Outsider (5e Race)
Outsider
| “ | With limbs of shadow and eyes of stone, the Outsiders shall follow you home. With claws of metal and souls of lust, let there be no one you can trust. | ” |
Physical Description
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| A crude depiction of a Gemstone Outsider with fireopal eyes, by DragoRune123 |
Outsiders, in their true forms, are humanoid creatures of an almost eldritch nature. They are slender and frail, with dangling limbs and almost skeletal features. The flesh of an outsider is dark, and in a way, mimics rocks. Outsider flesh is different from figure to figure, varying from stone and mud tones to greens, blues and even rusts or dark golds. An outsider's large, bulging eyes are a variety of different colors, and are usually glassy, often being mistaken for gemstones. Their appearance is deceiving even when an outsider is in its true form. They are hardy, with a natural agility not in keeping with their frail appearance.
History
Outsiders are rumored to be born of the rock, residing in caves and chasms long before the touch of man brought them to the light. They were ancient beings the lived rather ignorantly of the world above ground. When the different races began to explore downwards, however, outsiders were forced to adapt. Some fled, using the concentration of arcane energy in the atmosphere to push themselves into new caves, where they continued to feast on ores and gemstones. Many of these came to the Underdark, where they sometimes came into conflict with the illithid. The others hid among their newfound friends, using their energy to warp and twist their forms to blend in the humans and dwarves that broke through their walls.
Society
Outsiders live in groups known as "swarms", and sizes of swarms vary drastically. Outsiders living in the cities will often have smaller swarms, while uncivilized, cave-dwelling outsiders will have much larger swarms. Those living in non-outsider societies are called doppelgangers due to having a mimicked form. Those underground in their original state are called gemstone due to their unchanged diet and surroundings. Roughly 1% of a kingdom's population will consist of outsiders, both doppelganger and gemstone. Gemstone outsiders aren't as common as their doppelganger brothers in civilized spaces, but they are there. A pair of luminous eyes from a nearby bush might not be a cat or a raccoon, but an Outsider silently watching.
Outsiders are known for their thieving nature, as not many of them have grasped the concept of ownership or law. Those that have, however, learn to bend, twist or even break the law, some becoming guards while others become members of cults and gangs. Their race name is not lost on them, and they will often find themselves alienated from others for their appearance and inexperience with the above world.
Outsider Names
Gemstone outsiders are named after the gems their eyes represent, and have unisex addresses. Doppelganger outsiders give themselves names related to the race that they disguise as, such as human or elf names.
Gemstone: Opal, Spinel, Chist, Quartz
Doppelganger: Mariel, Lumen, Taras, Felstar
Outsider Traits
Eldritch beings underfoot and among us
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2.
Age. Outsiders mature a little faster than humans, reaching adulthood at 15. On average, they live much longer than humans do, unable to die from old age.
Alignment. Outsiders tend to be neutral, favoring individual choice over strict creed or law. They avoid unnecessary risk, and direct confrontation unless they feel the reward is worthy.
Size. 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.
Diggers Claws. You have sharp claws that allow you to dig through rock and slash creatures as unarmed strikes. If you hit with these claws, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier. You also can use an action to burrow 10 feet into nonmagical sand, earth, dirt, or similar material. While you do this, you leave a tunnel through the material you dig through and gain 10 feet of tremorsense until the end of your turn.
Eldritch Constitution. Due to your odd nature, you require less rest than normal beings. You only require 4 hours of sleep a day and gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice.
Subrace. Choose either the doppelganger or gemstone subrace.
Doppelganger
These are outsiders who have chosen to hide in plain sight rather than in the shadows. A doppelganger outsider's flesh is paler than usual, their eyes being smaller and their limbs being more anatomically correct for a human-sized creature. Because of this, they are often shorter than their gemstone brethren.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1.
Hidden Intent. You are proficient in the Deception skill. You also have advantage in all Charisma checks to disguise your true nature.
Shapeshift. You know and can cast the disguise self spell once, without any components. You must finish a short or long rest to use this trait again. When you use this version of disguise self, the spell's duration is increased to 2 hours, allowing you to maintain a longer appearance in public.
Gemstone
These are outsiders who have remained in the caves of their origin. A gemstone outsider's flesh is spiked, almost like chitin. Their eyes are indistinguishable from actual gems.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.
Tunnel Sense. When you use your Diggers Claws, you can burrow 20 feet instead of 10.
Sturdy. When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
Random Height and Weight
| Base Height | Height Modifier | Base Weight | Weight Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5′ 0″ | +2d10 | 90 lb. | +4d8 |
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