Scourgeborne

SGEH

Scourgebornes should not exist. They are an abomination of the world, a vile curse placed on those who peered beyond the veil and succumbed to madness. Their twisted appearance is but a mirror of the darkest recesses of their personality. All sentient creatures harbor a monster within their soul—the dark of you that resents your neighbor for having a better life than you, that hates your friends when they ignore you, that wishes to harm those that wrong you. Most are fortunate enough to be able to hide this monster behind a mask of false virtues. Not the scourgeborne. Their curse has taken the most twisted aspects of their personality and laid them bare for the whole world to see. They wear this disfigured appearance every day; the more resentment, hatred and anger one possesses, the more monstrous the appearance.
Many view this Eldritch revelation as a curse that drives one to slip deeper and deeper into the depths of depravity until nothing but the monster remains. Yet, many refuse to let it break them; with their innermost darkness now visible, they have no choice but to accept it. It is said that accepting a fault is the first step in correcting it. Those scourgeborne who embrace their inner monster but refuse to let it rule them often become messianic heroes within the walls of Luyarnha, attempting to redeem the entire world with their actions—and perhaps one day, themselves.

Scourgeborne Subtypes

Arenea

The person who schemes and creates a web of lies around themselves is, unsurprisingly, bound to turn into an aranea. Also known as half-spiders, these scourgeborne differ from others: though many turn, few retain their sanity. Amongst the scourgeborne, araneas are the least trusted, their appearance revealing their former—or current—manipulative personality. Although most citizens understand the need for violence, especially in Luyarnha, none tolerate deception and betrayal.

Belua

Those who harbor seething anger within oft turn into the most feral of beasts. Belua—also known as half-wolves—are the most feral of all the scourgeborne roaming the streets of Luyarnha. Many of them choose to hide their eyes, as their intense bloodlust turns their gaze crimson red, a terrifying sight for the uninitiated.

Cervus

Amongst the scourgeborne, the cervus are the rarest. To become a cervus, also called half-deer or waldschrat, one must have committed the foulest of sins: devouring the flesh of their kin. Or so the rumor went. This urban legend has long since been disproved, as many of the town's most trusted figures have turned into such creatures. Interestingly, it seems that those who become cervus are the most apt at fighting creatures of the night, an achievement that earns them the respect of hunters across the city-state.

Vespertilio

Those who hid in fear in the face of adversity are cursed to become these beasts of the night. Vespertilio, sometimes known as half-bats, present some of the most accursed beings amongst the scourgeborne. Their unwillingness to see their problems has taken a literal form, as most of their sight was stolen from them. Instead, they received half-broken wings in a cruel farce of fate, as if to run away from their problems. Yet those who harness these new powers can become some of the fiercest hunters—an act of defiance against fate itself.
"You're a saint are you? You've never lied, never deceived, never resented anyone, never wanted to destroy the reputation of your enemies, or never wanted to drive a blade through their arrogant hearts? You judge me for my appearance, but the only monster here… is you."
—Martyr Tulio

Size: Medium (about 4–7 feet tall)

Speed: 30 feet

Creature Type: Monstrosity

Scourgeborne Traits

Born of Madness

Your body is not the one you were born with, but rather the consequence to your exposure to eldritch madness. You have one of the following options based on your alignment:

Good Alignment

Your conviction grants you control over your darkest impulses. You have Advantage on saving throws you make to avoid or end the Charmed condition but have Disadvantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks.

Evil Alignment

You let the depraved monster within you influence you. You gain a bonus to Dexterity saving throws equal to your Proficiency Bonus but have Disadvantage on saving throws you make to avoid or end the Charmed condition.

Eldritch Curse

Your curse is not something mere mortals can undo. You are immune to any spell that would alter your form, such as the Alter Self or Polymorph spells.

Feral Limbs

You can use your horns, claws, or fangs originating from your mutation to make Unarmed Strikes. When you do so, you deal Piercing damage equal to 1d6 plus your Strength modifier instead of the normal damage for your Unarmed Strike. If your alignment is Evil, your feral side is more dominant, and the die size for your Unarmed Strikes increases to a d8.

Monstrous Lineage

You are part of a lineage that grants you supernatural abilities. Choose a lineage from the Monstrous Lineages table. You gain the level 1 benefit of that lineage. When you reach character levels 3 and 5, you gain further benefits, as shown on the table.

Monstrous Lineages
Lineage	Level 1	Level 3	Level 5
Aranea	You have a Climb Speed of 30 feet. While in water, you have Disadvantage on all ability checks and attack rolls.	You can climb difficult surfaces, including along ceilings, without needing to make an ability check. Once you use this trait for 1 minute, you can't do so again until you finish a Long Rest.	You can use your Level 3 trait for a number of minutes equal to your Proficiency Bonus, and you regain all expended minutes when you finish a Long Rest.
Belua	You have Advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell. Whenever you cause a creature to become Bloodied, you take 1d4 Psychic damage as you attempt to retain your sanity.	As a Bonus Action, you can make an Unarmed Strike to feed off of a creature within reach. On a hit, you regain Hit Points equal to the damage dealt. Once you use this trait, you can't do so again until you finish a Long Rest.	You can use your Level 3 trait a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.
Cervus	Your Speed increases to 40 feet. Standing up from the Prone condition costs you an additional 5 feet.	If you move at least 20 feet straight toward a creature and then hit it with a melee attack on the same turn, that target must make a Strength saving throw (DC 8 plus your Strength modifier and your Proficiency Bonus). On a failed save, the target has the Prone condition, and you can immediately take a Bonus Action to make one melee attack against it. Once you've forced a creature to make this save, you can't do so again until you finish a Long Rest.	You can use your Level 3 trait a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.
Vespertilio	You have Blindsight with a range of 30 feet. You have Disadvantage on any ability check or attack roll that requires sight beyond this range.	You can take a Bonus Action to gain a Fly Speed of 30 feet until the end of your turn. If nothing is holding you aloft at the end of your turn, you fall. Once you use this trait, you can't do so again until you finish a Short or Long Rest.	You can use your Level 3 trait a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Short or Long Rest.