Dantise (5e Race)

Dantise (Dire Elf)

Nimillion set down the ancient tome he was reading and growled softly as he tightened his hand on the hilt of his short sword under the table. Running the local thieves guild was busy work and he valued his reading time. The muscles on his wiry frame rippled and tensed as he kicked the table over and lunged at the drunk. The blood of his unknown father surged, demanding blood, but his mother’s blood pleaded patience. His sword at the drunk’s throat, he leaned his gray face forward and smiled, showing his prominent canines. “Silence in the library,” he growled. “Make your noise elsewhere or I’ll have your skin for new covers for the books.”

Unacceptable Origin

Iggy Pop: Dire Elf inspiration - Photo by Anne Liebovitz

The result of orc and elf parents, it is a rare occurrence for Dantise to be born. It is usually thought that such offspring is not possible, and the birth is covered up in secrecy rather than reported, so it is unsure just how rare it is. Only a small handful of these crossbreeds have come to adulthood with some notoriety. It is rumored to only be possible when the mating is consensual, which if true, may help to explain the rarity. Regardless, unlike orc and elven offsprings with humans, the Dantise is almost never accepted by either society and tend to gravitate towards human civilizations to make their way in the world. The name Dantise is believed to come from an ancient elven word meaning stained. Many people use the term Dire Elf when referring to the Dantise.

Unsettling Appearance

While the Dantise appearance generally favors the elven parent, the orc traits are easily visible. Their skin is gray and their teeth are strong and prominent. Their hair is usually black. Their slender frames are rippled with dense muscle, and they weigh anywhere from 170 to 220 pounds.

The Oncoming Storm

Dantise are filled with rage tempered by patience. Regardless of their current temperament, they appear to be sullen or angry. Their orc blood makes them short-tempered, but their elven blood helps them maintain self-control more easily than traditional half-orcs. Their body language is remarkably neutral, and when they do make a move, it’s usually a surprise to others.

Untrusted and Unwelcome

Due to their appearance and outward demeanour, most other races tend to view Dantise as menacing and untrustworthy on a level usually reserved for tieflings. They are easily mistaken for dark or undead creatures, which doesn’t help others accept them. Too orcish for elves, and too elvish for orcs, they are almost never accepted in either society. They tend to live either solitary lives or live in large, human-filled societies where they are a little less likely to be judged by their appearance alone.

Dantise Names

Dantise usually have names given to them by the parent who raises them. Sometimes, they have both an orc and an elven name. In society, they often choose a more human name, or a nickname in order to better fit in.

Dantise Traits

Also known as Dire Elves. A crossbreed of orc and elves, the dantise blends the traits of both races.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength, Dexterity and Constitution scores each increase by 1.
Age. Dantise mature a little faster than humans, reaching adulthood by age fifteen. They age slowly after reaching maturity and can live for about 500 years.
Alignment. Dantise tend to be chaotic, due to the nature of both of their parents. Regardless of alignment, Dantise are usually unpredictable and seem to be fighting an internal struggle between good and evil.
Size. Dantise are generally taller, slimmer and heavier than humans, ranging from just under 5 feet to just over 6 feet tall. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Due to your increased strength and agility, 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.
Menacing. You are proficient in the Intimidation skill.
Fey Ancestry. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed and magic can’t put you to sleep.
Relentless Endurance. When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
Fast Reactions. You have a +2 to your initiative rolls.
Languages. You can speak, read and write Common, and either Elvish or Orc.

---

Back to Main Page → 5e Homebrew → Races