Melodian (5e Race)

## **Melodian**

*An entrancing song was playing that night, in the tavern, with the sounds I heard being unlike any instrument I had heard before. A large crowd had gathered around a table, to which I had to push through to see the source of it all. A short man with odd anatomy, vibrant colors, and a single eye, appeared to be singing. Yet, despite that, there were no words to be heard, just noise. When he had finished his symphony, as the tavern-goers tried to give some charity to the man, his little form just bowed and hopped off the table, saying something along the lines of "the world wills me to perform, so I do."*

-*Davus Chei, elven bartender, meeting one of the many melodian bards in the world*

### Performers of the Realm

The natural melodies of the world-crickets chirping, songbirds singing-seem to many to just be instincts of creatures without sentience by happenstance causing beauty in the world. However, the melodians are a race that are attuned to the songs of the realms, hearing and understanding its fickle and captivating nature. As well as the sounds of the realm communicating to them, their heads are shaped so that all sound is absorbed to them, letting them pick up on the finest intricacies of music.

### Noisemakers and Mutelings

Melodians of all kinds hear the wills of the rhythm of the realms they reside in, however the two distinct kinds of melodians perceive the wills in seperate ways. The most common kind to see, known as noisemaker melodians, desire to spread their tunes to all corners of reality, having endless songs in their hearts that they wish to bring upon the world. The less common race of melodians, known as the muteling melodians, seek to protect the order of sound in the world. Most muteling melodians see chaotic music as being a waste of effort, and potentially even vile or disgusting. While all melodians do not bolster an impressive size, the noisemaker melodians have smaller horns, both their horns and flesh colored bright oranges, golds, greens, and reds. On the other end of the spectrum, muteling melodians have horns that are large and imposing, their horns being an ash-grey with their skin being dark blue, black, white, and crimson.

### Annual Grand Festival

The rhythms of the realm do not inform melodians of the activities of others who listen to it, but annually it chooses to call all melodians for one of their greatest social gatherings, known as a Grand Festival. This gathering, though not required for a melodian to attend, is when most melodians exchange tales of their travels, play the songs they've devised for their kin, and prepare themselves for another year of life. The festival lasts for about a week or two, and though it is intended to only allow melodians, if a non-melodian is allowed to attend the festival, it is seen as a great honor.

### Melodian Names

Melodian names tend towards being two syllables long, constructed from noises and sounds that can be sung.

**Male Melodian Names:** Budskit, Dorei, Larei, Note, Rerei

**Female Melodian Names:** Budska, Fala, Lala, Reila, Tari

### Melodian Traits

Your melodian character has the following racial traits.

***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Charisma score increases by 2.

***Age.*** Melodians live a long time but desire to make music at a young age, making them mature at the age of 9, and living to be a little under two centuries old.

***Alignment.*** The natural symphonies of the realms drive the heart of the melodians, making most of the noisemakers follow the rhythms instead of laws, in a chaotic fashion, with the mutelings choosing to follow its wishes in an orderly and lawful manner.

***Size.*** Melodians are about the size of gnomes, and weigh under forty pounds. Your size is Small.

***Speed.*** Your base walking speed is 25 feet.

***Darkvision.*** Used to seeing soundwaves themselves bounce off of dark areas, you have excellent vision in the dark. 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 gold.

***Keen Hearing.*** You have advantage on Perception (Wisdom) checks relying on hearing.

***Musician.*** You gain proficiency with a musical instrument of your choice.

***Symphony Creator.*** Whenever you make a Performance check with an instrument, you are considered proficient in the Performance skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.

***Applause.*** You can cast the *thunderclap* cantrip at will. Your spellcasting ability for this spell is your Charisma.

***Tough Eardrums.*** You are resistant to thunder damage.

***Languages.*** You can speak, read, and write Common, Symphony, and Auran. Symphony is a language that is playing specific notes and tunes, which only melodians and constructs crafted specifically to speak it can speak.

***Subrace.*** Two kinds of melodians exist; the quick and playful noisemakers, and the powerful and stoic mutelings.

#### **Noisemaker**

Noisemaker melodians have bright colors for their flesh and horns, and they make up the majority of the melodian population. They are known for their loud concerts and bardic groups across the world.

***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Dexterity score increases by 1.

***Empowered Song.*** When you deal damage with a cantrip that has a verbal component, you deal an additional 1d4 thunder damage.

***Inner Melody.*** While you are able to speak, you can use your voice as an instrument, either to sing or to make melodies from your inner tunes with. You are proficient with using your voice as an instrument.

***Music Life.*** Playing music is considered light activity for the purpose of resting, for you.

#### **Muteling**

Muteling melodians are tougher than their noise-making siblings, having darker, more diluted colors, and they make up the majority of the melodian army and guard. They are in charge of making sure the sounds of music in the world stray away from chaos, to being more dignified.

***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Strength score increases by 1.

***Protected Ears.*** You have advantage on saving throws against being deafened.

***Peacekeeper.*** You gain proficiency in Athletics, and when you make an Athletics check to break an instrument, add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.

***Rock Warrior.*** You gain proficiency in using musical instruments as improvised weapons. When a musical instrument is wielded as an improvised weapon by you, it deals 1d4 damage, and has the *versatile (1d6)* property.

**Detect Balance Scores**

**Base: 17**

**Noisemaker: 26**

**Muteling: 26**