Monstrous Player Races

These rules expand the races available for inclusion in your game but expanded new and old races with additional Recovery Dice options. We’ve also changed how some core abilities work, modernizing their mechanics to fit well with the Recovery Dice system. Instead of single-use abilities, you will be able to use your innate powers more effectively, but at a cost of your own personal energy. That may mean you use the abilities less and rest to regain those lost hit dice, effectively the exact same power level as in the core rules. You may decide to wield those powers more frequently but at the cost of less healing. Keeping in mind, you only regain half your Hit Dice on a long rest.

Lastly, many of our racial options allow you to mix your races and ancestries to make characters with greater depth. Think of a race’s core racial traits as a beginning framework for you to work with. You’ll then bolt on an ancestry or subrace. For example, a player that wishes to play an elven tiefling can easily do so. You will simply take the elven core racial traits, and instead of gaining a subrace, you’ll add the tiefling ancestry in its place. The tiefling ancestry becomes the spice, and whatever subrace you might have come from is watered down to a point where it is merely flavor.

This system also allows for some other unique characters. Perhaps you are a half-human, half-dwarf, raised among dwarves. You can simply choose human as a base racial framework and then slap a dwarven subrace on to represent your dwarven heritage.

Contents

Creating a Hybrid Race

For revised core races, we only note what has changed.

  • Choose a base race and record their core abilities. Combine a second race’s subrace or secondary abilities.
  • Compare each race’s alignments and create a combination thereof or choose your own.
  • Optionally, choose one granted ability score bonus and change it to one granted by either race.
  • If you are granted darkvision, add the two totals together and then halve them. A race without darkvision counts as 0.
  • Add your age statistics for both races together and halve the results.

Bloodlines

A bloodline is a special familial tie or throwback to a supernatural creature. Notably, creatures from the upper and lower planes that mix with creatures from native planes can leave their bloodlines behind in the races they mix with. Mechanically, bloodlines take the place of a given subrace. For instance, an elf character may now choose the archaeon bloodline instead of being a wood elf. Their core elven traits remain, but their subrace abilities are lost, replaced by the bloodline abilities.

Variant Racial Options

Some races may also have variant racial abilities to choose from. These abilities are optional, and your GM may allow you to exchange the listed existing racial ability for a variant ability. If you choose the variant ability, you no longer have the core ability it replaces. Choose one or the other.

Ancestries

Ancestries are races with mixed heritages, such as half-elves, where we have expanded the race to account for the wider variety of ancestral possibilities. Half-elf remains the race, but there are ancestral options like dark elf, high elf, etc. These ancestries grant more unique and flavorful abilities than the standard race in the player’s guide.

Secondary Traits

Secondary traits are abilities that are part of the core race that are lost should you add a bloodline. For instance, flight is completely integral to the aarakocra race, but if you add the Tiefling bloodline, it waters down their core race’s abilities and adds some new ones from the tiefling instead.

Some races do not have a subrace option to allow for an easy swap of the bloodlines, and thus these secondary traits are removed instead.

Monstrous Bloodlines

Archaeon

The archaeon can trace their heritage back to powerful good outsiders. Angelic blood flows through the veins of each and every archaeon and grants them power. Archaeons tend to have golden or handsome features. Ability Score Increase: Your Charisma increases by 1.

Skill(s). Gain proficiency in Performance.

Age. Archaeon mature similarly to their parent race, and tend to live slightly longer than them.

Alignment. Archaeons tend towards Lawfulness and Good but are not immune to selfishness and evil thoughts.

Size. Archaeons have roughly the same height and weight ranges as their parent races.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Languages. Archaeons also speak Celestial.

Senses. You gain 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 can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Celestine. You have resistance to necrotic damage and radiant damage.

Radiant Soul

You can channel divine energy to unleash powerful radiant wings. Requirements: Archaeon Ancestry

Benefit(s): You can use your action to unleash the divine energy within yourself, causing your eyes to glimmer and two luminous, incorporeal wings to sprout from your back. Your transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it as a bonus action. During it, you have a flying speed of 30 feet, and once on each of your turns, you can deal extra radiant damage to one target when you deal damage to it with an attack or a spell. The extra radiant damage equals your level. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Radiant Consumption

You can channel divine energy to cause a searing light to radiate from you.

Requirement(s): Archaeon Ancestry

Benefit(s): Your transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it as a bonus action. During it, you shed bright light in a 10-foot- radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet, and at the end of each of your turns, you and each creature within 10 feet of you take radiant damage equal to half your level (rounded up). In addition, once on each of your turns, you can deal extra radiant damage to one target when you deal damage to it with an attack or a spell. The extra radiant damage equals your level. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Tiefling

  • Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1. Skill: Gain proficiency in Intimidation.
  • Age. Tiefling mature similarly to their parent race and tend to live slightly longer than them.
  • Alignment. Tieflings tend towards Chaos and Evil.
  • Size: Tieflings have roughly the same height and weight ranges as their parent races.
  • Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
  • Languages. Tielflings also speak Infernal.
  • Lightbringer. You know the light cantrip. Spellcasting ability is based on Charisma.
  • Healing Hands. At 5th level, as an action, you can touch a creature and cause it to regain a number of hit points equal to your level. Once you use this ability, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
Memory of A Thousand Lifetimes

You can call on your heritage to seek guidance. Requirements: Archaeon Ancestry

Benefit(s): Once per day, gain advantage on a single skill roll and add your proficiency modifier to a skill check even if you are not proficient in the skill. This increases to twice per day at the seventh level and three times per day at fourteenth level, but you must take a short rest between uses.

In addition, your Wisdom score increases by 1. You may not increase this ability score beyond 20.

Necrotic Shroud

You unleash divine energy, cloaking yourself in terrifying shadows.

Requirement(s): Archaeon Ancestry

Benefit(s): You can use your action to unleash the divine energy within yourself, causing your eyes to turn into pools of darkness and two skeletal, ghostly, flightless wings to sprout from your back. The instant you transform, other creatures within 10 feet of you that can see you must each succeed on a Charisma saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier) or become frightened of you until the end of your next turn. Your transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it as a bonus action. During this effect, you deal extra necrotic damage, based on your level, to one creature per turn when you deal damage with an attack or spell. You may use this trait once per long rest.

In addition, your Charisma score increases by 1. You may not increase this ability score beyond 20.

Pierce The Veil

You embrace diabolic energy within yourself, easily seeing through falsehoods and lies.

Requirement(s): Tiefling Ancestry

Benefit(s): You can use your action to unleash the diabolic energy within yourself, causing your eyes to flare with orange fire. This transformation lasts for a number of minutes equal to your proficiency modifier or until you end it as a bonus action. During which, you have advantage on any checks to detect illusions, deception, or lies. The exact nature of the deception may not be revealed; only that something is being hidden. In addition, your Intelligence score increases by 1. You may not increase this ability score beyond 20.

Senses. You gain 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 can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Resistance. You have resistance to fire or acid damage.

Spells. You know the mage hand cantrip. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it.

Push Your Luck. Confidence is key in the life of a tiefling. Take advantage on any one saving throw per short rest. At 6th level this ability can be bestowed on another creature once per short rest.

Diabolic Resistance. You have resistance to charm spells and effects for a number of rounds equal to your current level. This ability can be used once per short rest.

Flaming Crown. You can create a brilliant crown of flame-like light atop your head at will. The flaming crown sheds bright light in a 15-foot-radius and dim light for an additional 15 feet.

Shout at The Devil

You can curse a target with but a single word.

Requirement(s): Tiefling Ancestry

Benefit(s): As a reaction, you can call on the powers of the lower planes to draw attention to a single creature within 30 feet. They suffer disadvantage on a single skill roll and may not add their proficiency modifier if they have one. This can be used once per short rest. This increases to twice per day at the seventh level and three times per day at fourteenth level.

In addition, your Charisma score increases by 1. You may not increase this ability score beyond 20.

Darkfire Dash

You can shroud yourself in hot roiling smoke, confounding your enemies.

Requirement(s): Tiefling Ancestry

Benefit(s): You can use your action to shroud yourself in flames and smoke. This allows you to use dash as a bonus action without exposing yourself to attacks of opportunity. Additionally, any melee attacks made against you make while in this state inflict 1d6 points of fire damage to the attacker. Your transformation lasts for a number of rounds equal to your proficiency bonus. You may use this ability once per long rest.

Centaur

Centaurs are a proud people with humanoid upper bodies and the lower bodies of a horse. They tend the open plains to their liking, leading lives that may seem simple to outsiders. Above all else, centaurs loathe confrontation and would simply like to be left alone by other people, whether they be from different centaur tribes or different races altogether. Centaur history is, unfortunately, filled with them being enslaved, a history they would rather not repeat.

In the tales of the centaur peoples, it has long been said that they were once made up of only a single tribe, one that was created by a cruel and vicious god to be put to work as slaves. After hundreds of years of servitude, this tribe grew into countless others, only for each to be enslaved by a new race of people. The spirits of the centaur people hadn’t been crushed so much as they never had a chance to grow in the first place. This terrible state ended when a lone hero arose and rallied the enslaved, starting a rebellion that resulted in freedom for all centaurs.

Since that day, centaurs have remained in tribes, traveling the plains as nomads, never sticking around in one place for too long for fear of having an invading force steal everything from them.

Many centaurs claim their bodies share the best of both of the species that comprise them. Not only do they have the powerful and swift lower halves of equines, but they are also able to manipulate objects and tools using their humanoid upper halves. Their humanoid halves tend to resemble highly muscular humans for the most part, save for their ears, which are pointed like an elf’s. on the other hand, their lower halves tend to come in a variety of different shapes and sizes, resembling many different breeds of equines. Though most resemble horses, others appear to be zebra-like in their stripes and coloration. The range of sizes is also highly variable, ranging from large and powerful to sleek and lean.

Because of the history of rebellion that the centaur people have undergone, they train their young from an early age to handle weaponry to avoid being captured. The young usually stick to pikes and lances, using their ability to make powerful charges at high speeds. Meanwhile, those who reach adulthood learn how to use the bow so that when they reach old age, they can still defend themselves without putting their bodies at risk in melee combat.

Traits

Centaurs are physically capable warriors that know much about the ways of warfare and stratagems, particularly when it comes to fighting with lances or bows. Their love of the open places and the song of the wind temper their serious nature, and they often speak poetically about their families and freedom.

  • Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2.
  • Age. Most centaurs reach maturity by age 40, and can live up to age 450.
  • Alignment. Most centaurs are Neutral Good, though many more lean towards Chaotic Good.
  • Size. Most centaurs are 8 to 9 feet tall and weigh anywhere from 1,250 to 2,000 lbs. Your size is Large.
  • Speed. Your base walking speed is 50 feet.
  • Language(s). You can speak, read, and write Common, and Sylvan.
  • Hooves Your hooves are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d8 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
  • Lance Wielder. You count as being mounted for the purposes of wielding a lance.
  • Light Armor Warrior. Your base walking speed is reduced to 40 feet if you are wearing medium or heavy armor.
  • Nature’s Ally. You have proficiency on Intelligence (Nature) ability checks.

Subraces

Charger

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.

Mighty Charge. If you move at least 20 feet straight toward a target and then hit it with a melee weapon attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 7 (2d6) damage of the same type as the melee weapon attack.

Purebred

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Earthshaker. As a bonus action, you can slam down your hooves and send out a magical shockwave that knocks all creatures adjacent to you prone unless they succeed a Strength saving throw. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Wisdom modifier + your proficiency bonus.

Racer

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.

Expert Shot. You are proficient with longbows and shortbows. As a bonus action, if you choose not to move that turn, you gain advantage on ranged weapon attack rolls using bows. on this turn, other creatures have advantage on melee and ranged attack rolls against you.

Feats

Impaling Charge

These centaurs have been trained from birth to wield pikes and lances and can use them to ensure that their charges are amongst the most brutal that their opponents have ever seen.

Prerequisite(s): Centaur

Benefit(s): If you move at least 20 feet straight toward a target and then hit it with a melee weapon attack with a pike or a lance on the same turn, the target must make a Dexterity saving throw or be impaled by your weapon. When impaled by your weapon, the creature must remain within 10 feet of you. At the end of each of its turns, an impaled creature must attempt a Strength saving throw

Masterful Archer

These centaurs can gallop at top speed and still hit their targets with pinpoint accuracy, proving themselves to be archery experts.

Prerequisite(s): Centaur

Benefit(s): Whenever you make a Dash action, you can immediately select one creature within 30 feet of you and make a ranged weapon attack against them with a bow that you wield.

Your Dexterity score increases by 1, to a maximum of 20.

Nature’s Bounty

Some centaurs are blessed with gifts from nature itself and can use them during a battle to protect themselves and their allies. Prerequisites: Centaur

Benefit(s): As an action, can cause vines to spring from the ground to grasp at the feet of one target within 60 feet, causing it to become restrained unless it succeeds at a Dexterity saving throw. The creature must make another saving throw at the end of each of its turns in order to attempt to end this effect. The DC for this saving throw is equal to 8 + your Wisdom modifier + your proficiency bonus.

Your Wisdom score increases by 1, to a maximum of 20.

d4 Centaur Quirks
1 You are claustrophobic, and whenever inside a building, you feel an overwhelming sense of dread that you cannot explain; natural structures seem to be fine, but not constructed ones.
2 Speaking with people of other races, particularly those of human or orcish descent makes you more than just a bit uncomfortable.
3 You do not waste anything from the creatures that you kill.
4 You sleep standing up by locking your joints.

Blades-Like-Wind

When charging through combat, opponents find striking you as futile as striking the wind.

Prerequisite(s): Centaur

Benefit(s): As a bonus action, the centaur can spend two Hit Dice to gain the ability to charge through combat without provoking attacks of opportunity.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Book of Monstrous Might (C) 2021 Total Party Kill Games. Author(s): Brian Berg, Mark A. Hart & Danny Grimes.

This is not the complete license attribution - see the full license for this page

scroll to top