is only for roleplaying purposes. However, if you enjoy it and want to add some complexity, consider creating a rule that, once per short or long rest, as long as an action is being performed in the service of your obsession, you gain advantage on a related roll. However, the flipside is that, also once per short or long rest (of yours), an opponent can give you disadvantage on a roll in service to your obsession. This is inspired by aspects in the Fate Roleplaying Game. Discuss the possibilities with your Gm.

Poisonous. You secrete a psychoactive toxin from your skin. Any creature that makes skin-to-skin contact with you must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (Dc 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus) or be poisoned until the end of their next turn. If a creature fails this save three times in 24 hours, on the third failure, and any thereafter, the target is poisoned for an hour.

Subraces

Firebelly

Firebelly efts tend to be quick-witted and quick to action, always striving to be several steps ahead of the opposition.

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma score increases by 2. Alternatively, increase three different scores by 1. You can’t raise any of your scores above 20.

Draw Down the Flame (Psionics). You know the fire bolt and produce flame cantrips. Your spellcasting ability for these is either Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma (choose at character creation). Additionally, you have advantage on saving throws against spells and effects that would deal fire damage. If you have access to power points (such as through a psionic class, like the archon class), when you succeed on such a save, you gain a temporary power point that lasts until your next short or long rest.

Hellbender

Hellbender efts tend to be a bit more restrained and deliberate than their firebelly comrades. They are slower to action, even languorous, though often more determined once roused.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution score increases by 2. Alternatively, increase three different scores by 1. You can’t raise any of your scores above 20.

Bellows Breath (Psionics). You can use your action to exhale a cloud of bilious, roiling smoke in a 10-foot-radius sphere centered on a point within 20 feet of you. The smoke spreads around corners, and its area is heavily obscured. It lasts for 10 minutes or until a wind of moderate or greater speed (at least 10 miles per hour) disperses it. Any creature entering the cloud or starting its turn within it must make a Constitution saving throw (Dc 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus), taking 1d6 fire damage on a failed save or half as much on a successful one. The damage increases to 2d6 at 6th level, 3d6 at 11th, and 4d6 at 16th level. After using your breath weapon, you cannot use it again until you complete a short or long rest. Alternatively, if you have access to power points (such as through a psionic class, like the archon class), in place of a use of Bellows Breath, you can instead gain a temporary power point that lasts until your next short or long rest.