Gnoll

"I wonder what an Illithid brain tastes like." - Volo

Illithids are the scourge of sentient creatures across countless worlds. Psionic tyrants, slavers, and interdimensional voyagers, they are insidious masterminds that harvest entire races for their own twisted ends. Four tentacles snake from their octopus-like heads, flexing in hungry anticipation when sentient creatures come near.

Aberrant Origins

In eons past, illithids controlled empires that spanned many worlds. They subjugated and consequently warped whole races of humanoid slaves, including the githyanki and githzerai, the grimlocks, and the kuo-toa. Conjoined by a collective consciousness, the illithids hatch plots as far-reaching and evil as their fathomless minds can conceive.

Since the fall of their empires, illithid collectives on the Material Plane have resided in the Underdark.

Hivemind Colonies

Most illithids belong to a colony of sibling mind flayers devoted to an elder brain-a massive brain-like being that resides in a briny pool near the center of a mind flayer community. From its pool, an elder brain telepathically dictates its desires to each individual mind flayer within 5 miles of it, for it is able to hold multiple mental conversations at once.

Qualith

On the rare occasion that illithids need to write something down, they do so in Qualith. This system of tactile writing (similar to braille) is read by an illithid's tentacles. Qualith is written in four-line stanzas and is so alien in construction that non-illithids must resort to magic to discern its meaning. Though Qualith can be used to keep records, illithids most often use it to mark portals or other surfaces with warnings or instructions.

Rogue

Solitary mind flayers are likely rogues and outcasts.

Most Illithids attached to a colony have very little reason to adventure, you're a rogue illithid, whether it be you were severed by accident or banished; without the enhancement of an elder brain, your abilities are underdeveloped.

Illithid Names

The current understanding of Illithid biology is there is no discernible sex, as a rogue Illithid with bodily autonomy, you may adopt a gender (if you wish) and a name to represent you.

Illithid Traits

Your Aberrant heritage manifests in a variety of traits you share with other rogue Illithids.

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 2.

Age. No one is really sure how long Illithids live, or if they even die.

Alignment. Illithids tend towards Lawful Evil, this is due to thier Aberrant history as slavers, dictators, etc. You as a rogue Illithid may think differently.

Size. Illithids loom around 6' - 7'. Your size is medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Superior Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 120 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.

Telepathy. You can speak telepathically to any creature within 30 feet of you. The creature understands you only if the two of you share a language. You can speak telepathically in this way to one creature at a time.

Mind Blast. You can use your action to emit psychic energy in a 15-foot cone.

When you use Mind Blast, each creature in the area must make a saving throw, The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Intelligence modifier + your proficiency bonus. A creature takes 2d6 Psychic damage on a failed save, and half as much damage on a successful one. The damage increases to 3d6 at 6th level, 4d6 at 11th level, and 5d6 at 16th level.

After you use your Mind Blast, you can't use it again until you complete a short or long rest.

Psionicist. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Detect Thoughts spell; you must finish a long rest in order to cast the spell again using this trait. Once you reach 5th level, you can also cast the Levitate spell; you must finish a long rest in order to cast the spell again using this trait. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

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

Horns and Hooves

Minotaurs are barrel-chested humanoids with heads resembling those of bulls. Their horns range in size from about 1 foot long to great, curling weapons easily three times that length. They often ornament their horns with metal rings or sheathe them in metal to protect them from damage.

Manes of shaggy fur extend down minotaurs' necks and powerful backs, and males have long tufts of hair on their chins and cheeks. Their legs end in heavy, cloven hooves. Minotaurs are born with long, tufted tails, but minotaurs of the Ordruun clan (and some others) have their tails docked as part of a coming-of-age ceremony; they find the heavy armor of the Boros legion much more comfortable without a long tail in the way.

Progeny of the Horned King

Minotaurs are the dark descendants of humanoids transformed by the rituals of cults that reject the oppression of authority by returning to nature. Inductees often mistake these cults for druidic circles or totemic religions whose ceremonies involve entering a labyrinth while wearing a ceremonial animal mask.

Within these bounded environments, cultists hunt, kill, and eat wild beasts, indulging their basest primal urges. In the end, however, sacrificial animals are exchanged for humanoid sacrifice-sometimes an inductee that tried to escape the cult after learning its secrets. These labyrinths become blood-soaked halls of slaughter, echoing to the cultists' savagery.

Although they begin as creations of the Horned King, minotaurs can breed true with one another, giving rise to an independent race of Baphomet's savage children in the world.

Minotaur Names

Male Names: Alovnek, Brogmir, Brozhdar, Dornik, Drakmir, Drazhan, Grozdan, Kalazmir, Klattic, Melislek, Nirikov, Prezhlek, Radolak, Rugilar, Sarovnek, Svarakov, Trovik, Vraslak, Yarvem
Female Names: Akra, Bolsa, Cica, Dakka, Drakisla, Eleska, Enka, Irnaya, Jaska, Kalka, Makla, Noraka, Pesha, Raisha, Sokali, Takyat, Vrokya, Veska, Yelka, Zarka, Zoka

Minotaur Traits

Your Abyssal heritage manifests in a variety of traits you share with other Minotaurs.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2 and your Constitution score increases by 1.

Age. Minotaurs enter adulthood at around the age of 17 and can live up to 150 years.

Alignment. Minotaurs believe in a strict code of honor, and thus tend toward law. They are loyal to the death and make implacable enemies, even as their brutal culture and disdain for weakness push them toward evil.

Size. Minotaurs typically stand well over 6 feet tall and weigh an average of 300 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

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.

Menacing. You have proficiency in the Intimidation skill.

Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

Horns. Your horns are natural melee weapons, with which you're proficient. When you hit with them, the target takes piercing damage equal to 1d6+your Strength modifier.

Charge. Immediately after you use the Dash action on your turn and move at least as far as your speed, you can make one melee attack with your horns as a bonus action.

Gore. Immediately after you hit a creature with a horn attack on your turn, you can attempt to shove that creature with your horns using your reaction. It must make a Strength saving throw against a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier. If it fails, you push it up to 5 feet away from you.

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

Thri-Kreen Communication

Thri-kreen employ a language without words. To show emotion and reaction, a thri-kreen clacks its mandibles and waves its antennae, giving other thri-kreen a sense of what it is thinking and feeling. Other creatures find this manner of communication difficult to interpret and impossible to duplicate. When forced to interact with creatures of other intelligent species, thri-kreen employ alternative methods of communication, such as drawing pictures in sand or making pictures out of twigs or blades of grass.

Limited Emotions

Thri-kreen experience the full range of emotions but aren't as prone to emotional outbursts as humans. Thri-kreen with psionic ability often demonstrate a wider range of emotions, particularly if they live near or interact with humans or other highly emotional creatures.

Isolationists and Wanderers

Thri-kreen consider all other living creatures as potential nourishment, and they love the taste of elf flesh in particular. If a creature might be useful for something other than food, the thri-kreen aren't likely to attack it on sight. Thri-kreen kill to survive, never for sport.

Thri-kreen Names

Typical thri-kreen names are Chak-tha, Chit'al, Drik-chkit, Gulnik, Kacht-ta, Kat'chka, Kiktul, Klaktuk, Krik, Pak'cha, Pik-ik-cha, Pok, Ptekwe, Tak-tha, Tal'tich, Tilnak, and Tik-tik; there are no gendered names and no surnames.

Thri-kreen Traits

Your insectoid heritage manifests in a variety of traits you share with other Thri-kreen.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2 and your Constitution score increases by 1.

Age. Their inability to sleep is thought to be the reason why thri-kreen have such short lifespans, the average thri-kreen life expectancy being only thirty years.

Alignment. Thri-kreen prefer isolation and are difficult to communicate with, despite your disposition typical humanoids may find you as a chaotic yet neutral entity within the party.

Size. Thri-kreen can be found in a variety of sizes, ranging between 4'6" - 7' tall while weighing 100 - 375 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 35 feet.

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.

Always Aware. When you take a long rest, you must spend at least six hours of it in an inactive, motionless state, rather than sleeping. This state doesn't render you unconscious, and you can see and hear as normal.

Bite. Your powerful mandibles administer powerful bites which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Chameleon Carapace. You can change the color of your carapace to match the color and texture of its surroundings. As a result, you has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide.

Standing Leap. Your long jump is up to 30 feet and your high jump is up to 15 feet, with or without a running start.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common (barely) and Thri-kreen.