Basic concept:
In the Ocarina of Time Era, Ganon defeats Link and Zelda but does not obtain the Triforce. Ganons descendants become the new royal family of Hyrule. Cut to generations later, the PCs come into a world that has always known tyranny, and they aim to misbehave. I mean, I'm assuming here, but I think the odds are good.

The Hylian Empire has recently reforged its alliances with the other races of Hyrule, but recent rebellions have left them on shaky ground. The Queen plans to build any army and armada to conquer land in the mainland realms with the goal of obtaining foods and goods to combat the ever growing threat of the mysterious Withering Curse slowly robbing Hyrule of its life force.

While I'm at it, I wrote up some homebrew races befitting the setting. I'm open to comments, critiques, and suggestions on them. Do they seem fairly balanced with other races? Do they look like they'd be interesting to play? I'm also open to suggestions regarding the setting as well.

Elf (Hylian)  – same as High Elf

Elf (Sheikah) – same as Wood Elf

Elf (Twili) – same as Dark Elf

Elf (Gerudo)

• Attributes: +2 Dex +1 Str
• Size: Gerudo are between 7 and 8 feet tall and weigh between 240 and 300 pounds. Your size is Medium.
• Speed: 30'
• Darkvision: 60'
• Languages: Common, Elven
• Keen Senses: You have proficiency in the Perception skill.
• Fey Ancestry: You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can't put you to sleep.
• Trance: Elves don't need to sleep. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. (The Common word for such meditation is "trance.") While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.
• Gerudo Weapon Training: You have proficiency with the spear, shortbow, longbow, and scimitar.
• Desert Dervishes: You have proficiency in the Survival and Performance skills.

Elf (Kokiri)

• Attributes: +2 Dex +1 Wis
• Size: Small
• Speed: 25'
• Darkvision: 60'
• Languages: Common, Elven
• Keen Senses: You have proficiency in the Perception skill.
• Fey Ancestry: You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can't put you to sleep.
• Trance: Elves don't need to sleep. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. (The Common word for such meditation is "trance.") While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.
• Kokiri Weapon Training: You have proficiency with the shortsword, shortbow, sling, and net.
• Kokiri Nimbleness: You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours.
• Faerie Companion: Functions as the Find Familiar spell except that the familiar is always fey. A Kokiri that permanently dismisses their familiar does not automatically receive a new one, and is shunned by fellow Kokiri until they find a replacement. This should involve some roleplaying and DM judgment. Unlike normal familiars, sprites can cast some spells of their own as detailed below:

Goron

• Attributes: +2 Str +1 Con
• Size: Gorons are between 7 and 8 feet tall and weigh between 280 and 340 pounds. Your size is Medium.
• Speed: 30'
• Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common and Goran.
• Igneous Embrace: Adapted to even the most extreme hellish caldera, you have resistance to fire damage,
• Stone Connoisseur: Whenever you make an Intelligence (History, Investigation) or Wisdom (Perception) check related to stone, you are considered proficient in that skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.
• Mountain Born: You're acclimated to high altitude, including elevations above 20,000 feet. You're also naturally adapted to cold climates, as described in chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master's Guide.
• Natural Armor: You have tough, rocky skin. When you aren't wearing armor, your AC is 13 + your Dexterity 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.
• Tool Proficiency: You gain proficiency with the artisan's tools of your choice: Smith's tools, brewer's supplies, or mason's tools.

Zora

• Attributes: +2 Con +1 Wis
• Size: Medium
• Speed: 30', Swim Speed 30'
• Darkvision: 60'
• Languages: Common, Zoran, Aquan
• Natural Athlete: You have proficiency in the Athletics skill.
• Amphibious – You have a swim speed of 30' and can breathe air or water.
• Zora Weapon Training: You have proficiency with the shortsword, trident, light crossbow, and net.
• Guardians of the Deep: Adapted to even the most extreme ocean depths, you have resistance to cold damage, and you ignore any of the drawbacks caused by a deep, underwater environment.

Rito

• Attributes: Dex +2 Wis +1
• Size:  Rito are about 5 feet tall. They have thin, lightweight bodies that weigh between 80 and 100 pounds. Your size is Medium.
• Speed: 25 ft'
• Talons: You are proficient with your unarmed strikes, which deal 1d4 slashing damage on a hit.
• Language: You can speak, read, and write Common and Ritan
• Eagles Aerie: You're acclimated to high altitude, including elevations above 20,000 feet. You're also naturally adapted to cold climates, as described in chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master's Guide.
• Rito Weapon Training: You have proficiency with the spear, longbow, shortbow, and net.
• Flight
• At first level you can 'cast' Feather Fall once per short or long rest. This is a nonmagical effect, cannot be dispelled, and requires no components other than you being free to move, and not wearing medium or heavy armor; in addition the range changes to Self, and you may not target other creatures.
• At third level you can 'cast' Levitate once per short or long rest. This is a nonmagical effect, cannot be dispelled, and requires no components other than you being free to move, and not wearing medium or heavy armor; in addition the range changes to Self, and imbues the wearer with no extra capacity to lift, carry or hold extra weight beyond their normal strength limit.
• At fifth level you may 'cast' Fly once per short or long rest. This is a nonmagical effect, cannot be dispelled, and requires no components other than you being free to move, and not wearing medium or heavy armor; in addition the range changes to Self, and fly speed is limited to 50'. It may not be 'cast' at higher level.
• At tenth level you gain the ability to use the Feather Fall, Levitate, and Fly 'spells', as described above, twice per long or short rest.
• At fifteenth level you gain the ability to use the Feather Fall, Levitate, and Fly 'spells', as described above, up to three times per long or short rest.

Deku Scrub

• Attributes: +1 Dex +2 Wis
• Size: Small
• Speed: 25'
• Darkvision: 60'
• Languages: Common, Sylvan
• Plant Magic: You know the Druidcraft cantrip. At 5th level, a deku can cast Speak with Plants once per long rest.
• Ptui!: As an attack, you can spit any rock, seed, or similar item, the size of a sling bullet at a velocity equivalent to that of a sling: d4 bludgeoning – ammunition 30'/120'.
• Deku Defense: Your plantlike physiology gives you advantage on saves against Poison, Resistance to Poison, and magic can't put you to sleep.
• Trance: Deku don't need to sleep. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. (The Common word for such meditation is "trance.") While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.
• Mask of the Wild: You can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomena.
• Survivor: You have proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Medicine, Nature, Survival, or Herbalism Kit.

The mainland races: Strange folk from across the seas have long traveled to Hyrule on their ships with tall sails. Fleeing from their war and plague ravaged homes, humans, halflings, dwarves, gnomes, and genasi make up the bulk of these transplants, but other and stranger creatures besides have made the long perilous journey as well. Although most of these people have long faithfully served the Empire, or peacefully kept to themselves, dwindling resources and arable land has led the opinions of native hyruleans to turn against their neighbors from distant shores. If you want to play a mainland race I'd like you to describe the land you came from, either from your characters own memories or the stories told by your parents/guardians. It doesn't have to long or in depth, just a little something to spark some roleplaying hopefully.

You know, there are a lot of races in D&D 5e that could easily be used as-is to represent Hyrule races by just supplanting all of the flavor behind them.

It would be easier to take existing races and modify them, but if you really want to make new races out of what you have above you are most of the way there, but you need to remove all the spellcasting functions, particularly the ones available at 1st level.

There are some races that get access to low end spells but what you have done is neither of those things, and the sprite looks a lot more like something that should be part of a custom warlock patron as a pact of the chain improved familiar option.

Most of what you have done with the spells should be a racial preference for a class that can cast them, and perhaps a custom subclass for that race, but not part of the race itself.

In reply to Hendell (msg # 4):

Maybe a feat like Wood Elf Magic which gives a cantrip, a 1st level spell, and a 2nd level spell.

So long as you restrict a feat like that to the race as a prerequisite, and don't hand every race a bonus feat at 1st level, then it should be pretty balanced.

Wood Elf Magic is because you can't get it until 4th level at the earliest, by which point someone could already have Pass Without Trace anyway.

I think something similar could be done here with the racial spellcasting that Thewog is going after. Though it should be limited to the template set up by Wood elf magic for balance reasons to 1 cantrip, 1 1st level, and 1 2nd level spell.

For the Flight ability of the Rito... you could do something like what is happening in D&D AL Season 9 for Tieflings and Aasimar (http://www.dragonmag.com/5.0/#...rers%20League%20News)

When they reach level 5 they have an option of trading in other racial abilities for wings/flight.

Game sounds very cool! I agree some of the new races are a bit strong but I love what you're going for here, would be very interested in this game.

Yes, I've toyed with that idea, but part of my story line involves the other races occasionally visiting Hyrule, and even allow players to choose regular PHB, etc. races as normal. I feel like it would be a bit of a let down if a goron met a goliath and they had exactly the same abilities. I did start with vanilla races and modified them to fit the flavor of tLoZ, and I think I'd prefer it that way if possible, but if it becomes too problematic to try to balance these homebrew races, I might have to nix that idea.




I did start with existing races and mod them, with the exception of the deku scrub. There's nothing that translates there. Goliath for gorons, aarakocra for rito, a mix of triton/sea elf/water genasi for zora and all the others are based off of elves of course.



Of the races I've proposed, three have innate spells (or spell like abilities), I can see the kokiris sprite could be problematic but I'd rather rework them than relegate them to being warlock only, canonically, every kokiri has a fairy companion. Any suggestions? You know, I guess I could just drop the spellcasting jazz  and  basically just let them be annoying flying candles. I just wonder if the kokori would be sub par with just that. What about giving them double proficiency with perception thanks to having an extra set of eyes?

The deku scrub doesn't really need plant magic, its not something they can do canonically, I just felt like they were a little lackluster as was. Any suggestions?

I get the ritos flying ability is probably a bit too convoluted, my thought process was: arcane casters can cast feather fall at first level. At third level they can cast levitate, and at fifth level they can cast fly, so I reasoned it would be acceptable to give the rito similar abilities at those levels. Maybe I should just give them fly 30' and be done with it, or as someone else suggested, just keep them grounded until fifth?



A Fairy Magic feat does sound like a good idea. Any ideas on set spells? 0: Druid Cantrip of choice, 1st: Cure Wounds, 2nd: ???



I think keeping rito grounded until fifth and dropping their flight to 30' would be fine. I just don't know what other abilities I'd give them to have said option of swapping out.
Thanks for the suggestions.



Thanks! Which of the races do you think are too strong?

As others have said, I think the ones that get spellcasting are a bit much.

Since they’re all about healing, maybe one of these: Lesser Restoration, Prayer of Healing (still 10 min casting time, but 6 targets), maybe Healing Spirit (controversial, but on theme). All are 2nd level spell options, all thematic.



The AL options have tieflings and aasimar’s effectively swapping out a cantrip, a 1st level spell, and a 2nd level spell for permanent flight. Very much like the Wood Elf Magic.

I’d probably go with something like:

Rito Heritage:
You can cast the gust cantrip at will. At 3rd level you can cast feather fall once per long rest. At 5th level you can cast levitate once per long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Then give the option at 5th level for a Rito player to swap in their Rito Heritage ability for full fledged wings/flight just like Aasimar & Tieflings for AL Season 9

Okay, I've set and mulled over the race options for a few days. I think I've managed to get them a little closer to cannon feel while taking into consideration previous suggestions. Are they mostly balanced with other races? I'm open to criticism.
I feel like kokiri having a fairy is pretty important to their character, so I dropped all their other non-standard elf abilities and picked set spells for them just for that purpose. I also added in some sub races.

Deku Scrub
Attributes: +2 Wis
Size: Small
Speed: 25'
Darkvision: 60'
Languages: Common, Deku
Ptui!: As an attack, you can spit any rock, seed, or similar item, roughly the size of a sling bullet at a velocity equivalent to that of a sling: d4 bludgeoning. Ammunition (30'/120'). Light.
Deku Defense: You are a Plant. Congratulations, you are immune to 'x person' spells that target humanoids. On the flip side, watch out for those spells that affect plants.
Burrow: As an action, you can burrow straight down into soil or sand about 5' leaving only the shrubbery on your head exposed. You are indistinguishable from a normal shrub. As a move action you may move to any of the positions described below. You can drop back down into the earth as part of the same move action.
• Head is exposed. You have ¾ cover.  You can make Ptui! attack(s) or cast spells that require only verbal components.
• Upper torso is exposed. You have ½ cover. You can take your normal range of actions (besides movement).
• Only your shrub is exposed. You have full cover, you are considered Blinded, and friend or foe can pass through your square unimpeded, you do not get to make AoO reactions.
While burrowed you have advantage on saves that would force you to move. Attacks originating from 5' away or less ignore any cover from Burrow and have advantage to hit you. While burrowed, you are effected by aoe attacks as normal. It takes ½ your movement to dislodge yourself from your burrow which refills as you exit.
Trance: Deku don't need to sleep. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. (Preferably in a sunny place near water, but that's not required by law) While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams usually involve you becoming a filthy rich business tycoon or crushing the uppity humanoid fleshbags beneath your feet. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.

• Business Scrub: +1 Charisma.
  Salesman of the Year: You have proficiency in Persuasion, any one language, and one type of the following artisans tools or kits: Carpenters, Cobblers, Leatherworkers, Potters, Herbalism.
• Mad Scrub: +1 Dexterity.
  I'm always angry! Your walking speed becomes 30'. Your Ptui! Attacks deal d6 damage.

Elf (Gerudo)
Attributes: +2 Dex +1 Str
Size: Gerudo are between 7 and 8 feet tall and weigh between 240 and 300 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Speed: 30'
Languages: Common, Elven
Darkvision: 60'
Keen Senses: You have proficiency in the Perception skill.
Fey Ancestry: You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can't put you to sleep.
Trance: Elves don't need to sleep. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. (The Common word for such meditation is "trance.") While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.
Gerudo Weapon Training: You have proficiency with the spear, shortbow, longbow, and scimitar.
Desert Nomads: You have proficiency in either the Survival or Performance skill.
Amazon Warriors: Choose a Fighting Style from the Fighter class features.

Elf (Kokiri)
Attributes: +2 Dex +1 Wis
Size: Kokiri are between 3 and 4 feet tall and average about 40 pounds. Your size is Small.
Speed: 25'
Darkvision: 60'
Languages: Common, Elven
Keen Senses: You have proficiency in the Perception skill.
Fey Ancestry: You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can't put you to sleep.
Trance: Elves don't need to sleep. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. (The Common word for such meditation is "trance.") While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.
Kokiri Weapon Training: You have proficiency with the shortsword, shortbow, sling, and boomerang.
Faerie Companion: Every kokiri bonds with a sprite upon becoming an adult, if not sooner. Your sprite acts independently of you, but it always obeys your commands. In combat, it rolls its own initiative and acts on its own turn. A sprite can't attack, but it can take other actions as normal. When the sprite drops to 0 hit points, it disappears in a puff of glitter, leaving behind no physical form. Your sprite reappears after eight hours of rest or meditation, during which you must burn 100 rupees (10sp) worth of charcoal, incense, and/or herbs. This ritual can coincide with a long rest.
If a kokiri casts Find Familiar, their faerie companion gains all the abilities of a normal familiar, including the cost of reagents to summon them.
A kokiri warlock that takes Pact of the Chain gains access to a noble sprite.
A kokiri that permanently dismisses their familiar does not automatically receive a new one, and is shunned by fellow Kokiri until they find a replacement. This should involve some role-playing and DM judgment.





Goron
Attributes: +2 Con
Size: Gorons are between 7 and 8 feet tall and weigh between 280 and 340 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Speed: 25'
Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common and Goran.
Stone Connoisseur: Whenever you make an Intelligence (History, Investigation) or Wisdom (Perception) check related to stone, you are considered proficient in that skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of the normal proficiency bonus.
Natural Armor: You have tough, rocky skin. When you aren't wearing armor, your AC is 13 + your Dexterity 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.
Boulder Brothers: As part of your move, you can curl into a ball and roll your speed +5'. Add +10' to your move instead if you are going down stairs, or a 25% (or more) grade/slope and descend for at least 10' (vertically or horizontally). This speed does not stack with bonus movement gained from classes like monk or barbarian which assume you are moving on your feet. You lose any bonus move if you begin your turn ascending. While engaged in this mode of travel it is difficult to see and hear, you have disadvantage on Perception or Investigation checks. You cannot make AoO reactions while in this mode, and can only move, dash, disengage, or make a single slam attack: d6 + Str bludgeoning. At 5th slam damage increases to 2d6 + str, at 11th to 3d6 + str, and at 17 to 4d6 + str. As part of a following move action (you cannot go boulder mode and back to normal during the same turn) you may return to your normal upright position (or go prone).
Goron Weapon Training: Maul, Greatsword, Greataxe, Bomb.

• Eldin: +1 Strength.
  Igneous Embrace: You're acclimated to high altitude, including elevations above 20,000 feet. Adapted to even the most extreme hellish caldera, you have resistance to fire damage.
  Tool Proficiency: You gain proficiency with the artisan's tools of your choice: Alchemist's, Brewer's, Jeweler's, Smith's, or Tinkers.
• Snowhead: +1 Wisdom.
  Icy Embrace: You're acclimated to high altitude, including elevations above 20,000 feet. You're also naturally adapted to cold climates, you have resistance to cold damage.
  Survivor: You have proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Animal Handling, Medicine, Nature, or Survival.

Rito
Attributes: Dex +2
Size: Rito are about 5 feet tall. They have thin, lightweight bodies that weigh between 80 and 100 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Speed: 25 ft'
Language: You can speak, read, and write Common and Ritan.
Talons: You are proficient with your unarmed strikes, which deal 1d4 slashing damage on a hit.
Eagles Aerie: You're acclimated to high altitude, including elevations above 20,000 feet. You're also naturally adapted to cold climates, as described in chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master's Guide.
Rito Weapon Training: You have proficiency with the spear, longbow, shortbow, and net.
Wings of the Rito: You can use your reaction when you fall to reduce any falling damage you take by an amount equal to five times your level as long as you are not wearing medium or heavy armor.
At 3rd level, you gain the ability to glide, allowing you to move up to 2 feet horizontally for every 1 foot you descend as long as you are not wearing medium or heavy armor.
At 5th level you permanently replace your slow fall and glide abilities with a fly speed of 30' as long as you are not wearing medium or heavy armor.

• Sun: +1 Charisma.
  Keen Senses: You have proficiency in the Perception skill.
  Warbler's Roost: You have proficiency in Performance, and one musical instrument of your choice.
• Moon: +1 Wisdom.
  Darkvision: Accustomed to twilit forests and the night sky, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. 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.
  Owl's Ossuary: You have proficiency in the Stealth skill, and can perfectly mimic the voice of any humanoid or cry of any beast that you have heard.

Zora
Attributes: +2 Con
Size: Medium
Speed: 30', Swim Speed 30'
Darkvision: 60'
Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common and Zoran.
Amphibious: You have a swim speed of 30' and can breathe air or water.
Zora Weapon Training: You have proficiency with the spear, trident, light crossbow, and net.
Guardians of the Deep: Adapted to even the most extreme ocean depths, you have resistance to cold damage, and you ignore any of the drawbacks caused by a deep, underwater environment.
Friend of the Sea: Using gestures and sounds, you can communicate simple ideas with any beast that has an innate swimming speed.
Spawning Grounds: Your long jump is up to 20 ft. and your high jump is up to 10 ft. You are not hindered by water when jumping.

• River: +1 Strength.
  Soldiers & Guards: You have proficiency with light and medium armor.
  Natural Athlete: You have proficiency in the Athletics skill.
• Lake: +1 Wisdom.
  Guidance: You know the Guidance cantrip. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for it.
  Thinkers & Philosophers: You gain proficiency in one of the following skills: Arcana, History, Insight, Medicine, or Religion.

This message was last edited by the user at 04:26, Thu 23 May 2019.