Scyther (5e Race)
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Scyther
“ | Scyther, the Mantis Pokémon. Its claws are sharp as swords, and it is a powerful flyer. This Pokémon is rarely seen by humans and almost never captured. | ” |
—Dexter |
Physical Description
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Scyther and Scizor, by Jakkaru-Koreto |
Scyther is a bipedal, insectoid pokémon. It is primarily a yellowish to light green color, with thin, cream-colored sections between its head, thorax, and abdomen. The cream colored areas lack fur and are smooth, but the green areas are covered with a thin coat of green hairs. The abdomen of a female will be slightly larger than that of a male, as the ovipositor organ is present. It has narrow eyes and three points on the back of its somewhat reptilian head, like a crest. Its forearms consist of large, white scythes, which it uses for hunting as well as fighting. These blades are razor sharp and known to fell trees easily. On its thighs are spikes of fur, and it has three clawed toes on its large feet. Two pairs of wings extend from its back, with cream-colored membrane. While these wings do allow scyther to fly, it rarely does so.
When it evolves into a scizor, a scyther's body turns red and hard, like metal. Their scythes become pincers to better grab enemies. These pincers are also razor sharp, much like scissors. The change in their body composition renders them too heavy to fly anymore, so their wings are instead used to regulate body temperature. A scizor can also mega-evolve into a mega scizor, granting it greater defenses and more diabolical looking pincers with reinforcement of its body armor. However, the changes make scizor fight only in bursts, as their body becomes too heavy to fight for longer periods.
History
Scyther are native to the Kanto and Johto regions, where they inhabit forests, crags, and even rare grasslands in swarms. They were often responsible for large swaths of deforestation. This usually helped agrarian societies grow, however, as they used it to pave farmland. Needless to say, scyther are usually avoided due to their belligerent behavior, and people tend to leave them alone. They have been known to attack those who came upon the path of their swarms migrations or patrol of territory. When they attack, they are utterly savage and swift. It is thus very difficult to catch one. People avoid their territory, which is often marked by slashed trees, rocks or other things which scyther like to sharpen their blades on.
The discovery of metal coating in the Johto region allowed for an explanation as to the occurrence of scizor. Scyther change to a red color when coated in metal, which happens usually with swarms near mines. They repeated train daily to sharpen their bodies, grinding their exoskeleton away on metals. A reaction eventually changes them to scizor, making them lose their fur in exchange for a hardened carapace. Their wings become unable to sustain their bodies in any flight. Developments into research on the "locked potential" of pokemon in the Kalos region yielded the mega stones, which allowed scizor to reach their fullest potential, becoming bulkier, flying, cutting machines. However, this technology remains imperfect and mega scizors need to rest often before using their true strength again.
Society
Scyther live in large swarms in the wild and migrate with the seasons. Usually, they claim certain spots as their territory which they return to yearly, and they will fiercely protect these areas. They spend their days training and honing their cutting edge art by grinding their natural blades on hard objects and sharpening them in fights against one another. Their territory is thus usually littered with slashed remains. When there is little else to cut, they move on. Grassland swarms are rare because there is little to cut there except soft grass. Scyther prefer places with rocks or minerals, trees, and even some swamps. Their aggressiveness and constant sharpening can render large patches of forests bare.
Within their swarms, scyther have a single leader, who is supposedly the strongest. Challengers within the swarm rise to usurp authority, and must do so in a public duel for all the swarm to witness. If the incumbent leader is defeated, his challenger becomes the new leader and the old leader is ousted into exile. There have been occurrences of returns with these disgraced leaders, but they are very rare. Scyther who become scizor are automatically exiled due to their color usually turning everyone against them.
Personality
Scyther are aggressive and usually look for a fight rather than a talk. They prefer to let their blades speak for themselves, and are very stubborn to change their ways. Even elderly scyther will retain the foul and belligerent attitude the youth have. As such, they are hard even for those who capture them to control. Usually, they make fine mercenaries because one need only keep their bloodlust sated and they will attack indiscriminately. The color red is particularly provocative to scyther, as the sight of it will often rile them into a feral rage. When they become scizor, this urge supposedly subsides and they become more solitary. Those who become scizor are usually avoidant of their fellow scyther.
Scyther Names
Scyther like names that are "edgy" and reminiscent of cutting words or blades. Other times, they like names alluding to swiftness or winds.
Male: Blade, Edge, Diamanto, Cutler
Female: Katana, Scytha, Hitet, Fui
Scyther Traits
Fast and furious blade hands
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Dexterity score increases by 1.
Age. Scyther, being like bugs, only live to be about 80 even after evolving.
Alignment. These swarm creatures are generally neutral and keep to themselves. Their temper makes them chaotic.
Size. Scyther are nearly five feet tall on average. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Bladed Hands. Your arms end in sharp blades rather than fingers, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength or Dexterity modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. When using items, you must use both hands on account of having no fingers.
Flight. You have wings which allow for some flight, but it isn't much better than running fast for you. You have a flying speed of 15 feet.
Steadfast. Your instincts make you super fast when it comes to the nitty gritty. While you are frightened, your movement speed increases by 10 feet.
Natural Hunter. You are proficient in the Survival skill and have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track creatures in forest environments.
Swarm. Scyther are tenacious creatures that never give up. If your hit point total is less than half your hit point maximum, you may grant yourself advantage on your next attack roll. You must finish a short or long rest to use this trait again.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Sylvan.
Random Height and Weight
Base Height |
Height Modifier* |
Base Weight |
Weight Modifier** |
---|---|---|---|
4′ 11'' | +2d8 | 123 lb. | × (1d4) lb. |
*Height = base height + height modifier |
Racial Evolution Feats
Scizor
Prerequisite: scyther
Upon gaining a tougher form, you trade in your flying and your body loses its fur, gaining a shell of red metal. Your bladed hands become pincers to better hold things now.
- Your Strength score increases by 1.
- You no longer have a flying speed.
- While unarmored, your Armor Class is equal to 14 + your Dexterity modifier.
- Your Bladed Hands can now hold things without requiring both hands.
Mega-Scizor
Prerequisite: scyther, Scizor feat
Your body bulks up further in defense, and their pincers grow serrated edges to better cut enemies.
- Your Armor Class cannot go below 16.
- The damage die of your unarmed strikes increases by 1. So a 1d4 becomes a 1d6, and so forth.
- When you hit with your Bladed Hands, you may double the damage dealt. You must finish a short or long rest before using this feature again.
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