Leogrel (5e Race)
Leogrel[edit]
Perched atop the stone walls along the mountainside are carved rocks lain like which none of nature could have. There are whiskers seen sometimes, twitching like a seeker for prey. And that dreadful roar..! How it shivers one to their core and bones... No wonder even the undead shirk this place. When it be guarded with those proud beasts of Eld, one can only cower at the presence of the pride, else they be devoured like those 'ere here...
Physical Description[edit]
Leogrels are big, bipedal beasts resembling lions but with many features of other animals. They are very sex-dichotomous in appearance, with males having a furry head with lush manes like lions do, while females lack this. Young male leogrels will sport mohawk like manes before it grows out fully. All leogrel have tusks like that of a boar coming out of their back molars and eyes much like one, deep set in the skull and often insouciant looking. They have the upper bodies of lions, with strong builds and thick arms ending in padded paws and feline claws. Their bottom half, however, resembles that of a goat, or some hooved creature with a tail. It is known to look either like that of an ass or a goat, one of the two. It is a very muscular bottom which can kick and crack skulls like that of a spooked horse.
Leogrels are mainly divided into three groups, the Savannah, and the Cave or Frost. Those of the Savannah sport luxurious golden wheat colored pelts and dark colored manes. Cave or Frost leogrels have white to silvery fur and sometimes black markings on their faces. The former are known to be more lithe as the latter is stocky. Both have golden or red eyes with a cat-like slit for a pupil. All leogrels wear scant clothing, consisting mainly of simply loincloths or skirts, usually leaving their tops bare. This often is done to show off the tattoo tradition which is unique to every pride of leogrel. Colored beads will often decorate the manes of males and jewelry for both sexes, denoting a coded mark of their pride.
The Shadow leogrel are a rather neglected, if not wholly forgotten, subrace of the leogrel, who split off early from the main race to live amongst drows. They are pitch black in appearance, with luminous yellow eyes that look and gleam like jewels. Their mane is sleek and black, as is their pelt and even their teeth. These leogrel are known to wear more obscuring clothing, usually in dark colors, accentuated with turquoise, silver or gold finishes.
History[edit]
Leogrels roamed the lands for as long as other beasts have. They were often known to blend in with the wild very well, concealing their sentience. Their lore on how they came to be dates back to roughly to near the end of eras, after the Tearfall decimated much of the land and resulted in great turmoil in existent empires. Their first ancestors came around the same time gnolls arose in -30,400 DR. For the most part, their stories tell of daily survival as their race eked out livings whilst the giants and dragons razed the land in their battles. When Faerie was revealed and the fey came to Faerun, they encountered plodding beasts with manes of lions but bodies like tigers and hind quarters like pigs. These were the first primitive leogrels. The elves were amused and took some of these specimens as interests with them when they constructed the gold elf settlement of Aryvandaar up in the current day High Forest.
Amongst Elves[edit]
These beasts showed a startling ability to adapt once adopted in civilization. They grew among the gold elves as servants and lower workers. It is believed that the undomesticated leogrels went extinct without the exposure to elven society and its innovations. The leogrels that resided with the elves developed stronger muscles to walk on hind legs and their pelts changed to a more uniform color of near gold. It is believed elves were their image of perfection for a while. However, the amicable relations with the elves soured much when the First Sundering occurred, and the leogrels could not abide by such destructive magic users. Further plundering of Miyeritar, Shantel Othreier and continued aggression on behalf of Aryvandaar's arrogant leaders disgusted the peaceful leogrels, who believed their teacher race wise and serene. The conjuring of the Dark Disaster and the conquering of Ardeep roused some leogrels to pull out of elven society. Some defected and joined the side of the drows around the beginning of the Third Crown War. These leogrel splintered off and are the current day Shadow leogrel subrace. They were indoctrinated into the church of Lolth and settled mainly in the Underdark drow city of Telantiwar. When the city fell, they scattered with the drow. Those that remained actively tried warning their leaders of the ill fight ahead with the illythirs. In -9,900 DR, these dissenters were persecuted along with the high mages and priests as the government sought to quell opposition against their conquests. Circa -9000 DR, the last of the leogrels left the Vyshaan empire crown city of Aryvandaar not too early before the Fifth Crown War destroyed Aryvandaar. The leogrels did not take any sides during these periods of conflict and simply watched as the armies tore each other apart. They rejoined their brethren who had fled earlier in the High Forest, which was left in peace for a time.
Back to Elves[edit]
Following the abandonment of Ilhodar, the leogrel were receptive to vagrant populations displaced by ogres and orcs. They slowly built their civilization, modeled roughly after the elven empire which was gone. However, as their population grew, they migrated for the spacious plains towards the south. It is speculated that this is around -4,700 DR, indicating they may also have been threatened by the efforts of the Sharrven to rebuild Aryvandaar, resulting in the kingdom of Eaerlann. Wary about the violent tendencies of the elven empires, the leogrel likely fled the proximity of the empire to safer regions. They were not wrong, as soon, the Sixth Crown War ensued. However, they were not able to fully escape the reach of the Eaerlanni elves, and the land which they lived upon while migrating was seized. Under the Eaerlanni, leogrel were bound in servitude similar to their time in Aryvandaar. However, under the new empire, leogrel learned magic. As the Netherese developed more and more new forms of magic, the leogrel did not necessarily keep up, but they did display their races latent innate ability for magic, drawing from their souls. Around the time silver weapons were developed in Netheril, leogrel were often sent to help mine and craft the weapons. Their able bodies made them apt subjects to have as lab assistants to developing arcanists, as well as resource procurers for new forms of weapons and armor. For the most of the Age of Humanity and the Golden Age of Netheril, servile leogrel dreamed of venturing to Sanctuary, a haven for pacifists. However, the floating mass fell in -339, at the fall of Netheril and their magic. The event was a blow to leogrel pacifist thought, as they began to question whether their passive values had a place in a world of turmoil.
Autonomy[edit]
Following the fall of Eaerlann in 882 DR, the leogrel fled back to their lands of the plains and Savannah, where they are believed to have originated. They always had a large chip on their shoulder from their race's long history of mixed experience with elves. However, for better or worse, they took their learned knowledge of magic and weapon and armor making with them. They started rebuilding their community, vowing to create a sanctuary of their own. In the plains, they ran into skirmishes with centaurs, who were just as territorial as they were. As the centaurs harassed their community, a split occurred in the community, between those who believed that violence was necessary in times of necessity, and those who wanted to uphold their values of sanctuary. The war hawks went and killed centaurs who encroached on their villages, earning them condemnation by the doves. Sure enough, several battles soon occurred over this blood spilt, and the two races could not gain ground on one another in the bouts of savage violence which accented prolonged times of fear. At a negotiation around 1200 DR, the centaurs demanded that the initial offenders and their followers be outcasted from the plains. This agreement led to the split of leogrel groups, sending the war hawks to the far Cold Peaks and even the Spine of the World. Those who migrated to the inhospitable mountains encountered many challenges. These are the modern day Cave leogrels, whose fur turned thick and white as snow to better aid their combat and stealth. Upon arrival, they were initially nearly pushed to the brink of extinction due to attacks from the giants of the Peaks and Orcs of the Spine. However, these travails reinforced their increasingly war-like visage of the world, and this fighting will allowed them to persevere and establish a foothold in the forsaken terrain. The centaurs were soon plagued with a disease which shortened the lengths of their legs and they fled to the nearby elven forests.
Spellplague[edit]
Though not apt spellcasters by any means, magic did flow in the veins of the leogrel. When the Goddess of Magic died and the Spellplague rippled across Toril, many spellcasters were driven insane or even died attempting to cast spells. The leogrel were collectively horrified of this, and so banned the use of magic among their own. Leogrel had potential to use magic, but they had not the innate spellcasting as elves, instead requiring instruction to channel their latent powers. Thus, the ban did not negatively affect them so much, as they resorted more to their natural instinct. The Spellplague for leogrel historians is sometimes dubbed "re-racination," as leogrel reverted to means of that before they learned of elven magic. Even after the end of the plague in 1395 DR, the leogrel largely remained skeptical of the use of magic. The scars left on the land were apparent and many feared relying on magic. Many of the curious leogrel arcanists observed the magic of those which did not require the Weave and theorized they themselves had the means to generate some sort of pseudomagic power that came from within, rather than relying on the Weave. These arcanists were gathered from the two main Savannah and Cave tribes of Iuthgrad and Vrae'li. It is said they never revealed their findings, instead sealing it in secret under lock and key in places within the Savannah and Cave villages and forts. Around the beginning of 1400 DR, their works were rediscovered in fragments. The Savannah and Cave tribes held a reluctant summit to rejoin the notes each found to try and decipher it. It was discovered that leogrel potential for magic stemmed from their will and spirit, which could indeed perform supernatural feats like magic, without relying on the Weave, if properly mastered. The summit allegedly ended with some tensions, as the Cave leogrel took the findings to mean their race as one of more martial prominence than initially believed, which the Savannah disputed.
The Second Sundering[edit]
As the gods prepared their Chosen for the ultimate healing of Toril following the Spellplague, the Savannah and Cave leogrel were largely inactive, keeping to their own societies for the decade of 1480 DR. Down in the Underdark, the Shadow leogrel organized to quell and ameliorate the damage which the opening of the Underchasm dealt to the many communities in the Underdark. After the Sea and the Underdark reformed and the land healed, the leogrel were largely indifferent. It was around this time that harnessing their spirit powers for different means slowly became commonplace in their society. Savannah leogrel mastered a form of psychic energy by projecting their spiritual will to accomplish tasks of utility, while the Cave leogrel mostly found ways to use it for combat. The Shadow leogrel remained sorely behind in terms of spiritual development, instead having channeled all their efforts mainly into sublimating their energies to magic.
Divided[edit]
To this day, the leogrel race is healthy in numbers. The bitter split between the war hawks and doves remains in their memory, however. The Shadow leogrel have faded in that respect however, referred to as the "lost third" of the leogrel population. They are largely not spoken of, as they are seen to have abandoned their own in pursuance of magic and its wily power. When stories of the drows worshipping the evil goddess Lolth reached the ears of the leogrel above the Underdark, they could only shake their heads at what path their Shadow cousins followed.
Cave leogrel lived in seclusion, having built great forts of ice and rock in the mountains they call home. They have earned somewhat a place alongside their larger neighbors in the frost and are renowned for their savage battle styles and martial way of life. Throughout their history as an autonomous group, many a traveler has died trespassing onto their territory. Thus they are regarded as very dangerous creatures whose settlements are not to be approached.
The Savannah leogrel remained in the plains after the centaurs plight. They built their sanctuary as they pleased, in small villages which eventually branched out to other geographical areas. However, they kept from venturing anywhere near the frigid peaks of mountains. These settlements were amiable to travelers and many soon burgeoned into small towns, though none were ever true trade centers. To this day, the two groups remain at odds, and keep a good deal of length from one another. However, some speak of times when individuals may congregate from the two sides, as well as dire events which may push the heads of the groups together.
Society[edit]
Leogrel society for the most part is very tribal and close-knit. They live in tribes, many of which can make up a village. Tribes include many families who are linked together by blood history. Different tribes differentiate one another through tattoos or color patterns they find distinctly their own. Villages also use this system to distinguish a leogrel's origin. As of current day, six main tribes exist, their influence scattered about the numerous leogrel villages that have appeared over the millenia. The leogrel are by no means a young race, and their memory in lore is immaculate. Two of the six main tribes are of Cave leogrel while the other four are of the Savannah. The Cave tribes are Iuthgrad and Oiturgis and the Savannah are Butortha, Hijornil, Vrae'li, and Khorej. All leogrel can claim lineage from one of these clans, except those of the Shadow, who are said to have renounced themselves of their heritage. They constructed their own tribe in the Underdark, known as Il'Ithloth.
For the majority of leogrel civilization, the original village of the plains, which has now become the town of A'Shornath, is the heart of their being as a race. It is adorned with the best architecture the races salvaged from memory of the elven citadels, but with their own humble touch. It was where the two main subraces made their decision to split. Even the Cave leogrel regard the town as an origin for their race, and lament how it is "ruled by yellow bellies." The Shadow leogrel reside in their small communities abutting drows and have no knowledge of A'Shornath, as it was founded after their break from leogrel mainstream. Facets of A'Shornath are present, however, in the general leogrel societies overall. All three subraces have emphasis on educating the young in schools founded under principles of the main tribes, for example. Savannah leogrel schools teach a variety of subjects. Cave leogrel have more martial styled schools of combat.
Tribes[edit]
The tribes of the leogrel differ in many aspects as to worldview and methodology on several subjects, which are often passed down to their members through sects of education. Every tribe has distinct colors and beliefs, as well as unique compositions and relations with one another.
Iuthgrad of the Cave leogrel are known for their research into leogrel spirit capability. Their top echelons are mainly scholars that have read much of magic from other cultures and seek to empower the race via magic of the spirit, which is superior to what relies on the Weave. The tribe's colors are grey and silver, with their leaders being adorned with silver armlets. They consider themselves more civilized than the Oiturgis, who are also perceived as deviants from the original doctrine of peace, where violence is only on a basis of necessity and defense. However, they see the Savannah tribes as skeptics of magic too easily scared to explore it.
Oiturgis is a Cave tribe with strict martial principle and upbringing to breed strong warriors. They often clash with the Iuthgrad over discussions of the mind and body in duality. Oiturgis sees magic as ultimately unreliable and so resort to bodily force. They seek for leogrel autonomy from outside forces via militarization. It was under the Oiturgis that cold iron was fashioned from regular ore. It is their signature mineral and iron is their signifying color, along with dark green and navy blue. To them, the world itself is an enemy from which the leogrel are constantly attacked.
Butortha is the largest tribe of the Savannah leogrel, thus granting them the most clout in a pseudo-democratic council of oligarchy. Their main concern is often providing purpose and utility to leogrel lives and thus they fund a large amount of the education available in the villages. Their colors are brown and gold, and many of their main members are merchants or traders. Their support of trade indicates their willingness to tolerate outsiders so long as peace is maintained. As such, they are possibly the most open-minded tribe to foreign forces and believe peace via cooperation is achievable.
Hijornil is a Savannah tribe focusing on the history of metalwork in leogrel culture. As you may remember, leogrels learned how to work silver and armor from their time in the Eaerlanni empire, alongside the Netherii. They are extremely knowledgeable on quarries and mines and oversee a lot of weapon and armor production in the Savannah leogrel society. To them, these tools are to be used to secure peace and harmony by leogrel. Their colors are orange and black.
Vrae'li is the more spiritually driven tribe of the Savannah, focusing often on the inner spirit of leogrel and its possible uses to further their powers. They are relatively a small tribe with a ring of elders and many ascetic followers. Ranks are distinguished by the order of beads, the higher ranking ones wearing all the colors and the neophytes wearing only one or two. These colors signifying the Vrae'li are blue, red, green and gold.
Khorej is the second largest tribe of the Savannah subrace and they make up most of the miscellaneous population that serves as peacekeepers. They are trained, under Vrae'li supervision, in the art of spiritual manipulation, as well as weapons. Usually one head leader, known as a general will supervise all of the active duty Khorej platoon. Typically, war is not a huge facet in the life of the Savannah and so most of the time their members are plainclothes peacekeepers among the people. Their colors are green, brown and yellow.
Il'Ithloth is the shady, sole tribe of the Shadow leogrel. Little is known about them other than the fact that they often work closely with the drow. People speculate their main purpose is to keep the leogrel in the Underdark in fine tune with the wants of the drow, and so their goddess Lolth.
Personality[edit]
Leogrel are generally even tempered but very closed in persona. They rarely show emotion to others unless they are extremely close, like family. Most are stoics, particularly the Cave leogrel, who are also bellicose. Savannah leogrel are more laid back in disposition, but they remain aloof of possible threats from travelers and strangers. Shadow leogrel are quiet and rarely speak unless spoken to, instead usually letting their eyes observe.
For the most part, leogrel prize the virtue of hard work and productivity. They do not like idleness. For the Cave, free time can be spent training. In the Savannah, one can always find some unfinished chore to pick up. Down in the Underdark, work is never done as the Shadows are always conducting their shady businesses. One may say that meeting a leogrel is extremely stuffy, since they do not show emotion and often show a bit of distance to even guests. This is due to the long memory leogrel have in regards to the history of war from other races, and so they are not eager to get involved with any. Wrongs done against them are slow to be forgotten and good deeds are slow to be recognized.
Interactions[edit]
Leogrel are wary of all who approach them, to varying degrees. They are very skeptical of those who are known to use magic and have a complicated relationship with elves, since they have shared a lot of history with them. Leogrel are generally more at ease with other beasts but this is a mere generalization. Most interactions with leogrels differ from case to case, particularly with the subraces. It is a well known fact that leogrel do not adopt abandoned children of other races, leading some to believe their idea of sanctuary is somewhat isolationist xenophobia.
Savannah leogrel receive travelers and guests the most, due to their convenient towns and villages situated in fields and plains. They typically act cordially, but with an air of distance, showing they do not wish to get involved with any outsiders. By no means friendly, they reluctantly help those who come to them in need mainly for the desire to be rid of them quicker. For the most part, people who have frequented these towns and villages often feel as though their every move is being watched with disapproval and they are being ushered to leave.
Cave leogrel are extremely belligerent and very hostile to any outsiders who even approach their territory. They are rarely closely approached due to their enclosed fortresses which are always on guard. Many a traveler in the frigid steppes below their fortified mountain villages have been crushed by defensive boulder mechanisms or shot by their arrows. Some arcane ethnographers have rare insight into the martial society, which keeps prisoners in frigid work camps and guests in rooms which resemble small cells, allowing them to move only with intense supervision.
Shadow leogrel are recorded to mainly have good relations with drows, and they hate other elves. Living in the Underdark alongside the worshippers of Lolth, they do not have many recorded interactions with the World Above after their split from leogrel mainstream.
Commerce and Construction[edit]
Savannah leogrel make up a majority of their race's trade. They specialize in iron weapons like spears, arrowheads and shields. On the side, they sell tribal jewelry and trinkets with their trademark beads. Their towns are mainly made of huts of varying sizes and materials, though mostly wood and straw. Good stone is often hard to come by even in the quarries nearby and they use their iron mainly for weapon and armorsmithing rather than construction. Smaller villages consist of teepees, with the largest ones being for tribe congregations.
Cave leogrel are known to sell weapons at high prices, mainly due to a special "cold iron" which they claim is stronger and makes weapons sharper than normal. They construct forts around all their villages, which are often connected to cave systems on mountainsides. They use ice and mountain rock for construction materials and often mine for silver and iron within the mountain. Their housing is very stocky ad minimalistic, sometimes resembling a mound of rocks.
Shadow leogrel do not have a particular trade, except for their services in the underground businesses. They reside in the housing of drow societies, not having any distinct architecture, though leogrels are known to be well versed in old elven buildings. Shadow leogrel reside in small communities within drow cities.
Cuisine & Culture[edit]
Leogrel culture always revolves around the tribe and being a team player for one's own flesh and blood. For the Savannah and Cave, it means putting one's own needs second to the need of the village or town. Personal relationships and curiosity are urged to be placed on the back burner to focus on chores, gatherings and maintenance of the community. Individual families within tribes consist of the father and mother, who share the power of the house. The parents answer directly to the tribes they reside under, constructing a large hierarchy. While males are often seen as the stronger counterpart, the females retain a lot of power due to their recognized plights of childbirth. The females also are respected for their caring nature which is embodying the peaceful culture that leogrel have been trying to cultivate, particularly in the Savannah. Cave leogrel are much more patriarchal, and females are often trained to fight as well. Shadow leogrel are observed in scant events to worship Lolth alongside drows, sharing much of their culture.
History is a big part of leogrel pride, as they evolved to a writing system to effectively record a majority of their oral tradition. The interiors of their houses are known to be decorated with weavings or drawings of many depictions of their history. Memory is thus a prized skill in leogrel society, where those that can memorize great sequences with accuracy are given much clout in scholarly circles. However, pride in memorization may have stunted their aspects for innovation, as they tend to stick to tradition rather than be trailblazers. As such, leogrel are generally socially conservative.
Leogrel are actually omnivorous, despite their leonine appearance. Their ancestors are recorded to eat grasses and fruits of nature, as well as other critters. Having evolved into bipedal creatures, they are not as fast as their ancestors were, though they now can hunt with magic and weaponry. Savannah leogrel have the most balanced diet, being that they have access to farmland and trade. They are particularly fond of pairing meat and veggie stews and meats for meals, usually game. The Cave leogrel rely much more on meat, occasionally eating orc and giant meat which they slaughter from hunts, though they also harvest lichens from caves. Shadow leogrel rely on a lean diet, being able to subsist on much less than the other two subraces.
Religion[edit]
Leogrel religion revolves around asceticism and peace, for the most part. They are not an extremely religious society, having no designated spaces for communal worship or idol display. Rather, they believe in exercising doctrine through action. "Do not simply believe in peace, act with it." Savannah leogrel have a motif of a goddess in some of their historical weavings and writings which recurs and is referred to as "The Quiet One." This is believed to be Eldath of the Grove druids, who is the goddess of serenity. However, the leogrel do not actively worship her and mostly refer to her as a sort of removed deity at most.
Cave leogrel worship a variant of The Quiet One, as they believe that while the leogrel desire peace, the world seeks to stamp them out, and so they must defend themselves. When going to hunt or battle, they make a silent gesture of respect for the deity. Likewise, they also believe in worship through action rather than prayer. Shadow leogrel, meanwhile, either wholly worship Lolth for the most part, or at least do not display atheism for the beliefs of the drows.
Etymology[edit]
Leogrel is the Common term for the race. In their own tongue, which is a mix of Common, Elvish, and their own ancient dialect, they refer to themselves as "Likosrul." It means "maned wanderer," referring to their original nomadic primal state. The term leogrel was applied for their leonine appearance, originally as "leokin." However, some initial reactions to the race branded them as mongrels, due to their mixed appearance and standoffish manner. Thus, the term changed with some negative connotation to leogrel, or leonine mongrel. Today, the term has taken over the conversation and is just used as the de facto name for the race, even if the speaker knows not the original etymology.
In the leogrel language, the term for the two main groups, Savannah and Cave, are "Tyrvindr" and "Hutellis", respectively. They are believed to be derived from the original terms for peace and war, as it is the Savannah leogrels who are tranquil, and their counterparts belligerent. It can also sound similar to the terms for dove and hawk, which are "Tyravind" and "Uteblis." The birds are known to be associated with the virtues for serenity and power, respectively. Both terms are used pejoratively in the opposing society, with Tyrvindr meaning "coward" to Cave leogrels, and Hutellis meaning "barbarian" to Savannah leogrels. Since these terms are used as unifying surnames, it is very easy for leogrel to identify who's who.
The term for Shadow is "Lvilltur," which is often used to refer to those who lose their ways in winding mountains due to hardship. The raven, or "Laviltum Blaak" is associated with the term, seen often as a bird of misfortune or misguidance. To the Cave leogrel, Lvilltur can also mean "that which hides" or "was lost and never found." The Savannah interpret it more to be "not wanting to be seen" or "obscured." It is used pejoratively against those who withdraw from society.
Leogrel Names[edit]
Leogrel tongue is a mix of Elvish, Common, and their own, resulting in a rather complex, sometimes brutish sounding language. Their names are usually preceded by their tribal denomination and their last names, which are familial, are usually hidden. So a leogrel named Davi Iorthog of the Butortha tribe is called Butortha Davi.
Tribes: Iuthgrad (Cave), Oiturgis (Cave), Butortha (Savannah), Hijornil (Savannah), Vrae'li (Savannah), Khorej (Savannah), Il'Ithloth (Shadow)
Familial: Horting, Pfarresk, Sinthorga, El'Ivre, Sh'turmin
Male: Grajjin, Fir'Turga, Rreo, Din
Female: Fillara, Yrasmin, E'Ra, Crasseis
Leogrel Traits[edit]
Leonine mongrel creatures
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Age. Leogrel live nowhere as long as elves, having an average lifespan of only about 180 years.
Alignment. Leogrel tend to be neutral to remain out of conflict.
Size. Leogrel are usually taller than humans but only a bit wider. Your size is Medium.
Speed. 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.
Hunter Senses. You an able tracker of prey, knowing all the signs of prints going in certain directions as well as marking signs. You have advantage in Wisdom (Survival) checks to track creatures.
Menacing Tusks. The tusks on your face, as well as your overall appearance of a beast add to your fearsome demeanor. You are proficient in the Intimidation skill.
Beastly Nature. Your creature typing is both beast and humanoid. Spells that affect either type affect you regardless of your secondary type.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Elvish. You can speak Leogrel with others of this race.
Subrace. Choose from either the Savannah, Cave, or Shadow subrace options.
Savannah[edit]
Savannah leogrel are highly sophisticated warriors that are socially the most visible of the race.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2.
Plains Training. The weapons and armor of the plains are yours to wield. You are proficient with the spear and shield.
Spirit Training. You are a skilled user of the spiritual energy which resides in your and can manipulate it to perform acts without casting magic. You may expend an action to project your spiritual energy outward to manipulate your surroundings. This projection is invisible to those without truesight, appearing like a wavy tentacle to those who can see. This projection lasts for one turn, during which you can have it open an unlocked door or container, stow or retrieve an item from an open container, or pour the contents out of a vial. It has a range of 15 feet. The projection can't Attack, activate magical items, or carry more than 10 pounds.
Trades. The Savannah leogrel are well versed in trades and crafts, living more socially connected than their cousins. You have proficiency in either one tool of your choice. Alternatively, you may learn an additional language instead.
Cave[edit]
Also known as Frost leogrel, these live in cold, high mountains, in snowy caves, hence their name.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2.
Mountain Weapon Training. You wield heavier, stronger weapons than your cousins. You are proficient with the handaxe and hammer.
Spirit Training. You are a skilled user of the spiritual energy which resides in your and can manipulate it to perform acts without casting magic. You may expend an action to project your spiritual energy into your body to strengthen attacks you make. As a bonus action, you can make a special attack with your unarmed strike. If the attack hits, it deals force damage equal to 1d8 + your Strength modifier, rather than the usual bludgeoning damage. You can't use this trait again until you finish a short or long rest.
Frost Fur. Thanks to your thick fur, you're well covered in frigid terrain. You are unaffected by the effects of Extreme Cold, as described in chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide.
Shadow[edit]
These leogrel live in the Underdark among drows and have learned much of magical arts from them. They remain somewhat lesser creatures of the dark however, as light does not weaken them and they have less than superior vision in the darkness.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2.
Underground Magic. You have attuned your body to innately cast some magic. You know the eldritch blast cantrip.
Magic Channeling. Unlike your more spiritually attuned cousins, you channel your spirit into magic power. When you attack with a spell requiring a ranged attack roll, you may choose to roll with advantage. You can't use this trait again until you finish a long rest.
Pelt of Darkness. Your fur has long been suffused with darkness due to your dwelling in the Underdark. When you make a Dexterity (Stealth) check while in dim light or darkness, you can meld yourself with the darkness of your surroundings, granting yourself advantage on the check. Once you use this trait you cannot do so again until you complete a short or long rest.
Random Height and Weight[edit]
Base Height |
Height Modifier* |
Base Weight |
Weight Modifier** |
---|---|---|---|
5′ 7'' | +2d12 | 180 lb. | × (4) lb. |
*Height = base height + height modifier |
Suggested Characteristics[edit]
When creating a leogrel 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. Leogrel are very malleable creatures despite an overarching temperament of quiet contemplation.
d8 | Personality Trait |
---|---|
1 | I stand in the corner quietly to avoid attention often. |
2 | People are so annoying to be around. Ugh, just being there makes me mad. |
3 | In a classroom setting, I would be the joker. |
4 | I laugh out of turn when no jokes were told. |
5 | When I'm feeling uncomfortable, I just stare until everyone else is uncomfortable too. |
6 | I always have an eye out for ways to make money. |
7 | I like to work out. Sound body, sound mind. |
8 | When fights happen, I try to intervene amicably. |
d6 | Ideal |
---|---|
1 | Sanctuary. I want a peaceful world, to make sanctuary real. (Good) |
2 | Impartiality. I don't want to take any sides. (Neutral) |
3 | War. If this world won't give me what I want, that means war! (Evil) |
4 | Tribe. I will do all I must to uphold the dignity of the tribe's name I carry on my shoulders. (Any) |
5 | Freedom. I don't want to live according to anyone else's rules. (Chaotic) |
6 | Coin. I want the money. (Neutral) |
d6 | Bond |
---|---|
1 | Family and tribe is everything to me. |
2 | I must have courage, for the world is a scary place, I have learned. |
3 | I don't believe in friends or god. |
4 | People should revere my values more since I'm right. |
5 | There is no such thing as peace. A certain traumatic event taught me that. |
6 | I remember how I got over my xenophobia meeting a certain someone... |
d6 | Flaw |
---|---|
1 | I tend to get really clingy after even one meeting. |
2 | Table manners mean nothing to me. |
3 | Money occupies all my thoughts. |
4 | A lot of my words are frivolous, overused, trite and trivial. |
5 | I like to look down on others because my values are superior. |
6 | I like to immediately hit whatever makes me mad, no matter how small or insignificant. |
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