Tome of Peoples (Chapter 1)

## Lavilk

<span style="font-variant: small-caps; font-size:10pt;">The volcano sprites enthusiastically welcomed us to</span> *their village, under one condition: we pay respects and wor-ship in front of their local deity, a fire salamander. We spent hours kowtowing at that cursed thing's feet only for it to fade away to the lavilk's laughter—it was only a illusory prank the whole time. Maddening creatures.*

<div align="right"> —Aleister Levintas, <i>human scholar</i> </div>

<br />

### Fire-Haired Sprites

Lavilk are slender, mischievous creatures with dark, metallic skin ranging from bronze to pitch-black. Their hair runs long and thick, colored red, orange, and white like flames. Lavilk of all genders tend to wear their hair long, at least to their shoulder blades.

The hands and feet of lavilk are bright orange, like metal in a forge. They have voluntary control over the temperature of their extremities, allowing them to temporarily heat up their hands and feet to prevent them from being damaged in extreme heat, or as a rudimentary defensive measure. For this reason, lavilk rarely wear shoes or other footwear, and even lavilk smiths forgo gloves.

### Lighthearted Illusionists

To lavilk, illusions are as natural as breathing. More than that, illusions are built into lavilk society and personality. Many nights in lavilk villages are spent in illusory games and com-petitions around the fire, each ridiculous caricature more ludicrous, and insulting, than the last, with the subject of the ridicule laughing hardest of all. This semi-permeable relation-ship with the truth often leads to culture shock for outside visitors of lavilk society, who find the constant pranks and jests insulting or irritating.

### Evershifting Society
Lavilk villages often form around articulate leaders, changing laws, systems, and locations at their whims. This lasts for a time, until the new ways become old and a new leader comes along. Lavilk love the new and the strange, and preserving tradition is a foreign concept to their kind.

The love for change filters through all aspects of lavilk soci-ety. Lavilk change partners often, with hard feelings rare on either side. Lavilk will change their names, professions, and mannerisms at their whim, often adopting aspects of a new culture they've encountered.

### Lavilk Names
Lavilk are given names at birth, but will often change their names three or four times by the time they reach adulthood. It's not uncommon for lavilk to adopt names from other cultures, or to try a name for a different gender.

<div align="left"><b>Female Names:</b> Ajer, Areti, Bana, Bekeh, Daji, Ejere, Kejer,
    Keteh, Leuti, Reda, Tari</div>

<div align="left"><b>Male Names:</b> Atamis, Eninu, Jilik, Katas, Mejas, Molir, Mokal,
    Setuk, Taku</div>

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### Lavilk Traits
Your lavilk character has the following traits.

***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Charisma score increases by 2, and your Constitution score increases by 1.

***Age.*** Lavilk live slightly longer than humans, at an upward of 120 years.

***Alignment.*** Lavilk group together in large villages and thrive in social environments. Lavilk societies tend to go through rapid changes, morphing under new charismatic leaders and changing even more as those leaders are cycled out. As such, many lavilk tend toward chaotic alignments.

***Creature Type.*** You are a Humanoid.

***Size.*** Lavilk are slender and middling in height, averaging around five and a half feet tall and 120 pounds. Your size is Medium.

To set your height and weight randomly, start with rolling a size modifier:

Size modifier = 2d4

Height = 5 feet + your size modifier in inches

Weight in pounds = 100 + (4 × your size modifier)

</font>

***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. Your ties to elemental fire make your darkvision unusual: everything you see in darkness is in a shade of red.

\pagebreakNum

***Flame-Forged Skin.*** You have resistance to fire damage.

***Caldera-Bred.*** You can breath even in ash or the super-heated, often toxic fumes that accompany lava or magma.

***Lavilk Magic.*** You know the *produce flame* cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the *silent image* spell as a 1st-level spell once with this trait, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spell-casting ability for these spells.

***Heat-Born Images.*** Lavilk are talented at making simple illusions with their superheated abilities. As a bonus action, you can target one creature you can see within 30 feet of you with small, heat-based illusions. Choose one of the following effects to inflict upon the target until the end of its next turn:

* Your and your allies' movement doesn't provoke opportunity attacks from the target.

* The next attack roll made against the target by a creature other than you has advantage.

* If you take the Hide action, the target has disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks made to determine your location.

Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

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

> ##### Rule Tip: Extreme Heat
> Creatures with resistance or immunity to fire damage automatically succeed on saving throws to resist exhaustion in extreme heat and hot climates.

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## Simian

<span style="font-variant: small-caps; font-size:10pt;">A few years ago, a traveling circus troupe came</span> <br />*through our humble town. Although all of the performers were skilled in their own ways, the star of the show by far was a young simian acrobat. The way she swung across the trapeze with such grace and precision—I know lots of people say this, but I swear that, for just a moment, it seemed as though she was truly flying.*

<div align="right"> —Tordek Balderk, <i>dwarf blacksmith</i> </div>

<br />

Commonly found in jungles and rainforests, simians are monkey-like humanoids who are as dexterous as they are playful. Natural-born climbers, simians scale tall trees in an effort to outdo one another and prove themselves in the eyes of their tribes. Simians take pleasure in playing small pranks on one another, often with the aid of their ancestral magic.

### Awakened to Emptiness
Simian elders tell stories of a legendary figure known as "the Monkey King" who struck out on a perilous journey to seek out the power of the gods themselves. In the process, the Monkey King is said to have achieved a state of enlighten-ment which unlocked a number of newfound magical abili-ties, further enhancing his already formidable combative prowess. Ever since, the teaching of this ancestral magic from one generation to the next has become a rite of passage for young simians who seek to achieve the same enlighten-ment as the Monkey King himself.

### Vibrant Expression
Simians display a wide variety of hair colors, including brown, black, red, white, and gray. They also have a range of eye colors, such as brown, gray, green, and yellow. Many simians' skin are earthy shades of brown, though some have skin that is dark, tan, pale, or even occasionally blue. Simians average at 5 feet tall and are typically very lean and athletic.

Most simians take great pride in their hair, often styling it as a means of expressing personal identity. Likewise, some simians adorn themselves in flashy clothing in order to catch the attention of would-be friends and rivals alike. Simians typically tailor their clothes to make room for their prehensile tails, and many choose to forgo shoes in order to enable easier climbing.

In addition to their own verbal and written language, simians have developed a nonverbal language of hand signs and gestures that allows silent communication. Simians use this sign language amongst themselves during hunting, to communicate at a distance, or when they wish to avoid being overheard.

### Journey On
Although simians typically stick together in small, close-knit tribes, many go on extended journeys during adolescence or early adulthood in order to emulate the Monkey King by seeking out adventure and enlightenment. Should simians come across traveling companions during their journeys, they are known to form lasting friendships, proving themselves to be valuable and trustworthy allies. Even so, simians believe

\pagebreak

that life without a little fun is a dull life indeed, and will some-times interject their own form of "fun" into a situation by means of a lighthearted joke or prank.

### Simian Names
Simians’ given names are often passed down through family lines. However, some simians choose new names for them-selves as part of their transition into adulthood, especially before or after going on their first journey of enlightenment.

Simians are known to collect many titles for themselves during their lifetimes. Some titles are bestowed upon them by allies or enemies, while others are titles bestowed upon themselves as a mark of pride and ability.

<div align="left"><b>Female Names:</b> Guanyin, Liangyu, Leizu, Mui, Nüwa, Xiu,
    Yuenü, Zhurong</div>

<div align="left"><b>Male Names:</b> Boyang, Chiyou, Guang, Huangdi, Puti,
    Sanzang, Sun, Yao</div>

<div align="left"><b>Titles:</b> the Ascetic, the Deft, the Beautiful, the Handsome,     the Intelligent, the Sage, the Spear, the Wind</div>

### Simian Traits
Your simian character has the following traits.

***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Wisdom or Charisma score increases by 1 (your choice).

***Age.*** Simians mature at the same rate as humans and have lifespans similar in length to theirs.

***Alignment.*** Simians are often playful and mischievous, tending toward chaotic alignments. Most simians are good-hearted, and even the tricksters among them are usually more playful than vicious.

***Creature Type.*** You are a Humanoid.

***Size.*** Simians average about 5 feet tall and typically have lean, athletic builds. Your size is Medium.

To set your height and weight randomly, start with rolling a size modifier:
 
<font face='scalysans' size='2'>

Size modifier = 2d6

Height = 4 feet + 5 inches + your size modifier in inches

Weight in pounds = 75 + (1d6 × your size modifier)
 
</font>

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

***Simian Nimbleness.*** You have a climbing speed equal to your walking speed. You also have proficiency in the Acrobatics skill.

***Prehensile Tail.*** You can grasp things with your tail. It has a reach of 5 feet, and it can lift up to 10 pounds. You can use it to do the following simple tasks: lift, drop, hold, push, or pull an object or a creature; stow or retrieve an item; open or close a door or a container; or hang from a sturdy branch or beam. Your DM might allow other simple tasks to be added to that list of options. It can't wield weapons or shields or do anything that requires manual precision, such as using tools or magic items or performing the somatic components of a spell.

***Illusory Distraction.*** When a creature you can see makes an attack roll against you, you can use your reaction to momentarily create an illusory double and impose disad-vantage on the roll. You must use this trait before knowing

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whether the attack hits or misses. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

***Simian Magic.*** You know the *shillelagh* cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the *disguise self* spell once with this trait, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the *levitate* spell on yourself once with this trait, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Your spellcasting ability for these spells is Wisdom or Charisma (choose when you select this race).

***Languages.*** You can speak, read, and write Common and Simian, and can communicate using simian sign language.

## Ophidian

<span style="font-variant: small-caps; font-size:10pt;">The first time I glimpsed an ophidian in the distance, I  </span> *assumed my traveling company and I had chanced upon a den of yuan-ti and feared the worst. To my surprise, several hours later a small group of ophidians calmly approached us and asked if we were lost, with a tone of voice that suggested they were happy to teach us the quickest way out of their territory. Suffice it to say that my delight at being gifted detailed descriptions of the local terrain was met with equal disappointment at learning precious little about this elusive and solitary people group.*

<div align="right"> —Ander Brightwood, <i>human explorer and surveyor</i>        </div>

<br />

Found in rainforests, grasslands, and savannas, ophidians are cobra-like humanoids whose serpentine lower bodies resem-ble the tails of snakes. A deeply self-sufficient people, ophid-ians are rarely encountered by other humanoids. Even so, ophidians are popularly known for producing some of the most renowned healers of the ages, often by using their own venom and scales to produce potent healing elixirs.

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### Strong Serpent-Kin
Ophidians are recognized by their humanoid upper bodies and their serpentine lower bodies, granting them a thick, scaled body and tail rather than legs. Beyond this, an ophid-ian's most prominent feature is a scaled hood which extends from the sides of the ophidian's head, similar to those of cobras. An ophidian's hood can be extended and retracted at will, and is often used to either impress or intimidate others. Generally speaking, male ophidians grow slightly larger hoods than female ophidians.

Ophidians display a variety of scale colors, including black, brown, yellowish white, rust-orange, yellow, and red. Like-wise, some ophidians feature spotted or striped patterns on their scales. Ophidians' eyes are most often brown, yellow, or black, though they occasionally have blue or green eyes. An ophidian's pupils are thin and vertical, reflecting their serpen-tine nature. Many ophidians have naturally athletic builds, with their muscular upper bodies being the clearest indica-tion to most other humanoids. That said, one should avoid underestimating the constrictive strength of an ophidian's lower body and tail.

### Stoic Spiritualists
On first impression, many ophidians come across as emotion-ally subdued and matter-of-fact, leading some to inaccurately conclude that ophidians as a whole are an uncaring people. This, however, is simply a developed culture amongst ophid-ians, who emphasize that unchecked emotion clouds judg-ment and can lead to an untimely death in precarious circum-stances. Furthermore, many ophidian tribes actively strive to aid the lands in which they reside by performing yearly rituals which promote growth and nourishment. It's for this reason that ophidians are often cold or hostile toward those who threaten to disrupt nature's balance in their domains.

### Gifted Healers
Many believe ophidians to be amongst the most talented healers and physicians. This is due in part to ophidians' ancestral techniques for safely utilizing their own venom to increase the potency of various medicines and potions. Fur-thermore, cultural conditioning for muting one's emotions enables many ophidians to keep level heads during medical emergencies, allowing them to take informed action at a moment's notice.

Tragically, growing awareness of the medicinal value of ophidian venom has led certain black market opportunists and fortune-seekers to capture or kill ophidians to acquire their venom, scales, and other rare physical traits.

> ##### Ophidians vs. Yuan-ti
> Our goal when designing ophidians was to create a template for playable snake humanoids who don't feel limited by  pre-established lore that describes yuan-ti characters as emotionless monsters. At the same time, we wanted to offer racial traits that we felt added to the experience of roleplaying a speci-fically *snake* humanoid. To that end, we hope that our ophidians enable players to achieve just that.

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### Ophidian Names
Ophidian given names are typically passed down through the generations. However, some ophidians choose names with more sibilants for their offspring or for themselves based on personal preference or ease of pronunciation.

Additionally, many ophidian names include subtle intona-tions that indicate familial origin, community role, or social status. Because these can be difficult for non-ophidians to recognize or reproduce, most ophidians either translate these subtleties as titles or leave them unsaid when speaking with non-ophidians.

<div align="left"><b>Female Names:</b> Kadru, Kanyaka, Manasa, Nitya, Padma,
    Renuka, Ulupi, Yakshi</div>

<div align="left"><b>Male Names:</b> Astika, Balarama, Iravan, Karkotaka, Kaliya,
    Shesha, Takshaka, Vasuki</div>

### Ophidian Traits
Your ophidian character has the following traits.

***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Wisdom score increases by 2, and your Strength score increases by 1.

***Age.*** Ophidians mature at the same rate as humans and have lifespans similar in length to theirs.

***Alignment.*** Due to their stoic culture, many ophidians are neutrally-aligned, having been taught to examine the world simply as it is. However, those who become healers or who come from communities which perform land-revitalizing rituals tend toward good alignments.

***Creature Type.*** You are a Humanoid.

***Size.*** Ophidians are a little bulkier and taller than humans, and their hoods make them appear even larger. Your size is Medium.

To set your height and weight randomly, start with rolling a size modifier:

Size modifier = 2d10

Height = 4 feet + 9 inches + your size modifier in inches

Weight in pounds = 120 + (2d6 × your size modifier)

</font>

***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.

***Poison Resistance.*** You have resistance to poison damage, and you have advantage on saving 
throws you make to avoid or end the poisoned condition on yourself

***Bite.*** Your fangs are a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal poison damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

***Venomous Fangs.*** When you hit a creature with your bite attack, you can force the target to make a Constitution saving throw against a DC equal to 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. On a failed save, the target is poisoned until the end of your next turn. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

***Shed Skin.*** When you would become blinded, deafened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, or poisoned, you can use your reaction to shed the outermost layer of your skin to prevent the condition from afflicting you. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

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***Slithering Glide.*** Your serpentine lower body allows you to easily glide across certain rough ground. You ignore difficult terrain caused by loose surfaces, such as sand or snow.

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

## Cephalocus

<span style="font-variant: small-caps; font-size:10pt;">If one of the squidfolk wishes to join your guild,</span> <br />*let 'em. Never met a more driven, clever bunch of people. I had one walk in without knowing which end of a carver is up and end up producing masterpieces sought by <br />kings—no finer makers on the continent.*

<div align="right"> —Urist Dumadak, <i>dwarf Sculptors' Guild leader</i>        </div>

<br />

Cephaloci have no nation to call their home, having spread out across the world via lakes and rivers.

Cephaloci rarely seek interactions with other human-<br />oids, be they of their own species or others. Instead, they typically spend their days doggedly pursuing a single goal—often the mastery of a craft.

However, some cephaloci are driven to other pursuits: seek-ing lost magic or technology, discovering the remnants of ancient cultures, or destroying an enemy they perceive to be a danger to civilization as a whole.

### Slime-Coated Squidfolk

Cephaloci are short and squat humanoids. Instead of a neck, cephaloci have a large, bulbous, octopus-shaped head attached directly to their shoulders. Four long tentacles sprout from cepaloci's torsos, two on each side beneath their true arms. These tentacles lack fine motor control.

Cephaloci have ink sacs in their mouths, allowing them to spit an inky cloud from their mouths if they need to escape predators. Some cephaloci can also spit ink-less steam from their beaks, providing defensive or practical capabilities.

While cephaloci have long since abandoned the seas as their primary homes, they have a natural affinity to living by water. Swamps, rivers, lakes, and beaches are all common homes for cephaloci hermits.

### Self-Efficacious Hermits

Many cephaloci take great pleasure in working with their hands, becoming tailors, smiths, and crafters with great gusto. Despite their short lifespans, or perhaps because of them, cephaloci tend to choose a single focus and spend their entire lives pursuing it, whether that be a craft or some other venture.

<br />

> ##### Racial Alignment and Ability Scores
> We've included suggested ability scores and align-ments for our playable races, but we intend these to simply act as suggestions for playing an "arche-typal" character of these races, *not* as limits on how a character of each race "ought" to be played.

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Although they're often asocial, cephaloci typically know all their compatriots in their craft. This can lead to generational grudges over perceived slights or grievances.

### Scattered Focus, United Cause

Cephaloci may prefer to scatter, but their greater purpose is the push of knowledge and skill across all their kind. Many cephaloci's life purpose is to consolidate the knowledge and ability of the scattered masters, compiling complex tomes about topics such as leatherworking or masonry.

Cephaloci also take pride in their great ancestors, keeping clan names and referencing them for this purpose. Their focus on craft and clan lead many cephaloci to intermingle with dwarven societies, insomuch as they intermingle with others at all.

### Cephalocus Names
Cephaloci trace their lineage and families through complex, painstakingly researched genealogies. Families are usually organized by clan.

<div align="left"><b>Female Names:</b> Faleliva, Falia, Fitia, Lica, Mahica, Malali,
    Pani, Soti, Taimi, Vami</div>

<div align="left"><b>Male Names:</b> Aunonai, Cefu, Kenoa, Menephi, Sete, Soa,
    Soume, Tagui, Talelui, Vaphai</div>

<div align="left"><b>Clan Names:</b> Auta'actra, Calypamemila, Kemimos,
    Kocauloloa, Nalevaca, Penelisusa, Sesolalovia, Telailoa,
    Tina'alesi, Vola'ave</div>

### Cephalocus Traits

Your cephalocus character has the following traits.

***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Intelligence score increases by 1.

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***Age.*** Cephaloci are short-lived compared to other human-oids, rarely living past 30 years.

***Alignment.*** Most cephaloci are asocial creatures, prefer-ring solitary living or small family groups. This resistance to large-scale organization leads many cephaloci to be chaotic.

***Creature Type.*** You are a Humanoid.

***Size.*** Cephaloci are squatter than humans, ranging from 5 to 6 feet tall and averaging almost 200 pounds. Your size is Medium.

To set your height and weight randomly, start with rolling a size modifier:

Size modifier = 2d6

Height = 5 feet + your size modifier in inches

Weight in pounds = 145 + (2d6 × your size modifier)

</font>

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

***Amphibious.*** You can breathe air and water.

***Cephalopod Intellect.*** You have proficiency in the Investigation skill and one type of artisan’s tools of your choice.

***Ink Jet.*** As an action, you can expel ink from your beak, forming a cloud of black ink around yourself. You create a 20-foot-radius sphere of ink initially centered on you (it does not follow you if you move after creating it). The sphere of ink spreads around corners, its area is heavily obscured, and it dissipates at the end of your next turn.

You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

***Myriad Tentacles.*** Your many tentacles, while not dexter-ous enough to substitute for hands, give you advantage in close-quarters situations. You have advantage on grapple checks.

***Steam-Powered Strike.*** When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the *searing smite* spell once with this trait, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for this spell.

***Languages.*** You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice.

## Arborean

<span style="font-variant: small-caps; font-size:10pt;">When traveling through an unknown forest, take</span> <br />*special care not to disturb the trees and wildlife of the <br />area more than absolutely necessary. There are rumors <br />that tell of tree people who suddenly spring to life, punish-<br />ing those who bring harm to their forested domains...*

<div align="right"> —Breena Timbers, <i>gnome ranger</i>             </div>

<br />

Arboreans are plant folk who resemble humanoid trees, similar in appearance to smaller, younger treants. With a protective outer layer of bark and the ability to innately cast nature magic, arboreans are often seen as capable guardians of forests and nature as a whole.

> ##### Not a Plant Creature?
> Although arboreans are described here as treefolk with plant-like physical features, they're still categorized as the Humanoid creature type.

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### Gentle Giants
Despite popular reputations of arboreans as brutal defenders of nature, many arboreans are perfectly content to go days at a time without encountering another humanoid. Instead, such arboreans choose to bask in the sun and enjoy the natural splendor of their forested homes. Indeed, some arboreans only reveal themselves to others when they feel that their peaceful domains have been threatened by excessive destruc-tion, whether by loggers or by feral beasts. Once the problem has been addressed, whether by conversation or by defensive action, the arborean will likely return back to their previously interrupted relaxation.

### Tall and Sturdy
Like the trees around them, arboreans are noted for towering over many other humanoids, often standing well over 6 feet in height. Similarly, arboreans have dense, wooden skin that resembles tree bark, allowing them to shrug off many blows. Some arboreans grow different sorts of leaves on their bodies, sometimes to the point of resembling leafy or grassy hair on their heads. The most outstanding arboreans have been known to rarely grow fruit or berries from their bodies, many of which have medicinal healing effects when eaten.

### Arborean Adventurers
Though many arboreans are content to stay within the com-fort of their forested homes, some choose to adventure into the outside world for one reason or another. One example of this might include an arborean whose forest is damaged beyond repair, such as by an unchecked forest fire or by rampant deforestation. In this case, the arborean might either seek out a new home or become a wandering avenger of the natural world, if not both. On the other hand, an arbo-rean might be sent out into the world by their clan in order to undertake a special pilgrimage or quest that will determine the fate of the clan and the forest as a whole.

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### Arborean Names
Arborean names often follow a theme that's shared by one's family line. For example, an arborean lineage might include the names Quercus, Quertis, Quenill, and Quenyr. Occasion-ally, arboreans choose to adopt a nickname when interacting with non-arboreans, which may or may not be a loose trans-lation of their given name.

<div align="left"><b>Arborean Names:</b> Acca, Cycas, Dracaena, Inga, Pyrus,
    Quercus, Salix, Thuja</div>

<div align="left"><b>Nicknames:</b> Ashtrunk, Blackthorn, Cherryshade, Hazelroot,
    Ironbirch, Needlebeard, Tendertree, Winterbranch</div>

### Arborean Traits
Your arborean character has the following traits.

***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Constitution score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.

***Age.*** Arboreans mature at the same rate as humans, but they can live up to 150 years.

***Alignment.*** As defenders of forests and the natural world, arboreans tend toward neutral alignments. Those who allow for other species using natural resources and impacting the environment out of necessity are more often neutral good, while those who indiscriminately attack any who encroach upon their territory are typically chaotic neutral.

***Creature Type.*** You are a Humanoid.

***Size.*** Arboreans are taller and heavier than humans, standing well over 6 feet tall and averaging almost 250 pounds. Your size is Medium.

To set your height and weight randomly, start with rolling a size modifier:

Size modifier = 2d8
	
Height = 5 feet + 6 inches + your size modifier in inches
	
Weight in pounds = 175 + (2d6 × your size modifier)

</font>

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

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***Natural Armor.*** You have tough, woody skin. When you
               aren’t wearing armor, your AC is 12 + your Consti-
                 tution modifier. You can use your natural armor to
             determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave
                 you with a lower AC. A shield’s benefits apply as
                    normal while you use your natural armor.

***Rooted.*** You're able to extend roots into the ground
                to stabilize yourself. If you would be knocked prone,
               you can use your reaction to prevent this condition
            from afflicting you. You can use this trait a number of
         times equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of
          once), and you regain all expended uses of it when you
            finish a long rest.

***Photosynthesis.*** When you roll Hit Dice to regain hit
       points after finishing a short rest, you can roll each die
         twice and use the higher of the two rolls if you spent the
              entire rest in direct sunlight.

***Nature Magic.*** You know the *thorn whip* cantrip. When
    you reach 3rd level, you can cast the *goodberry* spell once
    with this trait, and you regain the ability to do so when you
    finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast
    the *spike growth* spell once with this trait, and you regain
    the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Wisdom is
    your spellcasting ability for these spells.

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

## Xitri

<span style="font-variant: small-caps; font-size:10pt;">At first we thought the lights were a threat—some</span> <br />*sort of undead drifting through the night. Imagine my sur-prise when my daughter brings me over to look at faceless alien beings walking across the plains, lines glowing across their elongated bodies. It was eerie—but both eerie and beautiful.*

<div align="right"> —Eliya of Roses, <i>wood elf hunter</i> </div>

<br />

Resembling walking shades with glowing lines across their bodies, xitri are strange and alien in appearance. Many xitri don't speak, communicating instead through their empathetic senses, which only widens the gap of understanding between them and other humanoids. Past this strangeness, many xitri are empathetic, clever, and reliable allies—for those few who earn their trust.

### Luminescent Silhouettes

Xitri are tall and unusually slender, with glowing lines run-ning up and down their limbs. Adding to their alien visage, xitri have no visible faces. Xitri have long and slender fingers, much like the rest of their builds, allowing nimble move-ments and gestures.

Contrary to rumors of emotion-based or energy-based vampirism, xitri physical needs are not so different from other humanoids. They eat, preferring a diet of grains and fruit, and sleep around seven hours.

### Empathetic Specters

While their lack of faces and facial expressions have given them an alien, emotionless reputation, xitri are in truth the opposite. Their ability to communicate feelings and images give the xitri a deep appreciation for others' thoughts and

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experiences. A similar divide comes from the xitri's lack of a spoken language—while an elf might wonder at what a xitri is thinking since they can't speak it, a xitri would equally won-der at what an elf is feeling, since the elf can't show it by touch.

Their wandering ways have given xitri a strong sense of family and tribe. Their lack of visible sex extends to their identity, as xitri rarely identify with a particular gender.

### Mistrusted Nomads
Despite their isolation, the empathetic natures of the xitri lend them to be reliable and trustworthy trade partners and neighbors for the cultures that find ways to interact with them. This is a difficult task for reasons beyond xenophobia, since many xitri don't speak any language at all and avoid other species altogether due to generations of violence and mistrust.

Their outdoor, wandering nature means xitri prefer wide, temperate areas such as savannahs or forests. Many wood elf nations have started to interact with the xitri more, incorpo-rating xitri tribes into their nations.

### Xitri Names
Xitri rarely identify each other with names, choosing instead a series of images or emotions, but xitri attempting to inte-grate into speaking society will select a name for themselves. Commonly, these names are taken from the speaking cul-tures they interact with, but a few tribes of xitri have devel-oped their own nomenclature.

<div align="left"><b>Xitri Names:</b> Deogri, Disazi, Dizin, Dolha, Dusan, Hetxun,
    Hithoki, Hokeki, Jeota, Jexi, Sonixi, Sukin, Xitha, Zeeni,
    Zoke</div>

### Xitri Traits
Your xitri character has the following traits.

***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Intelligence score increases by 2, and your Dexterity score increases by 1.

***Age.*** Xitri aging is poorly understood by other species. They become fully grown at the age of 20, and live anywhere from 50 to 500 years.

***Alignment.*** Xitri prioritize emotions and soothing pain above all else, leading many xitri to be considered good-aligned.

***Creature Type.*** You are a Humanoid.

**Size.** Xitri stand between 6 and 8 feet tall, but rarely weigh more than 100 pounds. Your size is Medium.

To set your height and weight randomly, start with rolling a size modifier:

Size modifier = 2d8

Height = 6 feet + your size modifier in inches

Weight in pounds = 25 + (1d6 × your size modifier)

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***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.

***Resilient Conduction.*** You have resistance to lightning damage.

***Energetic Current.*** When you are hit by a melee weapon attack, you can use your reaction to deal 1d6 lightning damage to the creature that hit you. You can use this trait a

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number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

***Tactile Empathy.*** You can communicate thoughts, emo-tions, and images to any creature you touch by stimulating the other creature's nervous system. A creature doesn't need to understand a language to receive this communication.

***Wanderer's Know.*** Your experiences wandering through-out the world have given you knowledge unmatched by those who live in fixed communities. You have proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Animal Handling, Arcana, Medicine, Nature, or Survival.

***Xitri Magic.*** You know the *light* cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the *color spray* spell once with this trait, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the *moonbeam* spell once with this trait, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

***Languages.*** You can speak, read, and write Common. Xitri do not speak to each other using words, instead using their Tactile Empathy trait to communicate.

> ##### Roleplaying Xitri Communication
> Although xitri characters are granted the ability to speak Common as a convenience to players and DMs alike, you and your group might find it enjoy-able to consider how your xitri character might communicate particular messages and concepts nonverbally via your Tactile Empathy trait. For example, you might communicate danger by sending feelings of alarm and fear, whereas you might communicate the location of an enemy by sending an image of it. Be clear about your char-acter's communication intentions unless you're deliberately aiming for inscrutable or mysterious.

<br />

> ##### Design Credits
> * Created by Reddit user /u/livingstone_library. <br />If you like what you see and want to support future content, you can support us at [patreon.com/livingstonelibrary](https://www.patreon.com/livingstonelibrary).
> * "Simian" was originally created and posted by one of our founders, /u/jldixon1, and is shared here in updated form with their permission.
> * "D&D Watercolor Stains" created by [Jared Ondricek](https://watercolors.giantsoup.com/) (Reddit user /u/flamableconcrete).
> * This document was created using [GM Binder](https://www.gmbinder.com/).
> ##### Art Credits
> * Page 1: "Chandra, Pyromaster" by [Winona Nelson](http://www.winonanelsonart.com/)
> * Page 2: "MONKEY KING Sun Wukong" by [Tiago da Silva](https://www.behance.net/gallery/42425851/MONKEY-KING-Sun-Wukong)
> * Page 3: "Slither Blade" by [Zezhou Chen](https://zezhouchen.com/)
> * Page 5: "Cephalid Sage" by [Keith Garletts](https://www.keithgarletts.com/)
> * Page 6: "Gnarled Sage" by [Raoul Vitale](https://www.raoulvitaleart.com/)
> * Page 7: "Gifted Aetherborn" by [Ryan Yee](http://ryanyee.com/)