Defiant

Not-undead skeletons. The "children" of Nexxioca. Somewhat frightening.

Almost exclusively created within the undead-administrated city state of Nexxioca, the defiant are awakened skeletons - not undead - created by an arcane process not fully understood by outsiders. The defiant were initially a maligned race, their appearance too similar to true undead. However, over the centuries, they have proved that they can (and should) be treated like any other mortal race. In particular, this reputation was built around a number of early defiant who hunted and destroyed evil undead.

A major part of defiant culture is their start to life. Most are created by the state burdened by the financial debt of their creation - usually 800gp - and as such often spend several years in mundane, labour-intensive employment. An endebted defiant is not a full citizen of Nexxioca and is unable to vote on civic matters, own property within the city state or become an officer in any arm of the Nexxioca armed forces. Less commonly, a defiant is funded by a wealthy patron, maybe as a way to create an independant underling or as a way to form some degree of a family.

Many defiant have some form of tattoo, often on their skull. This includes a small, circular symbol on their right hand side, above their lower jaw, that represents their unpaid debt. Upon the complete payment of their debt, this symbol is either removed or worked into a larger design to represent their freedom. It is a serious offense to tamper with this symbol prior to the clearing of the debt and a particularly dim (and violent) view is taken of undead who have such symbols added in an attempt to disguise them as defiant.

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Defiant

Ability Score Increase Choose one of: (a) Choose any +2; choose any other +1 (b) Choose any +1; choose any other +1; choose any other +1

Size Medium

Speed 30ft.

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Age. Defiant do not appear to age. It is not known whether they can die of natural causes.

Size. Defiant may vary drastically in their size. Your size is Medium or Small. You choose the size when you select this race.

Artificial Life. You were created from the carefully cleaned and prepared skeletal remains of a mortal. You have the following benefits:

You have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned, and you have resistance to poison damage.

You don't need to eat, drink, or breathe.

You are immune to disease.

If the mending spell is cast on you, you regain 1d6 hit points. This healing increases by 1d6 when you reach 5th level ( 2d6 ), 11th level ( 3d6 ), and 17th level ( 4d6 ). Once you have received healing from mending in this way, you may not benefit from this feature again until you have completed a long rest.

Previous Form. Certain traits you have are shaped by the body from which your bones came from. You gain one skill or tool proficiency of your choice. Choose one of the following benefits below when you create your character:

Material Ancestry. You were made from the remains of a race common to the material plane, such as a human or a dwarf. Through luck, grit or residual training, you are harder to harm. Your AC increases by 1.

Fey Ancestry. You were made from the remains of a race with links to the fey, such as an elf or a harengon. You know any one cantrip of your choice. Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell when you cast it with this trait (choose when you select this race).

Bestial Ancestry. You were made from the remains of either a goblinoid or animalistic race, such as an orc or a shifter. If you hit a creature with an attack roll, the creature takes an additional 1d6 damage if it hasn't taken a turn yet in the current combat.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language that you and your DM agree is appropriate for your character.