Risen (5e Race)

Risen

Physical Description

Risen look like like their past selves, but more angelic.

History

The Risen are very rare, dead heroes who never completed their life's dream, raised from the dead in a holy manner by the gods to complete their task, and then, they will be fully at rest.

Attitudes and Beliefs

The Risen tend very firmly towards lawful good, and tirelessly seek to complete their life's dream. Once they complete this, they may rest enternally.

Risen Names

Risen retain whatever names they had in their true life, and so can have names from any race. Note to player characters: Before creating a risen character, take time to flesh out your character's previous life, the race they previously were, and their class should reflect the character's profession in life.

Risen Traits

Risen are dead heroes who have been resurrected for a second chance to fulfill their destiny.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2 and your Constitution score increases by 1.
Age. Risen are immortal until they fulfill their destiny, and then they are fully at rest in the realm of the dead.
Alignment. Risen tend towards lawful and neutral good.
Size. Risen can be gnome or giant; your size varies.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. 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.
One with life and death. You have resistance to radiant or necrotic damage (your choice)
Risen Nature. You don't need food, drink, or sleep, but can still eat or drink.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Celestial, plus one other language of your choice.

Random Height and Weight

Risen are the same size and weight as they were in life.

Personality

Risen usually have the same personality as in life, but they strive to accomplish what they couldn't in life in death. However, here is a suggested trait for a risen, and one for the dark risen is shown below.

Subrace variant

This is an optional (and not recommended) subrace for the Risen. I don't recommend using this for a character, but it could be used as a vilan perhaps.

A dark risen is a risen who was, like all risen, awakened by some power, but here it was some power of evil to accomplish some task. A dark risen tends strongly towards lawful evil, and gains +2 to Charisma and +1 to Wisdom instead of the normal Ability Score Increase. Deathly Resilience. Instead of the One with life and Death trait for a normal risen, you have resistance to necrotic damage, and if you take 10 or more necrotic damage on 1 turn, you can use your reaction to become immune to the next necrotic damage less than 50 that you take. If you use this ability, you must finish a long rest before you can use it again.

Ruler

A dormant magic, a concerned god, a vain king, each are ways a ruler may be created. Deep within a desert tomb, a crowned crypt or an honored sarcophagus a ruler sleeps waiting for the day when they are needed again. For some, they are awakened exactly when needed and begin their quest to raise their civilization from the dark. For others, their magic fails and they remain dormant until long after their civilizations have fallen and awaken to a strange new world, the weight of their failure on their shoulders. An emissary of God leads his people for the last time he walks through the shadow of the valley of death and fears no evil and while he may fall now he will rise again when the time is right to lead his people once more. The ruler who claims he is the god of this world descends into his tomb to wait for the day where he may rule once more.

Regardless of how or who has caused a ruler to be reborn it is the knowledge of a magic that has been discovered, and lost, and discovered again many times over the course of history that allows them to be and it is always the ones who command the most power who take it. Sometimes the secrets are whispered into the mind from a God. Sometimes, the knowledge is discovered in the ruins of a long lost civilization. And, sometimes, a civilization discovers this knowledge all on their own, not knowing they weren't the first to do so.

As such, the ruler race is as much a constant across history and civilizations as farming, archery, or the wheel. The only variance is how their culture treats this race; for some who become rulers, it is a responsibility. For others, it's a frivolous deed to evade death.

The ruler subrace also has multiple pathways to choose from below each with distinct features

King/Queen

The Kings and Queens of old have risen as Rulers since there were Rulers to raise. They are plentiful as far as rulers go due to their short lives and they often come with much riches to help their new rule along. Kings and Queens excel in leading their people and can often raise kingdoms much quicker than other types of rulers. Although Kings and Queens often live lavish lives, they often practice swordplay and archery, leaving them much more adept and prepared for life as an adventurer, creating their new kingdom.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2.
Symbol of Power. Every Leader has their symbol of power, for some its bears or other animals of strength, but for Kings and Queens, it is the royal bird. You will never find a better-trained bird than one at a royal palace, they perfectly reflect the elegance and dignity it takes to be royalty. You can cast the find familiar spell once with this trait, requiring no material components, and you regain the ability to cast it this way when you finish a long rest. However, you can only summon a hawk, owl or raven with this spell.
Royal Discourse. Royalty has a certain charm to the common folk, they will often follow blindly if the conditions are right. This makes it very easy for up and coming Rulers to get their kingdom in order. You are proficient in the Persuasion skill and whenever you make a Charisma (Persuasion) check, against humanoid commoners, or nobles, you add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.
Royal Training. As part of your upbringing you were taught the finer practices of combat. You have proficiency with the rapier, longsword, shortbow and the longbow.

Pharaoh

Pharaohs are the more powerful rulers, they are often sent straight from the gods and have a high affinity for both arcane and divine magicks. Their familiars and pets are often well trained, acting and attuned their masters, behaving in ways that attest to the connection they have to their Pharaoh. They often live a lot longer than other types of rulers, as many don't dare to oppose them and will serve under them willingly or in fear of getting killed.

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1.
Symbol of Power. Snakes and Cats have always captivated pharaohs, they fill their halls with their iconography and keep them as pets. Cobras keep a special place in their hearts, and Pharaohs will often capture giant cobras to keep as pets and mounts. You can cast the find familiar spell once with this trait, requiring no material components, and you regain the ability to cast it this way when you finish a long rest. However, you can only summon a poisonous snake or a cat with this spell. In addition, through sounds and gestures, you can communicate with felines and reptiles. To these creatures, you are considered a neutral or friendly creature and are naturally attracted to you unless you've done something to hostile towards them.
Divine Ruler. Your affinity to the sun and connection to the divine grants you resistance to radiant damage.
Sacred Magic. You know one cantrip of your choice from the wizard or cleric spell list. Charisma or Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for it, whichever is higher.

Shōgun/Warlord

The Shōgun or Warlord are rulers bound to the battlefield. They are known for the great and often rapid expansion of the borders of their homeland and their own unmatched combat prowess as they charge into the battlefield with their army by their side. These are the most martially inclined of the rulers, striking down all that oppose them with a precision only the most capable of warriors may attain, however, don't let their martial prowess fool you, for their minds are often as sharp and honed as their blades, often proving themselves to be skilled tacticians humbled by an unweaving sense of honor.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
Resolve. You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.
Shōguns Stance/Warlords Bloodlust. Pick one from Shōgun Stance or Warlords Might:

Shōguns Stance. You can use two-weapon fighting even when the one-handed melee weapons you are wielding aren’t light. In addition, you can use longswords as if they had the finesse property.

Warlords Bloodlust. When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon 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. In addition, when you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Sultan

Sultan's have a good eye for profit, they organized caravans to traverse deserts in days of old and will always go for a good bargain. Setting up trade routes over vast distances or seemingly impassable terrains a Sultan understands and amasses vast sums of wealth building their nations on a mountain of gold and trade they afford only the best.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 3, instead of by 2. You cannot increases this score above 20 as per normal.
Gift of the Gab. Whenever you make a Charisma (Persuasion) check to barter or engage in other commerce-based activities, you are considered proficient in the Persuasion skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.
Desert Rider. You can cast the find steed spell once with this trait, requiring no material components, and you regain the ability to cast it this way when you finish a long rest. However, this can only be used to summon a Camel in celestial form.

Prophet

Since the dawn of time, Gods have sent down Prophets to lead the people, through struggle and strife they grew to be loved and respected by their people as those sent from God to lead. Prophets are religious rulers, they have not a kingdom but a god to stand by, they will follow them till the end as they lead others down the righteous path and into the loving embrace of their god.

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Divine Flinch. Prophets have been seen to be rulers sent from God to lead the people, all beings know that attacking them will lead to bad things, even the most mindless servants of dark necromancers feel this divine flinch. When a creature or a takes a harmful action against you, you can, as a reaction, force them to make a Wisdom saving throw. If they fail they instead target another creature. Undead creatures react more strongly to this and have disadvantage on this saving throw. The DC for this saving throw is equal to 8 + your Charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier and regain all expanded uses on completion of a long rest.
Grace. It is in the morning, during the first meal of the day, when the sun rises, and then in the evening, during the last meal of the day, when the sun sets. All from the prophet to the peasant thank their god for the blessing themselves and those who sit with you for the meal they are about to receive. You can cast the purify food and drink spell a twice with this trait, requiring no material components, and you regain the ability to cast it this way when you finish a long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
Religious Leader. For this sub-race you must choose a god that you completely and utterly devoted yourself to in life, the stronger your connection to this god the stronger your bond to the material world is, to go against this god is to go against the life you have been given. Each time you do something that is in opposition of your god you feel your connection between your soul and your body diminish and if done enough you may eventually die when this happens nothing can bring you back to life besides divine intervention. In addition, particularly religious individuals such as clerics, priests, and paladins are aware of your status as a prophet of your god.

God-King

Clad in full-plate armor adorned with magic and gems alike, crafted by the finest smiths in all the lands the King who claims godhood sits on his throne looking down at his mortal subjects. This is the ideal of any God-King. To be above all of creation, the Gods included, to look down and rule all those below him, unquestioned, unchallenged, all-powerful. God-Kings are the most prideful and power hungry rulers in existence, seeking to dominate all and willing to stop at nothing to do so.

Fated. A God-King cannot fail. When you roll a 1 on an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can re-roll the die and must use the new roll.
Commanding Will. Your will cannot be questioned. You can cast the command spell once with this trait, requiring no material components, and you regain the ability to cast it this way when you finish a short or long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
Wrath of God. To force you to take a knee the highest of insult and is to go against God itself. When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead and as a reaction, take an action. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
Divine Awareness. Whether you can hear the slightest difference in the heartbeat of a supposedly loyal subject or the divine simply recognizes your greatness and wishes to appease you. You know when you hear a lie.
Sin of Pride. It is said that pride is the original sin, the greatest and the father of all sins and thus, there is none as corrupted by it as the King who would call himself God. If you are reduced to 0 hit points, and your Wrath of God trait does not trigger, you have disadvantage on all attack rolls, ability checks and saving throws until you take a long rest. Your pride, what sustains your undead body, wounded.

Racial Feat: Heirloom Of The Grave

Servants or those who were close to you in life, buried items of importance to you in your grave at death, wanting your prized belongings to come with you into the afterlife. They may or may not have traveled into the afterlife with you upon your death, but they may be useful again in life, take them, for your journey may be short if you do not. You gain one magical item of your DM's choice that pertains to your rulership in some way. This item cannot be an item with limited uses such as Quaal's feather token or a potion of healing and must be of an at least uncommon rarity. This item is also bound to your soul so only you may attune to and use it. As a bonus action, you may summon or dismiss that item freely.

5.00

(2 votes)

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