Virite (5e Race)

Design Note: This race is intended to be used in a modern or futurist setting.

Virite

“	While we have not been able to replicate the stability, or utilities, of the original Virite, we have managed to create a creature who lives, breathes, talks, hopes, and dreams of metal, magic and code. While this first one is interesting, their personality matrix crashed within seconds and attempted to, quote, 'Terminate' everyone nearby. Perhaps basing it's personality on a Trojan virus was a mistake. Hopefully the second will not be so violent.	”
—Maxxon, High elf Roboticist

Broken Code, Solid Steel

Virites are factory made, mass produced automatons, inhabited and brought to life by sentient code. Once the virite finds itself a specifically designed shell they deem suitable, they are bound to it for life. While their physical appearance tends to vary wildly, being born of the internet, they are all bound to very similar sizes and weights, accounting for slight production errors or intended builds. Their physical appearance can be designated, only once without the use of magic, to whatever they find pleases them, however, it must fit the shape of a medium creature. Additionally, being essentially incomplete, all their appearances have visual glitches, ranging from slightly low resolution, to extreme frame jumping. It is very common to see older virites who regret the outward appearances they chose when they were born. The robotic shell is modifiable but the process is described as being "indescribably painful" for virites.

Joke Given Sentience

The original virite was born when a god of chaos decided it would be funny to turn a computer virus into a living creature. The first would work themselves onto the internet, where it quickly grew fond of the global culture, and decided it wanted a body of it's own. It hijacked a 3d printer and made itself one. This virite, known as Vira, was considered perfect, and was able to freely leap from his body to any technology he pleased, see through cameras of any system so long as he is in it, could manipulate computers and the internet to incredible degrees, and affect the base coding of whatever he inhabited.
As Vira made a name for himself, roboticists began attempting to recreate such a creature, only really succeeding at the complex algorithms to create a successful one hundreds of years later, long after Vira's death. Early prototypes were unstable and often would corrupt when attempting to leave their body or change the hologram that designates their appearance. This glitch was unable to be fixed and remains to this day, in all cases except those of divine intervention. Modern virites are more useful and more stable creations of their past selves, but corruption remains an issue, but a less common one.

Culture of Internet dwellers

Virites are creatures born of the internet and coders alike. Most spend their youth online, learning about the world and absorbing information while waiting for the ideal shell to be made for them. As such they tend to be very savvy in interacting with others and are often incredibly sociable. However, they can often be trapped into taking great pleasure in bringing others misery. Often times, virites maintain interests such as playing video games that transfers over once they enter the physical world.
Virite societies in the physical world often emulate internet websites and chatrooms. As a result, every building has separate law enforcement, leadership, and rules associated within. It's very common for two virites to spend hours fighting over some nonsense in a debating building, only to laugh and sing together in an all topics welcome bar. Once a topic is started in a building for them, unless it's relevant elsewhere, stays there. Seeing a constant stream of virites running back and fourth between two different buildings is very commonplace. Such towns, villages and cities tend to be overwhelming for those of other species. However, most virites tend to be welcoming to "newbies".

Virite Names

Virites are born from the internet, a massive collection of clashing and mixing ideas and ideals. They sometimes adopt names used by other races. However, it's far more common for them to use names similar to internet personas.

Examples include: XxthotSlayerxX, cutiepie12, ectoBiologist, MLGFAN64~~.

Additionally, Virites will also use names that are directly or reference computer engineering or software engineering slang.

Examples include: Glitch, Vira, Abend, 404, Egosurf.

Virite Traits

Virites are modernized, living mechanical shells animated by sentient code born and raised on the internet.
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma, Intelligence and Constitution scores all increase by 1.
Age. Virites are considered adults whenever they inhabit a shell, often around 20. So long as they maintain themselves, they do not age.
Alignment. Virites grow up in a society of mixed opinions and cultures, and have no real leaning towards any alignment in particular.
Size. Virite shells are produced at a standard 5'6" tall and weigh 150 lbs. However, factory variations allow approved models to have up to a 2" variation in height and 20 lbs variation in weight. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Cam-Vision. As an action, you can hijack control of a digital surveillance device like a camera and see from their vantage point for 1 minute. The device must be and remain within 60 feet of you for you to use this trait. If the device has additions like night-vision or infrared scope, you are able to see it with those lenses as well. Starting 5th level, you can extend this trait to see through the eyes of a willing construct within 60 feet of you.
Living Construct. You, being mechanical in nature, do not need to eat food or drink water to survive, though you may do so if you wish. You also do not need to sleep or breathe. You are considered humanoid for the purpose of casting or being targeted by spells and other effects.
Inorganic. You are resistant to poison damage and you have advantage in Constitution saving throws against being poisoned and diseases.
Sentient Code. You have advantage in all ability checks to decipher or hack codes.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
5′ 4''	+1d4 inches	150 lb.	× 1 lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

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