Hothead (5e Race)
Hothead[edit]
While the term "hothead" is often thrown around as an insult common to humans, the origin is almost never considered. The race of hotheads is one not seen, but their rage is felt. It burns like a beautiful flame, granted by a god.
Physical Description[edit]
Hotheads resemble humans in initial appearance. However, one finds that they are never cold. Within them pumps superheated blood from a heart that is said to resemble brimstone, heated to glow like a star. This powerful core makes them unable to be chilled, as they can easily melt out with their internal engine. Additionally, their eyes are always bloodshot and exhibit irises like lava with pupils that obscure infernal fires. When they are enraged, their superheated blood rises like veins on their body, making them have lines of light outline their cardiovascular system. Their hair, in this instance, also slightly burnishes with a bright light, like a fire. There are a variety of hothead subraces who burn with different colored flames.
History[edit]
There was once a city built near a volcano. Thanks to the fertile volcanic soil, the people had all the agriculture they wanted. From this bounty came the foundation for a strong republic. The city thrived and they built great temples, statues and gathered to discuss intelligent thought. The 9th king of this city, however, was a vain and foolish lecher with no spine. He had a wife but liked spying on the women in public baths. From his wise men he heard of the volcanic god who likely blessed their city in this proximity. He found it insulting his people worshipped such a being of cinders and dirty ashes.
Then he caught wind of people talking about the god's wife, calling her the most beautiful being in existence. She was supposed to be so beautiful that those who looked would burst into ashes. The god kept her guarded at all times. As the people discussed the semantics, the king whet his lustful appetite. However, his queen heard of the god's wife as well. She was vain; too vain to even think of her husband looking at other women.
I am the most beautiful being in existence...!
She had her spineless husband round up his soldiers to see the god's wife. The king relented and slunk onto his saddle, riding barely ahead of his soldiers to lead. According to his wise men, the goddess took her baths at the crystal springs just under the volcano. The king and his men found the beautiful goddess bathing under the falls. One of his men's eyes immediately caught fire and yelled out. The goddess became aware of voyeurs and shrieked, fleeing. She told the volcano god of the humans and their having watched her bathe.
Furious, the volcano god felt the humans betrayed his hospitality. He thus proceeded to cause an eruption, running lava around the city to cut off escape. Then he bathed the city in lava, melting the palace and all with it. However, he did not kill all of the inhabitants this way. The queen certainly died for her vanity, burned to a puddle, but for those who had proven him fealty prior, he let them keep their lives. Having been washed in the llava, however, they did not fully survive intact. Their blood had all but evaporated from the sheer heat. The volcano god relented and gave them new cores which pumped ever-heated lava-like blood through their bodies.
As for the king, he had luckily been spared the destruction, as he was so enamored with the view of the goddess that he debated even returning to his kingship and vain wife. When he finally did come back, he saw the city was gone, covered in layers and layers of pumice. The survivors left by the god set upon him in a fury and killed him and his remaining men.
Society[edit]
Hotheads have increased in numbers as they inbred before eventually spreading out from their ruined city. They usually live in small clusters of those they can tolerate, as heated feuds usually break apart bigger groups. Hotheads are extremely easy to anger and their own race is unable to even stop angering themselves. This behavior, along with their name, came to human vernacular as calling anyone quick to anger thusly. When a hothead feels like they are at the end of their rope or can simply no longer stand the tied-down life of a cluster, he or she will strike out to perhaps find better company or even embrace hermitage. Some hotheads are aware of their temper problems and thereby choose to live alone. Deep inside, however, it is theorized they retain the want of humans to socialize.
Hothead Names[edit]
Hotheads do not like to have to think or stumble saying their names. Nor do they like a name that people would easily mispronounce. It would make them thoroughly explosive. They usually choose simple names, but some try to really be different and make more exotic names.
Male: Garon, Ignom, Pumb
Female: Flitta, Pyrella, Xitne
Hothead Traits[edit]
Humanoids with literal burning tempers
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2.
Age. Most hotheads burn out early due to a particularly strong temper flare, but the oldest have lived to be 40 years or older. They mature around the age of 12 years old.
Alignment. Hotheads are always chaotic due to their tendency to snap.
Size. Typically, a hothead tends to be 4 to 5 feet tall. The joke is heat shrunk them. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. The fires burning in your eyes act like torchlight but better. 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.
Flare Up. As an action, you may concentrate on your anger to unleash your fury. For 1 minute you shed bright light up to 10 feet from yourself and dim light for an additional 10 feet. Additionally, your unarmed strikes deal fire damage instead of bludgeoning for this duration and a flammable object hit by your fire ignites if it isn't being worn or carried.
Hot Blooded. You are too hot to be frozen. You have advantage on saving throws against Extreme Cold and being petrified.
Languages. You can read, write and speak in Common and Ignan.
Subrace. Choose from the Red, Blue, White, or Green subraces.
Red[edit]
Red flames are warm and durable. They are the most common of flames recognizable..
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.
Durable Flame. Only this subrace of hothead actually sports normal, real fire. Thus, they are resistant against its burn. You are resistant to fire damage.
Blue[edit]
Blue flames are the rarest hothead. Their flame burns hotter than any other.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.
Heat Impact. Your flame burns so hot that you can cause critical damage with it. When you score a critical hit with a melee attack, you can roll one of the weapon’s damage dice one additional time and add it to the extra damage of the critical hit. This extra damage is always fire damage.
White[edit]
White flames are the purest and brightest fires. They are said to have true divine energy within.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Pure Burn. You know the sacred flame cantrip. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it.
Green[edit]
Green flames are the most mysterious and magical of flames. Hotheads sporting this are sometimes said to lead people away, as though putting them under a hypnotic trance with their flames.
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1.
Charming Glow. You can cast the spell charm person as a 1st-level spell once at will. You must finish a long rest before using this trait again. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
Random Height and Weight[edit]
Base Height |
Height Modifier* |
Base Weight |
Weight Modifier** |
---|---|---|---|
4′ 0'' | +1d12 | 80 lb. | × (1d4) lb. |
*Height = base height + height modifier |
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