Living Doll, Variant (5e Race)

This page is of questionable balance. Reason: The need to absorb spells as crystal hearth body type seems very strange and doesn't really detail the actual downside if you do not absorb these spells to keep you running. Overall, the trait is also strangely worded and the need for levels at early levels is very difficult if you only run into cantrips or only cost your allies spell slots. This sort of trait would also justify being a primary gimmick for a race alone, and would be a lot coupled with a soul type. Traits like repairable really need a re/action to trigger. Overall, the combos between soul and body types feel a bit much given how strong or advantageous some of the sub traits are on their own. You can help D&D Wiki by better balancing the mechanics of this page. When the mechanics have been changed so that this template is no longer applicable please remove this template. If you do not understand balance please leave comments on this page's talk page before making any edits. Edit this Page | All pages needing balance

Living Dolls

Created by magical or non-magical means, this crafted race closely resembles humans. When created, they could be used as simple automatons, or they could be given a soul, perhaps brought to life by a higher power, or simply given an artificial soul by a great wizard.

Physical Description

Their bodies may vary due to their origin but are always shaped to be like certain living beings, in most cases humans. Every living doll has a core, whether it being a magical crystal, beating heart, or even something completely different, destroying it does not mean the end of your life. It could be healed, repaired and even re-made entirely.

History

Most dolls were created just as toys, workers and even guards, but some of them possess a soul. A spirit can be placed inside an empty doll as a part of a curse, divine intervention or being given an artificial soul. Sometimes spirits would be granted bodies by a deity in the form of a doll body. Tailored for a certain purpose, the variety of dolls is endless from a creepy and small marionette to a normal-sized living being, or even a giant. Living dolls were sometimes used as messengers because their life is undervalued by most people. Having a reincarnation inside a doll body, some poor souls have to prove their own legitimacy to their friends and even loved ones. Having an artificial body does not mean you are safe from the outside world; even though you're gifted with toughness, it is not like it would help against a giant fireball or a well-placed arrow.

Society

Living dolls are a rarity in the world. There are not enough of them to be called a community. Almost every single one of them is unique, often indistinguishable from the real thing. They blend in well with society, but if their identity is discovered they could often be seen as an object by inhumane and disrespectful masses.

Living Doll Names

Usually, the creator gives a name to the living doll, but souls placed in the body refer to themselves by the name they were called in life.

Living Doll Traits

Sturdy and magically enhanced human-like constructs.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2.
Age. Living dolls are formed as adults and they don't age, but their bodies could show wear and tear when unkept for a while.
Alignment. Depends on what they were created for or the spirit residing in them, but most of them are built true neutral by default.
Size. Living dolls are the size of the race they are modeled after. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Living Construct. Your creature type is construct instead of humanoid. As such, spells like cure wounds don't affect you, and you are immune to spells like crown of madness or dominate person because they specifically target humanoids. You are immune to poison damage, being poisoned, and diseases. You do not need to eat or breathe, and any food you do attempt to eat falls through the space where your head would be and into the bottom of your armor. Rather than sleeping, you enter an inactive state for 6 hours each day. You do not dream in this state; you are fully aware of your surroundings and notice approaching enemies and other events as normal.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write in Common and one other language of your choice.
Subrace. Subraces are divided into what keeps your body animated and how you attained your body/how it was made, listed under Body Types and Soul Types.

Body types

Living Organism

Your body is kept moving through strings of necrotic magic gathered within a heart on the inside of your chest.

Heartbeat. Thanks to the heartbeat of the heart inside of you, you know how human heartbeats work and you can easily hear the heartbeat of other people. You are proficient in the Insight skill. As an action, you can choose one creature within 10 feet of you and discern if they are frightened, charmed. You also become immune to being frightened and charmed yourself.
Blood-Bound Heart. Even though your body is that of a construct, your body still is run by a heart and thus you are required to eat and drink, disabling that portion of your Living Construct trait. The other portions of the trait remain intact and active.

Crystal Hearth

Your have a crystal core, even though gods and curses can create these dolls you need this crystal to move your body.

Ability Score Increase. One ability score of your choice, other than Constitution, increases by 1.
Magical crystal. Your magical core is run through gathering magic in the air around you. Each day you need to absorb 2 levels worth of spells, you do this by being within 60 ft. of a spellcaster when they cast a spell of first level or higher. You can only absorb spell levels from casting them yourself if either fail casting the spell or disabling its effect. With each level you gain you need to absorb one additional level of spells a day; 3 levels at the 2nd level, and so on. This stops at the 10th level at 12 levels of spells.
Magical conduct. Thanks to your magical core you have an innate advantage as spellcaster. You can cast the spell false life an amount of time equal to your Intelligence modifier as a first level spell. You regain all expended uses after a short or long rest.

Well Made

Created by a deity or a powerful wizard, your body is strong enough to meet their standards.

Ability Score Increase. One ability score of your choice, other than Constitution, increases by 1.
Repairable. Being damaged triggers an auto-repair mode allowing you to gain hit points equal to your hit die + proficiency bonus whilst in combat. Activating this feature uses all your actions, reaction and your bonus action for that turn. Broken parts, for example having your arm completely shattered by some giant force requires you to go to a competent wizard or a smith that could fix it for you. Using spells and healing potions to recover hit points work just as well as the 'ol blacksmiths hammer.
Semi-Immortality. Your body lifespan is indefinite, and death does not mean the end of your character. Being unkept will not show because your outer shell is very sturdy. You do not require any food or water to sustain yourself thus giving you a proficiency in the Survival skill.

Soul type

Accursed

A lingering spirit found this doll body and it now haunts it as its own.

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Frightening stare. You may use a bonus action to force a creature within 30 ft. of you to make a Wisdom saving throw with a DC equal to 11 + your proficiency bonus. If the target creature fails, they are frightened of you for 1 minute. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.
Eerie Aura. You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill thanks to the nasty aura you give off.

Playdoll

You where created by humans for their entertainment and are made to allure people.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1.
Alluring grace. Thanks to the magic involved in your creation you have learnt to cast the spell charm person once per long rest.
Trustworthy. You gain proficiency in the Persuasion skill.

Messenger of Holy

Your soul is implanted in this body by a diety of your universe making you one of their followers.

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1.
Soulsight. You are able to see the souls of living things within 20ft, thanks to this you know a creatures alignment and racial type(Beast, Aberration, Humanoid, Construct, etc.)
Praise. You gain proficiency in the Religion skill.

Artificial

You body was made by a great wizard. You are originally made to be a student of magic by said wizard. Having an artificially created soul means you spiritually are not bound to any plane upon "death" but simply remain in your body.

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1.
Natural Caster. Your core functions as an arcane focus. Additionally, you can imprint spell you learn into your memory, as if you had a spellbook.
Crafty. Having been taught in magical arts. You gain proficiency in the Arcana skill.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
4′ 8''	+2d10	60 lb.	× (1d6) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

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