Gimmaren (5e Race)

Gimmaren

"I can see you hiding in the corner over there, young one," Gerix called out. He reached his hand towards the child huddled in the corner. "There is no need to hide from me."

The child curled up even tighter and turned away.

Gerix looked at them kindly. "I know, I look strange. But I am not a monster. Here, let me show you."

He held his hand in the air and commanded the forces in his body. Suddenly, a small quarts statue of the child appeared in his hand. He broke it off and handed it to them.

The child, fear replaced with curiosity, slowly crawled towards Gerix. He smiled and handed them the statue. The child took the statue tentatively.

"What is your name, little one?"

"B... Briar."

"Well, Briar, let's see what I can do to help you."

An excerpt from The Cavernfolk, a book by Briar Harpling.

The Gimmarens are humanoids who live in caves and have adapted to its rough lifestyle. Through magic, evolution, and sheer force of will, they have become almost supernaturally tough and are covered in gems, which they can manipulate to their will.

Crystal-Coated Creatures

The Gimmarens vary in appearance as much as humans do. They generally are very tough, so they typically appear very hardy and strong. Their skin is usually an ashen gray or brown, though it can vary based on what cave their civilization developed in- a desert Gimmaren, for example, could be a pale yellow. They all appear very different, and it is mainly for one reason- their crystals. They are all partly or entirely coated in crystals. It could be ruby, quartz, sapphire, diamond, emerald, jade- they can be composed of any kind of known or unknown gem. Because of this, they can blend into the rocks easily.

Forced into Hiding

The Gimmarens came about millennia ago, when the human race was in its infancy. They were being hunted by many much stronger creatures- rocs, orcs, hobgoblins, purple worms, and many more creatures liked to kill humans out of instinct or just for fun. Humans didn't have tools or magic, so they were getting slaughtered by the dozen and they had no way to defend themselves. Because of the danger in the outside world, many humans retreated into the cave systems. They started eating animals inside of the cave and drinking mineral water. Over time, their physiology shifted, with their skin and organs becoming harder. Their diet shifted away from the animals of the caves and towards the gems themselves, and, with their new, adapted bodies, they could easily do this. Their skin became coated in the minerals they consume, giving them great physical strength. Their lifespan drastically increased, allowing them to have lifespans comparable to that of dwarves. They became tougher and relied more and more on caves. Eventually, most of the outside world forgot about them, and they mostly closed off from the outside world as well.

Life in the Dark

Gimmarens have totally adapted to their new subterranean homes. They no longer rely on sunlight to tell the time. Rather, their internal clock is incredibly strong, so they know almost exactly to the minute what time it is on any given day. Their vision has adapted to their environment, allowing them to see in the dark very well. Since they are missing many crucial resources, such as wood and grain, they have learned to improvise using other materials they can find in caves. They are very versatile creatures, and they can often find something they can use to make a tool or weapon. They do not know much of the outside world, however, so the idea of riding horses and building houses is lost to them.

Gimmarens, despite all odds, have a fairly advanced society inside of the caverns. Since they moved into the caves before magic was discovered, it is fairly rare for gimmarens to be spellcasters and they are often frightened of arcane magic. They have much more experience with divine magic than arcane, however. They do not have a primary religion, but a few groups believe in various different gods. Because of this, divine magic is fairly accepted, though they are still wary of it. Their society relies on everyone working together, so they have a strong sense of fair play. They are also very loyal and protective of those around them. Their homes are sturdy and tough, just like the gimmarens, because they need to not collapse during cave-ins. They don't have huge civilizations in the cave, and often there are many living in the same cave without even realizing it.

Gimmaren Names

Gimmarens tend to have rougher names, with harsher consonants and fewer soft vowel noises. They have short names, usually ranging from 3 to 6 letters. Male names tend to use V's, X's, and Z's a lot, while almost all female names use J's, W's and Q's in them. They have last names based on what type of gem forms on their body the most.

Male: Veran, Xerva, Zendo, Hevi, Oza, Yunvax, Gerix, Lazura

Female: Wen, Oqua, Ojen Ajafa, Woqua, Kalej, Rajna

Last Names: Ruby, Amethyst, Diamond, Pearl, Onyx, Topaz, Quartz

Gimmaren Traits

A gem-covered race of humanoids, forced into hiding millennia ago.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2.
Age. Gimmarens are still partially human, so they reach maturity at an age of between 18 and 20 years- only slightly longer than humans do. However, they often live 300 to 400 years.
Alignment. Because o their sense of fair play, they tend towards lawful. They tend towards neutrality, but they can also be good. Very few gimmarens are evil, and they are often outcasts of society if they are.
Size. Gimmarens are a bit taller than humans, standing between 6 and 7 feet tall. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. Your life in the caves has significantly sharpened your vision. 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.
Hardened Body. Your skin is tougher than most people's. You may add your Constitution modifier to your armor class while you are not wearing armor.
No Spare Parts. You have learned how to use the dead parts of animals to create tools for yourself. As part of a short rest, you can harvest bone and hide from a slain beast, construct, dragon, monstrosity, or plant creature of size Small or larger to create one of the following items: a shield, a club, a javelin, or 1d4 darts or blowgun needles. To use this trait, you need a blade, such as a dagger, or appropriate artisan's tools, such as leatherworker's tools.
Gem Manipulation. You have learned how to control the forces in your body to create small objects. As an action, you can create an object in your hand made out of your type of gem, as described by your subrace. This object cannot be worth more than 5 gp and it cannot be more than 4 inches long on any side. You decide what the object looks like. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses after a long rest.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Terran.
Subrace. Gimmarens are divided based on what type of gem they are mostly comprised of. Choose a subrace of Gimmaren from the list below.

 These subraces are just a few different types of gems. If you want to have your Gimmaren be composed of a different kind of gem, pick one of the subraces and just modify the traits to your need.

Quartz

Quartz Gimmarens are the most common kind of Gimmaren but tough and hard-working. They are often used as miners because of their hardiness and strength. Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.
Quartzite Skin. Your skin is incredibly hard, even for a gimmaren. As a reaction when you take damage, you may reduce the damage dealt to you by 1d8. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Topaz

Topaz is a rarer kind of gimmaren. They are generally good leaders, as they have a way with other unique among their race. They often become the leader or diplomats of their societies. {{5e Subrace Traits |abilities=Your Charisma score increases by 1. |trait1=Persuasive Words |description1=Whenever you make an ability check with the Persuasion skill, you may use your reaction to add a d4 to the result. |trait2=Unnatural |description2=

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
′ ″	+	lb.	× () lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

Suggested Characteristics

When creating a <race name> character, you can use the following table of traits, ideals, bonds and flaws to help flesh out your character. Use these tables in addition to or in place of your background's characteristics.

d8	Personality Trait
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

d6	Ideal
1
2
3
4
5
6

d6	Bond
1
2
3
4
5
6

d6	Flaw
1
2
3
4
5
6

0.00

(0 votes)

---

Back to Main Page → 5e Homebrew → Races