The typical brood dresses in flowing, risque clothing. They enjoy the freedom of movement it grants, the attention it garners, and the ease of removal provided. Most brood are proud of their bodies, no matter what ‘flaws’ it might have as every last cell is a gift of the Dark Mother. They are each an example of Her divine perfection and to hide their form is to demean Her grace. Some brood prefer bright, contrasting colors to their dark fur while others lean into an almost gothic attire depending on individual preference.
The brood universally venerate their creator deity, the Dark Mother, along with her Firstborn. According to the brood, the Dark Mother was imprisoned by the other mortal pantheons for untold eons as the jealous, false deities siphoned off her power to create their own peoples; dwarves, elves, humans, and so on. One day, the Dark Mother finally broke free and on Her own spawned one-thousand Firstborn, the progenitors of the Brood race, before She was destroyed by her fearful rivals. If they could no longer harness Her power, then no one could.
In turn, the mortal races attempted to make war against the Firstborn, but these early brood fled into the ‘space between’ where the Dark Mother came from, rather than be slaughtered. Thus the brood was quickly forgotten and regulated to dim myth. Likewise, the other gods lost the ability to create new life forms and the races of the world stabilized into what they still are at present.
Never content to merely watch the material plane from the ‘space between’, brood would travel there from time to time. While adventurous, these souls would stick to the fringes of society, absorbing what information they could, and often taken lovers from the other mortal races. The last tendency stems from the brood belief that while they are the pure offspring of the Dark Mother Iktokris, all other mortals are kin of a sort as their origins stem from the Dark Mother’s power. This belief is supported by the fact that a brood may produce offspring within any other mortal race, though the child resulting is always a member of the brood with a few minor traits from the other parent’s race. For example, a brood-orc hybrid may sport tusks, a bulkier form, or a greenish tinge under their fur. On the other hand, an brood-elf hybrid may have a wiry shape, longer ears, or fine-boned fingers. No matter the differences, the brood do not treat these hybrids any differently. They carry Her blood and that is all that matters.
Now, the brood are taking larger, more active, excursions into the material plane. Perhaps they see this time as an opportunity to strike back at the petty gods that destroyed their progenitor. Maybe there are riches they wish to exploit in the natural world, or they merely have gone tired of their exile and wish to integrate back into society. No matter the reason, there is bound to be friction with the powers that be. The brood bring with them a sinister-seeming religion, an infectious hedonism, and strange magics which will easily destabilize the balance of power.
Brood Traits
Ability Scores
Brood tend to be hearty and charismatic.Age
Brood reach physical maturity at about the same age as humans (or another parent species if different). They are a long-lived race, unless their life is cut short by violence a brood typical lives for around 200 years.Alignment
Given the Brood's tendency to grab life by the reigns they are often more chaotic than not. However, this lawlessness bent does not extend to family and musical traditions. It is very rare to find a Brood that does not venerate their extended family and the Dark Mother Iktokris.Size
Brood range from under 5 to over 6 feet tall and have slender builds. Your size is Medium.Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.Darkvision
Born and raised in dark foresta nd strange planes, your eyes are used to the dark. 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.Anathema Bond
You can use the Wisdom (Animal Handling) skill on Aberrations and Monstrosities. Your Animal Friendship spell can also affect Aberrations and Monstrosities with an Intelligence of 3 or less.Iktokris' Blessing
You know the Shilleleah cantrip. When you reach 3rd level you can cast the Animal Friendship and Hex spells and regain the ability to cast these spells after finishing a long rest. Your spell casting ability for these spells is Charisma.Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common and Deep Speech. The brood's dialect of deep speech includes richer tones and softer pronunciations better suiting a humanoid's tongue.Brood Spells
1st Level
Squamous Song
1st level Abjuration; sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spellCasting time: 1 action
Range: Self
Components: VS
1 hour or until used.
You sing a scale of aberrant flesh into being which floats around you as an ablative shield. A scale grants you resistance to the next bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage that you take at which point a scale is destroyed.
At higher levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the spell creates one additional scale for each slot above 1st.
Star-Burst Shriek
1st level Evocation; sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spellCasting time: 1 action
Range: Self(15ft cone)
Component: VS
Duration: Instantaneous
Your scream carries currents of searing star-dust. Each creature in a 15ft cone must make a Dexterity saving throw. On failure a creature takes 3d4 fire damage and is blinded until the end of their next turn. On success a creature takes half as much damage and is not blinded.
Dark Mother's Hum
1st level Enchantment; sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spellCasting time: 1 action
Range: 60ft
Component: VS
Duration: 1 minute
Your hum carries the comforting presence of the Dark Mother herself to a creature you can see within range. For the next minute the creature has Advantage on saves against Charm and Fear effects.
2nd level
Echoing Howl
2nd level Evocation; sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spellCasting time: 1 action
Range: 90ft
Component: VS
Duration: Instantaneous
You summon up a howl from beyond at a point you can see within range. Creatures within 10ft of that point must succeed on a Wisdom save or take 4d4 thunder damage and be Incapacitated until the end of their next turn.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d4 for each slot above 2nd.
Primal Hymn
2nd level Transmutation; sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spellCasting time: 1 action
Range: 30ft
Component: VS
Duration: Up to 1 minute. Requires concentration.
Your song instills a willing creature you can see within range with the grace of. For the duration, the creature may use their Bonus Action to take the Dash Action. In addition, for the duration, the creature's first melee attack each turn has Advantage.
If the instilled creature ends their turn more than 30ft away from you, the spell automatically ends.
Iktokris' Hooves
2nd level Transmutation; sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spellCasting time: Bonus action
Range: Self
Component: VS
Duration: Instantaneous
You are propelled into the air and empowered by the hooves of the Dark Mother herself. You may make a Jump movement with your jump distance being tripled. Creatures within 5ft of you when your jump ends must succeed on a Strength saving throw or take 4d4 thunder damage and be knocked Prone.
3rd Level
Ravenous Cinders
3rd level Conjuration; sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spellCasting time: 1 action
Range: 90ft
Component: VS
Duration: 1 minute
Your hymn to the heavens summon fragments of a dead star eager to drain heat from the living at a point you can see within range. The shards spread out in a 10ft radius and provide dim light for the duration. When a creature enters the area for the first time or starts its turn there, it must succeed on a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save the creature takes 1d12 cold damage and is Blinded and Incapacitated until the end of turn. If the creature fails the save by 5 or more it is Paralyzed until the end of its turn instead.
If a creature is reduced to 0 hit points within the area of effect, the duration of the spell increases by 1 round.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d12 for each spell slot above 3rd.
Arise Abominations
3rd level Transmutation; sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spellCasting time: 1 action
Range: 60ft
Component: VS, the corpse of a medium or larger creature slain within the last 24 hours.
Duration: 10 minutes
Your song restitches dead flesh into twisted companions who will serve you for a time. Choose from the two options below.
1 - One aberration of challenge rating 2 or lower
2 -Two aberrations of challenge rating 1 or lower
The DM chooses the aberrations and you choose the unoccupied spaces within 10ft of the corpse used where they appear. A created aberration withers away into ash when it drops to 0 hit points or the spell ends.
The aberrations are an ally to you and your companions. In combat, the creatures share your initiative count, but take their turns immediately after yours. It obeys your verbal commands (no action required by you). If you don't issue any, it takes the Dodge action and uses its move to avoid danger.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the challenge rating of the aberrations created increases by 1 for each 2 spell slots above 3rd.
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