Vitae (5e Race)

Vitae

“

We call ourselves life, because we may have come first fore it.

”

Physical Description

Vitae are large, shambling creatures with green skin and facial tentacles, making their heads look a little octopus-like. These tentacles hide their circular saw of a mouth. Despite their teeth, vitae usually eat just pure life energy from creatures they kill. They can stand on two feet or run on four legs easily. Their forelegs are are prehensile like hands. Vitae limbs are rather short and stumpy. They have incredibly thick limbs and torso, meaning they can serve as mounts for creatures of a similar size to them. Their stocky bodies are also well built, making them ideal load carriers and general hard laborers.

History

Vitae originate from the Far Realm, where they were kept as pets by alien gods. Many hundreds of millennia ago, almost half of the species were released into the Underdark as part of a pact made between a mysterious, powerful entity and a powerful alhoon warlock. Since then, the vitae have been utilized alongside quaggoths and other mind flayer slaves as laborers and mounts. As part of the pact, mind flayers and even elder brains cannot consume their brains. Most have stayed imprisoned underground, but about one in three develope a conscience for escaping. Vitae have been observed living on the surface alongside other creatures after a successful escape. They have been observed to be more neutral compared to normal aberrations, which are usually evil. Some have even taken up more honest and mundane work, showing they can be good.

Society

Their original purpose designates most vitae as mounts and beasts of burden. This is what illithids mainly utilized them for, and sometimes they were used in drow cities in the same fashion. Illithids could trade their services at high prices due to their otherworldly strength. However, under the hands of the drow, the vitae were more rebellious. It is believed their minds link back to their progenitor entity in the Far Realm. Those who escaped the Underdark are too few to form a consolidated society. Most who run to the surface end up working in similar labors, like construction and transportation in other societies. However, their appearance often stands as a hindrance to their social interactions.

Vitae Names

Vitae only have names when they are free. Their names are usually derived from names of the Old Ones, out of respect for their origins.

Male: Guhun, Azaroth, Yoog, Lien

Female: Ysena, Cthuru, Soth, Reng

Vitae Traits

Aberrations that were illithid beasts of burden
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2, and either your Dexterity or Strength score increases by 1.
Age. Vitae usually live about 400 years. They mature at 25.
Alignment. Vitae are more often evil than good due to their rejection by the world around them. However, it is not impossible for them to be good.
Size. Vitae are usually taller than humans when walking bipedally. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 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.
Power Strikes. Your fists are powerful enough to break bones. Your unarmed strikes deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier.
Vitae Vitality. Vitae are incredibly hardy, as they are created for back-breaking conditions. Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level.
Life Drain. When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with your unarmed strikes, you may expend a bonus action to consume their life force and regain hit points equal to your Constitution modifier. You must finish a short or long rest after using this trait to use it again.
Super Strength. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Mount Form. As a bonus action, you can drop on all fours or stand bipedally. While on all fours, you may serve as a mount for Medium creatures as if you were a Large creature.
Languages. You can speak, read and write in Common and Undercommon.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
6′ 6''	+1d12 + 1	260 lb.	× (2d8) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

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