Yith (5e Race)

The Great Race of Yith

“	The Great Race ... waxed well-nigh omniscient, and turned to the task of setting up exchanges with the minds of other planets, and of exploring their pasts and futures. It sought likewise to fathom the past years and origin of that black, aeon-dead orb in far space whence its own mental heritage had come – for the mind of the Great Race was older than its bodily form. . . The beings of a dying elder world, wise with the ultimate secrets, had looked ahead for a new world and species wherein they might have long life; and had sent their minds en masse into that future race best adapted to house them – the cone-shaped beings that peopled our earth a billion years ago.	”
—H. P. Lovecraft, "The Shadow Out of Time"

Physical Description

Paul Carrick's rendition of a member of the Great Race of Yith, laboring over some complex experiment.

In the bodies that the yith inhabit, they are tall and cone-shaped, rising to a point with four strange, tentacle-like appendages, all of which can extend and recede at will to any distance up to about ten feet. Two terminate in claws, the clicking of which acted as a method of communication. A third tentacle in four red "trumpets," and the fourth, a yellowish globe with three eyes around the central circumference, flower-like ears on top and tentacles on the underside. There are typically three eyes on their small heads, set above the slobber of tentacles which conceal their mouth. They have no sexes and reproduce by spores instead, though rarely because of their species' longevity. Movement is achieved via expansion and contraction of a grey, rubbery layer at the base of the conical body in any given direction.

History

The yith are beings that once dwelt on the dying world of Yith, which they are named for. They escaped the destruction of their home planet by transferring their minds to the bodies of a species native to a planet called "Earth" in the far distant past. They lived on this planet for 200 million years or so, making a New Yith civilization. They were always in fierce competition with a race of beings called "flying polyps", whom they initially subdued. However, this enemy over time increased in number and, near the close of the Cretaceous era (about 66 million years ago), rose up and finally destroyed the civilization of New Yith, forcing the yith to flee to other bodies located far in the future.

Society

The unique ability of this scientifically advanced race is to travel through time by swapping minds with creatures of another era. This allows them to satisfy their interest in human culture, science, and beliefs. Occupied beings' minds are usually transferred to yith bodies against their will. These "captive minds" were queried by skilled inquisitors while the yith using their hosts bodies learned as much as possible about the societies in which they dwelt, thereby gathering information on both ends of time. The yith value such as efficiency and meticulousness.

In spite of their unusual and forceful tactics in research, the yith are not a cruel race. Whenever they use their advanced technology to perform such a mind swap, they allow such captives to explore their vast libraries, holding the knowledge of the past and future of many races. Whenever they are finished with their research, they will use their machinery to reverse the mind swap and cause the swapped being to forget the encounter. Thus, only they really benefit from this exchange in the end.

Yithian Names

It is not known if yith have names. If they do, they are in their own language, which cannot be deciphered by almost any non-yith. Because of this, yith who find themselves trapped with alien societies will usually take on a name in the new language.

Yith Traits

Design Note: This race uses the Large Player Characters (5e Variant Rule)

The great researchers of times, places and realities, whose minds are far, far older than their bodies.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Age. The current bodies of the yith do not age, nor die of age.
Alignment. The yith are researchers and scientists, rarely giving in to violence or interference, making them more prone to neutral alignments.
Size. Yith are described as being about 10 feet tall, though their conic physiology makes them relatively skinny, at about 5 feet wide. Your size is Large.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 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.
Extendable Appendages. Your appendages are all able to extend and contract, giving you a reach of 10 feet.
Three Eyes. Because you have three eyes, all placed around the circumference of your head, you have a good periphery of sight. You are proficient in the Perception skill.
Telepathy. Yith have limited psychic ability, allowing you to communicate telepathically with any creature that you can see within 60 feet of you.
Unlocked Mind. Yith, knowing so much and opening their minds, are vulnerable to things that would take advantage of it. One of the more dangerous experiences is if a yith jacks the mind of a powerful psychic entity, which could easily destroy the yith mentally. You have disadvantage on saving throws against being charmed.
Languages. You can read and write in Common. For the purposes of spellcasting, you make clicking noises with your claws, which is how the yith normally communicate.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
9′ 5''	+2d6	210 lb.	× (2d4) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

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