Slaad (5e Race)
Slaad
| “ | Bring me the rotted gears of those mindless modrons! | ” |
Physical Description
|
|---|
| By James Zhang |
The slaadi, singular slaad, resemble big, bipedal frog creatures. Their skin is not entirely smooth, and actually rather scaly. They have big heads with large maws, full of sharp teeth. Due to the size of their head, some slaad of the fatter kind like the green variety lack any real neck. Grey and white ones are more slender and have a cervical area. All slaadi have sharp claws. They are differentiated by the colors of their skin. To date, there are red, blue, green, white, grey, death, black, and gormeel slaadi. Death slaadi are darkish in color but specifically characterized by the smell and viage of rot on them. Gormeel slaadi are usually purple in color. All slaadi have a small pair of eyes that are unnaturally sensitive in darkness, as well as sacs of infectious eggs within their teeth and clawed digits.
History
The slaadi originate from the Spawning Stone within the chaotic realm of Limbo. Supposedly, whilst Primus was working on colonizing Limbo with his modrons, he became very displeased with the chaotic nature of the plane, which clashed with his lawful philosophy. Thus, he created the Spawning Stone, which was ostensibly able to absorb the chaos. However, all it did was convert the chaos and channel it into a new form, which came to be the slaadi. The shape of the slaadi, being amphibian, has traces of batrachi in it as well, though that part of their origin is disputed. Now born, the slaadi move to destroy all modrons in Limbo to rid the plane of abhorrent Order.
Some spawned of the stone's absorbed chaos were so purely chaotic that they lacked form at all, being born as swirling masses of chaotic matter. These are called true slaadi. In history, only two have ever been born and they became the slaad lords who rule over the race to this day. These two rulers, Ssendam and Yorgl, have since then influenced the stone's workings to prevent the creation of any more true slaadi who could challenge their power.
Society
The slaadi are organized into tribes based on their colors. There is an inherent power struggle in their daily lives due to resentment against those of different colored skin. Red and blue slaadi are the most common among slaad populations. Green slaadi are rarer and highly valued for their spellcasting prowess. They progress in power by undergoing a long meditation, becoming grey slaad. A grey slaad can then become a death slaad, or a white slaad if they live up to a century. White slaadi who live a century become black slaadi. Gormeel slaadi are abnormal spawns from the spawning stone that have lawful alignments, making them abhorrent and hunted by their relatives. All slaadi are ruled under the slaad lords. They often leave Limbo to find suitable hosts with which they infect with their tadpole spawn. Due to the quality of hosts affecting their offspring, they may be compelled to search for powerful individuals to infect.
Slaad Names
Despite an amphibious nature, the slaad have names that may sound vaguely serpentine due to hissing sounds. It could be because their naming language, Slaad, is derived from the batrachi, which is descendant of sarrukh language, the same creator race of the yuan-ti.
Male: Chourst, Hurhgh, Korl, Oress
Female: Ssandra, Andaryl, Piersh, Jarnh
Slaad Traits
Amphibious creatures of chaos
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2.
Age. The slaadi are known to be born as tadpoles, maturing in a matter of days. They can live for a long time, with the oldest, a black slaad, living to 500. Most die violent deaths early due to their chaotic nature.
Alignment. Slaadi are very chaotic. Some can mellow into neutrality but only the gormeel variety are really able to be lawful.
Size. Slaadi are rather tall, with few under six feet. 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.
Amphibious. You can breathe both air and water.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Undercommon.
Subrace. Choose from the red, blue, green, mud, grey, white, black, and gormeel slaad varieties.
Red
The red slaadi have a taste for flesh and are rather sadistic, taking pleasure from peeling the skin off victims and planting them with tadpoles.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.
Limbosight. Your eyes are incredibly well adjusted to even magical effects. You have advantage on ability checks to see through illusions.
Anatomy Know-How. You know where and how to dissect other creatures to use as hosts. You have advantage on Wisdom (Medicine) checks against humanoids.
Bulky. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Blue
Blue slaadi despise red slaadi. This variety of slaad is known for their dangerous infection powers.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution modifier increases by 1.
Claws. Your claws are powerful natural weapons. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier.
Chaos Phage. You can infect enemies with a chaotic virulence from your claws. As a bonus action, you can make a special attack with your Claws. If the attack hits, it deals its normal damage, and the creature takes additional acid damage equal to your Constitution modifier. You can't use this trait again until you finish a short or long rest.
Water Form. You have advantage in Dexterity (Stealth) checks in water.
Green
Green slaad are particularly good spellcasters due to having been born of infected wizards.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1.
Spellcasting. You know a cantrip of your choice from the sorcerer spell list or wizard spell list. Intelligence is your spellcasting modifier for that spell.
Arcane Mind. You are proficient in the Arcana skill.
Green Skin. You have advantage in Dexterity (Stealth) checks in forest environments.
Grey
Grey slaadi are born when green slaadi focus their powers on their first century of life.
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1.
Magic Resistance. You have advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Spellcasting. You know a cantrip of your choice from the sorcerer spell list. Charisma is your spellcasting modifier for that spell.
Mud
The mud slaadi are said to be the weakest and most cowardly of the slaadi.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
Bite. You have sharp teeth to bite defensively with. If you hit with them, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier.
Coward. You can Dodge or Dash as a bonus action. You must finish a short or long rest to use this trait again.
Death
These slaadi are the most evil of all slaadkind, bent on perpetuating destruction.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Spellcasting. You know the mage hand cantrip and can cast the detect magic spell once, without material components. You must finish a long rest before using this trait again.
Death Embodied. Your body is already somewhat deteriorated, but insulated from external threats. You have advantage in saving throws against being poisoned and diseases.
White
The white slaadi are born of grey slaad who reach their first century of life. They have a transcendent view of time.
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1.
Spellcasting. You know the bolt of time cantrip.
Magic Resistance. You have advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Black
These dark skinned slaadi are rumoredly the strongest of the slaadi.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.
Chaos Spittle. You know and can cast the chaos bolt spell once, at lowest level. You must finish a short or long rest to use this trait again.
Dark Shape. You have advantage in Dexterity (Stealth) checks when in darkness.
Thick Skin. After a minimum of 300 centuries, your skin has hardened to improve your defense. While unarmored, Armor Class is equal to 12 + your Dexterity modifier. You may use a shield and still gain this benefit.
Gormeel
These slaadi outcasts are lawful instead of chaotic. They often ally with gith to slaughter other slaadi.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Psion Compatible. You are resistant to psychic damage.
Aberration Association. You have advantage on Intelligence (History) skill checks regarding aberrations and gith.
Keen Smell. You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks using your sense of smell.
Random Height and Weight
| Base Height |
Height Modifier* |
Base Weight |
Weight Modifier** |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5′ 10'' | +2d12 | 200 lb. | × (1d6) lb. |
|
*Height = base height + height modifier | |||
Back to Main Page → 5e Homebrew → Races