Rhichitt (5e Race)
Rhichitt[edit]
"Why d'yah keep that thing around, Kael? It's disgusting."
"Mhm?"
"Yeah. It insists on joining us to eat, vomits all over its food, and sucks it all back up. Keeps remindin' me of Jerry and that ooze way back. You remember that? .. Kael?"
"Mhm. I remember."
"Gods, that was nasty. And it took like.. half an hour. Screamin' the whole time."
"Mhm."
"And then after all that, there wasn't even any gold like that gnome said. Oh, you were pretty mad I think."
"Mhm. Do you remember why you came over here, Tim?"
"Oh yeah. Why d'yah keep the bug around?"
"Because he follows orders, Tim. From the moment he was hatched, he was destined to be better at following orders than you ever will be. And I need someone who can do exactly what I say, exactly how I say it."
"Whadaya mean? I do what you say."
"Mhm. Do you remember why Jerry got caught in the ooze that day, Tim?"
... "S-sorry Kael, I'll go away."
"Mhm."
Alien Visage[edit]
Rhichittes[1] resemble giant insects, bearing a head with two antennae, central thorax with six limbs, and a large abdomen. They are usually quadrupedal, using just two of their six legs as arms. They stand between 3 and 6 feet tall, depending on their size and posture. Beyond that, they vary wildly across individuals in form and function, owing to their signature ability to alter their adaptations according to a colony's needs. Rhichittes can have appearances similar to ants, mantises, beetles, mosquitos, wasps, and many more. Most males have a smooth, metallic sheen on their exoskeleton, with two or three iridescent colors, while most females have a coat of fine fuzzy setae similar to that of a moth.
Dethroned Wanderers[edit]
For over six thousand years, the cursed Queen of the rhichittes dwelled in peaceful solitude, tending her empire within the ruins of a civilization forgotten by time. Every day was precisely the same. Tend to the fungal gardens, harvest nectar from the aphids, kill anything that approaches the walls, bring meat back for the larvae, repair and reinforce the infrastructure, and lay at least 100 eggs. One mind and a million hands to keep it all together. She had everything she ever wished for: "A grand, loyal, and loving family that will never leave me." She had long exhausted her reflective insights on the situation, feeling only a muted sadness.
Though she once believed her curse to grant her immortality, it eventually became clear that she was aging. Never moving from her throne, she noticed it in the waning of her telepathic command. She began to occasionally stutter orders, repeat herself, or even forget to send an order she intended. These mistakes grew more disruptive and frequent, and it became clear that she would soon be unfit to rule. In this dawning of mortality, the Queen felt concerned for her children for the first time. She had always thought of them not as separate creatures, but rather a direct extension of her own will. She saw the world through their eyes and felt it through their hands, now forced to imagine how they will see the world without her guidance. Only the curse of an eldritch power could create a thing like her. For hundreds of years in the beginning of her rule, she sent scouts to scour the world for a cure; now she wonders if there could be a way to pass her curse forward. Quickly she banishes the thought, for it is an unforgivable affliction. Her children will have to make do.
Never once did she allow them to go without orders. In truth, it was in fear. She had actively avoided imagining what they might think or feel on their own, for she believed they would crave freedom as she did and bitterly resent her enslavement. Surely if allowed autonomy, they would tear her to shreds. There was nothing for it now. She was bound to perish and her mistakes were beginning to cost lives. The psychic drone was growing more exhausting to maintain by the day, her children seemingly clumsier, and her enemies seemingly bolder. It was time to stop.
Her mind felt as if a massive burden had been lifted, and she no longer saw the world through her children's senses. She looked upon her once-modest throne room, now expanded into a grand cavern, the scale of which she never realized. She was alone, save for three small assistant drones. She braced herself as they stopped their tasks and approached her, but they did not attack. They sat before her, eyes wide and locked with hers. Soon more came. A trickle first, then a slow flood of family pouring in from all directions. Hundreds of thousands strong, they sat and stared. It took time for her to see it, but there was a sadness in their eyes. They understood what was happening, and they were afraid. They loved her with all their hearts, every last one. There were no words. She could only cry, for her deepest wish was finally fulfilled.
Broken and Scattered[edit]
During the rule of the Queen, or the "Rhixithit,"[2] rhichittes operated akin to a singular organism, all orchestrated by her passive commands to maintain the hive in perfect harmony. Inheriting metamorphic abilities from their mother, they were able to adapt to any challenge with ease, making the hive nearly impenetrable to those who would seize their land. It was a great fortune to her neighbors that the Queen had no means to expand nor desire to conquer. They merely defended their land from intruders, making few enemies. Though rhichittes are able to reproduce independently, the Queen never allowed it for fear that she wouldn't be able to control her grandchildren in the same way. After her passing, they attempted to maintain the hive as they had been but soon found the task insurmountable without her perfect communication and order. They were lost, stricken by grief, and forced to learn how to work together as individuals. Bit by bit, land was lost and groups left to find a new place to call hive.
Some sought to establish new hives with new self-proclaimed Queens. These colonies are limited in size and have varying customs depending on the environment, but they maintain a sense of unity and often unquestioning loyalty to the Queen. Others sought to integrate themselves with societies that would accept them. Thanks to their reputation for being peaceful and orderly during the Rhixithit, they can find homes among anyone who isn't too bothered by their appearance. Upon being introduced to foreign pantheons, many rhichittes take to worshipping the spirit of the first Queen as a goddess, in the hope that their faith and love will elevate her to divinity.
Rhichittes who are accepted by others live up to their reputation, remaining fiercely loyal to and protective of those who are close to them. They can be found following anyone who gives them a sense of order and direction, but they have no respect for those who practice enslavement, believing a group's success should stem only from their own accomplishments.
During the Rhixithit, rhichittes and grung were mortal enemies with shared borders. Rhichittes see grung society as the epitome of rigidity, inefficiency, and frivolity.
Giant birds often consider rhichittes a delicacy, leading many of them to be uncomfortable around birdfolk like kenku and aarakocra.
Rhichittes often get along exceptionally well with gnomes, who share in their sense of community and are often happy to have them as assistants.
Nameless Ones[edit]
In normal rhichitt society, there was no need for individual distinction, and names were not used. Most rhichittes lived their entire lives without ever communicating with anyone but the Queen. Even this took the form of a constant psychic broadcast of cold, uncaring orders. Now forced to make allies elsewhere, many rhichittes find themselves pressured to choose a name by others. While the manner in which a rhichitt might decide on a name is entirely up to their personal experiences, they tend to choose brief, one or two-syllable names that are relatively easy for them to say.
Names: Chit, Crrrekt, Vip, Tik, Lyl, Whrrrr, Rikki, Kafka, Clk, Qiko, Krix
Rhichitt Traits[edit]
A versatile race of insectoids forced to make their own ways after the loss of their ancient Queen. Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1. One other ability score of your choice increases by 2, or two ability scores of your choice each increase by 1. Age. Rhichittes hatch as larvae which mature over a period of three years. They then cocoon themselves and emerge after one week as fully grown adults, able to live for 40 to 50 years. Alignment. Being hive creatures by nature, rhichittes are universally lawful. They tend to inherit the good or evil traits of their leaders. Size. Rhichittes have tremendous variance in size and build, ranging from 4 to 7 feet long and weighing 100 to 300 pounds. Your size is Medium. Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet, and you have a climbing speed of 20 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. |
Natural Armor. You have a protective exoskeleton. When you aren't wearing armor, your AC is 13 + your Dexterity modifier. You can use your natural armor to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC. A shield's benefits apply as normal while you use your natural armor. |
Antennae. You have no nose, but you can "smell" using your antennae. Whenever you make a Wisdom (Perception) check to smell, you are considered proficient in the Perception skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus. |
Informed Scavengers. Born to serve, rhichittes excel at gathering resources and information in unforgiving locations for the benefit of their leader. You gain proficiency in your choice of Investigation or Survival. |
Metamorphosis. Rhichittes posses the ability to enter a metamorphic state to transform parts of their bodies, allowing them to gain additional traits as they mature or replace existing ones. At 1st level, you start with one of the Metamorphic Traits from the list below, and you gain an additional trait when you reach 5th level. To gain these new traits, you must perform a metamorphic ritual in which you cocoon yourself for 24 hours. Doing so grants you a number of temporary hit points equal to five times your level and renders you unconscious. The ritual ends early and you awaken immediately if you take damage exceeding your temporary hit points, and you lose the temporary hit points at the end of the ritual when you emerge from the cocoon. When the ritual is complete, you receive all the benefits of completing a long rest and gain the chosen trait. You can also perform this ritual at any time to replace one of your Metamorphic Traits with another one from the list.
Metamorphic Traits. You must meet any listed requirements to select a trait. If a trait grants access to a spell, you may choose Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma as your spellcasting ability for it. |
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Rhichittish. Rhichittish is a strange language full of clicks and whirrs that also depends upon the presence of pheromonal signals, making it impossible to be written or properly understood by other races. These verbal qualities carry over into other languages they speak, which are highly difficult for them to learn. |
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