Cephalid
It's been a while since our last race, so we thought we'd ease back into them with a simple one: a cephalopod with eight limbs and strictly no bones. Think of it is a sort of tentacle-flavored companion piece to the wakeful; instead of only bones, it's everything but the bones. Though don't worry, if your wakeful character and squid-man character touch, they will not meld into one boring human, as 'completing the set' doesn't actually matter. We ran some tests, that's not how these things work.
As for the actual homebrew for today, the cephalids are an aquatic race of octopus-people, perfect for any player looking to escape having to play a triton in their next underwater campaign. Cephalids are the intellectuals to balance the tritons' more jock energy, so if you want to build a wizard whose naturally moist and has too many appendages, we have what you need.
Cephalids also get the Amorphous trait, a result of their lack of bones that we encourage you to use creatively. We debated whether it was wise to give players this ability, since squeezing under doorways and other such tricks can seriously complicate a DM's plans, but we eventually decided that it would be alright. After all, your gear doesn't become Amorphous with you, so if you insist on crawling through a cracked window into the evil nobleman's mansion, just remember you'll have to deal with the guards without a sword and, most likely, without pants.
Any players out there who like the stranger character options should have a lot of fun with the cephalids, and we hope that the rest of you take the chance to try something weirder on for size. Until next time!
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Cephalid
Winding limbs and bulbous heads create the variable shape of the wondrous cephalid, an amphibious group of salt-water dwellers. Just as they twist their limbs, so too do the cephalids twist their brains, occupying themselves with all matters of puzzles, riddles, and problem-solving.
Cloistered Coasts
Cephalids are as curious as they are cautious. They carve homes from discarded shells and debris off of beachy coasts. Though they may approach the surface for occasional trade and diplomacy, cephalid colonies prefer to keep to themselves, as their unfortunate resemblance to the wicked mind flayers has led to more than one misunderstanding amongst uneducated land-dwellers.
By extension, they keep their intellectual exploration within a controlled context. Rather than explore far off lands and hold grand adventures, the typical cephalid is content to ponder a philosophical problem for hours on end, or to add a new brain teaser to their personal book of riddles. Thus, cephalids greatly value scholarly pursuits. For this reason, cephalid colonies often organize themselves around libraries, schools, and universities, with leadership positions held by the group’s most accomplished thinkers.
Tide Time
The sky and its stars, while an area of study for the cephalids, holds little sway over their calendars and schedules as it does for so many others. Instead, cephalids look to the moon and the changing tide of the sea. Cephalids work at high tide and rest at low, and holidays are marked not by calendar dates, but instead by eclipses and lunar phases.
While cephalids live a relatively short time, their experience is quite different from the average humanoid, as they experience ‘days’ twice as often and ‘annual’ events several times in a given calendar year. An elderly cephalid who reports to be ‘140 cycles’ old may, in fact, be 35.
Problem Solvers
Though cephalids are short lived, each can accomplish something quite extraordinary. A cephalid typically takes on a ‘life conundrum’ after around 5 years of age (roughly 20 ‘cycles’), and ponders this issue relentlessly until they find their answer. Upon reaching an epiphany, the cephalid then enjoys a period of retirement, relaxation, and celebration until they pass away.
These discoveries can range from philosophical musings to grand symphonies, depending on a cephalid’s interest. This knowledge is all painstakingly recorded in the cephalid’s libraries to stoke the flames of thought for future generations.
Cephalid Names
Cephalids spend most of their time in the water, and due to their beaks, communicate using an Aquan vernacular that features numerous clicks, hisses, and gurgles. In addition to an ‘identifying’ name, cephalids also take on their ‘colony’ name, a formality used in their publications and recordkeeping that serves to bring recognition to a colony when their discoveries pass between other colonies.
Male Names: Chudjak, Ch’kul, Djik’kul, Djurak, Jakul, K’klur, Kak, Tsurak
Female Names: Chuku, Ch’ka, Djik’ka, Djuk’ka, J’ka, Kaku, Klu, Tsu
Colony Names: K’chaku (“of the Deep”), K’tsu’djka (“of the Western Shores)
Cephalid Traits
Your cephalid character has the following traits.
Size. A fully grown, outstretched cephalid can be up to 7 or 8 feet long and usually weighs around 120 pounds. They have two tentacles that are especially dexterous and can act as arms, while the rest of their appendages aid them in swimming and walking. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet, and you have a swimming speed of 30 feet.
Amorphous. You can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing. You cannot take equipment with you that would not otherwise fit through the space.
Amphibious. You can breathe air and water.
Camouflage. You can attempt to hide in any environment, even without cover or concealment, if you spend 1 minute camouflaging yourself to match your environment. Your camouflage lasts until you move or take an action.
Darkvision. Accustomed to the dark ocean, 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 colors in darkness, only shades of gray.
Ink Cloud. As an action, you can release a cloud of gaseous ink in a 20-foot radius centered on yourself. The sphere spreads around corners, and its area is heavily obscured. The ink remains for 1 minute, or until it is dispersed by a wind of moderate or greater speed (at least 10 miles per hour). The ink disperses more effectively in water, spreading in a 40-foot radius when you use this ability underwater.
Once you use this ability, you cannot do so again until you complete a short or long rest.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Primordial.
Classic Traits
Ability Score Increase. Most cephalids are quite flexible and frequently exercise their mind. Your Intelligence score increases by 2 and your Dexterity score increases by 1.
Age. Cephalids mature much faster than most land-dwelling races. They’re considered young until age 5, and they live to an average of 40 years.
Alignment. Centered around their community, most cephalids tend towards Lawful alignments.