Redcap (5e Race)

Redcap

As subtle as a flung battleaxe. -Volothamp Geddarm

Physical Description

Richard Whitters

In the broadest terms, Redcaps resemble lean, angry Gnomes leading some to speculate on some distant relation in the Feywild. This is very unlikely. Otherwise, Redcaps look like elderly, hunched gnomes with long arms tipped in long nails and equally sharp teeth filling mouths looked in perpetual grimaces. An expression not helped by their dark, sunken eyes. Clothing wise, sort of, all Redcaps wear a long red stocking cap soaked in vividly fresh blood on their scalps and boots made entirely of iron on their feet. These items cannot be removed without killing the Redcap, in the case of the hat, or crippling them, in the case of the boots.

History

Redcaps are not so much born as grown. When a mortal spills blood in the Feywild or a place heavily linked to it, small, red-capped mushrooms will sprout from the bloodstains on the soil. When moonlight strikes the head of these fungi, they become Redcaps complete with all of their accessories like clothing and a sickle or scythe. As soon as they come to consciousness, the Redcap desires blood and violence, in part for its own sake and partially for their own survival as they must keep the blood that moistens their cap fresh. If it ever completely, the Redcap will immediately vanish, leaving only a enchanted tooth behind. Once born, Redcaps will commonly seek out whoever spilled the blood that created them, a hunt helped by mystic connection they share. Whether the Redcap uses the killer’s blood to wet their cap or joins them in more violence depends on who they find.

Society

Redcaps are largely antisocial and prefer to do their bloody entertainment alone, yet are usually found in groups working for more powerful evil Fey or the occasional magus. Hags especially will often employ Redcaps as guardians for their lairs and disposable minions they can send out for simple, violent assignments, though few Hags will ever care if an adventurer kills their workers. In some instances, prolific blood spillers in the Feywild have been known to amass hordes of Redcaps spawned from their past actions. In either case, most domesticated Redcaps preferred to be paid in living victims to slaughter rather than trifles like gold or gear.

Most Redcaps are content to let their blades to the killing for them, but a few will take up magical practices like arcane and divine magic.

Redcap Names

Most Redcaps don’t have names since they don’t need them to kill people. Some working in groups under other creatures do get names to distinguish themselves though. Most Redcap names are short nonsense words.

Any: Ableed, Groddle, Leeroy, Morsch, Snuhq, Wassuk

Redcap Traits

Little Fey Murderhobo, demon sauce optional.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2 and your Constitution score increases by 1.
Age. Redcaps can live up to 150 years with minimal signs of aging, but few rarely do.
Alignment. Redcaps tend towards a chaotic evil alignment.
Size. Your size is Small.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 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.
Bloodwash. You must soak your hat in fresh blood to survive. After you hat is bloodied, it stays bloodied for 1d4 days. Whenever you end a long rest with a dry hat, you gain 2 levels of exhaustion and cannot lose levels of exhaustion until your hat is bloodied again. You cannot soak your hat in your own blood or that of other Redcaps, but another willing creature or character can using an action, a weapon that deals piercing or slashing damage, and taking 1d4 x your character level damage of the same type as the weapon to soak your cap.
Faerie Fodder. You have advantage on Charisma ability checks when interacting with hags or other evil fey. When you die, your body vanishes while leaving behind a magic tooth that confers the same benefits to anyone that carries it. The tooth melts into blood if you are revived. You can be restored to life only by means of a true resurrection or wish spell.
Fey Blood. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can't put you to sleep. After you kill a living creature with blood, you are immune to the charmed condition until the start of your next turn.
Heavy Steps. Your iron boots weigh you down. You have advantage on saving throws against being knocked back. Also, you have disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) ability checks that rely on moving silently.
Iron Boots. You have heavy iron boots bound to your feet that you can use to make unarmed strikes. When you hit with them, the strike deals 1d6 + your Strength modifier bludgeoning damage.
Ironbound Pursuit. As an action, you can move up to your walking speed to a creature you can see and kick it with your iron boots. The target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 2d6 + your Strength modifier bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone. The saving throw’s DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier and damage increases by 2d6 when you reach 5th level (4d6), 11th level (6d6), and 17th level (8d6). If a creature rolls a 20 and succeeds on the saving throw, you are knocked prone. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Outsized Strength. While grappling, you considered to be Medium size. Also, wielding a heavy weapon doesn't impose disadvantage on your attack rolls.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Sylvan.
Subrace. You may choose to become a Madcap instead of standard Redcap. If you soak your hat in demon ichor per Bloodwash, your Redcap automatically becomes a Madcap. Madcap traits do not replace any Redcap traits.

Madcap

A Madcap is created when a Redcap soaks their hat in demon ichor. The mutagenic substance causes them to become more monstrous on both the inside and outside. Physically, the Madcap’s grow and change to become more monstrous in ways such as larger fangs, discolored skin, their hat growing and merging with their face, and more drool. Mentally, a Madcap will develop an intense hatred for a particular thing and an increased instability from the Redcap’s already spiteful bias towards reality. While no stronger than a Redcap in actual combat prowess, Madcaps are considered more dangerous for their unpredictability.

Demonic Taint. While not Fiends themselves, spells like detect evil and good or hallow and similar magical effects identify Madcaps as Fey and Fiends. However, spells and other magical effects that deal extra damage to Fiends do not deal extra damage to you. Your Faerie Fodder trait now affects Demons as well as Fey.
Extreme Prejudice. When you select this subrace, roll 2 d8s. You gain an extreme hatred for a creature type based on the roll in the Hatred table below. You have advantage on all attacks against creatures of that type and any objects resembling the creature type, but the same type of creature has advantage on all attacks against you and disadvantage on the saving throw from your Ironbound Pursuit trait. When fighting your hated type of creature, you cannot attack any other types of creatures until the hated creature is dead or you cannot see it.
Mad Mushroom. When you select this subrace, roll on the Indefinite Madness table and gain a flaw based on the roll. If this madness is cured, roll again and gain a new flaw.

2d8	Hatred	2d8	Hatred
1	All	9	Fiends
2	Aberrations	10	Giants
3	Beasts	11	Humanoids
4	Celestials	12	Monstrosities
5	Constructs	13	Oozes
6	Dragons	14	Plants
7	Elementals	15	Undead
8	Fey	16	Your Choice

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
3′ 0''	+1d12	35 lb.	× (1d4) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

4.00

(one vote)

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