Bonthain (5e Race)

This content deviates from 5th edition standards. Its use could dramatically alter campaigns, take extreme care.

Caution - Here there be monsters! This content intends to provide a different experience, or goes beyond the scope of the anticipated subjects and situations, than the 5th edition rules were intended to handle. Some portions of the content below may not be what you expect from traditional game content. When implementing this content, DMs and Players should read over all the information carefully, and consider the following specific notes of interest:

The fundamental premise of this race is that it gives the user active Truesight at all times. Truesight has a serious impact on what elements of the world the Bonthain's party can interact with, and by itself can negate obstacles that were not intended to be beaten until much later, such as illusory trickery, shapeshifters with disguised forms, invisibility, and detecting stuff on the ethereal plane. Consult your DM if this race is right for your campaign before using it.

Bonthain

A group of bandits stalks into a nighttime campground, assured total cover by the group's magic user who gave them the power of invisibility. A lone wizard, covered from head to toe by thick robes, sits at the campfire. As they approach, the figure creaks to its feet with the assistance of a stick and points forth a gnarled finger. The wizard cackles and looses forth a volley of fireballs, burning the bandits where they stand. The last thing they hear as the flames lick away at their bodies is a cracked voice that would haunt their souls for the rest of their ghostly days.

Physical Description

The bonthain are a race of rat-like humanoids, whose posture is so naturally crippled that they are bent nearly double. They are covered from head to toe in fur, which for an individual could be white, black, or any color in the entire span of browns and greys. They sport a pair of long whisker-like hairs from their rodent heads, and a tail that is between 3 to 4 and a half feet long.

Society

The bonthain (literally translated to High Royal) are scattered throughout the lands. The vast majority of the species live amongst the towns of other folk, with some peddling their skills as a curio trader or crystal ball scryer, and others cheating people out of hard-earned cash through street games of chance. Very few bonthain are ever at rest for long enough to establish themselves as a shopkeep or political figure. As such, they are often seen roving the lands in great caravans of wagons, offering their magical wares and services to those who have coin.

Any significant group of bonthain large enough to form a societal unit will result in a clan, with a Thain at its core. The thain are the royal bloodline of the bonthain, and command much respect from their peers. The thain of a clan is the ruler of the entire local area, and settles any disputes between followers within their area of influence. Owing to the fickle nature of bonthain, setting down explicit laws is nigh impossible, and has been given up long ago.

All thain everywhere can trace their lineage to a secretive and esoteric being known as the High Thain of all bonthain, who commands ultimate respect of the entire societal system everywhere. It is said that a bonthain can topple the bloodline of a family of thain by besting the High Thain in a contest of the High Thain's design, thus beginning anew a new lineage of blood linking to the High Thain. the High Thain's protege of servants and mystics personally tend to them in order to ensure that their lineage is kept as long as possible. If the High Thain dies, their position passes to the most powerful living Thain in their relation.

The Thain are more likely to bear sorcerers than other bonthain. Such sorcerers, if they can be wrangled in, are called upon to act as a clan's scryer, battlemage, healer, necromancer, or what have you depending upon how their abilities emerge.

Bonthain Names

Bonthain names are composed of two parts, being the bonthain's two parent families followed by their given or self-chosen name. A bonthain name almost never exceeds a length of five syllables, though the common average is three. These syllables are regular structures of the bonthain dialect; However, after so many generations of intermingling between clans, modern bonthain names are essentially complete gibberish when translated into common.

If a bonthain is found to have direct lineage to the royal hierarchy, their family name is retroactively altered to the royal "Thain." A thain's non-royal offspring, should such an unlikely occurrence arise, will take the name of the clan they are born to.

Male: Bondath Nor, Pednar Main, Nermer Dao, Nomo Dar, Darbon Ped, Mainner Bon, Dothban Taema, Thain Wao

Female: Derna Meo, Panmae Doe, Bonwae Da, Onwao Nom, Doemeo Na, Daon Mer, Monom Pan, Thain Bon

Known Bonthain Clan Names: A, Ao, Bo, Bon, Da, Dao, Dar, Dath, Der, Doe, Hom, Ma, Mae, Main, Meo, Mer, Mo, Na, Nar, Ner, No, Nom, On, Pan, Ped, Poe, Tae, To, Wae, Wao, Woad, Thain

Bonthain Traits

The rats see and hear far more than they let on.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom and Dexterity scores each increase by 1.
Age. Bonthains reach adulthood by the age of 14, and enter old age by the time they reach 35. A bonthain can remain venerable for well over 120 years after reaching old age.
Alignment. Bonthains hate being constrained to the whims of other creatures, and tend towards chaotic alignments.
Size. After accounting for their posture, bonthains are shorter than average, and rarely exceed 5 and a half feet in height. Your size is medium.
Speed. Your stooping gait hobbles your walking speed down to 25 feet.
Truesight. You have Truesight to a range of 60 feet.
Sunlight Sensitivity. Your eyes are very overdeveloped. You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the targe of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common, Sylvan, and the native bonthain language.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
4′ 5''	+4d4	110 lb.	× (2.2) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

Suggested Characteristics

When creating a bonthain character, you can use the following table of traits, ideals, bonds and flaws to help flesh out your character. Use these tables in addition to or in place of your background's characteristics.

d8	Personality Trait
1	I find the ethereal plane much more comfortable to look at than the material.
2	The beings of the ethereal whisper to me the secrets of crafting arcane items.
3	Other people mustn't see me. I only talk from behind a mask or a closed door.
4	I always see a job through to the bitter end.
5	I assume the mantle of wisdom, even when I have no idea what I'm talking about.
6	I have a way with words that can make people gloss over and stop paying attention.
7	I never visit the same village twice. People only have one chance to buy from me before I'm gone.
8	The High Thain despises me, and I am an outcast from my people.

d6	Ideal
1	Benefaction. Donating goods and services to those in need is a just cause. (Good)
2	Control. Anyone who isn't under my thumb can't be trusted. (Evil)
3	Fairness. A contract is a contract and therefore binding. (Lawful)
4	Independence. Who I deal with and how I deal is beholden to no one. (Chaotic)
5	Family. No one crosses my clan and gets away with it. (Neutral)
6	Curiosity. The world fascinates me. I want to know everything about everything I find. (Any)

d6	Bond
1	My allegiance to my thain is more important than anything.
2	I hold my fellow workers in the highest regard.
3	Anyone who slights my clan is my sworn enemy.
4	A lost friend in the ethereal is depending on me to bring them back.
5	My caravan is my lifeblood. I can't imagine life without it.
6	This is the one bauble I've never sold, and I likely never will.

d6	Flaw
1	I share no empathy for those who can't afford me or my goods.
2	I instinctively hoard food and water even when it's unnecessary.
3	I'm a terrible dealer; I even lose at rigged Find the Lady games.
4	I hold on too dearly to my friends and loved ones.
5	I have trouble telling apart what is ethereal from what is not.
6	The plane of ghosts terrifies me. These eyes are a curse.

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