Entling (5e Race)

Entling

“We were lost in the forest and pursued by our enemies, such a dark wood that filled us with fear; though far less than the fear our pursuers wrought. That was when it moved. The tree before us turned and stared at us with eyes so old and filled with wisdom that we stopped in our tracks. A creature that seemed nothing but a tree yet moved and spoke in a deafeningly deep tone.”

Physical Description

An Ancient Entling grown far more tree-like over time by Rahedie Pradito

Entlings resemble a bipedal humanoid shape, though tower over many other races. They can stand between 7 and 8 feet tall though their skin is far more like the bark of a tree. Entlings have very long arms though still possess digited fingers and toes.

The habitat an Entling grows to adulthood within (which takes 100 years), has a great influence on their appearance. Slowly their skin will harden and take an almost bark look which resembles the trees they spend most of their time communing with. Moss, grass, vines, mushrooms, rot, and other conditions are also pulled from the same habitat. It is quite common for Entlings to grow fauna most commonly found in their habitat. That is how you can usually tell where an Entling spent their youth. After reaching 100 years of age their bodies no longer adapt to new habitats and will continue to grow in the manner they did for the first 100 years of their life.

Entlings are exceedingly powerful and well armored once they reached adulthood. It is rumored that the older an Entling gets the stronger its barkskin grows as well. Entlings, however, are typically stronger than most other races. Their skin is also naturally one of the strongest of any races as well.

History

Little is known about how Entlings are born, save for old rumors that an Elf may whisper to a fresh sapling to wake it up. Trees have long ago been believed to have learned the Elvish language and know it well even as a seed.

Society

Entlings are very solitary and do not typically form any sort of social gatherings. As young Entlings, it is not uncommon for them to cross paths or to share parts of habitat with another, but upon adulthood, most seek to claim a solitary place for themselves.

Some Entlings take to standing still, idly watching as the sky changes from day to night. Entering a Treeish State is how Entlings chose to receive nourishment primarily; though they are capable of eating and drinking the same as most humanoids. There are those that believe Entlings never die (unless they are hewn) but rather fall asleep in their Treeish State and never awaken.

Entling Names

Entlings take names most akin to the woods and surroundings they call home prior to reaching adulthood as that habitat influences their bark-skin:

Birchenbranch, Spruceneedle, Bristlehowl, Blossomstream, Boulderoak, Grizzledtrunk, Beechnut, Cypressdale, Charredroot, Hollowfall

Entling Traits

Entlings are a tree-like humanoid creature with incredible strength and barkskin that gives it a strong natural armor.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Constitution score increases by 1.
Age. Entlings are considered to be adults around the age of 100, while they typically are hewed or forgotten and their age limit is not known otherwise.
Alignment. Entlings are willing to help those who join their path, though they do not line their paths up with any in particular and lean towards neutral. Entlings who have lost their forests however or who plant themselves in corrupted lands may tend towards evil alignments.
Size. Entlings can stand between 7 and 8 feet tall, resembling large tree trunks with arms and legs. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Iron Bark. Your body is tree-like, which leaves you rather ill-fitted for wearing armor. Thick layers of bark line your body however; it gives you a base AC of 17. Your Dexterity modifier doesn't affect this number. You gain no benefit from wearing armor, but if you are using a shield, you can apply the shield's bonus as normal.
Treeish State. As an action, you may enter an inert state. While in this state, you are indistinguishable from a normal tree, your speed is 0 and you cannot take any actions except to leave this state. You don't need to sleep, and magic can't put you to sleep. You can finish a long rest in 4 hours if you spend those hours in a trancelike meditation while in your inert state, during which you retain consciousness.
Nature Born. You were born in nature and are one with it. You are proficient in the Nature skill.
Nature's Touch. As an action, you can touch a creature and cause it to regain a number of hit points equal to your level. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common, and Sylvan.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
7′ 0''	+2d6	310 lb.	× (1d8) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

Variant: Blightwalker

Physical Description

A decaying Blightwalker by TyphonArt on deviantART

Blightwalkers vary greatly from typical Entlings, shorter on average by a foot at least, their barkskin far less strong, and many appear to be rotting away. It is not uncommon for chunks of their bodies to look rotted away; though do not confuse this to mean they are damaged because that is simply the way their bodies adapted. The bark of a Blightwalker is typically dark gray or black.

History

It is unknown how an Entling could find itself growing in desecrated lands, though there are rumors that Orcs who have learned the Elvish tongue plant them and whisper to them to wake them up.

Society

Blightwalkers rarely see living creatures and are instantly hostile to any other Blightwalker sapling that enters their territory; only a single Blightwalker may call home to a habitat in their youth. If such occurs they will fight, possibly until one is slain, and the victor takes claim of the habitat.

Blightwalker Names

Blighwalkers, like their Entling cousins, take the names of those things which surround them in their habitat as they grow from saplings:

Rothusk, Mosscleft, Splinterstump, Blooddirt, Shattertrunk, Shroomrock, Barrenfield, Flamestone

Blightwalker Traits

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2 and your Strength score increases by 1.
Age. Blightwalkers are considered to be adults around the age of 100, while they typically are hewed or forgotten and their age limit is not known otherwise.
Alignment. Blightwalkers are hostile nearly from the start of their existence. They will seek to spread the desecration they grew upon and trend towards neutral evil.
Size. Blightwalker can stand between 6 and 7 feet tall, resembling blackened tree trunks with arms and legs. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Blighted Bark. Despite the somewhat rotted and blighted look of your body, you still have a hardened skin for defense. Though it may chip or crack, your bark still carries strength; it gives you a base AC of 13 plus your Constitution modifier (your Dexterity modifier doesn't affect this number). You gain no benefit from wearing armor, but if you are using a shield, you can apply the shield's bonus as normal.
Desecrator. You know the desecration cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the cause fear spell once and need to finish a long rest before you can cast it again. When you reach 5th level, you can also cast the crown of madness spell once and need to finish a long rest before you can cast it again. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Gnarled State. Blightwalkers don’t need to sleep. Instead, they become inert and appear almost identical to a tree, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. While inert, it is difficult to distinguish you from a twisted black tree and you remain semiconscious. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.
Necrotic Resistance. You are resistant to necrotic damage.
Languages. You can speak, read, write Common and Sylvan.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
6′ 0''	+2d6	270 lb.	× (1d8) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

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