Gimmaren (5e Race)

Gimmaren

"I can see you hiding in the corner over there, young one," Gerix called out. He reached his hand towards the child huddled in the corner. "There is no need to hide from me."

The child curled up even tighter and turned away.

Gerix looked at them kindly. "I know, I look strange. But I am not a monster. Here, let me show you."

He held his hand in the air and commanded the forces in his body. Suddenly, a small quartz statue of the child appeared in his hand. He broke it off and handed it to them.

The child, fear replaced with curiosity, slowly crawled towards Gerix. He smiled and handed them the statue. The child took the statue tentatively.

"What is your name, little one?"

"B... Briar."

"Well, Briar, let's see what I can do to help you."

An excerpt from The Cavernfolk, a book by Briar Harpling.

The gimmarens are humanoids who live in caves and have adapted to its rough lifestyle. Through magic, evolution, and sheer force of will, they have become almost supernaturally tough and are covered in gems, which they can manipulate to their will.

Crystal-Coated Creatures

The gimmarens vary in appearance as much as humans do. They generally are very tough, so they typically appear very hardy and strong. Their skin is usually an ashen gray or brown, though it can vary based on what cave their civilization developed in- a desert gimmaren, for example, could be a pale yellow. They all appear very different, and it is mainly for one reason- their crystals. They are all partly or entirely coated in crystals. It could be ruby, quartz, sapphire, diamond, emerald, jade- they can be composed of any kind of known or unknown gem. Because of this, they can blend into the rocks easily.

Forced into Hiding

The gimmarens came about millennia ago, when the human race was in its infancy. They were being hunted by many much stronger creatures- rocs, orcs, hobgoblins, purple worms, and many more creatures liked to kill humans out of instinct or just for fun. Humans didn't have tools or magic, so they were getting slaughtered by the dozen and they had no way to defend themselves. Because of the danger in the outside world, many humans retreated into the cave systems. They started eating animals inside of the cave and drinking mineral water. Over time, their physiology shifted, with their skin and organs becoming harder. Their diet shifted away from the animals of the caves and towards the gems themselves, and, with their new, adapted bodies, they could easily do this. Their skin became coated in the minerals they consume, giving them great physical strength. Their lifespan drastically increased, allowing them to have lifespans comparable to that of dwarves, though most die sooner than that due to the dangers of the caverns. They became tougher and relied more and more on caves. Eventually, most of the outside world forgot about them, and they mostly closed off from the outside world as well.

Life in the Dark

Gimmarens have totally adapted to their new subterranean homes. They no longer rely on sunlight to tell the time. Rather, their internal clock is incredibly strong, so they know almost exactly to the minute what time it is on any given day. Their vision has adapted to their environment, allowing them to see in the dark very well. Since they are missing many crucial resources, such as wood and grain, they have learned to improvise using other materials they can find in caves. They are very versatile creatures, and they can often find something they can use to make a tool or weapon. They do not know much of the outside world, however, so the idea of riding horses and building houses is lost to them.

Gimmarens, despite all odds, have a fairly advanced society inside of the caverns. Since they moved into the caves before magic was discovered, it is fairly rare for gimmarens to be spellcasters and they are often frightened of arcane magic. They have much more experience with divine magic than arcane, however. They do not have a primary religion, but a few groups believe in various different gods. Because of this, divine magic is fairly accepted, though they are still wary of it. Their society relies on everyone working together, so they have a strong sense of fair play. They are also very loyal and protective of those around them. Their homes are sturdy and tough, just like the gimmarens, because they need to not collapse during cave-ins. They don't have huge civilizations in the cave, and often there are many living in the same cave without even realizing it.

Gimmaren societies are based around the types of gems everyone has in their body. There is no caste system in gimmaren culture- everyone is equal in their mind. However, people often do not get to choose their job. Gimmaren society is a well-oiled machine, so they assign people jobs based on what they are good at. Because of this, certain types of gimmarens typically end up with certain duties. Quartz gimmarens become miners, topaz gimmarens become diplomats, ruby gimmarens become soldiers, onyx gimmarens become hunters, amethyst gimmarens become rulers, jade gimmarens become artisans, diamond gimmarens become advisors, and much more. This is not always the case, however- sometimes, a Quartz can become the leader of a city, a Topaz could become a teacher, or a Ruby could become a hunter. This is unusual, but not unheard of, and most gimmarens will know at least one person that does not go by the job typical for their gem type.

Gimmaren Names

Gimmarens tend to have rougher names, with harsher consonants and fewer soft vowel noises. They have short names, usually ranging from 3 to 6 letters. Male names tend to use V's, X's, and Z's a lot, while almost all female names use J's, W's and Q's in them. They have last names based on what type of gem forms on their body the most.

Male: Veran, Xerva, Zendo, Hevi, Oza, Yunvax, Gerix, Lazura

Female: Wen, Oqua, Ojen-Ajafa, Woqua, Kalej, Rajna

Last Names: Ruby, Amethyst, Diamond, Pearl, Onyx, Topaz, Quartz

Gimmaren Traits

A gem-covered race of humanoids, forced into hiding millennia ago.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2.
Age. Gimmarens are still partially human, so they reach maturity at an age of between 18 and 20 years- only slightly longer than humans do. However, they often live 300 to 400 years.
Alignment. Because of their sense of fair play, they tend towards lawful. They tend towards neutrality, but they can also be good. Very few gimmarens are evil, and the ones that are evil are often outcasts of society.
Size. Gimmarens are a bit taller than humans, standing between 6 and 7 feet tall. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. Your life in the caves has significantly sharpened your vision. 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.
Hardened Body. Your skin is tougher than the average persons. While you are not wearing armor, you may add your Constitution modifier to your armor class instead of your Dexterity modifier.
Gem Manipulation. You have learned how to control the forces in your body to create small objects. As an action, you can create an object in your hand made out of your type of gem, as described by your subrace. This object cannot be worth more than 1 gp or more than 4 inches long on any side. You decide what the object looks like. The object disappears after 1 hour. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses after a long rest.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Terran.
Subrace. Gimmarens are divided based on what type of gem they are mostly comprised of. Choose a subrace of gimmaren from the list below.

 Below is just a few types of gimmarens. There are gimmarens for almost every type of gem out there. If you play a gimmaren made out of a gem that does not appear below, choose one of the subraces based on what makes the most sense in your mind.

Quartz

Quartz gimmarens are the most common kind of gimmaren. They are very tough and hard-working, often used as miners or soldiers because of their hardiness and strength.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.
Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Quartzite Toughness. Your skin is incredibly hard, even for a gimmaren. As a reaction when you take damage, you may reduce the damage dealt to you by 1d8. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Topaz

Topaz gimmarens are rare in gimmaren societies, and each civilization only has a few. They are generally good leaders, as they have a way with other unique among their race. They often become the leader or diplomats of their societies.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1.
Persuasive Words. You gain profiency with the Persuasion skill.
Studded Flesh. Your skin is sharp and hard to touch. When a creature hits you with a melee attack, you may use your reaction to deal 1d6 piercing damage to that creature. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Diamond

Diamond gimmarens are one of the most admired kinds of gimmarens. They are intelligent for gimmarens, and they are usually the advisors to the leaders of gimmaren societies. Their diamond skin glows with light, making them a valuable asset in the darkest parts of the cave. They are one of the few kinds of gimmarens that wield magic, as they are inherently blessed with a bit of arcane power.

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1.
Dazzling Skin. Your skin seeming glows with light. As an action, you can start glowing. You emit bright light in a 30-foot radius and dim light for an additional 30 feet. You may stop glowing any time you wish, no action required.
Innate Magic. You are inherently magical. You may cast the light and dancing lights cantrips at will. Starting at 3rd level, you may cast color spray once using this trait. You may use this trait once, and you regain the ability to do so after a long rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability modifier for these spells.

Onyx

Onyx gimmarens have a much darker skin tone than most other gimmarens, and they have incredible vision in caves. Because of this, they are invaluable for hunting dangerous creatures in caverns, especially ones that they cannot take out through brute force.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
Weapon Proficiency. You gain proficiency with daggers, longswords, shortswords, and shortbows.
Superior Darkvision. Your vision is very strong, even for a gimmaren. Your Darkvision increases to a range of 120 feet.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
5′ 6''	+2d6	160 lb.	× (x1d6) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

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