Salamander

Salamanders are newt-like humanoids that have an innate connection to fire. Their bodies naturally generate intense heat, and they are often found near areas with volcanic activity.

Salamanders have a smooth, leathery skin that can include shades of red, orange, yellow, and black. Most salamanders have stubby arms and legs, but there are some salamanders with no legs at all.

These salamanders have a much longer tail and slither like snakes.

Hot Springs

Salamanders love hot springs. The mixture of water and heat is comfortable to them, and they can spend all day in one without overheating.

Salamanders have opened up a series of hot springs across the world, sometimes in remote locations. If an area doesn’t have natural hot springs, a salamander can utilize their natural connection with fire to create their own. If you come across a hot spring in your travels, there’s a good chance that a salamander took the time to build it.

Internal Flame

Salamanders believe that each creature has an internal flame, instead of a soul. It starts small, but as they grow, so too does their internal flame. Different experiences, like love and anger, can make the flame grow stronger, and salamanders seek out experiences that keep their internal flame as hot as possible.

Sickness makes the flame grow weaker, so salamanders pool together their resources to tend to the sick or injured. The internal flame flickers out at death and cannot be rekindled. Salamanders have a dim outlook on necromancy because of this, which they believe uses a False Flame. The False Flame is a cold fire that burns blue but brings no heat. Instead, it draws in heat from the environment, spreading cold until it is snuffed out. Necromancers are carriers of the False Flame and are a threat to the community.

Fire is Life

Salamanders celebrate the various aspects of fire, including life, destruction, and rebirth. Fire is present during every major event in a salamander’s life, including death, when their body is cremated.

Due to the prominence of fire in their culture and their natural resistance to it, salamanders have a reputation as pyromaniacs. While the most religiously fervent of salamanders might spread fire like a priest spreading the word of their god, most salamanders learn from an early age how to manipulate and control fire to prevent any dangerous spread of it.

Salamander Traits

You gain the following traits as a salamander.

• Ability Score Increase. You gain a +2 and +1 bonus to two different ability scores of your choice, or +1 to three different ones.
• Age. You age at the same rate as humans.
• Size. Salamanders are about the same size as humans, but with a thick, long tail. Your size is Medium.
• Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
• Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Ignan.
• Fire Body (Minor Feature). A salamander’s body flickers with flame. You have resistance to fire damage, and you can make your body hot enough to ignite an unattended flammable object you touch.

Major Features

Choose two of the following major features. You can exchange one major feature for two additional minor features.

• Destructive Fire Magic (Magic). You know the fire bolt cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the burning hands spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the scorching ray spell as a 2nd-level spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. You don’t require material components for these spells. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
• Fire Immunity (Requires Resistance to Fire Damage). You are immune to fire damage.
• Heated Weapons (Transformation). You gain proficiency with a weapon of your choice. As an action, you can cause a weapon or spellcasting implement you hold to become imbued with fiery energy. For 1 minute the item is considered magical. Once on each of your turns, you can deal extra fire damage to one target when you deal damage to it with an attack or spell. The extra fire damage equals your level. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
• Hot Body. You can lash out with fire when attacked. As a reaction when you are touched or hit by a melee attack from an attacker within 5 feet of you, you can force them to make a Dexterity saving throw. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. A creature takes 1d4 fire damage on a failed save.

Minor Features

Choose one of the following minor features, or three if you only chose one major feature.

• Born in Fire. You are adapted to the most extreme heat environments. You ignore any of the drawbacks caused by a hot environment.
• Combat Training. You have proficiency with two weapons of your choice.
• 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.
• Fluent. You can speak, read, and write two additional languages of your choice.
• Serpentine Body. You have the lower body of a snake instead of legs. You are immune to the prone condition unless you wish to be affected by it.
• Tail. Your tail is a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the normal bludgeoning damage for an unarmed attack. Your natural weapons are not weapons, but attacks with them are considered weapon attacks. This means that you can use your natural weapons for effects like the paladin’s divine smite, but not abilities that target weapons specifically.
• Trained Tools. You have proficiency in two tools of your choice.