Shardminds often find it difficult to relate to other races, as they were born with a purpose: to rebuild the Living Gate. They struggle to fit in with others and participate in ordinary social situations, though some have found their place among friends in a handful of cities throughout the world.

Though they often seem dispassionate, when a strong emotion seizes them, they experience it powerfully. For example, shardminds don't get annoyed; they become enraged. As they most often only show emotions in extremes, the shardmind can be a very passionate race. It can be difficult for creatures to be around distressed shardminds, as they often lose control of their telepathic powers. The sheer emotion that they are capable of conveying telepathically can be severely dibilitating to other races.

Shardminds are fragments of pure thought given life and substance. They are logical, emotionally distant, and naive to the ways of society in the world. Some approach life with innocent curiosity, eager to embrace the wealth of experiences the world has to offer, while others remain reserved and aloof, bearing a higher purpose in mind at all times.

Shard minds are living creatures only in the loosest sense. Their crystalline bodies require no sustenance, and they don't breathe. They don't need sleep, though they must still rest for four hours to gain the benefits of a long rest. They don't have gender and don't reproduce, but the shardminds alive today aren't the same ones that sprang to life during the Dawn War. Shardminds say that the Living Gate shattered into countless fragments, and each time an awakened shardmind is killed, another one somewhere in the universe stirs to consciousness.

Shard minds are crystalline creatures consisting of hundreds of small shards of translucent green, white, red, or amber crystal assembled into humanoid form and animated by a force of pure psionic energy. Shardminds choose their forms to mimic the shapes of humanoids; some take on forms that seem more masculine, while others appear more feminine.

Shardminds are sentient fragments of the Living Gate, which once stood at the pinnacle of the intricate lattice of the Astral Sea. Beyond that gate lay the alien Far Realm, and the gate's destruction during the Dawn War resulted in the rise of the mind flayer empire. Though Ioun's power holds the portal closed, shardminds seek to rebuild the gate and forever cut off the Far Realm's ability to influence the world.

A SHARDMIND'S ANIMATING FORCE GLOWS dimly from within each of its component shards, emanating most brightly from where the eyes of a natural humanoid would be. This inner light sheds dim light in a shardmind's space, but a shard mind individual can squelch the light with an instant's concentration

Divided Philosophies

Although the shardmind race as a whole shares a common goal of rebuilding the Living Gate, several philosophies disagree on how to accomplish that goal. The three most important sects are the Thought Builders, the God Shards, and the Shard Slayers.

Thought Builder. You seek to create a new Living Gate and to imbue it with the psionic power necessary to keep the influence of the Far Realm at bay. Most members of the Thought Builders are dedicated to loun. They tend to be unaligned or good.

God Shard. You believe that each shardmind must seek to acquire as much personal power as possible. Since you are a fragment of the Living Gate, your own power is the force that keeps the Far Realm from destroying the universe; each shardmind, in fact. is a fragment ofdivine power and carries a responsibility to nurture that power. Most God Shards are unaligned and revere no deity.

Shard Slayer. You believe that when a shardmind dies, its animating life force returns to the site of the Living Gate, where it shores up the universe's defenses against the Far Realm's intrusion. Thus, you seek to kill as many shardminds as possible, starting with the adherents ofother philosophies.

As a precautionary measure, you also seek out fragments of the Living Gate that have not yet awakened to sentience, and you destroy them as well. hoping to reduce the number ofshard minds that will exist in the future. Most Shard Slayers are evil, and many are devoted to Vecna.

Shardmind Names

Most shardminds awaken with the knowledge of their own name, the very thing that gives the fragment of the gate an essence of identity. A Shardmind considers their name to be sensitive information, only disclosing it to those who have earnt their loaylty and trust.

Shardmind Names: Amata, Arshaka, Arwia, Balashi, Bashanu, Belessunu, Dipana, Erishti, Eritira, Eshunu, Hunzu, Iltani, Ishmea, Kuaya, Kubaba, Kuri, Manishtu, Naram, Nuraya, Seluku, Tabni, Ubashu, Utua, Zakiti

Shardmind Traits

Your Shardmind character has the following racial traits.

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score or Charisma score increases by 1.

Age. Shardminds were created fully mature, and do not physically age.

Alignment. The Shardmind race has spent thousands of years tending crystal gardens and patiently rebuilding the Living Gate. Due to this, they are familiar with order and routine and have a strong lawful inclination. A shardminds morality is usually determined by their philosophy.

Size. An average Shardmind stands between 5'5 and 6'5 feet tall and weighs between 180 and 230 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Crystalline Mind. You have resistance to psychic damage.

Living Construct. Even though you were constructed, you are a living creature. You are immune to disease. You do not need to eat or breathe, but you can ingest food and drink if you wish.

Instead of sleeping, you enter an inactive state for 4 hours each day. You do not dream in this state; you are fully aware of your surroundings and notice approaching enemies and other events as normal.

Shardswarm. As a bonus action you cause your body to disperse, forming a swarm of shards. While in your Shardswarm form opportunity attacks have disadvantage against you. You can move through any space that a single shard can move through, which is roughly the size of a small rat.

Your equipment can be carried while in your shardswarm form, though you cannot carry it through a space in which it would not fit.

You can only take the Dodge, Disengage, and Dash actions while in this form. You can choose to return to your humanoid form at any time. When you do so, you can restructure the appearance of your humanoid form, though it remains visibly crystalline.

Telepathy. You can telepathically speak to any creature you can see within 60 feet of you. You need to share a language with the creature for it to understand your telepathic messages or it must be telepathic itself.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Deep Speech.