Nothic - Player Race

A baleful eye peers out from the darkness, its gleam hinting at a weird intelligence and unnerving malevolence. Most times, a nothic is content to watch, weighing and assessing the creatures it encounters. When driven to violence, it uses its horrific gaze to rot the flesh from its enemies' bones.

Cursed Arcanists

Rather than gaining the godlike supremacy they crave, some wizards who devote their lives to unearthing arcane secrets are reduced to creeping, tormented monsters by a dark curse left behind by Vecna, a powerful lich who, in some worlds, has transcended his undead existence to become a god of secrets. Nothics retain no awareness of their former selves, skulking amid the shadows and haunting places rich in magical knowledge, drawn by memories and impulses they can't quite understand.

Dark Oracles

Nothics possess a strange magical insight that allows them to extract knowledge from other creatures. This grants them unique understanding of secret and forbidden lore, which they share for a price. A nothic covets magic items, greedily accepting such gifts from creatures that seek out its knowledge.

Lurkers in Magical Places

Nothics are notorious for infiltrating arcane academies and other places rich in magical learning. They are driven by the vague knowledge that there exists a method to reverse their condition. This isn't a clear sense of purpose, but rather an obsessive tug at the end of the mind. Some nothics are clever enough to realize that this is merely part of the strange lesson for their folly, a false hope to drive them to seek out more arcane secrets.

Nothic Traits

Nothics have a number of unique characteristics imparted by their curse.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity, Constitution, and Intelligence scores each increase by 1.

Age. Nothics can live for centuries without aging, and their maximum lifespan is unknown.

Alignment. Evil creatures born of a dark curse, most Nothics are neutral evil.

Size. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision. 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 diseern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Cursed Arcanists. You gain proficiency in the Arcana skill.

Keen Sight. You gain proficiency in the Perception skill.

Claws. Your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Rotting Gaze. As an action, you may target one creature you can see within 30 ft. of you. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take 1d8 necrotic damage. The DC for this saving throw is 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier. The damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 5th level (2d8), 11th level (3d8), and 17th level (4d8).

Weird Insight. You gain proficiency with the Insight skill.

Additonally, as an action, you can target one creature you can see within 30 feet of you. The target must contest its Charisma (Deception) check against your Wisdom (Insight) check. If you win, you magically learn one fact or secret about the target. The target automatically wins if it is immune to being charmed.

After you use your Weird Insight trait, you can't use it again until you complete a short or long rest.

Hybrid Nature. You have two creature types: humanoid and aberration. You can be affected by a game effect if it works on either of your creature types.

Languages. You speak, read, and write Common, and Undercommon.

Nothic - Player Race is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.