Yokai (5e Race)

Yokai

“	Remember folks: Efficiency is clever laziness.	”
—Yokai Warrior

The march of a hundred yokai, Hyakki Yagyo, by Kawanabe Kyōsai

Physical Description

Yokai are oddities formed with both magic and spiritual energies like ki. Sometimes they are related to undead or ghosts. They are not to be classified into any one of these things, but rather a category encompassing all of them. Yokai are as diverse as monsters in Faerun. They differ in origin, shape and size. Some are household objects bought to life by emotions while others gained immense magic through age. Some animals were never normal and knew magic all along, using it to play tricks on unwary passerby. Others are bloodthirsty, vengeful spirits of nature or those wronged in life, returning to haunt their oppressors. Yokai vary hugely in shape or size, some being humanoid and others more beastly or even just monsters. Just the main types presented will be described:

Kappa

These aquatic humanoids have a birds beak in the center of their horizontal oblong faces, framed by locks of slimy black hair. On their head is a plate, keeping water in their heads, which keeps them alive. They have webbed feet and hands and a fallaciously lanky physique. Kappa are usually varying shades of green in skin, like frogs.

Tsukumogami

Tsukumogami vary heavily due to the fact that they are animated household objects. Some are umbrellas with arms and a tongue while others are cloths that fly and smother.

Mujina

These look like ordinary badgers but are actually powerful tricksters. They are known to rival raccoon dogs and foxes in their magic and reputation to trick humans.

Ookami

This yokai is a majestic wolf. It is capable of turning human and has an incredible sense of smell.

Nuppeppo

These feared yokai are actually gentle giants. They resemble hulking masses of flesh with no head and a vague face on the flaps of voluptuous skin and meat on their torso and bulging belly. They are known to stink like fecal matter.

History

Yokai haven't always been here, but they are suspected to have been around longer than most, as records date them having existed as servants to deities. They are believed to have been created when fiends attempted to, or did, enter the Material Plane. In doing so, they left behind much evidence of their marks on the world. One of these important markers was their power, which imprinted in slivers around all of matter. Some spread to seemingly innocuous animals, giving them sentience and a capacity for magic, ingenuity and mischief. Some power went to nature and gathered in rivers and ponds, spawning kappa from their murky depths. Other bits were attracted to humanoids and swirled around them like a black cloud, finally settling upon their things around their households. After enough time, strong emotions and power congregated within some of them to create the tsukumogami.

In history, stories of yokai are numerous like stars. Many serve as tales of caution for children, while others are believed as fact. Yokai are considered somewhat a pest kind of creature, but because they only have a small sliver of fiend in them, they are not early so evil. What is evil about them manifests mainly in jokes that end with broken bones at the very most. As they came from nature, some have the abilities to manipulate it, either to human's dismay or joy, for a yokai can bless a field harvest much like a lesser deity might. However, if one gathers the scorn of a yokai, they are likely to live and die in horrible ways.

Society

Yokai live in large bands of their own kind. The kappa do not lie with the mujina, and so forth. Yokai are numerous but compose only these small bands or groups rather than an encompassing society. One group of kappa may occupy one spot of a river and never know or meet those who occupy another track along the same body of water. Tsukumogami may haunt one house for the rest of their existence, convening among themselves at night. These groups are very informal and rarely have much structure. But in all circles, either strength or intelligence is the deciding factor of who leads a conversation. Mujina are highly intelligent and are known to boast a culture more robust than more bestially minded yoaki. As such, the old wise ones get first say. Yokai also practice the March of a Hundred Demons. This is at one night of the year, at the hour of the ox, when all yokai break from the mundaneness of their groups and come together in one big procession as yokai-kind. This can usually terrify a lot of people because it is essentially a bunch of monstrous beings walking down the street at night.

Yokai Names

Yokai generally take japanese names, regardless what type they may be.

Male: Takashi, Ootonomaru, Jin, Kintooki

Female: Anko, Kiyo, Haru, Yadarakahime

Yokai Traits

Creatures of a wild variety of spirits
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2.
Age. Yokai live an extremely long time, even longer than elves in some cases. It's not unheard of for one to live for 1000 years or more.
Alignment. Yokai are generally neutral and chaotic due to their wild nature and living outside the usual civilization.
Size. Yokai can vary in size, but they are never too small to spot usually. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. You get additional modes of movement from your subraces.
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.
Hybrid Nature. Your creature type is both monstrosity and humanoid.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common.
Subrace. Choose from the Kappa, Tsukumogami, Mujina, Ookami and Nuppeppo subraces.

Kappa

Kappa are stout, monstrous looking creatures. They are reminiscent of turtles, having a thin shell, varied skin color, webbed toes, and a beak. They love wrestling and cucumbers

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.
Natural Armor. You have naturally tough skin and a small shell. When you aren't wearing armor, your AC is 12 + your Constitution modifier. You can use your natural armor to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC. A shield's benefits apply as normal while you use your natural armor.
Swift Swimmer. You grew up in lakes and rivers, making you adept at moving in the water. You have a swim speed of 30 feet.
Amphibious. Like a fish, kappa never need to surface in water. You can breathe air and water.
Needed Moisture. Kappa need water and wetness to retain their strength. You have disadvantage in Constitution saving throws when in desert environments and conditions of Extreme Heat, as described in chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide.

Tsukumogami

These yokai take the form of a variety of household objects that can talk and walk.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1.
False Form. As an action, you may drop to the floor and revert to your object's form. Your object form is a Tiny object and grants you the appearance of one object described below. You cannot move or speak in this form and the only action you can take is to revert to your true form. A creature can make a Intelligence (Investigation) check to discern your true nature. The DC is equal to 10 + your Deception modifier.
Item Property. From the table below, choose your tsukumogami's origin object. You get a trait depending on which one you choose. You may only choose this once and you may not choose another.
Possessed Possession. You are ultimately connected with that object which makes up your material self, making you less subject to the needs of more flesh-based creatures. You do not need to eat, drink, or breathe, but you can ingest food and drink through your spirit body if you wish. If you are dying, a character attempting to stabilize you must make a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Arcana) check, rather than a Wisdom (Medicine) check. When you die, your base item breaks, and you depart for the afterlife, same as any other soul.

Object	Trait
Umbrella	You have very smooth slats that help repel liquids. You are resistant to acid damage. You also fall slower, as umbrellas do. You have a glide speed of 30 feet.
Cloth	You are light and billowy, allowing you to fly. You have a fly speed of 30 feet. You cannot be wearing any armor to use this speed.
Grater	You sport spikes that serve to harm that which might harm you. When you are attacked at a melee range, you may as a reaction to sprout your spikes in the spur of the moment and pierce the attacker, dealing piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier. You cannot use this trait again until you finish a short or long rest.
Carriage	You are meant to carry and haul things. Your carrying capacity is doubled. Additionally, when grappling, you are considered one size larger.
Drum	Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to music or the make of an instrument, you are considered proficient in the History skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus. You are also proficient in one musical instrument of your choice.
Kettle	As a good vessel, you can handle heat. You are resistant to fire damage and cannot be ignited.

Mujina

The mujina are badger looking yokai that can skillfully manipulate their appearances with magic and practice human festivals.

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1.
Trickster Illusion. You know the minor illusion cantrip. Intelligence is your spell-casting ability for it.
Dancer. Mujina are known to party in festive dances. You are proficient in the Performance skill.
Able. Mujina are fine artisans and musicians if you can find them. You are proficient in either one artisan's tool or musical instrument of your choice.

Ookami

These wolf-like yokai are often taken to be deities since they drive out mischievous creatures like monkeys.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.
Turn Human. Ookami are unique yokai often able to take the form of a human. As an action, you can polymorph into any human of your size that you have seen, or back into your true form. However, your equipment does not change with you. If you die, you revert to your natural appearance.
Smell Hunter. You have advantage in Wisdom (Perception) checks using your sense of smell.
Chase. You can't afford to let prey go easy. When you move on your turn in combat, you can double your speed until the end of the turn. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you move 0 feet on one of your turns.

Nuppeppo

These creepy yokai emit horrendous odors and resemble fleshy blobs on legs but are otherwise rather harmless.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.
Stink. Your odorous body stench makes others cringe with a whiff. As an action, you may force any creature that can smell within 5 feet of you to make a Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the start of their next turn. You may use this trait once, regaining use after finishing a short or long rest. Your stink, however, causes others to be irritable to even be near you. You have disadvantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks against creatures who can smell you.
Gloppy. Due to your wide berth and a rather gelatinous body, you are not easy to knock over. You have advantage on saving throws against being knocked prone.
Natural Resistance. Nuppeppo don't have very normal physiology. You have resistance to poison damage.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
4′ 0''	+2d10	100 lb.	× (2d4) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

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