Tortle

Tortle Features

Source: Monsters of the Multiverse
What many tortles consider a simple life, others might call a life of adventure. Tortles are born near sandy coastlines, but as soon as they're able to walk on two legs, they become nomad survivalists eager to explore the wilderness, experience its many wonders, put their skills to the test, and make new acquaintances.
Ability Scores Choose one of: (a) Choose any +2; choose any other +1 (b) Choose three different +1
Speed 30ft.
Size You are Medium or Small. You choose the size when you select this race.
Claws You have claws that you can use to make unarmed strikes. When you hit with them, the strike deals 1d6 + your Strength modifier slashing damage, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Hold Breath You can hold your breath for up to 1 hour.
Natural Armor Your shell provides you a base AC of 17 (your Dexterity modifier doesn't affect this number). You can't wear light, medium, or heavy armor, but if you are using a shield, you can apply the shield's bonus as normal.
Nature's Intuition Thanks to your mystical connection to nature, you gain proficiency with one of the following skills of your choice: Animal Handling, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Stealth, or Survival.
Shell Defense You can withdraw into your shell as an action. Until you emerge, you gain a +4 bonus to your AC, and you have advantage on Strength and Constitution saving throws. While in your shell, you are prone, your speed is 0 and can't increase, you have disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws, you can't take reactions, and the only action you can take is a bonus action to emerge from your shell.
Languages You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language that you and your DM agree is appropriate for your character.

Civilization and Culture

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Tortles are peaceful and reclusive and tend to get along well with races with similar habits and personalities. They tend to move and speak in a slower, more mild fashion, compared to the other dwellers of the material plane. They live in hunter/gatherer style tribes and are ignorant of modern technology, normally living in mud and straw huts. They live under the servitude of the Chief of the Tribe, who rules like a monarch, with their descendants taking the mantle once they pass. Tortle tribes are friendly to most if not all races but are especially friendly toward peaceful Lizardfolk. Few races are able to look past the reptilian aspects of both their species, because of this, they get along. Other than using the slash and burn farming method (which leeches nutrients from the soil), tortles generally live in harmony with nature. Tortles crawl for the first few weeks of their life. After they learn how to walk on two legs, tortles are expected to fend for themselves. Tortles mature by the age of 40, and live for about 365 years. Tortles refrain from mating until they are approaching the final years of their lives, and will die within a year of mating. All females ready to produce eggs gather in a specially prepared compound, which the males guard against attack. Tortle eggs are considered delicacies, so the location of the egg-laying grounds is always defended. Each female lays 4-24 eggs, which hatch about six months later. Because of this, tribes are often massive, spanning miles upon miles of land. However, it is not uncommon for tortles to practice a nomadic lifestyle. This is because tortles consider their homes to be the shells on their back.

History

Tortles have a saying: "We wear our homes on our backs." These turtle folk live on many worlds, most often journeying up and down coasts, along waterways, and across the sea. Tortles don't have a unified story of how they were created, but they all have a sense of being mystically connected to the natural world. Carrying their shelter on their backs gives tortles a special feeling of security wherever they go, for even if they visit a far, unknown country, they have a place to lay their heads.

Notable Characters

• Gerson Gilbert Galapagos 

Scientific Name

Humanoid

Average Height

An adult Tortle stands just under 6 feet tall.

Average Weight

They weigh more than 750 pounds.

Average Physique

Tortles have no hair; their skin is mostly olive or blue-green. Their back shells are usually shinier and darker than their skin, while their front shells tend to be lighter, with a yellowish cast. A Tortle's mouth is beak-like and toothless and can deliver a vicious bite. Tortles are stocky, but most of their weight comes from their shells, so they tend to remain at the same weight throughout their adult lives, never growing fat or thin. Their arms and hands are shaped like those of humans, but thicker. Tortles can wield most weapons as easily as humans, though they usually do not wear clothing, only sometimes wearing cloaks, belts, or harnesses for carrying tools and supplies.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Tortles exhibit the same range of coloration and patterns found among turtles, and many tortles enjoy adorning their shells in distinctive ways.