Vril (5e Race)

Vril

Physical Description

Steve Ellis

The influence of the Vril’s Goblin ancestors is easily apparent in their face and build, with some significant changes. Vril tend to be slightly larger and lankier, usually black, grey, blue, purple, or indigo in color, their ears larger, more angled, and flared back to resembled open bat wings, their eyes are almost always dilated, their noses flatter with more pointed nostrils, and their mouths capable of opening wider for their terrifying screams. Vril often have higher pitched voices than Goblins of the same size. Many Vril currently or formerly in service to the Drow are branded with thin black tattoos across their face and limbs to delineate ownership and occasionally rank within the Drow’s Vril forces. Some free Vril have continued the tradition, albeit with less utilitarian designs.

History

The story of the Vril begins with the Drow. While avid salvers, the Drow rarely train their thralls specifically for battle. That changed when a group of arcanists captured and started breeding Goblins to produce a superior warrior race to act as disposable meat shields for actual Drow fighters. Using a combination of eugenics, alchemy, blood magic, and many bats, they were able to eventually create the first Vril. Beyond the warped appearance, the foul transmutations wrought on the Vril left them with improved darkvision like the Drow enjoyed, albeit with a similar sunlight sensitivity, weaponized sonic shrieks, superior grip strength, and, perhaps most impressively ad surprisingly, the ability to adapt their reinforced skin to lessen the damage they take from physical and sonic weaponry. However, the Drow were wise enough to make the Vril particularly susceptible to poisons, principally Drow Sleep Poison, as method of control over their slaves.

Over the next centuries, the use of the Vril would spread across the Drow city states as throwaway soldiers. While treated and trained marginally better than other slaves to keep them battle ready, the Drow of course abused the Vril. This led to many escape attempts over the years, some successful and some less so. Eventually enough Vril were set loose in the wilds of the Underdark to set up their own communities and help free their brethren, along with other slaves, from the various evil factions of the gloomy tunnels they were bred to survive in.

Society

Outside the Vril slaves still in Drow control, the goblinoids tend to organize themselves into loose tribes. Thanks to their past as slaves, Vril tend to shun strict hierarchies outside of temporary organization for specific goals like dealing with a threat or freeing slaves. In times of dire need, many Vril tribes might unite to combat a major problem, then disperse or combine afterwards as they feel like. Many Vril tribes train bats as pets, companions, and, in the case of the giant versions, mounts.

Like their Goblin progenitors, Vril rarely have any settled towns or cities, preferring instead to remain mobile or in more egalitarian communities. Unlike Goblins, Vril tribes tend to have good relations with other Underdark denizens as long as they do not engage in slavery. They have especially good relations and often cooperate with Deep Gnomes as bodyguards or healers. Some Vril tribes that live near Illithid colonies also have contacts with the Githzerai. Vril sometimes get along with other goblinoids, but thanks to their divergent mutations can no longer crossbreed without the hybrid being stillborn. For rather obvious reasons, Vril are especially untrusting towards Drow. Even the friendliest Drow will be met with extreme suspicion by the Vril and the slightest mistake may be interpreted as a trick or attack.

Attitudes and Beliefs

While generally more good-natured than other goblinoids, Vril are still Goblins. They will usually shun structure and set rules in favor of instinctual needs and desires and prefer sneaking around a fight than facing it head-on. When roused to anger, Vril can be just as vicious as any Goblin or Drow in vanquishing their enemies, though usually with less cruelty. Despite lacking traditional Goblin cowardice, Vril raised in Drow captivity often have a traumatic response to encounters with the dark elves even once free, immediately submitting to their authority or otherwise cowering from their wrath. In some cases, this specific cravenness can extend to associated creatures like Driders, Giant Spiders, and Yochlols.

Despite its part in their creation, Vril spellcasters prefer to rely on divine magic over arcane. Religion wise, the Vril shun the worship of the abusive Goblinoid pantheon, with exception of The Nameless One and sometimes token offerings to Maglubiyet when among other goblinoids, in favor of various chaotic deities. Thanks to their past with the Drow, there are more than a few clerics of Eilistraee among the Vril tribes, though their rituals tend to be less flamboyant than her surface Drow worshippers. Few Vril tribes try to enforce any religious cohesion, and fewer still succeed. Vril working for Drow tend to worship Lolth. Not that they have any choice otherwise.

Vril Names

Most Vril have Goblin names, though due to their magically altered anatomy they tend to favor sharp E’s and I’s as vowels over deeper O’s and U’s. Some exceptionally loyal Vril are given Elven names by their Drow masters.

Male: Deji, Hirdirk, Sirk, Weev, Ziggit

Female: Barzik, Dagir, Nil, Pindi, Varzivir,

Vril Traits

Drow-enhanced goblinoid slave soldiers turned freedom fighters.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2 and your Dexterity score increases by 1.
Age. Vril reach adulthood around age 6 and can live up to 80 years.
Alignment. Vril tend towards chaotic alignments. Usually more good than evil unless in the service of the Drow.
Size. Your size is Small.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Careful Climber. You have advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks that involve climbing natural caves, cliffs, and crags.
Echoing Scream. As an action, you can force every creature in a 30-foot cone to make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, a creature takes 1d8 thunder damage and is deafened for 1 minute, or half as much damage and is not deafened on a successful one. Deafened creatures may make a Constitution saving throw at the end of their turns to end the condition. Echoing Scream’s damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 6th level (2d8), 11th level (3d8), and 16th level (4d8) and the saving throw DCs equal 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier. Once you use this trait, you must finish a long rest before you can use it again.
Fey Ancestry. You have advantage on saving throws to avoid or end the charmed condition on yourself.
Skinshift. As a bonus action, you can gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, slashing, or thunder damage for 1 minute (choose 1 when you use this trait). Once you use this trait, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.
Sunlight Sensitivity. You have disadvantage on attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of the attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.
Superior Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 120 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.
Venom Vulnerability. You have disadvantage on saving throws to avoid or end the poisoned condition on yourself.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common, Goblin, and Undercommon.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
3′ 6''	+1d6	50 lb.	× (1d4) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

0.00

(0 votes)

---

Back to Main Page → 5e Homebrew → Races