Warden (5e Race)

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Physical Description

Wardens are humanoid-looking aside from their large size and skulk infested bodies. Their bodies are heavily armored with a strong bone like substance around the weak skulk infested flesh. On their head they have two protuberances coming from the side of their head, that act as feelers, often lighting up when a sound is detected. Their chest is an empty void covered soul casing used to consume power given by the souls.

Example of an average warden

History

Wardens have an unknown history, they were discovered along with some civilization's ruins deep underground. All that is known about wardens are just speculations. They are thought to come from another plane/dimension due to a portal-looking structure at the center of the ruins. Although, it's strongly believed that they didn't build that civilization due to the lack of precision, dexterity and rational thinking observed on them.

Attitudes and Beliefs

Wardens don't seem to interact between them, but they present aggressiveness towards noise and disruption within its home. It is believed that wardens developed extraordinarily sensitive auditory organs in order to compensate their blindness due to the total lack of sunlight underground. A warden is often highly territorial and will follow sound and scent to attack anything that intrudes

Warden Traits

A blind, sturdy and strong creature made out of dead matter with the ability to consume souls.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2 and your Strength score increases by 1, but your Dexterity score decreases by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 or decrease one below 1 using this feature.
Age. Wardens are born totally mature, they don't grow nor age.
Alignment. Wardens tend to be evil, but it has been found cases where they tilt towards goodness. Nevertheless they act aggressive towards noisy things.
Size. Depends on subrace
Speed. Depends on subrace
Echolocation. Wardens are blind creatures which developed their hearing in order to survive. You have blindsight within a 60 ft range and are blind beyond this radius. You can't use this blindsight while both deafened and unable to smell
Sturdy. Wardens are tough by nature, their bodies are reinforced with bones. Your AC is equal to 13 + your Constitution modifier (you do not apply your Dexterity modifier)
Heavy punches. Wardens throw strong punches and deal 1d8 + your strength modifier bludgeoning damage with unarmed strikes.
Consume Soul. Wardens have the ability to consume souls. You can use an action to try to eat a creature within 5 feet of you that is at largest one size category smaller than you. The creature must make a Strength or Dexterity saving throw, with a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier. On a failure, you eat the creature alive. The creature is blinded and restrained, has total cover against attacks and other effects outside you, and takes Xd6 necrotic or acid damage(choose each time you use this ability) at the start of each of your turns. You can only have one creature swalllowed at a time in this way. If you use this to kill a creature, the creature's soul is consumed and destroyed utterly, whereupon nothing short of divine intervention can restore the creature to life, and you can swallow another creature. You also gain one soul slot if the creature had a soul in the first place. These are used by your racial abilities(see below).
Sonic Boom. Wardens are capable of emitting a high-pitched sound in a straight line. They usually do this when they feel they are unable to reach the creature they targeted. You can shoot this as an action. This high-pitched sound deals Xd4 thunder damage, has 120 feet of effective range, can pierce up to 3 creatures, can be heard up to 300 feet away, and ignores any kind of cover. When using this ability, you expend one soul slot.
Earth's born. The depths in which wardens live hold a large amount of the earth's heat, thus, the wardens' skin is thick. You have resistance to fire damage.
Heightened Senses. Growing up with no sight you adapted to use hearing and smell to get around, you have a great sense of smell. You have advantage on all Perception checks that rely on smell and hearing, but automatically fail such checks that rely on sight.
Decaying body. You a creature of decay and death. You have immunity to Necrotic damage but are easily manipulated by spells such as control undead
Undead Anatomy. You do not have the usual anatomical needs as the living, you do not require sleep or rest, however similar to elves you do have a dormant state, when going dormant you will naturally burrow into the ground and allow the souls you have consumed to calm, the longer you lie dormant the more powerful the souls become. A short rest doubles the soul slots you have. A long rest triples your soul slots.
Languages. You can speak read and write abyssal and infernal. You can read, write and understand common but you struggle to speak it, taking 4 times as long to speak it.
Subrace. You are from a wide range of wardens from a range of different places. Your place of origin determines your subrace. A lot of your subrace warden abilities are infectious. All the saving throw DCs for your warden infections are 8+your proficiency bonus+your Constitution modifier. Whenever X is mentioned in damage amounts, it is equal to your character level. This is the base ability: As an action, you can create a skulk tendril that you can use to try infect a creature within 30 feet of you. The creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or become infected, taking Xd10 necrotic damage at the start of each of their turns for 1 minute. Using this ability consumes one soul slot.

Deep Dark Wardens

The most commonly found wardens, a race build of their own intelligence Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence is increased by +1
Age. These creatures have some of the shortest lifespans of wardens, most living only as long as 100
Alignment. Deep dark wardens are often evil by nature, most being chaotic Evil
Size. The largest on average reaching 11ft. Your size is large
Speed. Being so large you are quite slow, walking at an average of 25 feet
Blinding Darkness. You have the ability to cause blindness. As an action, choose to up to three creatures that you can see within 30 feet of you, using one soul slot per creature targeted. A creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be blinded for 1 minute.
Tendril Decay. The skulk that grips your body is under your command, you can use that how you would like. Your skulk infection ability is identical to the base ability.
Aggressive by Nature. Naturally you are very aggressive and will go into a rage if pushed too far. Once per day you can consume up to 3 soul slots to go into a rage giving you a +2 bonus to AC, your warden save DCs, all attack rolls, ability checks, saving throws, and damage rolls per soul slot used. This rage lasts for 1 minute.
Languages. You know one other language of your choice

Lush Warden

These wardens grew up in a cave filled with light sources and aqueducts, axolotls and other small creatures. these wardens are some of the smallest, friendliest and rarest wardens to find, often using moss cloaks and with glow berries growing from their feelers Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma is increased by +2
Age. Lush wardens live the longest of the common wardens, living on average to 250 years old
Alignment. These wardens often tend towards good and neutral alignments, but some have been reported to have chaotic or even evil tendencies
Size. Lush wardens are the smallest wardens, the largest reported being 10 feet tall, your size is medium
Speed. Being a smaller size you are a lot faster than others, your base walking speed is 35ft
Friendly beast. As a Lush warden you are kind and calm, often found with animals hiding within your mossy cloak, With your friendly disposition creatures are naturally drawn towards you. You can naturally cast the Charm person spell and can cast it once without using a spell slot, every time after requires you use either a spell slot or a soul slot.
Natural Swimmer. Being around aqueducts for most of your life you learned very early on how to swim. You have a swiming speed equal to your walking speed(minimum of 20 feet),and you have natural water breathing
Infectious Spores. As a natural habitant of a lush cave. The skulk coursing through your body works a little different, it is spread through spores. When you use your spread your infection, you breathe from your mouth and target everyone around you within a 5ft radius.
Languages. you learn one language of your choice

Infernal Warden

A warden formed deep in the fiery bowels of the infernal realm, often found lounging in lava pools. These wardens are some of the most aggressive to be found Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution is increased by +2
Age. Infernal wardens have an average lifespan of 150 years
Alignment. These wardens are seriously aggressive, most being of a chaotic evil alignment
Size. Living in an environment such as the infernal realm these creatures are of a similar size to the Deep Dark wardens, growing on average to 13ft, your size is large
Speed. Being a larger creature you are slower, walking on average 25ft
Fiery Origins. Your skin is a deep charred black or shades of deep greys, the hard bone plating covering your infected skin being shades of deep reds. You have a natural invincibility to all fire and heat related damage
Infernal Home. Any spells that you cast that have a flame/heat element gain a +4 increase to attack and damage rolls
Heated infection. Your body is naturally a lot hotter than most living creatures, as a result the skulk that has claimed your body burns others that get infected. When you use your infection, it deals 2Xd4 fire damage as well as the necrotic damage
Languages. you learn one language of your choice

Deep Sea Warden

A warden that naturally inhabits the ocean, fins and gills are a main addition to this warden, often known for being quick and aggressive Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity is increased by +2
Age. Deep sea wardens on average live to around 160 years old
Alignment. These creatures are chaotic and aggressive, often being a chaotic evil alignment
Size. These wardens are some of the largest, growing to 18ft on average your size is huge
Speed. on land you are quite slow, having a walking speed of 20ft, in water you are very fast with a swimming speed of 50ft
Deep Sea Dweller. Living so deep in the ocean you are used to higher pressure on your body and freezing temperatures. You have resistance to cold damage
Echolocation Mk2. Living so deep in the ocean in the dark you adapted a way to find your way around with a series of clicks and other noises. You have the ability to use the Locate creature spell to locate any creature within 50 feet of you within the water
Infectious Tendrils. You can use infectious tendrils that come from your chest cavity. Your skulk infection ability is identical to the base ability.
Languages. You know one language of your choice

Open Canyon Warden

Open canyon Wardens are the largest and most dangerous wardens to find Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom is increased by +2
Age. Open Canyon wardens are the oldest known wardens, the oldest found being over 600 years old
Alignment. These wardens are nothing but pure evil
Size. Open Canyon Wardens are the Largest wardens known, a fully grown adult being over 20ft your size is Gargantuan
Speed. These creatures are huge and travel long distances fast, having a walking speed of 40ft
Open Canyon sight. Being a creature living in a bright open cave you have the best eyesight of a warden. You are no longer blind beyond 60 feet away, and you no longer automatically fail Perception checks that rely on sight.
Destructive Step. You are able to crush things under your feet when you walk, any creature under your foot will take 1d12 bludgeoning damage
Destructive Infection. You are able to control the skulk around you, using this ability you can entirely cover a creature and put it under your control. Your skulk infection ability is identical to the base ability, but you have an additional effect; If the creature fails the save, you can make it become a puppet under your control, instead of dealing damage. If you control it in this way, it is unable to resist your will until the infection ends.
Languages. you know one language of your choice

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
11′ 0''	+2d10	200 lb.	× (2d6) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

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