Races Kushu A cunning and ruthless killer lurks in the shadows, waiting for a lone passerby to come near. A feral force of nature exposes a long scorpion-like tail and ambushes a pair of investigators on the trail of a killer. A pair of elegant socialites sit down in their manor's dining hall to a meal of human flesh. All of these and more are common occurences in the shadowy world of the Kushu. Born to Consume While outwardly looking like ordinary humans, Kushu deviate from the mold in one crucial aspect; they are only capable of eating human flesh. All other forms of sustenance taste rotten and spoiled in their mouths, and any Kushu who manages to force some non-humanoid meat down their throats can find themselves terribly ill from the experience. An average human male can sustain a ghoul for up to a month, though their eating habits can vary substantially based on temperment and physical exersion. The Kushu's natural regenerative abilities are fueled by their consumption of flesh, and a Kushu who witholds from eating for a significant period of time can find themselves in a feral rage, turning on friends and allies in their pursuit of food. Natural Predators Another crucial difference between the Kushu and humans is their predatory organ, also called a "kagune". Protruding from a portion of their spine, Kushu can summon an elongated mass of cells produced from the bodies that they consume. The form that this takes, as well as the placement on their bodies, typically is derived from the Kushu's parents, though more experienced members can alter that shape and number of these items. A Kushu will use their kagune to slay their prey and defend themselves from attackers. In a one on one fight with a comparable human, the Kushu will almost always emerge the victor. Kushu are also equpped with above average strength and regenerative abilities, allowing them to often recover from brutal injuries in the middle of a fight. Hidden in Plain Sight A Kushu's victim will almost never know their attacker until it is too late. Bearing the same body shape, size, and features of a human, it is nearly impossible to tell a kushu and a human apart. One feature to look out for is their "kakugan", a state where the sclera of their eye turns pitch black and their irises flush red. The ghoul can enter this state by their own will, but this state is also entered when the ghoul becomes excited, gets extremely hungry, or when they use their kagune. Kushu Traits Ability Score Increase: Your Strength score increases by 2 Age: Due to their pariah status within society, few ghouls reach adulthood. Those that do often have lifespans resembling normal humans. Alignment: Almost all ghouls are evil. They simply no nothing else. Their diet necessitates the constant killing of intelligent creatures, forcing them to the shadows and alleyways of polite society. Some ghouls will form groups and societies to protect themselves, while others strike out on their own. Size: Your size is Medium Speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet. Flesh Eater: Ghouls can only subsits on the flesh of humanoids. While cooked flesh can curb cravings, heat destroys the cells that fuel a Kushu, leading most to consume their meat raw. Should starvation ever bring you to more than 2 levels of exhaustion, you must make a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, you must seek out the closest humanoid and consume at least 2 lbs of their flesh, most likely killing the victim in the process. The DC increases by 2 each day you go without consuming a sufficient amount of humanoid flesh. Kagune: All kushu possess a natural weapon that protrudes from their spine. Your kagune is biological in nature, and would thus be unnafected by an antimagic field. The specific type of kagune you possess is dependent on your subrace. All kushu are proficient with their specific kagune. Regeneration: Your biology allows you to quickly recover from serious wounds when necessary. As an action, you can expend up to half your hit dice to regain hit points as if you had taken a short rest. You immediately suffer from 1 level of exhaustion, which can possibly tirgger the effects of your Flesh Eater ability. This ability can regenarate lost limbs, eyes, and damaged kagunes. You regain use of this ability after a long rest. Subrace: Four types of ghouls are found in the world: Talon, Coquil, Echelle, and Plumea. Choose one of these subraces. Bikaku A Bikaku Kushu possess a kagune that protrudes from the tail-bone, and typically takes the form of a tail. Possessing solid all-around skills, a Bikaku Kushu is a force to be reckoned with, and their kagune are often the most lethal. Ability Score Increase: Your Wisdom score increases by 1. Kagune: As a bonus action, you can call forth a thick dark mass from your tailbone that serves as a natural weapon which you can use to make unarmed attacks. If you hit with it, you deal your choice of bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage equal to 1d8 + your Strength modifier instead of the normal damage for an unarmed strike.

Koukaku A koukaku kagune is released below the shoulder blade. Kagune produced by these Kushu are dense and heavy, though they are often wielded easily by their ghoul who produced them. Kushu of this variety are larger and bulkier than normal humans and can take an extraordinary amount of damage before succumbing to their injuries. Ability Score Increase: Your Consitition score increases by 1. Kagune: As a bonus action, you can call forth a thick dark mass from your shoulderblades that serves as a natural weapon which you can use to make unarmed attacks. If you hit with it, you deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier instead of the normal damage for an unarmed strike. Also, while your kagune is summoned, you gain a +1 bonus to AC. Rinkaku An Rinaku Kushu has vast regenerative capabilities, and possess a free flowing and versatile kagune. However, they lack the power of a Bikaku and the fortitude of a Koukaku, which leaves them vulnerable when outnumbered. Ability Score Increase: Your Constitution score increases by 1. Kagune: As a bonus action, you can call forth a thick dark mass from the middle of your back that serves as a natural weapon which you can use to make unarmed attacks. If you hit with it, you deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier instead of the normal damage for an unarmed strike. Your kagune also has the reach property. Ukaku Masters of long range combat, an Ukaku Kushu can summon a kagune that launch projectiles at their enemies. Often frail, an Kushu with of this nature tend to lurk in shadows in ambush while taking down larger prey. Ability Score Increase: Your Dexterity score increases by 1. Kagune: As a bonus action, you can call forth a thick dark mass from your shoulders that serves as a natural weapon which you can use to make unarmed attacks. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d4 + your Dexterity modifier instead of the normal damage for an unarmed strike. Your kagune has the range(30, 60) property, though your body provides any ammunition your kagune would expend. Credit: Leylek-d-Sovura

Vashar See the description of the Vashar in the original Book of Vile Darkness. The Vashar are a race of proto-humans who derided their creators and exist in a truly amoral state, doing whatever they wish whenever they wish to do it. All Vasharans are born out of rape, anger, and pain. They understand only hate, selfishness, and greed. Yet as much as they love to kill and maim, one goal fuels their souls even more strongly: deicide. The Vasharans want to kill the deities that created them. Vashar are generally indistinguishable from humans, although they will not typically care about how other view them, though they have no particular disdain for other races moreso than humans. Alignment Even moreso than the hated drow, Vashar are exclusively evil. Selfishness and hatred course through their veins and they have absolutely no problem with this. Appearance Other than any manner of clothing, garb, or scars, Vashar are indistinguishable from normal humans. Religion Vashar despise gods, and will almost never worship them nor use divine magics, even for evil dieties. Names Same as humans Adventurers Vasharans favor arcane magic. Many take up the wizard class, and many others are born into sorcery. Vasharan spellcasters thrive on corrupt spells and evil magic, and they develop new spells all the time. Despite their distaste for divine magic, the Vasharans do have a few clerics of a sort, called ur-priests. These individuals do not channel power from the gods—they steal it. The Vasharans claim that the proper role of the cleric is not to serve, but to take. Vasharan fighters, rogues, blackguards, cancer mages, vermin lords, and diabolists are also common. Vasharan Racial Traits Vashar use the same traits as humans. Ability Score Increase: Your Ability Scores each increase by 1. Age: Vashar reach adulthood in their late teens and live less than a century. Alignment: Vashar tend toward no particular alignment. The best and the worst are found among them. Size: Vashar vary widely in height and build, from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall. Regardless of your position in that range, your size is Medium. Speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet. Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra Language of your choice. Vashar typically learn the languages of other peoples they deal with, including obscure dialects. Many vashar sprinkle a few words of Deep Speech in their dialects.

Jerren More information is available in the original Book of Vile Darkness. Jerren are halflings, although they despise that name. After making a deal with a malevolent entity for the power to protect their home from marauding goblinoids, the Jerren were cursed with savagery and violence beyond their peaceful origin. Soon all the goblinoids in the area were replaced with heads on spikes and blood smears representing sacrifices to dark gods. Today, the plains are inhabited by terrible bands of vicious halflings who seek to overcome, feed upon, and corrupt all those they can hunt down and catch. Personality Jerren are ruled by strength and blood lust. No leader can manage to control more than a small band of these chaotic and evil halflings, and those who show even the slightest bit of weakness or mercy are quickly cut down and devoured by the others. They live a nomadic lifestyle like other halflings. Physical Description A Jerren is physically indistinguishable from a lightfoot halfling, but its evil is so palpable that no one would ever mistake it for a normal halfling. In their rituals to dark deities such as Karaan, Erythnul, Rallaster, and the unnamed power revered by their ancestors, Jerren cover themselves with ritual scars and self-inflicted wounds. Jerren are always angry, bitter, and savage. They are always sadists and often masochists as well. Alignment Like the Vashar, the Jerren also are exclusively evil. Jerren Traits The Jerren are a subrace of Halfling. Ability Score Increase Your Strength score increases by 1. Menacing You gain proficiency with the Intimidation Skill. Fearless You have advantage on saving throws to avoid being frightened.