Unicorn (5e Race)
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Unicorn[edit]
Beauty and power never took such an equine form.
Physical Description[edit]
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| A forest unicorn. |
A unicorn is an equine creature that looks like a horse with a horn. However, they are not quite horses, but something else. Male unicorns have sizes akin to Soviet draft horses while females are sized similarly to Ukranian riding horses. In addition, their coats shine like that of Ahkal-Tekes. Their color is usually white, but can vary wildly in some individuals, like having golden hooves and horn, are colored midnight blue, or having a mane and tail with a dazzling array of color. Some males may even have a small, goatlike beard. Unlike the smell of the soap normal horses excrete from their sweat glands, Unicorns have a pleasant smell to them, and it includes different flowers, mountain spring water, different fruit, and even the earthy smell of edible fungi.
From one famous bestiary from the elven druids: "They walk with gentle grace, their figurative voices are pure and gentle, and their blood is a fluid shining as bright as the sun itself".
History[edit]
The history of unicorns as a whole is a mystery to the races who live outside from forests. Only the elves seem to know their origins. They say many deities of nature came together to create something similar to the angels of the paladin gods, but they are more interested in protecting nature most of the time. Since they have strong ties to the nature gods, they would be considered celestials if they were not confined to the Material Plane. At first, all the unicorns were pure white, but, like any living creature, eventual variation in their genes led to much more colorful varieties throughout the ages. It is still unclear whether the lives of these unicorns used to be like the empires of the old days, but not many can be found living in the same patch of forest these days.
Even with these conditions, many legends of the elves tell of great heroes riding into battle on unicorns. However, something like this has not happened in centuries. Perhaps nobody these days are considered worthy riding them. Maybe there has been no need since there has been a decent amount of peace, only disrupted by domestic instances. Whatever the case, things may change now that evil has crept back into the world.
Society[edit]
Unicorns are usually solitary creatures. They set up their home in large, untouched areas of wilderness, preferably a forest. Within this area, unicorns have a home point they return to for hobbies, rest, practice with magic, and to raise their foals. These areas can be anything including, but not limited to, a clearing in the trees, ruins of a long-forgotten building from the old days, and a grotto behind a tall waterfall. The areas of forest they lay claim to are enchanted with a mysterious kind of magic only the unicorns themselves know. Good creatures that enter this region experience feelings of calm and security. Evil creatures experience feelings of unease. Animals within this field are also calmer and less timid than they normally would be. Good creatures are often received warmly by the unicorns, even being led back to their home point to converse about the outside world and even give them a small feast. Neutral creatures are largely ignored but tolerated in the unicorn's domain. They often do not even know they are there. If they get too close to their home point, a unicorn will deploy nonlethal tactics to veer them away from there, all the while remaining out of sight. If evil manages to overcome the negative feelings provided by this magic, a unicorn will not hesitate to protect its home from those invaders that would otherwise destroy it.
In rare circumstances, several unicorns can lay claim to the same area of land and live together at the designated home point as a small community, taking turns to venture out into the forest to perform their duties. Usually these communities number 10 or less, but there have been extremely rare circumstances of unicorns living in communities as large as 100 members.
Unicorns often do more than just tend to nature. Some are proficient in activities many find human. Some of them brew their own ales or wine, some carve statues out of lone boulders, and some more can even act as teachers for both young foals and elven children. There are even cases of unicorns forging their own tools and weapons out of ore they found within their territory. From many such cases, even the elves say their craftsmanship is better than theirs.
Every ten years in April, a Unicorn may leave its grove to head to a secret area only they know about. In that area, they gather for procreation. Males often spar with one another while the females watch nearby. At the end of the month, known as "the big event", males fight for the show of impressing the ladies, often accumulating various superficial injuries during that time. At the end of the tournament, The females get to choose who they want as their temporary partner, if the male in question will choose to accept them. If there are individuals nobody picked or are unable to pick, it is often the case that there will be better luck next time. When the month ends, everyone returns home and resume business as usual, and often for the females to raise her young foal.
Being the servants of deities much like angels, unicorns hold divine power, always in their horn. Some questionable individuals have made weapons from these horns, and the horns in this state still retain the magical and divine powers they had from the unicorn they once attached to. Doing something like this is very risky business. Not only are no unicorns willing to give up their horn without a fight, killing one may incite divine wrath from the god it served.
Unicorn Names[edit]
Unicorns have names based on their physical appearance, personality, good deeds they have done, or a combination of any of the three.
Dante's Grace, Giddian, Lionheart, Midnight Blue, Persuavoan, Silvermoon, Watersong, Stargazer, Zenith...
Unicorn Traits[edit]
The unicorn is a legendary creature that has been described since antiquity as an equine beast with a single large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead.
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2.
Age. Unicorns reach maturity at around 25 years and have been known to live for up to 5000 years.
Alignment. Unicorns conform to the alignment of the god they serve. Any unicorns that have alignments different from that is only a speculation if it is true. There is, however, instances of unicorns chasing away anyone who enter their territory, good or otherwise.
Size. Unicorns are between 4 to 5 feet long, 3 to 3.5 feet wide, and 4 to 5 feet tall. Your size is medium.
Speed. Being built like a horse, your base walking speed is 40 feet.
Line of Light. From your horn, you are able to cast a beam of light on one target creature. Make a ranged spell attack roll, using Charisma as your spellcasting ability modifier. On a hit, deal 1d6 radiant damage.
Hooves. Your hooves are natural melee weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Telepathy. You can speak telepathically to any creature you can see within 10 times your Wisdom modifier feet of you. Your telepathic utterances are in a language you know, and the creature understands you only if it knows that language. You can allow the creature to respond telepathically to you.
Unconventional Clothing. Normal articles of clothing and armor don't fit you. Any additional garments you wish to wear while adventuring must be custom-made with a material cost equal to the base item plus 50%. This does not include any service fee a craftsman may charge you.
Equine Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push or drag. In addition, any climb that requires hands and feet is especially difficult for you because of your equine legs. When you make such a climb, each foot of movement costs you 4 extra feet, instead of the normal 1 extra foot.
Languages. You can read, write, speak Equine, Sylvan, and Common.
Subrace. There are several types of Unicorn out there, and yet even amongst subraces appearances can vary. There are Arcane, Forest, Frostmane, Fire Hoof, Lighthorn, Stormmane, Prismatic, and Runicorn.
Arcane[edit]
These unicorns are among the most colorful of the unicorn subraces. They can come in any color, often quite literally. Their understanding of magic is better than the other races, and are a valuable member in any arcane community.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1.
Arcane Knowledge. You gain proficiency in the arcana skill
Arcane Creature. You have a +1 bonus to spell attack rolls, spellcasting ability checks, and saving throw DCs for spells that are on the sorcerer, warlock, and/or wizard spell list.
Forest[edit]
These unicorns are considered to be the most common and the original unicorn. They are the ones who are usually white and sport few variations between individuals. As the name suggests, they live in deciduous forests and are blessed with the power of the natural world itself.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Forest Creature. Any terrain inside a forest does not impede your movement.
Forest Magic. You know one cantrip of your choice from the druid spell list. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
Frostmane[edit]
These unicorns are often ice blue and have snow white hooves, horn, mane and tail. They are found in taiga forests, where the summers are short and the winters are long. Because of this, they have abilities matching the environment they call home.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution modifier score by 1. Also, the time required for proficiency in new cold spells you learn is halved.
Tundra Creature. Snow and ice do not impede your movement. Also, you are resistant to nonmagical cold damage.
Frostwalker. By using an action, you can turn water that you step on into ice for 1 minute. Once you do so, you must finish a short or long rest before being able to do so again.
Fire Hoof[edit]
An uncommon unicorn, these unicorns have brilliant, fiery manes and tails of yellow, orange and red. These unicorns are found in very specific areas, forests with the minor form of geologic activity (namely hot springs and geysers). From the underground fire that feeds these geological features, you have acquired abilities to give your enemies worse burns than an arcane unicorn of similar skill.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1. Also, the time required for proficiency in new fire-based spells you learn is halved.
Creature of Fire. You are resistant to nonmagical fire damage.
Ignite. As an action, you can set yourself ablaze for 1 minute. During this time, all unarmed attacks you make deal an additional 1d6 fire damage, and any creature that grapples you takes 1d4 fire damage at the start of each of their turns.
Lighthorn[edit]
These unicorns are rare for their kind. Their color ranges from light yellow to metallic gold. As their name suggests, they are almost like the paladins of their kind. They almost always set up home in forest clearings
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1.
Horn Glow. You can cast the Light cantrip. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
Light it Up. As an action, you can make yourself glow brilliantly for 1 minute. During this time, you can deal an extra 1d4 radiant damage with your melee attacks by using a bonus action. Once you do so, you must finish a long rest in order to do so again.
Stormmane[edit]
Stormmanes are very rare among their kind. They have the ability to channel lightning within themselves, and are more silvery in color than the other subraces. They make their home in forests where thunderstorms are common.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
Electrify. Using an action, your equipped weapons deals 1d8 lightning damage as well as their natural damage for 1 minute.
Call Lightning. You call a lightning bolt from the sky to strike your enemies. This targets one creature and affects a 15-foot radius. Each creature within that radius must make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw. On a failure they take 1d20 lightning damage (if that is the creature struck by lightning) or 1d12 Thunder damage. On a success, they take half damage. The damage doubles if it is raining. Your Intelligence modifier determines your casting ability. If there is an ally within the strike radius, they must take action accordingly. You can use this ability again after a long rest. However, in order to use this ability, the sky must be directly over the creature you want to hit.
Prismatic
Prismatic unicorns are as rare as they are powerful. Their primary color is an intense amethyst purple with shades of blue. They have the ability to crystallize part of the environment and use it as a weapon. These unicorns call forests growing on mineral-rich earth as their home.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.
Kunai Crystals. As an action, you summon 1d6 + 6 shards of crystal around yourself. You can throw all of them at one creature or once at as many creatures as there are shards, so long as the creature is within 60 ft of you. You must make a ranged spell attack against the creature, using Dexterity for your ability score modifier. On a failure, they take 1d8 piercing damage.
Runicorn
Runicorns are as rare as they are mysterious. They are gunmetal gray with blue square-angled patterns and tattooed with a runic language that does not seem to belong to any known ancient race. Both decorations glow sky blue even under bright light. Where these unicorns call home is a mystery to the outside world.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1.
Aetherborn. Your spirit is much stronger than any of the other subraces of unicorn. All magic spells cost 3/4 of what it would normally cost, rounded up.
Runespeech Enchantment. Using an action, you utter a chant using a language few have ever heard. After that, the equipped weapons of you and your allies deals an additional 1d4 force damage for 1 minute. This damage can only happen once on each of the creature's turns. You can regain use of this ability after finishing a long rest.
Unicorn Height & Weight Table
| Base Height |
Height Modifier* |
Base Weight |
Weight Modifier** |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4′ 0'' | +3d6 in. | 1000 lb. | × (2d10 lb) lb. |
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*Height = base height + height modifier | |||
Prompt for Adventure[edit]
For adventuring, explain why you left your grove.
| d8 | Prompt for Adventure |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Call: I received a vision from the god I serve to seek out a person or group of people in the outside world. They said if I get involved, they will alter the outcome of the coming storm. |
| 2 | Change of Scenery: I have grown weary of my own grove and decided to leave it for a while to see the outside world. |
| 3 | Lost My Right: Another unicorn chased me out of my grove. I am searching the outside world for ways to get stronger and reclaim it. |
| 4 | Destroyed: My grove was destroyed by evildoers. Now I am trying to find a new home. |
| 5 | Strike First: Something evil has crept back into the outside world. I plan on finding it before it finds my home. |
| 6 | Newly Independent: I am a young adult unicorn looking for a place to call home. |
| 7 | Captured: Evildoers dragged me into the outside world. I escaped, but I am lost and do not know how to find home. |
| 8 | Punished: I have been barred from my grove for angering the deity I serve. They will allow me to return on one condition and I accepted the terms. This is it. |
Suggested Characteristics[edit]
When creating a unicorn, you can use the following table of traits, ideals, bonds and flaws to help flesh out your character. It is recommended to use these tables in place of your background's characteristics.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I let others do what they want to do as long as it is reasonable. |
| 2 | I am strong-willed, and when I set my mind to something, it is hard to be distracted from that task. |
| 3 | I am eccentric for a unicorn. |
| 4 | I prefer to be alone. Even my own kin easily annoys me. |
| 5 | I like the company of others, even if the combination I form with them is considered odd. |
| 6 | I am against hurting others, but I will defend myself when the need arises. |
| 7 | I am a pretty unicorn! |
| 8 | I am thirsty for knowledge new to me. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Faithful: I am a servant of the god I worship. I will gladly do anything they wish me to do. (Lawful) |
| 2 | Idol: I spend a lot of time keeping my beauty/handsomeness top-notch. (Any) |
| 3 | Ruthlessly Territorial: Anyone who dares to enter my domain must leave, or be removed with force. (Evil) |
| 4 | Righteous: I strongly detest cruelty and malice, and will put an end to it when I see it. (Good) |
| 5 | Tourist: I enjoy seeing the wonders of this world. (Any) |
| 6 | Hanging Loose: When I get excited, I tend to cause a little mayhem. (Chaotic) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I am seeking a certain person, and wish to find them as quickly as possible. |
| 2 | I miss my grove, and I yearn to return to it. |
| 3 | A wandering traveler helped me escape the clutches of some particularly cruel evildoers. I want to repay my debt to them. |
| 4 | The people of the outside world are queer creatures. I wish to study them so I can understand them. |
| 5 | Something that happened in the past torments me to this day. I wish to find a way to come to terms with my internal pain. |
| 6 | Many of my unicorn friends have been left homeless after evil scoured their territory. I want to help them in any way I can. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | It is not easy keeping my anger contained when innocent people are getting hurt. |
| 2 | I am very eager to jump into any situation, perhaps to a fault. |
| 3 | I will often make excuses to avoid situations that will tarnish my beauty/handsomeness. |
| 4 | My natural perfume is so strong, it is often repulsive to people. |
| 5 | I am very slow to trust new people. |
| 6 | Several evil forces are interested in my power. I often attract unwanted trouble if they realize I am nearby. |
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