Variant Heritages

This Article is in accordance with the version 0.94 of Runarcana RPG

Although members of a species are similar to each other, external or even genetic factors can oftenly present certain members of that origin with a huge divergence within what is general for that species.

The Variants are Heritages that describe certain members that were modified by some factor, be it genetic or magical, or even in some magical way that affects genetics.

These members are usually visibly different from other members of their species, either because they are exaggerated in size or even because they have some characteristic that is clearly not standard for that species.

Each Variant costs one Heritage Point, but you can only choose one of them. Humans can choose up to 2 Variants. These Heritages can only be chosen by specific Origins, check the List of Heritages by Origin to find out which Variants can be chosen by your character.

Amphibian

Whether you have a connection with a Marai ancestor in your blood, because you were built with that in mind, or even because you are from a family of Yordles who has adapted to life underwater, you can breathe both under it and on land. You receive the following modifiers:

• You can breathe underwater, and you take no penalty for underwater combat.
• Your swimming speed increases by an amount equal to half your proficiency bonus times 5, in feet, and you take no penalty from difficult terrain composed of water.
• You are proficient with the net, spear and trident.

This Heritage can be chosen a second time only at character creation, granting the following modifiers:

• You gain 30 feet of darkvision underwater. If you already have, you add those 30 feet.
• You have advantage on Dexterity saving throws against being Grappled or Restrained.

Colossus

You are unusually large for your species, dwarfing most of those around you. You receive the following modifiers:

• Your size for carrying capacity purposes and weight you can push, drag or lift counts as one category above
• Your melee attacks deal 1 additional damage, in contrast, your clothing, armor, and weapons cost 50% more, rounded up.

This Heritage can be chosen a second time only at character creation, granting the following modifiers:

• Your size increases by one category
• You gain the Size Adjustments described in Chapter 9: Combat Creature Size
• All of your clothes, weapons, and armor cost twice as much.

Note: Large-sized creatures have several social difficulties such as entering establishments, finding clothes, in addition to having a higher expenditure on food and hardly finding mounts.

Iceborn

You have the strength of the Iceborn in your blood, an experiment carried out by the Frozen Watchers on the Freljordians in the past, but which still runs rampant today. You gain the following modifiers:

• You gain resistance to frigid weather and weakness to psychic attacks.
• You ignore levels of exhaustion caused by prolonged exposure to freezing temperatures.
• You can use True Ice more easily.

This Heritage can be chosen a second time only during character creation, granting the following modifiers:

• You make checks to use true ice with advantage.
• You gain Cold Damage Reduction equal to your proficiency bonus

Half-Vastaya

You are the offspring of a “forbidden” relationship between a human and a Vastaya, a relationship that is considered taboo by both species. If you are already a Vastaya, you cannot choose a variant heritage from the same tribe as yours. When choosing a tribe of ancestry, you receive the following modifiers:

Half-Oovi-kat

Your Vastaya Heritage has brought out an Oovi-Kat trait in you.

Sho'ma's Heritage. Using an action and making a DC 17 Transformation roll, you can change some minor aspect of your appearance, such as hair or eye color, while retaining a number of different traits equal to your Proficiency bonus. Additionally, a number of times equal to your Proficiency bonus per full rest, you can make this Transformation roll to transform into a different being, feel emotions, and glimpse part of that being's recent memory. Transforming into another creature requires 2 minutes of observation, to feel its emotions and a glimpse of its recent memories requires observation for at least 10 minutes. These recent memories are sensations and images about what happened in the last hour, before you try to understand its memories. When in another form, you retain all of your traits. On a success, you assume that creature's appearance for a maximum of 10 times your Proficiency bonus in minutes. This transformation requires Concentration.

Half-Marai

Your Vastaya heritage has brought out a Marai trait in you:

Heritage of the Deep. You can breathe on land as well as in water, and combat underwater does not inflict movement penalties or disadvantages on you. While underwater, you have darkvision of 60 feet. Additionally, a number of times equal to your Proficiency bonus per full rest, you can use your action to trigger a sonar blast, unleashing a 10-foot cone that deals 1d4 + half your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier thunder damage. All creatures within range must make a Constitution saving throw with DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier or take that damage. On a success, they only take half that damage. Deaf creatures have advantage on this saving throw.

Half-Shimon

Your Vastaya heritage has brought out a Shimon trait in you:

Simian Heritage. You can reroll a failed Strength, Dexterity or Constitution check a number of times equal to half your proficiency bonus per full rest. Additionally, your unarmed strikes have their damage increased by one category.

Half-Fauhwoon

Your Vastaya heritage has brought out a Fauhwoon trait in you:

Protector Heritage. You have a smaller pair of horns than the Fauhwoon. The horns deal 1d4 + your Strength modifier in bludgeoning damage. Additionally, whenever you heal or otherwise protect an ally using an action or a bonus action, your next melee attack's damage increases by one on the scale and deals your proficiency bonus as additional damage.

Half-Ottrani

Your Vastaya heritage has brought out an Ottrani trait in you:

Stellar Heritage. As an action, you can heal a creature within 30 feet of you by spending a Hit Dice, doing so you take half the amount healed as damage to yourself (this damage cannot be reduced or mitigated). You can spend an amount of dice equal to half your proficiency bonus per full rest. Additionally, you can touch a creature within 5 feet of you to heal it for a number of hit points equal to half your proficiency bonus + half your Wisdom modifier. You can use this ability a number of times equal to half your Proficiency bonus per full rest.

Half-Kiilash

Your Vastaya heritage has brought out in you a Killash trait:

Predatory Heritage. You have claws and fangs that can be used as weapons, and you are proficient with both. Your claws deal 1d4 + half your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity or Strength modifier slashing damage, and your bite deals 1d6 + half your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier piercing damage. Additionally, you see in dim light up to 30 feet as if it were bright light and in the dark as if it were dim light. You cannot discern colors in the dark, only shades of gray.

Half-Lhotlan

Your Vastaya heritage has brought out in you a Lhotlan trait:

Aerial Heritage. When performing high jumps, you can jump a number of times equal to up to 3 + one and a half times your Strength modifier (minimum of 1) feet in height. Additionally, you can use a bonus action to create 1 sharp feather and use it as a dagger, dealing your Proficiency bonus as additional damage to attacks you make with it. You can do this a number of times equal to half your Proficiency bonus per full rest. You may keep a number of Plumdaggers equal to your Proficiency bonus.

Technological Progression

Your body has been altered through irreversible procedures. While you were originally a normal member of your origin, your body has now been altered through some process. You gain the following modifiers:

When choosing this Heritage, you must choose between possessing a power source, a Hex Core or a Chemical Source, your choice will determine the benefits you have:

Hex Core. You possess a power source from a hextech crystal found somewhere within your body.

• Variety of Enhancements. Choose 1 item from the Tech Variant Perks list.

Chemtech Source. You have a power source that comes from a chemtech liquid found somewhere in your body.

• Variety of Enhancements. Choose 2 items from the Tech Variant Advantages list and 1 item from the Tech Variant Disadvantages list.

You can choose this Variant more than once to choose a new energy source, granting you all of its features.

Advantages of the Technological Variant

• Climbing Adaptation. You gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed.
• Underwater Adaptation. You can breathe both air and water, and you gain a swimming speed equal to your walking speed.
• Integrated Weapon. Technologically-enhanced creatures can replace a limb of their body with a melee or ranged weapon that is in your starting equipment, you use that weapon normally. This perk can be chosen more than once.
• Natural Weapons. You have claws that can deal 1d8 + your Strength modifier slashing damage, and fangs that can deal 1d6 + your Strength modifier piercing damage.
• Ink Sac. You can use an action to make a special ranged attack to blind a creature in your line of sight within 15 feet of you if it fails a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw. If you are able to make multiple attacks with the Attack action, this attack replaces one of them. Creatures that don't need sight are unaffected by this attack, and affected creatures must use an action to wipe off the ink. This skill works differently underwater: As a bonus action, you can create a heavy area of obscuration in a 5-foot radius of you. Once you use this ability, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest. You can select this ability multiple times.
• Carapace. Your skin has additional coverage. When you take damage other than spiritual and true damage, you decrease the damage taken by an amount equal to your proficiency bonus. You do not lessen damage taken through conditions.
• Adaptive Defense. As a bonus action, you send a command to your core, causing it to emit a field that shields you from attacks for 1 minute. When sending the command you must direct it to physical or magical attacks, the chosen type of attack has disadvantage against you. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus per Full Rest.
• Chromatic Epidermis. You have advantage on Stealth checks you make to hide. Additionally, while unarmored, you can attempt to hide even without light or heavy cover, as long as you remain stationary.
• Maneuver Hook. You have a hook attached to a 60-foot long metal line. As an action, you can fire the grappling hook at a surface within range, latching onto it. Additionally, as a bonus action, you can break free and leap to a target within 15 feet of you, making a melee attack against that target.
• Frozen Age. Your physical age may not match the years you've lived, unlike a normal human.
• Robotic Limb. You have 1 mechanical upper limb somewhere on your body and you have control over it normally. This advantage can be chosen more than once for additional members.
• Patagium. You have membranes that act like fins and can be used like wings to slow your fall or allow you to glide. If you take a fall and are not Incapacitated, you can subtract up to 100 feet from the fall damage calculation, you can also move 2 feet forward for every 1 foot you are falling.
• Intoxicating Skin. Any creature that grabs you or comes into direct contact with your skin must pass a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or be Intoxicated for 1 minute. An Intoxicated creature that is no longer in contact with your skin can repeat the saving throw at the end of its turn, ending the effect on a success.
• Metallic Protection. You have coated your skin with a metallic alloy that grants you natural protection. As long as you are not wearing any armor, your AC equals 13 + your Dexterity modifier.
• Superior Sense. Technologically Enhanced creatures have advantage on Perception checks through hearing, smell or sight.
• Darkvision. Your eyes have been replaced by cameras with the ability to adapt to darkness. You see in dim light up to 30 feet as if it were bright light and in the dark as if it were dim light. You cannot discern colors in the dark, only shades of gray.

Disadvantages of the Technological Variant

• Breathing Apparatus. You have trouble breathing normally, and you need a device to help you with this vital process. If your device breaks or you are without it, you have disadvantage on Constitution saving throws related to breathing. You use only half your Constitution modifier rounded down, if the value is positive, to hold your breath and when suffocating. The device is waterproof, and if it breaks, it takes 1 hour of work and a successful DC 10 check using Inventor's Tools to fix it.
• Pipes and Smoke. You have pipes coming out of your body and smoke comes out of them. When you roll a Stealth check, you have disadvantage due to the smoke from the pipes.
• Death Face. You suffered an accident, whether or not resulting from your modification, causing a facial deformity. You have disadvantage on Persuasion and Deception checks.
• Madness. You suffered a trauma upon awakening from your modification. You make a roll and gain a madness effect from the Permanent Madness table. Additionally, together with your Master, you must define a trigger that reminds you of your trauma. When exposed to this trigger, the Master may ask you to roll on the Short- or Long-term Madness table. You gain an effect for the duration of the table.
• Shapeshifter. Your appearance is very different from that of a human, whether you are a human with animal characteristics or an animal with human characteristics.
• Voice Modulator. You are unable to speak, so you use a device that replaces your voice. You have disadvantage on Performance checks related to your voice.
• Bloodlust. You have an obsession with blood, whether to consume it, smell it in the air, or simply a strong desire to spill more and more blood. You have a very sensitive sense of smell to detect blood. When coming into contact with a quantity of blood, the Master may ask once a day for a Wisdom saving throw DC following the table. On a failure, you lose control and the Master assumes control of your character as any other NPC for up to 10 minutes

Amount of Blood	DC
10ml to 100ml	5
101 ml to 1L	10
1.1L to 10L	15
10.1L or more	20

• Overload. If you roll a 1 on the die, roll another d20. If you roll a number lower than 7, you gain 1 level of exhaustion.
• Chemtech Tubes. You have several tubes attached to your body, making you vulnerable to certain attacks. When you receive a critical hit, you become Weakened until you spend 1 action repairing the damage to the tubes.

Risen

The half-Azakan and half-Kanmei are very close because the difference between a sense of mission and obsession is quite tenuous. The Spectrals, on the other hand, end up returning to the physical world in a different way, without the intercession of Kanmei or Azakanas, often through other even more powerful entities such as Nagakabouros, potent magical substances such as Cage-Fish liquid or even through pure magic, be it Spiritual or Celestial.

You can choose this Heritage at the time of your character creation or if you die at higher levels, if your Master allows it. When choosing it at higher levels, you must give up one of your Heritages and replace it with this one. Choose between becoming a Specter, Half-Azakana or Half-Kanmei, receiving the following modifiers:

Specter

Life happened. But yours came to an end, and with that, some form of necromantic energy was able to bring you back, either through obsession or a sense of justice. You still have scores to settle, but thanks to the energy of the world of the dead, you ended up returning as a Specter. You receive the following characteristics:

• You can speak the Ochnum language.
• Shadow Resilience. You are immune to natural diseases and poison, you receive only half the value from healing spells and effects, you gain absorption to necrotic damage and resistance to poison damage, but you are vulnerable to radiant damage, gold weapons, and silver weapons.
• You are now affected by spells, abilities, or any other effect that works on undead. Class abilities such as Turn and Destroy Undead from the Spirit Rite Acolyte have their rules modified for you as described below.

Turn and Destroy Undead. As they are undead, specters are susceptible to spells that affect this type of creature, this includes the Effluvium responsible for Turning or Destroying Undead, however the mechanics for this are slightly different.

For the Turn Undead feature of the Spiritual Rite Acolyte, if you fail the save, instead of running away as best you can, you just become Frightened of the person who used the ability and will avoid approaching them.

For the Spirit Rite Acolyte's Destroy Undead feature, if you fail the save, you take damage based on the CR that the ability could destroy according to the table below.

Damage for Destroying Undead Table
Destroys CR Undead	Damage Taken
1/2 or less	1d10 radiant damage
1 or less	2d10 radiant damage
2 or less	3d10 radiant damage
3 or lower	4d10 radiant damage
4 or lower	5d10 radiant damage

This Heritage can be chosen a second time starting at 5th level, granting the following modifiers:

• Alternation. Using an action, you can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. For 1 minute, you become immune to nonmagical attacks and can still cast spells, but you are unable to make physical attacks. If you end your turn inside a creature or object, you take 1d10 force damage and are pushed to the nearest unoccupied space. You can only take this action a number of times equal to your Proficiency bonus from a long rest.
• You take only half the damage dealt by Smite Undead

Half-Azakana

You have died. But something in the spirit world has stirred your existence and your essence, causing part of it to merge with that of a creature from the spirit world, an Azakana. An evil entity that preys on the most terrible emotions of living beings. Although you have become partially an infernal creature, this does not mean that you have become evil. You gain the following characteristics:

• You can read, write, and speak the Demon language.
• Infernal Resilience. You have resistance to fire and necrotic damage. If you already have resistance to either of these damages, you gain immunity instead. In addition, you are vulnerable to radiant damage, gold weapons, and silver weapons.
• You are now affected by spells, abilities, or any other effect that works on fiends.

This Heritage can be chosen a second time only during character creation, granting the following modifiers:

• Aura of Fear. Your mere presence can terrify other creatures. Using an action, you can create an aura around you in a 30-foot radius centered on you, this aura lasts for up to 1 minute or until you become Incapacitated. Creatures that are in this area, start their turn within it, or enter it must make a Wisdom saving throw DC 10 + your proficiency bonus + half your character level. On a failed save, the creature is Frightened of you until the end of this aura's duration. An affected creature can repeat the saving throw at the start of each of its turns to end this condition. On a successful save, the creature is immune to this effect for the next minute. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Proficiency bonus per full rest.
• You no longer have vulnerability to radiant damage.

Half-Kanmei

Your spirit has ascended. The spirit world is a complex terrain, sometimes some people reach it after their disembodiment, but a greater and noble motivation makes their sense of duty not let them rest. Kind spirits, Kanmei, may approach you and perceive sincerity and kindness in your mission, giving up part of their essence so that you can return to the physical world and fulfill your role. You receive the following characteristics:

• You can read, write, and speak the Spirit language.
• Spiritual Resilience. You have resistance to radiant damage; if you already had resistance, you gain immunity instead. You have advantage on saving throws to resist any effect that would cause you to be charmed. You are also vulnerable to necrotic damage.
• You are now affected by spells, abilities, or any other effect that works on spirits.

This Heritage can be chosen a second time only during character creation, granting the following modifiers:

• Super Buddy. You have a natural supernatural charm, something practically ethereal. Using an action, you can attempt to charm a creature within 60 feet of you that can see or hear you. That creature must make a Wisdom saving throw DC 10 + your proficiency bonus + half your character level. On a failed save, the creature becomes Charmed by you for the next minute, and can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns to end this condition. Only one creature can be Charmed at a time. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Proficiency bonus per full rest.
• You are no longer vulnerable to necrotic damage.