Patchwork Shapeshifter (5e Race)
Patchwork Shapeshifters[edit]
Physical Description[edit]
Patchwork shapeshifters are a race of formless shapeshifting beings varying greatly in size. They earn the "patchwork" part of their name due to the fact that the vast majority of them have to use copied bits and pieces from many creatures to make themselves a functioning body. After reaching maturity, patchwork shapeshifters can directly copy another being's form, but the accuracy and possible size of these copies increase with level. How this will be rules is up to your dm.
History[edit]
Patchwork shapeshifters are technically hell-born creatures, direct creations of Lucifer, but they aren't creatures of evil. In the same way that Lucifer gave humans freedom to do as they please, Lucifer aimed to create a race of creatures able to become anything they could ever want, but at the cost of their sense of self and their ability to have a true form. They became patchwork beings always searching for what they truly are, never able to find it due to their accidental curse.
Attitudes and Behaviors[edit]
Patchwork shapeshifters have a tendency to stay either completely away from civilization or completely avoid wilderness for their places of residence, with very little in-between. This is because some will embrace their wild side with some jealousy towards other intelligent races for not having to question themselves the way patchworks do, whereas others try their best to fit into society and reject the wild life as if that will fill the hole in their sense of self that comes along with existing. Patchworks have an odd tendency to speak about themselves in the third person, nobody really knows why so many of them do it. Patchworks are most comfortable around wild animals and non-sentient beings, finding comfort in how they don't feel inferior around them as they do around other races. Patchworks may harbor resentment towards other races due to their genetic inferiority complex. Patchworks do not reproduce like other races, they don't need to have any sort of relations to produce offspring, they can simply make one by themselves, which will have a form consisting of the parts of it's parent. They also do not tend to take care of their young after a short period of time, like most wild animals. Patchworks are more like wild animals until they reach maturity, after which they gain proper sentience and awareness, and are able to make the choice to stay wild or join civilization.
Patchwork Shapeshifter Names[edit]
The names of patchwork shapeshifters entirely depend on the environment they grow up in, meaning truly any name can work so long as it makes sense with where they came from/their upbringing.
Patchwork Shapeshifter Traits[edit]
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2 and your Constitution score increases by 1.
Age. The age of maturity isn't really set for patchwork shapeshifters, due to the non-linear timeline they live on their whole lives, they instead are considered mature when they're able to copy another creature completely, typically starting small with things like mice and squirrels. Their lifespan could hypothetically be infinite if not taken out by an external force, comparable to lobsters in that way.
Alignment. Patchwork shapeshifters don't have any particular alignments due to the sheer diversity of their race, leaving it entirely up to what the player sees fit.
Size. The size of patchwork shapeshifters can very greatly depending on what they choose, but the majority of them stay around medium size.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet, but can be increased or decreased by a maximum of 10 depending on the legs your patchwork has at the time.
Copycat. Copycat allows patchworks to change one or more pieces of themselves to gain a buff, for example; using a bat head for echolocation or a cat's feet to negate fall damage. The ruling and time limit of this is all up to your dm.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and talk to Beasts(this can be any form of animal speech, how it is ruled is up to your dm).
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