Gig (5e Race)
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Gig[edit]
Adventurers who spend a great amount of time in the underdark often pretend to have understand the creatures from beyond the stars: Slimy, deformed horrors whose way of life is utterly incompatible and threatens all a normal person would consider good, sane and beautiful. Were they to look upward, not downward, they would have more reasons for hope.
Physical Description[edit]
On the tallest peaks of the mountains, where the air becomes almost to thin to breathe and no life can grow, reclusive visitors hailing from another planet dwell. Calling themselves the “Gigs”, these alien creatures seem elf-like, with tall, slender bodies, long, pointed ears and smooth, rubbery skin. However their muzzled skull, large eyes and tail betray the alien origin of the species. Their skin is either a pearly white, rarely with a pastel tint or pitch black. Lacking biological sex, these beings often eschew clothing and armor, unless they prepare for battle. They reproduce by weaving psionic energy into a set shape. This requires at least two gig but can be done by a much larger number. Traditionally, everyone who helped to create the new life is obligated to care for it.
History[edit]
The history of the gig is either long forgotten or a well-kept secret. To most, it is only known that they live in the far reaches of space, and avoid interaction with planets that have not developed some sort of spelljammming or other technology that allows them to leave their planet. Rarely, gig builds settlements on less advanced planets and planes. The reasons for this vary: sometimes, they are an observation post, with a mission of studying other forms of life. They could find a place of psionic power that enhances their meditative abilities. And, from time to time, a mission goes awry and they are stranded on the planet. The first years of the colony are always hard: Gig rarely understand arcane magic and pray to no gods. Lastly, the gig’s have no concept of material needs and wants. Through their psionic power, they draw sustenance from the thoughts and emotions of others. They mostly waged wars in spelljamming vehicles and, without a client species to protect them, are unused to close quarter combat or medieval warfare. As such, even evil gig rarely invade a planet directly, rather using ploys or tricks to conquer them.
Society[edit]
Most settlements on foreign planets relay on being unnoticeable and living in inhospitable terrain, where predators or armies rarely go. There, they use their minds to shape strange, conch-like structures into the mountain, which they use as houses and defenses. Their cities seem weirdly organic, more like petrified, alien creatures than buildings. The gig have a history of eschewing the material for the esoteric truths of the cosmos. As thus, their technology has not been progressed much beyond the early middle ages in terms of tools, weaponry or ship-craft. However, they mastered the cultivation of certain crystals, in which they store both memory and physical information and are formidable psionics, often enchanting their settlements and ships with psionic servants and imbued items.
The society of the gig is centered around meditations, psychic training, scholarly research as well as debates about the structure of the cosmos. As long as other gig are nearby, they have no want and needs besides breathable air and eight to ten hours of sleep, spending their life dedicated to a single goal, like answering a certain scientific question, creating art or working to achieve political goals.
Tranquil Fury[edit]
Their culture enforces a policy of non-interference, aware that most cosmic forces do not appreciate someone meddling in their affairs. Emotional restraint is highly valued in their ascetic society. This does not mean gig’s are cold or emotionless. Actually, they suffer from particularly strong emotions. With no restraints or the lack of their kin to hold them back, they tend to the extremes: Zealous martyrs that see the potential for good in everyone hardened cynics that do not care in the slightest for others or sadistic conquerors. An enraged or psychotic gig at the height of their psionic power can spell doom for entire planets by their presence alone, suspending the laws of physics as objects come to life, the sun goes dark and everyone but the pure of heart or the strong-willed are either killed or transformed into psychic killing machines. Thankfully, it takes aeons or rare circumstances to unlock such power and an average gig can wreck no more harm than a magically gifted high elf or drow. Still, the younger gig chafe under this restrictive order and often set out on their own in exploring the wonders of the cosmos, fleeing a settlement or stowing on board a spelljamming ship for this purpose.
Gig Names[edit]
Gig names are often pleasant sounding, with many vocals and few consonants. A child takes its own name on its twentieth birthday. Being without biological sex or gender, they do not distinguish between male and female.
Examples: Giegue, Laaran, Niiue, Semender, Ravil
Gig Traits[edit]
Graceful psions with atrophied bodies but sharp minds.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence and Wisdom scores each increase by 2.
Age. Gig need about 40 years to fully mature, but once mature, do not seem to age. You have no maximum age.
Alignment. Gig’s strongly tend, due to their emotional restraint and policy of non-interference, to a neutral alignment without attachment to law or chaos, but those in contact with other sentient species are often quick to adopt a different outlook.
Size. Gigs are thin but tall. They grow to between six and seven feet. They weigh a mere fifty to seventy pounds. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet.
Alien Body. You do not need to eat or drink to sustain yourself, you instead do so by feeding on the emotions and thoughts of nearby intelligent creatures. When you spend an hour within 30 feet of a creature with a Intelligence score of at least 6 you are considered hydrated and fed for the day, staving off starvation as normal.
Alien Mind. You have advantage on saving throws against madness and being charmed.
Frail. You count as one size smaller when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
From Beyond the Stars. Your creature type is both aberration and humanoid.
Psionic. You know the minor illusion cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the mage armor spell once and need to finish a long rest before you can cast it again. When you reach 5th level, you can also cast the calm emotions spell once and need to finish a long rest before you can cast it again. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Gig. Gig is a dialect of Deep Speech that is sonorous, melody-like whispering with few harsh or hard consonants.
Racial Feats[edit]
- School of Restoration
Prerequisite: gig
You know the spare the dying cantrip. You can cast the prayer of healing and lesser restoration spells once with this trait, without requiring material components. You regain the use of these two spells when you finish a long rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting modifier for these spells.
- School of Telekinesis
Prerequisite: gig
You know the mage hand cantrip. You can cast the levitate and mage armor spells once with this trait, without requiring material components. You regain the use of these two spells when you finish a long rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting modifier for these spells.
- School of Telepathy
Prerequisite: gig
You know the message cantrip and do not require material components to cast it. You can cast the charm person and detect thoughts spells once with this trait, without requiring material components. You regain the use of these two spells when you finish a long rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting modifier for these spells.
Random Height and Weight[edit]
Base Height |
Height Modifier* |
Base Weight |
Weight Modifier** |
---|---|---|---|
5′ 0″ | +2d10 | 30 lb. | × (1d4) lb. |
*Height = base height + height modifier |
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