Alternian (5e)

Let Me Tell You About Homestuck.

## Description

Alternians, known on their homeland as “trolls,” are a race of grey skinned humanoids with heads adorned with horns, which are colored in a gradient starting with red and topping off with yellow. Alternians may possess one of several different blood colors, each having different roles in society and abilities based on their color. Infant trolls take the form of insectoid grubs, which later metamorphose into a humanoid shape. Young Alternians sport eyes with yellow sclera and black irises, which fill in with their blood color as they age. Violet and Fuschia blooded trolls sport gills and fin-like protrusions in the place of ears, a feature exclusive to nobility.

## Religion

While not an especially religious culture, Alternian religion is split into between two major sets of beliefs. A small portion of the Alternian population believe that a Scion of Gibbeth resides on their home world’s moon. This scion is said to be responsible for planting the aberration Gl'bgolyb order to manipulate the Alternian population. A large percentage of Purple blooded trolls, understand the Scion as capricious angel of death, embracing a clown-like persona in an attempt to pay it tribute. These trolls, referring to themselves as the “mirthful messiahs,” eagerly awaiting the time which they are able to witness Gibbeth’s true form, they will usher in a mirthful paradise where all castes will be equal.

A set of beliefs commonly held by the lower class populus focuses on the teachings of the Sufferer, a mutant blooded troll who advocated for peace among the Alternian populus. His teaching inspired a revolt by the lower class which was eventually ceased when the sufferer was captured and executed. While the teachings of the Sufferer are considered illegal, many trolls follow them in secret.

## Society

Alternians make their home on their home world, Alternia located deep within the Astral Plane. Influenced by the touch of the Far Realms, Alternian society is based upon violent, confusing ideals. Trolls are typically raised by a familiar resembling pale imitations of beasts found on the material plane referred to as lusii (singular: lusus). Trolls are typically assigned roles in society based upon their blood colors, and divergences are typically hunted down and culled.

Alternian culture is separated into castes based on blood color. Rust through Gold blooded trolls are typically expected to perform menial labor, though Gold blooded rolls with sufficient levels of psionic powers are utilized for fast-travel off world. Lime blooded trolls, known for their pacifying abilities, are typically culled, seen as threats to the threatening Alternian image, though some are known to escape culling. Jade blooded trolls must oversee the brooding caverns, watching over the mother grub, the being responsible for the birth of new Alternians. Olive and Teal blooded trolls are expected to grow into a role as hunters; Olives hunting for food, and Teals taking the role of a “legislacerator,” hunting down outlaws. Cerulean and through Purple blooded trolls are considered the highest of nobility of Alternian land dwellers, with Purple blooded trolls, or “subjugglators”. taking the role of clown-faced enforcers responsible for keeping the castes below them in their place. Violet trolls are considered high nobility, essentially free to do what they see fit without consequence. Only a handful of Fuchsia blooded trolls are known to exist at one time, linked with the aberrant lusus Gl'bgolyb. These trolls are heiresses to the empire, and have a large amount of influence over life on the home world. The oldest living Fuchsia blooded troll is the current empress of the Alternia, ruling over Alternia while performing in direct service to their deity. Gl'bgolyb mentally compels younger Fuchsia heiresses to challenge the current empress for the throne once they’ve come of age.

As a result of an uprising spearheaded by several adult trolls advocating for change, adult trolls are prohibited from living on-world, instead living as scouts and conquerors for other worlds, the home world being managed by the constructs built to maintain the law.

## Traits

**Ability Score Increase.** Your Intelligence score increases by 1, and your Charisma score increases by 2.

**Age.** You mature at the same rate as humans, with life spans ranging from 50 years on the lower ends of the hemospectrum to around 1000 on the upper end.

**RUST** - 54 years

**BRONZE** - 72 years

**GOLD** - 107 years

**LIME** - 149 years

**OLIVE** - 199 years

**JADE**- 257 years

**TEAL** - 322 years

**CERULEAN** - 391 years

**INDIGO** - 478 years

**PURPLE** - 569 years

**VIOLET** - 668 years

**FUCHSIA** - 755 years

**Alignment.** While Alternians in their natural environment typically lean towards chaotic side, their temperment can depend largely on their upbringing.

**Size.** Alternians are usually about the same size and build as humans, though it is common for the more noble blooded Alternians to be taller. Your size is Medium.

**Darkvision.** 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.

**Languages.** You can speak, read, and write Common, and Alternian.

**Mutations.** On character creation, or whenever they are able to get an ability score increase, an alternian player character may instead add one mutation to their list of racial features.

**Spell-Like Abilities.** All Alternian spell-like abilities use your intelligence modifier. Spells requiring a save are equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier.

## Subraces

### **Fuschia Blooded**

The highest caste of blood on the spectrum. Almost exclusively female, Fuschia blooded trolls are typically free to behave however they like while on Alternia. They are, however responsible for caring for their Gl'bgolyb lest they run rampant. Unlike most trolls, these aquatic dwelling denizens of the deep sport fins and gills.

**Reactive Blood.** Your blood differs from normal blood that most creatures have. It seems to respond to heat loss by creating heat of its own. You have Resistance to cold damage.
**Royal Defense - Dream Bubble**. Once per short rest, as a bonus action or reaction, you may summon a strange defense bubble with a radius of up to 15 feet centered on yourself, which slightly warps the light and sound inside of it. The defense bubble lasts for up to an hour and will stay centered on you as you move, but requires concentration, whenever a creature inside the bubble makes an INT, WIS, or CHA save, they are granted advantage on that save. Upon a creature making such a save, your horns feel tingly.
**Aquatic Heritage.** You can breathe air and water. In addition to your walk speed, you have as swimming speed of 30 feet.

**Noble Tongue.** You can speak, read, and write Deep Speech.

### **Violet Blooded**

The second highest of the aquatic nobles, Violet blooded trolls essentially live their lives on their own terms. It’s not uncommon for Violet trolls to develop a disdain for their land dwelling counterparts. Violet blooded trolls also feature fins and gills.

**Reactive Blood.** Your blood differs from normal blood that most creatures have. It seems to respond to heat loss by creating heat of its own. You have Resistance to cold damage.

**Royal Defense.** Once per short rest, when you or a creature within 30 feet of you makes an INT, WIS, or CHA save, you can choose to grant advantage on that save, this makes your horns feel tingly.

**Aquatic Heritage.** You can breathe air and water. In addition to your walk speed, you have as swimming speed of 30 feet.

### **Purple Blooded**

Capricious and unpredictable, purple blooded trolls are known to for their whimsical nature and strong belief in miracles.

**Capricious Illusionist.** You caste is known to commonly develop psionic abilities. These abilities manifest in the form of the following spells which may be cast without components: You know the Minor Illusion cantrip. At 3rd level, you can cast the Silent Image spell once per long rest. At 5th level you may cast Mind Spike once per long rest.

**Chucklevoodoos.** When a creature is sleeping within 10 feet of you, you may use an action to enter a trance for up to an hour, modifying the targeted creature’s dreams. While in this trance, you are unaware of your surroundings, but are fully aware of your target’s dreams. You may shape the environment of the dream, creating landscapes, objects, and other images. You can emerge from the trance at any time, ending the effect early. The target recalls the dream perfectly upon waking. You can make aspects of the dream terrifying to the target. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the dreamer experiences a nightmare that lasts the duration of the target’s sleep and prevents the target from gaining any benefit from that rest. This feature may be used once per long rest.

### **Indigo Blooded**

Indigo blooded trolls, existing on the higher end of the nobility are known for their snooty personalities when it comes to castes.

**STRONG.** Your body is much more powerful than that of the castes below you. You have advantage on Strength rolls, and your jump height is double your normal jumping height.

**Heavy Impact.** Your powerful fists deal damage enough to be considered weapons. Your unarmed strikes deal 1d4+ your strength modifier.

**Blueblood Aggression.** When you score a critical hit with a melee attack, you can roll one of the weapon’s damage dice one additional time and add it to the extra damage of the critical hit.

### **Cerulean Blooded**

The middle of the upper class, many Cerulean blooded trolls are known to be manipulative, doing their best to find their ways into places of influence and power.

**Cobalt Psionics.** You caste is known to commonly develop psionic abilities. These abilities manifest in the form of the following spells which may be cast without components: You know the Friends cantrip. At 3rd level, you can cast the Command spell once per long rest. At 5th level you may cast Detect Thoughts once per long rest.

**Irons In The Fire.** Typically, members of this caste are conniving, constantly plotting for their own gain. You are proficient in the Deception and Insight skills.

### **Teal Blooded**

The spectrum’s “middle class,” Teal blooded trolls are the members of society most likely to be responsible for working to hunt down outlaws. Young teal blooded trolls are made to attend training at a young age for work as “legislacerators.”

**Teal Tongue.** Your caste is particularly talented when it comes to persuading others. You have advantage on charisma rolls made when trying to convince or intimidate intelligent creatures.

**Analytic.** As a bonus action, you dedicate yourself to striking the weaknesses of an enemy up to 60 feet of you. The first time each turn that you hit that target with a weapon attack, it takes an extra 1d4 damage from the weapon. You may maintain this focus for up to an hour. This feature may be used once per short rest.

**Legislacerator’s Training.** You are proficient with Greatswords, Glaives, and Halberds

### **Jade Blooded**

This mostly female dominated caste is responsible for taking care of young trolls who have recently been birthed by the mother grub. These trolls do not typically get much of a chance to leave the brooding caverns, focused on maintaining the mother grub and taking care of the young.

**Sharp Teeth.** Your teeth are much sharper and stronger than those of the other castes. You have a natural weapon you are proficient with, which deals 1d4 + Strength modifier piercing damage on a hit.

**DON’T TURN YOUR BACK ON THE BODIES.** A turn after you are reduced to 0 hit points, you return to consciousness with 1 hit point instead. When this occurs, instead of getting up, you may spend an action to play dead. Anyone inspecting your body must pass a DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma Modifier insight check. On a failure, they will believe that you are dead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a Long Rest.

**Cave Dweller.** Typically spending your life tending to the Brooding Caverns, you are comfortable within caves and cave like settings. You can accurately remember the layouts of caves and caverns you have traveled through within the last month, being able to recall the most efficient paths through the caves, and memorize shortcuts.

### **Olive Blooded**

Olive blooded trolls are known for their natural ability to hunt down creatures. They are typically able bodied hunters and fighters.

**Feral Pounce.** Trained to be a deadly hunter, you’re able to launch yourself in a deadly assault upon your prey. If the you move at least 20 ft. straight toward a creature and then hits it with a Attack on the same turn, that target must succeed on a 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier saving throw or be knocked prone. If the target is prone, you can make an Attack against it as a Bonus Action.

**Alpha Predator.** You have proficiency in the Perception and Stealth skills.

### **Lime Blooded**

A caste known to be unusually compassionate, these trolls are typically culled on sight. These trolls typically have to make it by solely based upon the compassion of others and clever disguises. Lime blooded trolls are the one caste which actually benefits from a mutation in their blood color.

**SHOOSHPAP.** As an action, you may target yourself or a single creature within 5 feet of you and gently embrace them. The targeted creature must make a Charisma saving throw. A creature can choose to fail this save. If a creature fails its saving throw, choose one of the following effects. This effect remains in effect for up to one minute.

* **PAP.** You can suppress any effect causing them to be charmed or frightened until the end of this feature.

* **SHOOSH.** You can make them indifferent about creatures of your choice that it is hostile toward. This indifference ends if the target takes damage or if it witnesses any of its friends being harmed.

After a minute, these effects end, unless the DM rules otherwise. This feature may be used an amount of times equal to your charisma modifier (minimum of 1) per long rest.

**Level Headed.** You have advantage on saves against being charmed or frightened.

### **Gold Blooded**

One of the bottom castes, Gold blooded trolls are known to have the most prevalent psionic abilities. These psionic powers are typically exploited by higher up trolls for moving objects.

**Psiioniics.** You caste is known to commonly develop psionic abilities. These abilities manifest in the form of the following spells, which may be cast without components: You know the Fire Bolt cantrip. At 3rd level, you can cast the Chaos Bolt spell once per long rest. At 5th level you may cast Scorching Ray once per long rest. When you cast any of these spells, they are projected from your eyes, rather than their normal casting location.

**Psiioniic Fliight.** Your psychic ability allows you to move your body through the air using your mind. You have a flying speed of 10 feet. You are unable to float if you are wearing armor you are not proficient with or are carrying something heavier than twice your weight.

**Helmsman.** Drawing on every last bit of your mental abilities, you are able to instantly accelerate yourself and a mass of objects in a straight line. Using an action, you may move up to 1,000 pounds worth of objects and willing creatures that are currently within a 10 foot radius of you. You may transport these objects 30 or more feet forward in space. If the space is occupied, the accelerated objects move to the nearest unoccupied space. For every 30 feet you are transported, you take a single level of exhaustion.

### **Bronze Blooded**

Bronze blooded trolls aren’t known to have abnormally powerful psionic abilities, though they often have a high affinity for communing with beasts and lusii. They’re typically utilized off world for colonizing worlds.

**Bronze Psionics.** You caste is known to commonly develop psionic abilities. These abilities manifest in the form of the following spells, which may be cast without components: You know the Message cantrip. At 3rd level, you can cast the Animal Friendship spell once per long rest. At 5th level you may cast Beast Sense once per long rest.

**Commune.** You have the ability to communicate in a limited manner with beasts. They can understand the meaning of your words, though you have no special ability to understand them in return. You have advantage on all Charisma checks you make to influence them.

### **Rust Blooded**

The lowest of the low on the spectrum, Rust blooded trolls have the most powerful ability to influence their surroundings using their mind. While typically exploited for physical labor, these powers are useful for general everyday purposes.

**Burgundy Psionics.** You caste is known to commonly develop psionic abilities. These abilities manifest in the form of the following spells, which may be cast without components: You know the Mage Hand cantrip. When this spell is cast, the hand is replaced with a burgundy aura. At 3rd level, you can cast the Catapult spell once per long rest. At 5th level you may cast Levitate once per long rest.

**Psionic Flight.** Your psychic ability allows you to move your body through the air using your mind. You have a flying speed of 10 feet. You are unable to float if you are wearing armor you are not proficient with or are carrying something heavier than twice your weight.

**Death’s Fangirl.** You are capable of speech with the spirits of those who have recently died. If an intelligent creature has died within the last 24 hours, you may summon and communicate with its spirit for up to a minute. This spirit is not compelled by any means to communicate with you, and may chose deny your summons. You can use this ability once per short rest.

## Mutations

**Terrestrial Annihilator (Violet Exclusive).** Your disdain for the lives of surface dwellers manifests in an uncanny ability to strike their bodies swiftly and precisely. When attacking any land-dwelling humanoid, you gain a +2 to hit.

**Blind Justice (Teal Exclusive).** The rest of your senses become more finely attuned when you lose access to your sight. When an effect occurs that would prevent you from using your sight and you are still able to hear and smell, you instead have 30ft of blindsight.

**Mutant Wings.** You sprout large wings resembling those of a butterfly. With your wings spread, you have a flying speed of 20 feet if you aren’t wearing heavy armor and aren’t exceeding your carrying capacity.

**Solar Link.** A mysterious link grants you an affinity with sunlight. The sun makes you feel healthy and safe. An hour of time spent in direct sunlight per day prevents exhaustion caused by lack of food or water.

**Vision X-Fold (Cerulean Exclusive).** Your eyes sport a peculiar mutation allowing you sight to see things most would be unable to.  Typically, this mutation manifests as an unusual pupil shape, or a presence of an abnormal amount of pupils. Instead of 60ft of darkvision, you have 30ft of truesight.

**Mutant Blood.** Rather than its normal color, your blood takes on a candy red hue. Within your society, your mutant blood-color is heavily subjugated, typically being culled upon your blood color being discovered. Some Alternians may make attempts on your life upon discovery of your blood color, but others may respond with disinterest. You have disadvantage on charisma rolls against other members of your society. Others will be unable to tell which caste abilities you have until they are used.

**Rainbow Drinker (Jade Exclusive).** Some members of your caste develop a mutation beneficial in working in the caverns. When using your bite attack, you gain half of the damage dealt from the bite as hit points. In addition, you may spend an action to glow brightly. You shed bright light in a 10ft radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet.

**Voidrot (Gold Exclusive).** You’ve contracted a condition draining your psiioniic abilities. Rather than utilizing your own energy, you drain the energies of others. Your psiioniic spells are replaced with the following spells: You know the Frostbite cantrip. At 3rd level, you can cast the Inflict Wounds spell once per long rest. At 5th level you may cast Ray of Enfeeblement once per long rest.