I’m starting a new campaign based on the Moon Castle posts by Arnold K over at Goblin Punch. I took the premise and started to run with it, and i’m enjoying it so far.
I wanted new races that weren’t dwarves, elves or halflings, and as his posts were Zelda inspired, I thought id use the same source for my inspiration. Including normal humans, these are what I came up with.
Mechanics wise, you can of course come up with whatever makes sense in the system you use, or simply supplement existing race options.
Shiilak
Shiilaks live often in mountainous or rocky environments. They are a race of hardy people, able to survive punishment that would kill most other creatures.
Shorter than the average Human, a Shiilak has a similar build and body shape. Their skin is rough and gritty, like sandpaper, and across their backs are rock-like growths that become larger with age, forming a kind of shell. They smell of dust and clean themselves by rubbing their bodies with dry earth.
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| A bit on the nose. Credit to martyisnothere |
Skiilaks eat a lot, twice as much as a similar sized Human. Although, they aren’t very fussy, often bulking out meals with soil, sand and gravel.
While not adverse to water, if a Shiilak’s skin becomes wet, it loses its hardened texture, and becomes soft and supple much like a Human’s.
Vash
An amphibious race, Vash is born in an almost unrecognisable form. A small, black, polliwog like creature the size of a cat, Vash are cared for by elders in small nursery ponds until able to breath air.
A short and sturdy race of people, Vash are very varied in appearance. From wet, smooth, spotted skin of bold colours, to rubbery, rough, warty complections of dull greys, and everything in between. They smell as pleasant as their last swim, often in muddy river water or stagnant ponds. Their large, fist sized eyes bulge from their flat heads, which has earned them the epithet “Toad”, often thrown at them in insult.
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| Credit here |
Without moist skin, they are unable to breathe and so prefer to be submerged in water where possible. Dry environments can be lethal to them, only able to survive a few hours in hot, dry, sun with no water.
The Vash are incredibly agile creatures, both in and out of the water, and can easily leap distances impossible for those of similar size. They have a long and sticky tongue, with a glove like appendage at the end, which they can use to grasp and pull objects from a short distance.
Mohln
The Mohln are not born, but grown. They emerge from the undergrowth of deep forests when they have grown large enough to sustain themselves without remaining rooted.
When young, their skin in a light green and supple like the underside of a leaf, but as they age, their skin darkens, toughens and becomes waxey. If they live long enough, their skin will eventually turn into something more akin to bark.
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| by tvonn9 |
Tall, slender and grassy green to oakish brown, they smell of pollen and earth. The small twigs and leaves that sprout from their bodies like hair, change with the season, shedding during the colder months, and blooming into colourful flowers during spring.
While somewhat fragile, these humanoid plant-like creatures feed mostly on sunlight. While able to survive without the sun on their skin, or feeding on water through their feet, they soon wither and become feeble if they do not supplement it by consuming various insects.
They bleed a sticky sap when injured, and any lost limbs can grow back with time. They are vulnerable to flames however, and any injury sustained as a result fire cannot be recovered from naturally. Upon death,the Mohln shrivel and decay like fruit.
Mohln liquors are a prized but often frowned upon delicacy…
Mohln don’t have a family structure like other races, they are all seeds from the same Mother Mohln, a root system that pervades most of the known world. This means they share a kinship with each other similar to Human siblings.