Stormborn (5e Race)

Stormborn

Chael, Stormborn Warrior Source

“	“You do know what you are, correct? You know the story of your kin?” Umaroth walked across the stage, looking at each of us in turn. His piercing green eyes met each of ours in turn, his black hair tousled and slightly charged with static. The energy was palpable in the air - the calm before the storm. He smiled, but it never reached his eyes. “I am here with you today to convince you to join me against the lowly humans who suppress us so. As they say, however, actions speak louder than words.” He pulled a white blanket off of a covered chair, revealing a bound and gagged human man, around the age of 30. "Let us take action," Umaroth said. He raised his hands, and the room was lightning and the thunder of the man’s tortuous screams.	”
—From the journal of Bertrand Flavos, human knight.

Born of the Storm

Stormborn are nothing more than humans whose bloodlines were touched by the Tempest generations ago, and they are almost indistinguishable from their mundane cousins. A closer look, however, reveals some distinguishing traits. Their eyes are always a piercing blue or green, their hair always stands up on end just slightly, and they always seem light on their feet. The area immediately surrounding a Stormborn is slightly charged with static, and perceptive individuals can smell a hint of ozone that constantly clings to them. The presence of a Stormborn draws attention, as this charged aura of energy seemingly makes them worthy of respect, if not admiration, from their peers.

Late Bloomers

Until puberty, there is no way of distinguishing a young Stormborn from a regular human. In fact, in some Stormborn, their eyes are just any old color until puberty, when they change to the piercing green or electric blue color that Stormborn most often exhibit. Once Stormborn reach puberty, however, they begin to exhibit signs of their power - they feel light as the wind on their feet, and electricity courses through their veins.

Integrated, to a Point

Stormborn are mostly integrated into society, but are still sometimes discriminated against. Common discriminators include certain circles of druids, some religious groups, and a few cults and governments, all of whom believe that either the Stormborn are abominations of some sort or that their hubris will lead to them disrupting the government or other just ruling body so as to gain power. Their fears are not entirely unwarranted, as some Stormborn develop a superiority complex and try to unite the race against the other “degenerate” races, or simply against the groups that were discriminating against them before. One example is Umaroth, who brought an entire continent to its knees and became a ruthless dictator until he was slain by his own son, Chael. He is viewed by some as a martyr for the cause of bringing the Stormborn to their rightful place in society - at the forefront. This mindset does not apply to all Stormborn, many of whom desire to fit normally into society and attempt to prove their worth to those that are cautious of them. As such, Stormborn generally tend to fit within one of three mindsets, as described below.

Integrals: The Integrals make up the majority of Stormborn. These are the moderates, who seek to lie low, fit into general society, and overall not draw any unwanted attention to themselves or their people. Unfortunately, due to the actions of both of the other two groups, these Stormborn are often subjected to a 'guilt by association' mindset from the other races, and are as such incapable of fully integrating as they wish to do.

Ukongama: The Ukongama, meaning 'the supremacists,' are the radicals of the Stormborn. They believe that the Tempest has made them superior to all other races and that they have the divine right of the gods to rule the other races. Ardent Ukongama will point to the supposed existence of a former great Stormborn empire that once spanned the entirety of the world as further evidence, although it is not clear if such an empire ever truly existed. These Ukongawa make their voices heard constantly, and taint the perception of the Stormborn race in the eyes of the other races despite the fact that they make up a relatively small portion of the Stormborn people. In the past, however, these Stormborn have on some occasions moved beyond worlds and attempted to enforce their supremacy. The most famous example was of Umaroth, an Ukongama Stormborn that slew his own father to seize control, becoming an iron-fisted dictator and creating a Stormborn empire of his own. This empire may have ruled for much longer if, in an ironic battle, Umaroth's son Chael slew him and disbanded the empire, allowing freedom to return - for now, at least.

Ekuvezeni: The polar opposites of the Ukongama, the Ekuvezeni Stormborn seek to clear the names of their people at any cost and bring true equality to the races of the world. This constant drive for self-improvement and the world's overall benefit make many Ekuvezeni follow an adventuring lifestyle, hoping that by seeking glory and saving those who cannot save themselves they will cast themselves and their people in a more positive light. These Stormborn work tirelessly against the machinations of the Ukongama and will not hesitate to take up arms against their own kind to protect the common folk. However, the tension between the two groups has led to violent conflict between them on several occasions, causing the world's people to see the Stormborn as violent and unstable. Still, though, the Ekuvezeni work for peace in equality, sacrificing their own lives for what they believe to be the greater good.

Stormborn Names

Most Stormborn generally tend to share human names, although some take on names of former kings and rulers to seem more important. These names generally tend to end with "-th" and "-ia," or similar variants. Some examples of these names are described below.

Male: Umaroth, Alistoth, Angaroth, Gondoloth

Female: Anastasia, Lilith, Ravenica, Marith

Stormborn Traits

Touched by the power of a raging storm, stormborn have powers beyond that of mere humans.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1, and your Charisma score increases by 2.
Age. Stormborn age at the same rate as humans but live slightly longer, reaching around 150 on average.
Alignment. The tempest raging in the blood of a stormborn typically pushes them toward chaos. They have no preference between good, neutrality, or evil.
Size. Stormborn are generally tall, lean, and wiry. Your size is Medium.
Speed. The winds guide you and lighten your step. Your base walking speed is 35 feet.
Born of the Storm. You have resistance to lightning and thunder damage.
Lightning Legacy. You know the gust[1] cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the thunderwave spell once as a 2nd-level spell and need to finish a long rest before you can cast it again. When you reach 5th level, you can also cast the call lightning spell once and need to finish a long rest before you can cast it again. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Primordial.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
5′ 6″	+2d10	140 lb.	× (2d4) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

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1. Xanathar's Guide To Everything pp.157