The Changeling - Alternative

# The Changeling - Alternative
*Long ago there was a woman named Jes, and she had one hundred children. Her rivals conspired against her and swore to kill her children. Jes begged the Sovereigns for help, but their only answer was the wind and rain. In the depths of her despair, a lonely traveler took her hand. “I will protect your children if they follow my path. Let them wander the world. They may be shunned and feared, but they will never be destroyed.” Jes agreed, and the traveler gave her his cloak. When she draped it over her children their old faces melted away, and they could be whoever they wanted to be. And so it remains. Though the Children are shunned by all, the gift of the Traveler protects them still.*

*— Chance, changeling priest*

A changeling can shift its face and form with a thought. Many changelings use this gift as a form of artistic and emotional expression, but it is an invaluable tool for grifters, spies, and others who wish to deceive. This leads many people to treat known changelings with fear and suspicion.

## Hidden People
Changelings are spread across Khorvaire. Wherever humans can be found, there are changelings; the question is whether their presence is known. Changelings are born to one of three paths. A few are born and raised in stable communities, where changelings are true to their nature and deal openly with the people around them. Some are orphans, raised by other races, who find their way in the world without ever knowing another like themselves. Still others are part of the nomadic changeling clans spread across the Five Nations who keep their true nature hidden from the single-skins. Some of these clans maintain safe havens in major cities and communities, but most prefer to wander, following the unpredictable path of the Traveler. In creating a changeling adventurer, consider the character’s relationships with the people around them. Does the character conceal their true changeling nature, or do they embrace it? Do they have connections to a changeling community or clan, or are they alone and in search of companions?

## Masks and Personas
In their natural form, changelings are slender and pale with colorless eyes and silver-white hair. A changeling can alter its physical appearance with a thought. While this can be used to deceive others, it is a natural form of expression for the changeling. A changeling shifts shapes the way others might change clothes. A casual shape—one created on the spur of the moment, with no depth or history—is called a mask. A changeling mask can be used to express a mood or to serve a specific purpose and then never used again. However, many changelings develop identities that have more depth. They build an identity over time, crafting a persona, with history and beliefs. This focused identity helps a changeling pinpoint a particular skill or emotion. A changeling adventurer might have personas for many situations, including negotiation, investigation, and combat.

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Personas can be shared by multiple changelings; there might be three healers in a community, but whoever is on duty will adopt the persona of Tek, the kindly old medic. Personas can even be passed down through a family, allowing a younger changeling to take advantage of contacts established by previous users of the persona.

### Changeling Traits

***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Charisma score increases by 2. Additionally, one ability scores of your choice increases by 1.

***Age.*** Changelings mature slightly faster than humans do and reach adulthood around the age of 15. Their ultimate lifespan depends on their sub-race and origin as detailed below.

***Alignment.*** Changelings hate to be bound in any way, no matter their origin, and those who follow the path of the traveler believe that chaos and change are important aspects of life. Most tend towards pragmatic neutrality as opposed to being concerned with lofty ideals. Despite common fears, few Changelings embrace evil.

***Size.*** In their natural forms, Changeling average between 5 to 6 feet in height, with a slender or lean build. Your size is Medium.

***Speed.*** Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

***Change Appearance.*** As an action, you can transform your appearance and your voice. You determine the specifics of the changes, including your coloration, hair length, and sex. You can also adjust your height and weight, but not so much that your size changes. You can make yourself appear as a member of another race, though none of your game statistics change. You can’t duplicate the appearance of a creature you’ve never seen, and must adopt the same arrangement as limbs that you have. Your clothing and other equipment aren’t changed by this trait.

You stay in the new form until you use an action to revert to your true form or until you die.

***Subrace.*** Six sub races of Changeling exist: Seelie Feyborns, Unseelie Feyborns, Sylvan Feyborns, Eberron Tricksters, Wildkins and Shadow Shifters.  Choose one of these subraces.

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## Feyborn Changelings
No subrace of Changeling is as enchanting and charming as the Feyborn. Often coming from an ancestry of doppelgängers and fey, these Changelings posses an unearthly beauty and an innate knowledge of arcane magic.

Feyborn Changelings can often be found in either the feywild or on the material plane, this is often due to Feyborn Changelings sometimes being switched with human children on birth by mischievous fey.

Even in chageling society, Feyborn are seen as odd and enchanting but untrustworthy. Due to Feyborns mischievous nature, they are often outcasts in changeling society, untrusted by their sorts. Changeling tribes are less likely to help Feyborn, and all changelings are weary of feyborns.

What puts them most apart from the other subraces is their facial features, Feyborn changelings have much more pronounced features and figure. Feyborn changelings are also known, if somewhat rarely, to posses still pupil-less but colourful eyes in different vibrant colours, where as many other kinds of changeling will almost always be found with white, pupil-less eyes. Feyborn changelings' unearthly appearance also shines through in their masks and persona's. This is most often indiscernible by bystanders, but for those specialized in changeling, feyborn are easier to find and hunt, putting a dangerous mark on the feyborn as a race.

## Seelie Feyborn
This specific fey born Changeling hails from one of the Seelie fey courts; The court of summer or the court of spring. You might hail from the main fey or eladrin from these courts or from one of the other races inhabiting these Fey courts, such as sprites and sidhes. These Changelings are weighed down with weakness of most fey and as such hurt themselves on the touch of iron.

Seelie Feyborn are often found having a personality that quite resembles that of the inhabitants of the court they hail from, as such spring court Feyborn are fulfilled with joy and cheerfulness, while summer Feyborn are bold and passionate. Their appearance changes as well, to match the courts they hail from, as such, spring Feyborn Changelings will often have pale joyful colours, ranging anywhere from pale green to soft pink, while summer Feyborn Changelings are seen having skin tones ranging from pale red to yellow.

### Seelie Feyborn Traits
  
  ***Age.***  Seelie Feyborn Changelings live typically around 250 years. Of course time in the Feywild differs from that on the Material plane, as such it can be difficult to tell these shifters age. While these Changeling can shapeshift to conceal their age, the effects of aging will not catch up to them.

***Ability Score Increase.*** Seelie Feyborn tend to gain an increase to either their Intelligence or Wisdom score

***Fey Ancestry.*** You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

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

***Planetouched.*** Due to your close connection with the fey and their plane of reality you are not completely human. You have two creature types: Human and Fey, and you  can be affected by game mechanic abilities if they work on either of your creature types.

***Seelie Magic.*** You know the Light cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the charm person spell once with this trait, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Once you reach 5th level, you can cast the enthrall spell once with this trait, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

## Unseelie Feyborn
This specific fey born Changeling hails from one of the Unseelie fey courts; The court of autumn or the court of winter. You might hail from the main fey or eladrin from these courts or from one of the other races inhabiting these Fey courts, such as sidhes and other icy fey. These Changelings are weighed down with weakness of most fey and as such hurt themselves on the touch of iron.

The Unseelie courts are colder and darker then the Seelie fey courts. Most Unseelie Feyborn hailing from these courts often have personalities resembling these courts and those that inhabit them, because of this autumn Feyborn are often content and peaceful while winter Feyborn are somewhat sorrowful and have a calming energy about them. Their appearance changes as well, to match the courts they hail from, as such, winter Feyborn Changelings will often have pale cold colours, ranging anywhere from pale blue to light grey, while autumn Feyborn Changelings are seen having skin tones ranging from reddish-brown colours to pale oranges.

### Unseelie Feyborn Traits
  
  ***Age.*** Unseelie Feyborn Changelings live typically around 250 years. Of course time in the Feywild differs from that on the Material plane, as such it can be difficult to tell these shifters age. While these Changeling can shapeshift to conceal their age, the effects of aging will not catch up to them.

***Ability Score Increase.*** Unseelie Feyborn tend to gain an increase to either their Constitution or Intelligence score.

***Fey Ancestry.*** You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

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

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***Unseelie Magic.*** You know the Minor Illusion cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast Faerie Fire spell once with this trait, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Once you reach 5th level, you can cast the suggestion spell once with this trait, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

## Sylvan Feyborn
The third Feyborn subrace isn’t found within any of the fey courts but instead can be found in the forests and groves of the feywild.

These Changelings hail from an ancestral line of doppelgängers and forest dwelling fey, these fey creatures range from the joyful fairies and wild fey, to the nymphs and dryads, to dark hags and satyrs.

just like any fey, they have the common fey weaknesses towards iron and lying as well as opened scissors. These Changelings have grown up to learn from the forest dwelling creatures around them and as such have the ability to talk to plants and beast in limited form.

Just like any Feyborn, these Changelings posses an unearthly beauty and have features quite akin to elves, where these Changelings differ is that they have learned from the nymphs and dryads to spin their charming nature into an easy way to enthral creatures and trick them into trusting them on mere sight. These Changelings do not have the same magic prowess as the court born arcanists and instead work with a more limited druidic magic.

These Feyborn often take on personalities similar to the fey races they grew up, however, their personality is like any fey still influenced by the seasonal courts of the feywild quite alike eladrin. A sorrowful Sylvan Feyborn might find their original appearance grow more alike the blue and cold colours of winter court Feyborn Changelings, while Sylvan Feyborn Changelings spending their time within the boundaries of the summer court might have a more passionate and aggressive personality. Their appearance changes as well, to match the courts they hail from, their skin coloured appropriately alike most colours within the courts territory they hail from. Some Sylvan Feyborn Changelings even posses a skin, with a bark like appearance.

### Sylvan Feyborn Traits

***Age.*** Sylvan Feyborn Changelings live typically around 250 years. Of course time in the Feywild differs from that on the Material plane, as such it can be difficult to tell these shifters age. While these Changeling can shapeshift to conceal their age, the effects of aging will not catch up to them.

***Ability Score Increase.*** Sylvan Feyborn tend to gain an increase to either their Dexterity or Wisdom score.

***Fey Ancestry.*** You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

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

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***Unearthly Grace.*** You have lived among the wild creatures of the feywild, sirens, selkies, nymphs and dryads have taught you what you know. You gain proficiency in the Persuasion skill. However, you may not apply your Persuasion proficiency when interacting with other Fey.

***Language of the Evergreen.*** Your time spend along the trees and plants of the feywild has honed your senses to incredible heights. Once a day you can spend ten minute when within a forest or other environment occupied with plants, to focus on your surrounding area. For the next ten minutes you can communicate with the plants, trees and Small or smaller beasts. These beings can provide you with limited information brought to you in short bursts of both memory -that they are able to share with you as if telepathic- as well as small gestures. verbal communication is one way, and as such they cannot talk to you. This feature lasts for 10 minutes.

Additionally, you gain the druid craft cantrip, Charisma is your spell casting ability for it.

## Alternative Feyborn
Below are additional features listed for each of the Feyborn changeling races, these features are meant to be used in more roleplay heavy campaigns, that use changeling lore as according to the old fae or celtic lore. Each of the Feyborn races gains a feature named Fey Weakness and several subrace specific features, be careful when deciding to use these alternative features as they are essentially a kind of 'Hard Mode', giving your character the limitation of only speaking in truths and half-truths and making them vulnerable to certain materials. Speak to your Dungeon Master if these features are appropriate for your campaign before using them.

### Feyborn Alternative Traits
***Fey Weakness.*** Your fey blood imposes limitations on you.

Due to your ancestry you cannot willingly and knowingly tell a lie. You can still speak cleverly to imply untrue things and many feywild creatures have due to this, perfected the art of dancing around the truth. If you do speak falsehoods, your fey blood punishes your mind; you take 1d8 Psychic damage per character level. If you drop to 0 hit points as a result of this effect you fall unconscious but are stable.

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The touch of cold iron is also dangerous to you. Every time your skin touches or is touched by an object or form of 
pure iron, you take 1d6 fire damage. Every turn you continue touching cold iron, you take and additional 1d4 fire damage and you are required to make a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or become poisoned for 1 minute. Additionally, you cannot pass over lines of cold iron and if an item of cold iron is hanging above an entrance or exit, you cannot pass through it until the item is removed or you are invited in by someone within / outside the building.

Your fey blood also imposes the danger of a vulnerability to salt. This vulnerability only shows in larger or more concentrated amounts of the material - as such seasoned food will not hurt you-. Whenever touching larger quantities of salt you take 1d4 fire damage and you are hurt by salt bombs.

Additionally, a pair of open scissors pointed towards you acts as a ward to you. Consider a pair of open scissors to be the centre point of a sphere shaped Wall Of Force spell, with a radius of 20 feet which affects only you and other Feyborn Changelings.

### Seelie and Unseelies Feyborn
Additionally, other than the feyborn weakness trait you gain the following traits:

***Flaming Tongue (Seelie), Drifting Words (Unseelie).*** Your inability to lie forces you to be creative if you want to be deceitful, dancing around the truth but never outright lying. Additionally your intense and unnatural beauty and silver tongue causes others to trust you on sight. You are proficient with the Deception and Persuasion skill. However, you may not apply your Persuasion proficiency when interacting with other Fey.

***Trance.*** Feyborn do not sleep. Instead they meditate deeply, remaining semi-conscious, for 4 hours a day. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit a human would from 8 hours of sleep.

### Sylvan Feyborn
Additionally, other than the feyborn weakness trait you gain the following traits:

***Charming nature.*** As an action, you may attempt to charm a Humanoid you can see within 30 feet as an action. It must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be magically charmed. The target does so with advantage if you or your companions are fighting it.

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The charmed creature regards you as a trusted friend to be heeded and protected, but will not fight it's own allies. Although the target isn't under your control, it takes your requests or actions in the most favourable way it can. The charmed condition lasts for 20 minutes or until you or your companions do anything harmful to it. When the spell ends, the creature knows it was Charmed by you. Your spell casting ability for this is Charisma. You can use this feature an amount equal to half your Wisdom Modifier (rounded up) before needing to finish a long rest to regain the feature.

***Blossoming Message.*** Your intense and unnatural beauty and silver tongue causes others to trust you on sight. You are proficient with the Deception skill.

***Will of the Forest*** You have advantage against diseases.

## Eberron Trickster
The most well-known sub race of the Changeling, the Eberron Trickster, is often found within city walls. These Changelings often find themselves trying to fit in with the other humanoids of the towns and villages they find themselves living in. Some take on the role of thieves, conman and tricksters, lying and deceiving their targets with surprising ease. Others might find themselves working as performers and illusionist, using their ability to duplicate faces as a party-trick.

Not many of these changeling stick together, but over the ages several Eberron Trickster Changeling clans have been observed. Eberron Trickster Changelings are overal wildly accepted in changeling community, being able to find refugee and help with other Changelings. Additionally, Eberron Trickster Changelings have developed a special way of communicating called Shapers Speech, this language is mostly non-verbal and spoken only by Eberron Trickster changelings. The language is highly secretive and is used throughout the entire Eberron Trickster community.

These Changelings are the most known out of all subraces and has a appearance that varies wildly. Their skin tones range anywhere from ivory white to soft pinks and blue, the skin tone always being very pale. No matter where Changelings of this subrace find themselves, they are guaranteed to be able to adapt to their environment and the people around them quicker than any of the other subraces on this list.

### Eberron Trickster Traits
 
 ***Age.*** Eberron Trickster Changelings  live typically a century or less. While these Changeling can shapeshift to conceal their age, the effects of aging still catch up to them.

***Ability Score Increase.*** Eberron Tricksters tend to gain an increase to either their Dexterity or Intelligence score.

***Languages.*** You can speak, read, and write Common, Shapers Speech, and two other languages of your choice.

***Changeling Instincts.*** You gain proficiency with two of the following skills of your choice: Deception, Insight, Intimidation, and Persuasion.

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## Wildkin
Wildkin Changeling are the forest dwelling versions of the Eberron Trickster Changelings. These Changelings have often been thrown out of society or they might prefer the quite of the woods above the loud cities. These Changeling often take on colours ranging from light green to darker shades of red and brown.

These Changelings are less common then their Eberron Trickster brethren but a lot more common than Feyborn or Shadow Shifters. They are most often found in the unknown wild of the many forests or within the lush grasslands. Due to their feral ancestry and secluded nature, these Changeling aren't often seen within Changeling community. They aren't outright shamed or mistrusted but Wildkin are still seen as odd or feral by most Eberron Tricksters, but they are accepted and sometimes are even seen leading entire Changeling Communities.

Their ancestry often comes from forest dwelling humanoids and doppelgängers. These Changeling have adapted over time to survive in the dangerous wilds around them and are all naturally born with an ability unknown to many other Changelings, the ability to change into to the form of a small totem creature. Different lines of Wildkin Changelings have found themselves changing into different harmless critters. This ability, alongside their uncanny ability to blend in with their environment has given them a name among their sorts as the scouts and huntsman of the wild as they are able to stalk their prey as one of them.

### Wildkin Traits
 ***Age.*** Wildkin Changelings  live typically a century or less. While these Changeling can shapeshift to conceal their age, the effects of aging still catch up to them.

***Ability Score Increase.*** Wildkin tend to gain an increase to either their Wisdom or Constitution score.

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

***Spirit Animal.*** You have the ability to change into the spirit animal passed down by generations of your sort. Choose one of the following small critters: Badger, Bat, Cat, Deer, Frog, Goat, Hawk, Lizard, Octopus, Owl, Rat, Pig or Weasel, this choice can not be changed later.

Once per day you may change into your chosen spirit animal. In this form you retain your original ability scores, vision types (darkvision, blindvision, etc.) and hp, but are unable to access any equipment as it merges with your animal form. You can not cast spells in this form and are able to verbally commune with the creature you transform in when you are in your animal form.

You gain an AC of 10 + Your Dexterity Modifier in this form. You can retain this form an amount of minutes equal to your Wisdom modifier x 5, after which you change back into your original form. You can also change back into your form using a bonus action, and are changed back if you are knocked unconscious returning to your original Changeling form. If your spirit animal has a movement speed (swimming, flying and burrowing speeds included) above the 40 ft. it instead changes to 40 ft.. Additionally, In this form you gain a bite attack dealing 1d4 + your Strenght modifier in Piercing damage.

You do not retain any actions of your spirit animal, but are able to use their features and proficiencies as if they were your own. After you use this feature you cannot use it again before you finish a short rest.

***Foresters Tools.*** You have proficiency with the Sling, Spear, and Longbow.

***Hunters Terrain.*** You can move across difficult terrain made of non-magical plants, overgrowth and roots without expending extra movement.

## Shadow Shifter
Ascendants from races from the shadowfell and doppelgangers, these Changelings are called Shadow Shifters for their uncanny looks. In their base form, these Changelings born with skin colours, varying from black to white, they have sharper teeth then most Changeling and have developed the ability to survive in the dark plane of shadows. This subrace of Changeling is more unnerving to see in their original form, they have sharper features and often completely black eyes and a mouth that is completely hidden against the skin when closed. Due to these traits they are feared, by both the other races as well as their Changeling brethren. These Changelings are taller than the average Changeling and as all Changelings, and quite alike elves, they lack body and facial hair.

### Shadow Shifter Traits
 ***Age.*** Shadow Shifter Changelings live typically around 250 years. Of course time in the Shadowfell differs from that on the Material plane, as such it can be difficult to tell these shifters age. While these Changeling can shapeshift to conceal their age, the effects of aging will not catch up to them.

***Ability Score Increase.*** Shadow Shifters tend to gain an increase to either their Dexterity or Constitution score.

***Languages*** You can speak, read, and write Common and two other languages of your choice.

***Darkvision.*** Accustomed to the dark of the shadowfell, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. 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.

***Shades Weapon Training.*** You have proficiency with the dagger, shortsword, rapier, and whip.

***Shadowrealms Resistance.*** You gain resistance to Necrotic damage.

***Sunlight Sensitivity.*** You have disadvantage on attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of the attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.

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# Detect Balance
> ##### Base Race
> **ASI.** 13/14 
**Size.** 0 
**Speed.** 0 
**Change Appearance.** Unkown (Estimate 6/8) 
**Shapechanger subrace.** -1 
**Total:** Unkown

> ##### Unseelie and Seelie Feyborn
> **Fey Ancestry.** 2 
**Languages.** 0 
**Planetouched.** -1 
**Seelie/Unseelie Magic.** 6 
**Total:** 7

> ##### Sylvan Feyborn
> **Fey Ancestry.** 2 
**Languages.** 0 
**Planetouched.** -1 
**Unnatural Grace.** 2 
**Language of the Evergreen.** 2 
**Language of the Evergreen.** 2 
**Total:** 7

> ##### Alternative Unseelie and Seelie Feyborn
> **Fey Weakness - Lying.** -2 
**Fey Weakness - Cold Iron.** -2 
**Fey Weakness - Salt.** -1 
**Fey Weakness - Scissors.** -1 
**Flaming Tongue / Drifiting Words.** 4 
**Trance.** 2 
**Total:** 0

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> ##### Alternative Sylvan Feyborn
> **Fey Weakness - Lying.** -2 
**Fey Weakness - Cold Iron.** -2 
**Fey Weakness - Salt.** -1 
**Fey Weakness - Scissors.** -1 
**Blossoming Message.** 2 
**Will of the Forest.** 1 
**Charming Nature (Charm person, but way less long but able to use several times).** 3 
**Total:** 0

> ##### Eberron Trickster (Original)
> **Languages.** 2 
**Changeling Instincts.** 5 
**Total:** 7

> ##### Wildkin
> **Languages.** 0 
**Spirit Animal.** 4 
**hunters Terrain.** 2 
**Foresters Tools.** 1 
**Total:** 7

> ##### Shadow Shifter
> **Languages.** 2 
**Darkvision.** 3 
**Shades Weapon Training.** 2 
**Shadowrealms resistance.** 3 
**Sunlight Sensitivity.** - 3 
**Total:** 7