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5e Playable Lineage: Chimere

My kid and I came up with this lineage in the car. It's not playtested, but I think it'd be fun in a campaign where you restrict the lineages players can start with, and using this to fill the small niche.

 Chimere

Chimeres are incongruous medleys of assorted animals. They are typically humanoid, although one may encounter chimeres that are configured more like centaurs, harpies, merfolk, or naga.


Chimeres are born as grubbers—soft, pallid, plump, and nearly featureless. At age five, they attract a variety of animal spirits and begin to take on their features. Folk wisdom insists that these animals represent aspects of the chimere’s disposition or destiny, but the learned point out that this belief does not hold up to scrutiny and can be a source of unfair bias.


The majority of chimeres take on the features of small animals and themselves stand at around three feet tall. These chimeres are called mingelmalkin.


A small percentage of chimeres take on the features of larger animals. They stand between five and eight feet tall, and are generally recognized as leaders among chimeres, whether they are fit for the role or not. These are the Grand Chimeres.

Mingelmalkin Traits

Ability Score Increase. Choose one: (a) Increase one ability score by +2, and increase a different one by +1; (b) Increase three different ability scores by +1. 

Languages. You can speak, read, and write the Common Tongue of your area, and can speak with and understand the speech of two of your Constituent Animals.

Size. You are Small.

Speed. Your walking speed is 30 feet. Your speed may be modified by your choice of Constituent Animal Traits.

Nimble. You can move through the space of creatures a size larger than yours.

Constituent Animal Anatomy. Roll 2d6 four times on the Mingelmalkin Constituent Animals table and keep three results. Then, select two constituent animal traits that are appropriate to these results.


Mingelmalkin Constituent Animals

1st d6

2nd d6

Animal




1

1

Badger

4

1

Mouse

1

2

Bat

4

2

Newt

1

3

Beaver

4

3

Otter

1

4

Cat

4

4

Owl

1

5

Deer

4

5

Pig

1

6

Dog

4

6

Rabbit

2

1

Donkey

5

1

Rat

2

2

Fish

5

2

Seal

2

3

Fox

5

3

Sheep

2

4

Frog

5

4

Snail

2

5

Goat

5

5

Snake

2

6

Hedgehog

5

6

Songbird

3

1

Insect

6

1

Spider

3

2

Landfowl

6

2

Squirrel

3

3

Lizard

6

3

Toad

3

4

Lobster

6

4

Turtle

3

5

Mole

6

5

Waterfowl

3

6

Monkey

6

6

Weasel

Constituent Animal Traits

Alert. You gain the Alert feat.

Burrower. You gain a burrowing speed of 10’.

Climber. You gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed.

Darkvision. You can see in the dark for 60’.

Defense. You have a natural defense that allows you to add your Proficiency to your Armor Class.

Flight. You gain a flying speed equal to your Proficiency x10.

Keen Sense. Choose one sense (Hearing, Smell, or Long-distance Vision) that is notably acute. You gain advantage in Perception checks that rely on this sense.

Polyped. You have two or more pairs of legs. You gain +10’ to your walking speed, and have advantage against being knocked prone.

Prehensile Tail. You can hold an object with your tail. The tail is not coordinated enough to perform actions with (including making attacks or defending with a shield), but can transfer the object to your hands without using an action. You can also hang from your tail, leaving your hands free.

Standing Leap. You can long jump up to 20 feet and high jump is up to 10 feet without a running start.

Stealthy. You gain proficiency in Stealth. If you gain Stealth from your background or initial class, you gain expertise in it.

Swimmer. You gain a swim speed equal to your walking speed and can hold your breath for a number of minutes equal to your Constitution score.

Grand Chimere Traits

Ability Score Increase. Choose one: (a) Increase one ability score by +2, and increase a different one by +1; (b) Increase three different ability scores by +1. 

Languages. You can speak, read, and write the Common Tongue of your area, and can speak with and understand the speech of two of your Constituent Animals.

Size. You are Medium.

Speed. Your walking speed is 30 feet. Your speed may be modified by your choice of Constituent Animal Traits.

Grand Bearing. You gain proficiency in Intimidation.

Constituent Animals. Roll once on the Grand Constituent Animals table. Roll three times on the Mingelmalkins Constituent Animal table  and keep two results. Then, select two constituent animal traits that are appropriate to these results.


Grand Constituent Animals 

d12

Animals

1

Bear

2

Boar

3

Cattle

4

Crocodile

5

Dolphin

6

Eagle

7

Elk

8

Horse

9

Lynx

10

Swan

11

Walrus

12

Wolf



Note: The Constituent Animal tables are derived chiefly from European animals. DMs are encouraged to rewrite or edit the tables with mundane animals from other regions to suit their campaign worlds.


Further, the tables are meant as inspiration, and players should feel free to exercise license in how they interpret the results. However, we do not recommend abandoning random generation and simply picking three animals. Embrace the chaos!


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