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Playing a Stoneborn

Stoneborn are a reclusive species, tending to live in isolated, close-knit communities in extreme environments, especially high in the mountains. Often settling in inhospitable environments, rumors say that stoneborn rely on the hidden magic of Entamba, their creator god, to thrive in places others would starve. Though few outsiders have seen their communal villages, Stoneborn are sometimes encountered in the settlements of humans, dwarves, and other species of Taelgar. These travelers are often master artisans, deeply skilled in their trades, and it is often said that individual stoneborn spend decades, or even a century, honing their craft.

Stoneborn appear to be humanoids shaped of stone, and have appearances as diverse as the varied colors and textures of stone in the world. This appearance has led outsiders to speculate that they are literally born from the stone of their mountain home; whether this rumor is true, the stoneborn do not say.

Creating Your Stoneborn Character

When you create your stoneborn character, consider why you left your community. Many stoneborn villages share an ethos communal decision-making and consensus-building that creates extremely close-knit communities. Did you leave your home on a personal mission? A mission for your community? Or maybe a tragedy forced you to leave, or a personal mistake drove you into exile.

Many stoneborn also have a deep sense of mastery over a craft, often training for very long periods to become true masters. Do you have a craft or obsession you are connected to? Did you have a mentor or a master you apprenticed under? Or maybe you are still seeking your craft; perhaps your class represents your focus.

A common story, if you engaging with the lore of the stoneborn does not interest you, is that you grew up in an isolated village in the Sentinels, and left your home on a personal mission unrelated to your village or community.

Stoneborn Names

Stoneborn in Taelgar typically have a single given name; in stoneborn society names are not gendered. Some stoneborn may also use the name of their community as a signifier, especially when traveling outside their homeland.

For some stoneborn, their training and discipline are as much a part of their identity as their family and community; these stoneborn may take a use name reflecting their skill. For example, a skilled stonemason may take the use name Stonebreaker or Stonecarver; a skilled warrior may take the use name Quickblade or Strongaxe; or a skilled teacher may take the use name Loremaster or Mindshaper. These use names are often used in place of a community name, and sometimes used in place of a birth name.

To choose the name for your stoneborn character, you might consider one of the birth names below, or invent your own, which might not follow typical stoneborn conventions. You might also choose to invent a use name and/or a community name for your character.

Birth Names: Arvid, Aglath, Anathi, Bomika, Cebo, Dumoth, Elethu, Ivak, Kamva, Lumiko, Luvoth, Malimi, Maumak, Masandith, Nandi, Onako, Saliza, Songath, Sumeyad, Thandeka, Themba, Unathid, Yandisa, Zola

Basic Traits

Creature Type: Humanoid
Size: Stoneborn are between 7 and 8 feet tall and weigh between 280 and 450 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Speed: 30 feet
Age: Stoneborn age much more slowly than humans, reaching maturity around 25, but not reaching old age until 200 or later. Stoneborn metabolism slows as they age, and the eldest stoneborn seem as if they are statues, rarely moving or speaking.
Languages: You may select four Languages during character creation, which likely include Common and Stoneborn. Like all characters, you may choose to replace one of these language proficiencies with a tool proficiency.

Stoneborn Traits

As a Stoneborn, you have these special traits.

Powerful Build

You have Advantage on any ability check you make to end the Grappled condition. You also count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity.

Entamba’s Resilience

If you fail a Strength, Constitution, Wisdom, or Charisma saving throw, you may call on the resilience of Entamba and roll 1d6, adding the number on the die to the saving throw. If this turns a failure into a success, you may not use this feature again until you finish a Long Rest.

Body of Stone

You only require 1/4 lb of food per day to sustain you, and you have advantage on saving throws to avoid Exhaustion from Malnutrition. You are immune to environmental effects caused by high altitude or extreme cold.

Soul of the Mountain

As a Stoneborn, you are connected to Entamba, the soul of the mountain. Choose one of the following benefits to reflect this connection. You can use your chosen benefit a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.

  • Glacier’s Strike: When you hit a target with an attack roll and deal damage to it, you can also deal 1d6 Cold damage to that target and reduce its Speed by 10 feet until the start of your next turn.
  • Avalanche’s Blow: When you hit a Large or smaller creature with an attack roll and deal damage to it, you can give that target the Prone condition.
  • Rock’s Endurance: When you take damage, you can take a Reaction to roll 1d12. Add your Constitution modifier to the number rolled and reduce the damage by that total.
  • Stone’s Focus: When you make an ability check using a skill or tool you have proficiency in, you can channel Entamba’s focus. You add your Proficiency Bonus to the roll one additional time.