Ophidian

The gwerin masters who ruled the Jungle of Fangs before they abruptly vanished about 400 years ago were obsessed with snakes. Hence the fang-kin humans…and their distant relatives, the ophidians. Their ancestors were humans who were bio-magically infused with snake essence to a much greater degree than their kin. To this day, they retain visual markers and altered physiology. Some of them suffer extreme mutations; their kin-folk often resort to extreme ritual magics to stabilize them in human/snake-hybrid forms so they don’t die. Those hybrids are outcast except among the most isolated tribes.

Physically, playable ophidians are very close to fang-kin humans, except that their eyes are slitted and their tongues are forked, and their “scales” (mottled patches) are more visible. They tend to be extremely charming, almost magically so, and flexible to an extreme.

Lineage Traits

  • Ability Score Increase. +1 Dexterity or Charisma

  • Age. Adult at 15, live to 70-ish

  • Size. Medium. 4′9″ - 6′0″, 90-190 lbs

  • Speed. 30 feet

  • Status. Regional (Jungle of Fangs)

  • Languages. You know Common and Iath Neidr.

  • Distracting Charm (+). As a reaction when you are targeted with an attack by someone you can see, you can force the attacker to make a Wisdom saving throw against a DC of 8 + your Charisma modifier + proficiency . On a failure, you can force them to change the target of the attack to another creature of your choice within range or choose to make them lose the attack. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining expended uses when you finish a long rest.

  • Heat Sense. You can detect the presence (and pinpoint the location) of living creatures within 30 feet even through opaque concealment but not total cover. You do not count as able to see them for spells and effects that require sight, but they are not concealed from you and do not count as an unseen attacker.

Strangler

Strangler ophidians were born with flexible limbs capable of constricting foes. They tend to be surprisingly strong.

  • Ability Score Increase. +2 Strength
  • Additional Proficiencies. You are proficient in Athletics, and when you make a Strength (Athletics) check to grapple someone or escape a grapple, you add twice your proficiency bonus instead.
  • Entwining Limbs. When you successfully grapple a creature, you can make them restrained instead. If you do so, you cannot move them forcibly without releasing them from restraint (but not the grapple).

Venom-tip

The Venom-tip ophidians were born with innate poison. They are lithe even for ophidians.

  • Ability Score Increase. +2 Dexterity
  • Poison Bite. You have a natural weapon you can use whenever you can make an attack. It counts as a finesse weapon with a reach of 5 feet, dealing 1d4 + your ability modifier piercing damage and 1d6 poison damage. When you reach 5th level, the poison damage increases to 2d6. At 11th level, it increases to 3d6.
  • Poison Resistance. You have resistance to poison damage and make saving throws against being posioned at advantage.