Pillar Men (5e Race)
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Pillar Men
Physical Description
The Pillar men are humanoids standing around seven feet with large muscular bodies. Despite living in the darkness their skin takes on a light tan and their hair light. At times they will stud their body in various piercings and tattoos. They almost always have horns present on their heads, but some are capable of retracting them.
History
The Pillar Men came from an ancient race of humanoids that had extraordinary strength, intelligence and lifespan. This race once ruled the World, living at the top of the food chain and consuming weaker races.
However, because of their great abilities and physique, the race followed the "rule of evolution" regarding the trophic level: the "higher" it "evolved", the fewer its population became. They remain unable to overcome its adversity to sunlight and continue to hide among the shadows to this day.
Society
The Pillar men society is based on the ideology of "Evolution", Believing the most powerful and most intelligent survive. This ideology is not bound by genders and Pillar men societies could be ran by either a male or female.
Pillar Men Names
Pillar men names are often ancient sounding and odd to the mortal races that watch them.
Male: Kars, Wammu, Santana, Esidisi
Female: Fratilils, Halstorn, Nirvani, Rammsteni
Pillar Men Traits
CAAAAEEESSSAAAAARRRR!
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2.
Age. Pillar men matures around 18, and can live up to thousands of years.
Alignment. Many follow extreme loyalties and a few follow a warrior's code, making them heavily inclined toward lawful aspect. Pillar men will do anything to gain what they want, they tend to commit more evil than good.
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.
Pseudo-Undead Nature. Although you are technically a living creature, some of your physiological features resemble traits of some types of undeads, notably vampires. You are considered both a humanoid and an undead for any effect relating to your type. You have advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead.
Archaic Toughness. You gain 1d4 temporary hit points at the start of your turn if you have at least 1 hit point and not in sunlight. If you take radiant damage or damage from holy water, this trait does not function at the start of your next turn.
Sunlight Hypersensitivity. You take 3 radiant damage when you start your turn in direct sunlight. This damage ignores resistance and immunity. While in sunlight, you have disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and two other languages of your choice.
Subrace. Pillar men develop and train "Modes", a variation of their physiological features that can be utilized as weapons. Three notable Modes are Flame Mode, Light Mode, and Wind Mode.
Flame Mode
Pillar men who develop Flame Mode can manipulate their metabolism to create an extraordinary heat within their own body. Their body temperature increases to a tremendous degrees, and their blood can be heated to a maximum of 500 degrees Celsius.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.
Heat Resistance. Your supernatural metabolism allows you to survive the extreme heat; you are the extreme heat. You have resistance against fire damage, and you do not suffer the effects of extreme heat.
Erratic Blaze King. The title is dedicated to a legendary pillar man who first developed and weaponized Flame Mode. As an action, you can touch a creature or an object to spill a small amound of your blood, which eats through most of the substances. Make a melee attack roll against the creature's AC, using your Constitution instead of Strength. On a hit, the creature takes 1d6 fire damage. An object automatically takes that damage, and the damage is maximized.
Boiling Blood. Upon suffering scars and wounds, you spill a sufficient amount of blood that melts everything within your perimeter. Whenever you take damage from a weapon attack, every creature within 5 feet of you must make a Dexterity saving throw. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 plus your proficiency bonus plus your Constitution modifier. On a failed save, a creature takes 1d6 fire damage.
Light Mode
Pillar men who develop Light Mode can develop and produce bladed appendages from their arms and legs. Each of the blades have tiny, shark teeth-like claws runnig along the edges, reflecting light into shining intensity - hence the name of the Mode.
Ability Score Increase. Your choice of Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma increases by 1.
Light Slip Blades. The common name for the bladed appendages is coined by a legendary pillar man who first developed and weaponized Light Mode. You are proficient with your bladed appendages, which are melee weapons with the finesse property that deals 1d6 slashing damage.
Warrior's Knowledge. It is typical for a pillar man to live and survive for a long duration, and Light Mode encourages them to learn anything they can gain benefit from their peculiar lifespan. You gain proficiency in one tool of your choice. Alternatively, you can speak, read, and write one additional language of your choice.
Combat Pragmatist. Light Mode is more than just using bladed appendages; it is more of a mindset of a warrior, a mindset that justifies all means for the purpose of victory. Whenever you hit a surprised creature with a weapon attack, you deal an additional 1d6 damage with the attack.
Wind Mode
Pillar men who develop Wind Mode can create pipe-like organs protruding from their body, which inhales and exhales air with tremendous velocity. This allows them to create various effects that can be utilized in many situations they face.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
Feel the Wind. You are sensitive to the flows of air around you. You can perceive your surroundings within 30 feet of you without relying on sight.
Propelled Movement. The pipe-like organs can exhale air in tremendous speed, boosting your movements like a jet engine. You can take either the Dash or Disengage action as a bonus action. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a short rest.
Wind Suit. A technique first introduced by a legendary pillar man who first developed and weaponized Wind Mode, you can render and reflect light around you for a limited time by creating a small turbulence of air around you. As an action, you can turn invisible for 1 minute or until your concentration is broken (as if you are concentrating on a spell). During this duration, you do not take radiant damage from your Sunlight Hypersensitivity trait even when you are in sunlight, although you still suffer other penalties. Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can use it again.
Unnamed Mode
Legend tells three pillar men who first introduced the peculiar physiological feats that defines the "modern" pillar men. However, an obscure legend also tells another pillar man, who was separated from the immortalized three and developed his Mode on his own. An even more obscure legend tells that he is still alive, up to this date, although not in shape that he can tell what he has been through all these years.
Pillar men who, rarely, do not follow any of the three well-known Modes might develop their bodily function to a maximum. This grants them access to an unnamed Mode, a Mode that is said to be developed by this obscure pillar man, whose existence itself is questionable in the first place. The utility of the Mode, however, is more than corporeal.
Irrational Fortitude. Your body can sustain more blows, even to the pillar men standards. Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 each time you gain a level.
Mastery over Body. You are the master of your own body, even moreso now that you have trained it to its extreme. You gain proficiency in either the Athletics or Acrobatics skill.
Incredible Flexiblity. One peculiar trait you gained from the unnamed Mode is the ability to squeeze through small spaces without hurting your bones and muscles. Some pillar men actually enjoys squeezing between furnitures and walls, much to the repulsion of any spectators. You can sqeeze through spaces as if you were a Small creature.
Crystallized Body. Legend tells that the unknown pillar man still survives as a statue-like status, immobilized yet living, up to this date. The unnamed Mode simulates this legend into practice, and this even allows a pillar man to resist the adverse effects of sunlight for a limited degrees. As an action, you can turn into a statue-like status for 1 hour or until your concentration is broken (as if you are concentrating on a spell). While you are in the statue-like status, you are petrified, gain immunity against bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons, do not require food or water to survive, and do not suffer from your Sunlight Hypersensitivity trait. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short rest before you can use it again.
Random Height and Weight
| Base Height | Height Modifier* | Base Weight | Weight Modifier** |
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| 6′ 1″ | +2d6 | 130 lb. | × (1d4) lb. |
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*Height = base height + height modifier | |||
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