D&D 5e and Pathfinder race: Eredar (Draenei, Man'ari)

Eredar

Image credit: Astri Lohne

Draenei are a favourite race of mine in warcraft.

Draenei are a faction of Eredar who fled their home world of Argus to escape the corruption of the demonic Burning Legion. Led by Prophet Velen and guided by the divine Naaru, they traveled throughout the cosmos in search of a safe world to settle on, eventually landing on a planet they would come to call Draenor, or "Exiles' Refuge." For centuries, the Draenei lived in relative peace with Draenor's native orcs, until agents of the Burning Legion found them. As the orcs were corrupted by the Legion and formed the original Horde, the Draenei were slaughtered and driven into hiding.

Eventually, they managed to escape Draenor on the Exodar, a vessel of the naaru fortress of Tempest Keep, crash-landing on Azeroth; more specifically, on the Azuremyst Isles. Once they had arrived on Azeroth, the draenei allied with the Alliance and aided them in the war in Outland.

D&D 5e

Ability score increase: Your intelligence score increases by 2.

Age: Eredar grow to physical mental maturity at an early age, approximately at 30 years of age. While later than humans, eredar can live to be a thousand years old.

Alignment: Despite their core being, their alignment heavily relies on their history; Draenei are typically good aligned, while Man'ari are typically evil. Lightborne Draenei tend to heavily lean toward Lawful Good, but may be lawful neutral.

Size: Eredar range from 6 to 8 feet tall and vary between thin or broad builds. Your size is Medium.

Speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision: Accustomed to regions of long nights and gifts from either holy or unholy sources, you have superior vision in dark and dim Conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in Darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in Darkness, only shades of gray.

Insightful: Their divine nature (or history) grants them proficiency in insight checks.


Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common and Draenic. Draenic is fluid, with subtle intonations and intricate grammar. Eredar literature is rich and varied, but not commonly known outside their people due to them being fairly isolated.

Subraces

Draenei

When fiendish powers attacked their home, these Eredar refused gifts and fled. They have become nomads to find a place they could call home. These draenei hold the original appearance of Eredar, varying from a pale to dark blue in skin colour, but also toward a subtle purple and a pale white. They have horns that protrude from the back of their forehead that somewhat match the tone of their skin, and their feet end in cloven hooves.

Ability score improvement: Your wisdom score increases by 1.

Emissary: You gain proficiency in persuasion checks.

Enduring: You gain advantage on saving throws to resist the frightened condition.

Gift of the Naaru: You may cast the healing word spell once, using wisdom as your spellcasting ability score. You count as casting this as a spell slot equal to half your level. This use is regained after a long rest.

Languages: You know how to read, write, and speak celestial.

Lightforged Draenei

These Eredar were part of the Draenei clan, but took a full approach to the heavens; they have become infused with heaven's power and its ideals. These individuals look close to that of Draenei, but with pale, colourless skin marked by gold-coloured tattoos that cover their body in various ways.

Ability score increase: Your charisma score increases by 1.

Radiant soul: You have resistance to necrotic damage.

Light's judgement: You know the sacred flame cantrip. Charisma is your spellcasting stat for this spell. When you go unconscious, you may release a 10 ft-radius explosion dealing 1d8 radiant damage per character level. This allows a dexterity saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your charisma modifier) for half damage. If you choose not to use this, it automatically activates if you die. This damage does not affect you. This works once, and this use is restored after a long rest.

Languages: You know how to read, write, and speak celestial.

Man'ari (Shackled)

Man'ari are a people that betrayed the heavens and accepted the gifts of fiends that invaded their lands beyond the astral plane. These Eredar are pledged to fiendish masters, and are granted powers for such work. Man'ari appear as a draenei, but with blood red skin and fiery green eyes.

Ability score increase: Your strength score increases by 1.

Fiendish boon: You may gain advantage on one d20 roll of your choice. This use is regained after a long rest.

Fiendish blood: You are resistant to poison damage and have advantage on saving throws against the poisoned condition.

Languages: You know how to read, write, and speak either abyssal or infernal (your choice).

Man'ari (Unshackled)

These Man'ari once accepted the fiendish gifts, but regretted that decision and broke free. While they have no masters, the scars remain.

Ability score increase: Your constitution score  increases by 1.

No master: You gain advantage on saving throws against charm effects.

Vengeful soul: You gain half your proficiency bonus on damage rolls against fiends.

Languages: You know how to read, write, and speak either abyssal or infernal (your choice).

Pathfinder 1e

Draenei

Age: 30 + 2d10 (intuitive) + 6d10 (self-taught) + d% (trained)

Aging effects: 350 (middle aged) 600 (old) 800 (venerable)

Maximum age: 800 + 6d% years

Height:

Male: 6’6” +2d10

Female: 6'4" +2d10

Weight

Male: 250 + 6xroll
Female: 160 + 4xroll

Racial abilities:

+2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom: An old and long-living race, draenei are both well-learned and wise.

Medium: Draenei are medium creatures, and suffer no penalties due to their size.

Gift of the Naaru: Draenei gain the ability to cast cure light wounds once per day as a spell-like ability. At 5^th level, they can cast cure moderate wounds once per day. At 10^th level, they can cast cure serious wounds once per day. At 15^th level, they can cast cure critical wounds once per day.

Darkvision: Draenei can see in the dark up to a distance of 60 ft.

Illusion resistance: +2 saves vs. illusions.

Celestial resistance: Their link to the celestial races grant them 5 resist to cold, acid, and electricity.

Emissary: Once per day, Draenei can roll twice on a bluff or diplomacy roll and take the better result.

Languages: Draenei begin play speaking Draenic, celestial, and common. Draenei with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Celestial, Dwarven, Goblin, Darnassian, Draconic, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, and Zandali.

Alternate racial traits:

Spell resistance, lesser: The Draenei disbands their binds to the celestial races, and gains an affinity for magic as a whole. They gain spell resistance equal to 6 + their character level. This replaces celestial resistance.

Eternal hope: Their hope has kept them through losing their own world, and their second home of Draenor. +2 saves vs. fear and despair effects. Also, once per day when they roll a 1 they can reroll and use the second roll. This replaces illusion resistance.

Lightbringer: Members of this race are immune to light-based blindness and dazzle effects, and are treated as one level higher when determining the effects of any light-based spells or effects they cast (including spell-like and supernatural abilities). If a member of this race has an Intelligence of 10 or higher, it may use light at will as a spell-like ability. This replaces illusion resistance.

Ward of Light: Resist negative energy 5, and a +2 bonus to saving throws to resist negative energy, ability drain, negative levels, and death effects. This replaces celestial resistance.

Scion of the Darkened Naaru: The draenei is connected to a naaru that has become darkened. They replace their gift spells with inflict rather than cure.

Man'ari

Man’ari are a race of Eredar like the Draenei. When Sargeras approached the Eredar leaders, Archimonde, Velen, and Kil’jaeden, only Velen rejected his ‘gift of power’ and fled their homeworld of Argus with all he could, forming the Draenei. The others accepted the demonic powers of Sargeras, forming them into Man’ari – Eredar fueled by evil energies. Primarily they have red or pale purple skin, with green eyes resembling the fel, sargeras’ power. Some Man’ari retain their pale blue color. In essence, the Man’ari are a form of demon. The vast majority of Man’ari are evil, however there are the rare few that can resist or have broken free of the will of Sargeras.

Height
Male: 6’0” +2d8
Female: 5’10”+2d8

Weight
Male: 200 + 6xroll
Female: 160 + 4xroll

+2 Constitution, +2 intelligence, -2 wisdom: Man’ari are fortuitous and intelligent, but brash.

Medium: Man’ari are Medium creatures and receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.

Normal Speed: Man’ari have a base speed of 30 feet.

Darkvision: Man’ari gain darkvision out to 60 ft.

Aura of evil: The fel energies within them give them an aura of evil out to a distance of 10 ft.

Fel resistances: Members of this race gain cold resistance 5, electricity resistance 5, and fire resistance 5.

Fel fire: The Man’ari gains the ability to cast burning hands once per day as a spell-like ability. At 5th level, they can cast flaming sphere. At 10th level, they can cast fireball. At 15th level, they can cast flame strike.

Planar knowledge: Being endowed with demonic energies grants them a +2 bonus to knowledge (planes) checks.

Languages: Man’ari begin play speaking Draenic, abyssal, and common. Man’ari with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Celestial, Dwarven, goblin, Draconic, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, and Zandali.

Alternate traits

Spell resistance, lesser: The Man’ari disbands their binds to sargeras’ aid, and gains an affinity for magic as a whole. They gain spell resistance equal to 6 + their character level. This replaces fel resistances.

Dark tattoos: The Man’ari laces their skin with tattoos that bestow magical strength, gaining them resistance 5 against negative energy damage. They do not lose hit points when they gain a negative level, and they gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against death effects, energy drain, negative energy, and spells or spell-like abilities of the necromancy school. This replaces Fel fire.

Return to the Light: Rejecting the demonic gifts they have been given, they turn to celestial powers and abandon their evil ways. The Man’ari gains celestial resistance, +2 bonus to knowledge (religion) checks, and an aura of good. In addition, they can cast Protection from (chaos or evil) on themselves once per day. At 5th level, they can cast blessing of courage and life. At 10th level, they can cast daylight. At 15th level, they can cast crusader’s edge. This requires a good alignment. This ability replaces aura of evil, fel resistances, planar knowledge, and fel fire.