Umbral Stalkers [Shade-Touched Reptiles]

Umbral Stalkers, Dwellers in Shadow

“On the wide and silent plain, darkening the bright daylight, she turns midday into darkness.”
-Enheduanna, A Hymn to Inana

Playtest Version

This material is still in the process of being playtested. It is fully usable as written, but may be refined or changed in later versions. As always, this content should only be used with GM permission.

The Umbral Stalkers

Umbral stalkers are reptilian folk who, despite their name—at least when viewed in sunlight—have medium to light grey scales that are reminiscent of a dismal fog bank or an overcast sky. In shadows, however, they become difficult to distinguish from the blackness around them even when viewed with darkvision. They tend to be bloody-minded survivors even by the standards of their reptilian kin of other sorts, but their reputation mostly revolves around their talent for harnessing an exotic sort of magic that was deliberately infused into their bloodlines only a few centuries ago.

Touched by Darkness

About two dozen generations ago, a large group of reptilian folk performed a ritual to fill themselves with the power of shadow magic. The rite shifted their entire settlement into the plane of shadow, but when they learned to harness the abilities they gained, they discovered ways to traverse that barrier back into the normal world without great difficulty. Not all umbral stalkers actively train in the strange sorcery to wield the power actively, but all have subtle innate talents from its influence on their nature.

Border Realms

Over time, some umbral stalker druids and sorcerers have learned to bring even their homes half-way back into the real world, creating areas devoid of true daylight that are ominous and inhospitable to ordinary folk but also precarious for those who live on the other side of the veil of shadows as well. Such areas are perfectly suitable to those blending the two planes’ natures like the umbral stalkers, however. These areas, if you can negotiate passage with the locals, can be valuable paths into, or more importantly to escape from, the plane of shadows.

Umbral Stalker Names

Umbral stalkers usually have names typical of lizard folk, but may also have names in peculiar dialects of Elvish or Primordial, if their community on the shadow plane included populations of other folk native to that realm.

Umbral Stalker Traits

Your umbral stalker character has several abilities.
    Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2 and your Charisma score increases by 1.
    Age. Umbral stalkers reach maturity at age 14 and may live to be 70.
Alignment. The environment umbral stalkers live in is harsh and unforgiving, so even if they venture into gentler realms, they have difficulty prioritizing issues beyond survival. As such they generally tend towards neutrality rather than higher (or more depraved) ideals or concerns about methods.
Size. Umbral stalkers are a bit bulkier and heavier than humans. Your size is Medium.
    Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet and you also have a swimming speed of 30 feet.
    Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 120 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.
    Bite. Your bite is a natural weapon which you can use to make unarmed strikes. With a hit, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier.
Born of the Darkness. You have resistance to Necrotic damage, and you have advantage on Intelligence (Arcana) rolls related to the plane of shadow or shadow magic.
Fade into Shadow. When you make Dexterity (Stealth) checks to hide in dim light or darkness, you are considered proficient in the Stealth skill and add double your proficiency bonus instead of your normal proficiency bonus to the check.
Hold Breath. You can hold your breath for 15 minutes.
Natural Armor. Your AC when you aren’t wearing armor is 13 + your Dexterity modifier. You can use a shield as normal, and if you wear armor that provides a lower AC than your natural armor, you may use your natural armor AC instead.
Sunlight Sensitivity. You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.
Waste Not. During a short or long rest, so long as you have a blade or appropriate artisan’s tools, you can craft basic gear from the carcasses of freshly deceased beast, construct, dragon, monstrosity, or plant type creatures that are Small or larger in size. During a rest you can craft a club, a javelin, a shield, 1d4 darts or 1d4 blowgun needles from one such carcass.
    Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Draconic.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Base Weight	Height Modifier	Weight Modifier
4’9″	120 lbs	+2d10	x(1d6)

Legal Appendix

NOTICE OF OPEN GAME CONTENT
This product includes Open Game Content that may only be used under and in terms of the Open Game License Version 1.0a

DESIGNATION OF PRODUCT IDENTITY
Product Identity in this document designated in accordance with section 1(e) of the Open Game License, version 1.0a includes but is not limited to: Any and all Malachite Idol logos and identifying marks and trade dress, including all Malachite Idol product and product line names including but not limited to Malachite Idol Presents, all Malachite Idol logos, and all artwork, logos, symbols, designs, depictions, illustrations, maps and cartography, likenesses, and poses. Designated Product Identity is not Open Game Content.

DESIGNATION OF OPEN GAME CONTENT
All material in this document following the Playtest Version sidebar and prior to the Legal Appendix that is not otherwise designated as Product Identity is Open Game Content.

LICENSE

OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a

The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc (“Wizards”). All Rights Reserved. 1. Definitions: (a)”Contributors” means the copyright and/or trademark owners who have contributed Open Game Content; (b)”Derivative Material” means copyrighted material including derivative works and translations (including into other computer languages), potation, modification, correction, addition, extension, upgrade, improvement, compilation, abridgment or other form in which an existing work may be recast, transformed or adapted; (c) “Distribute” means to reproduce, license, rent, lease, sell, broadcast, publicly display, transmit or otherwise distribute; (d)”Open Game Content” means the game mechanic and includes the methods, procedures, processes and routines to the extent such content does not embody the Product Identity and is an enhancement over the prior art and any additional content clearly identified as Open Game Content by the Contributor, and means any work covered by this License, including translations and derivative works under copyright law, but specifically excludes Product Identity. (e) “Product Identity” means product and product line names, logos and identifying marks including trade dress; artifacts; creatures characters; stories, storylines, plots, thematic elements, dialogue, incidents, language, artwork, symbols, designs, depictions, likenesses, formats, poses, concepts, themes and graphic, photographic and other visual or audio representations; names and descriptions of characters, spells, enchantments, personalities, teams, personas, likenesses and special abilities; places, locations, environments, creatures, equipment, magical or supernatural abilities or effects, logos, symbols, or graphic designs; and any other trademark or registered trademark clearly identified as Product identity by the owner of the Product Identity, and which specifically excludes the Open Game Content; (f) “Trademark” means the logos, names, mark, sign, motto, designs that are used by a Contributor to identify itself or its products or the associated products contributed to the Open Game License by the Contributor (g) “Use”, “Used” or “Using” means to use, Distribute, copy, edit, format, modify, translate and otherwise create Derivative Material of Open Game Content. (h) “You” or “Your” means the licensee in terms of this agreement.

2. The License: This License applies to any Open Game Content that contains a notice indicating that the Open Game Content may only be Used under and in terms of this License. You must affix such a notice to any Open Game Content that you Use. No terms may be added to or subtracted from this License except as described by the License itself. No other terms or conditions may be applied to any Open Game Content distributed using this License.

3.Offer and Acceptance: By Using the Open Game Content You indicate Your acceptance of the terms of this License.

4. Grant and Consideration: In consideration for agreeing to use this License, the Contributors grant You a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, nonexclusive license with the exact terms of this License to Use, the Open Game Content.

5.Representation of Authority to Contribute: If You are contributing original material as Open Game Content, You represent that Your Contributions are Your original creation and/or You have sufficient rights to grant the rights conveyed by this License.

6.Notice of License Copyright: You must update the COPYRIGHT NOTICE portion of this License to include the exact text of the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any Open Game Content You are copying, modifying or distributing, and You must add the title, the copyright date, and the copyright holder’s name to the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any original Open Game Content you Distribute.

7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use any Product Identity, including as an indication as to compatibility, except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of each element of that Product Identity. You agree not to indicate compatibility or co-adaptability with any Trademark or Registered Trademark in conjunction with a work containing Open Game Content except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of such Trademark or Registered Trademark. The use of any Product Identity in Open Game Content does not constitute a challenge to the ownership of that Product Identity. The owner of any Product Identity used in Open Game Content shall retain all rights, title and interest in and to that Product Identity.

8. Identification: If you distribute Open Game Content You must clearly indicate which portions of the work that you are distributing are Open Game Content.

9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designated Agents may publish updated versions of this License. You may use any authorized version of this License to copy, modify and distribute any Open Game Content originally distributed under any version of this License.

10. Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License with every copy of the Open Game Content You Distribute.

11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise the Open Game Content using the name of any Contributor unless You have written permission from the Contributor to do so.

12. Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply with any of the terms of this License with respect to some or all of the Open Game Content due to statute, judicial order, or governmental regulation then You may not Use any Open Game Material so affected.

13. Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You fail to comply with all terms herein and fail to cure such breach within 30 days of becoming aware of the breach. All sublicenses shall survive the termination of this License.

14. Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable, such provision shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it enforceable.

System Reference Document 5.1 Copyright 2016, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Chris Perkins, Rodney Thompson, Peter Lee, James Wyatt, Robert J. Schwalb, Bruce R. Cordell, Chris Sims, and Steve Townshend, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.

END OF LICENSE