Marked by the Stars

The constellation a starborn is marked with symbolises

Starborn innate abilities, and in societies comprised of starborn, often
determines their role in their society. Starborn marked with
I ALWAYS THOUGHT HE WAS HUMAN. KIND BLOKE. the Beast will take on roles as warriors or builders, taking
He lived up in the mountain, there, in that old house. Came advantage of their natural strength. Those marked with the
down every now and then and watched us have a natter. Hound, on the other hand, tend to work as guards and
Never much of a talker himself. Just sat there, watching us. diplomats for their people, fiercely committed to helping their
But I remember his routine. Every night, I'd look out and see society thrive. Such starborn, born of others of their kind, are
him walking on the edge of the mountain, no fear, gazing at known as "innate" starborn.
the stars. However, starborn are not always born in this way.
—Dwarven warrior Tornaxe, remembering Occasionally, magical power from the heavens themselves
his old friend Maxal. manifests in a human, elven, or occasionally triton child
while it is still yet to be born, and are born into a society of
The starborn are a people born from the cosmos. Mystery their parents' race. This child, known as a "bestowed"
and travel is ingrained in their very soul, and they tend to seek starborn, is more likely to branch off from the traditional
it out. roles assigned by other starborn. Starborn raised in a society
of their kind, for this reason, tend to look down upon
Shaped of Stars bestowed starborn as inferior and less rigidly bound by laws
Starborn, in appearance, look like humans or elves with dark they consider to be the natural order of things.
skin, and can generally pass themselves off as said species. Wanderers in the Dark
However, on closer inspection, a viewer would observe a
bluish or purple tinge, hinting at the starborn's real self. Their Whether they are bestowed or innate, starborn share a
eyes, too, are a mark of their species, and are often a pure continuous urge to travel. They often do so at night, being
shade of white, black, or yellow. able to read the stars as well as any book. As such, many
When a starborn chooses, they may ignite their body, and a starborn - particularly bestowed - find their way towards a life
pattern of stars in the form of a constellation scatters across of adventure, providing a way to follow their ideals while
their body, shining light in all directions in an awe-inspiring travelling around and discovering new places.
reveal of their true nature.
 When starborn stop somewhere, they'll try and do so in a Beast
strange place, often as near to the stars as they can get - Beast starborn are larger, muscular starborn, able to take up
mountains, tall buildings and treehouses are popular roles as warriors when necessary, and carrying supplies for
locations. In a few locations, starborn have erected structures their people as they travel across the land in times of peace.
in such areas, to help others of their kind when they arrive in When starborn occasionally construct a building, it is the
the area. But soon enough they'll be moving on, following the Beast starborn who do the work.
call of the stars they're formed of. Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by
Starborn Names 2.
Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when
Innate starborn tend to take names similar to those of the determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can
culture nearest their people at the time, as a mark of their push, drag, or lift.
birthplace and a way to recall the location, due to their Beast's Toughness. Your hit point maximum increases by
wandering lifestyle. Bestowed starborn tend to be given 1, and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level.
names as a child of the culture they are born into usually
would. Galaxy
Galaxy starborn are some of the rarest and most mysterious
Starborn Traits of their kind. Rather than a 'constellation' as such, their body
Your inherent strategy manifests itself in a variety of ways. is sprinkled with the pattern of distant stars in a stripe
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by beyond the night sky. They tend to be blessed with knowledge
1. beyond their years, and take up roles as navigators or witches
Age. Starborn age similarly to humans, although begin to within starborn society.
slow up at around 30. They live for around 150 years. Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence or Wisdom
Alignment. Innate starborn are most often lawful, score increases by 2.
generally conforming to their societies' restrictions on certain Distant Knowledge. You know the dancing lights cantrip.
jobs for certain constellations. Bestowed starborn, on the When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the dissonant
other hand, are much more varied, and could be anywhere on whispers spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do
the alignment spectrum. so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you
Size. Starborn are about the same size as a human. Your can cast the moonbeam spell once with this trait and regain
size is Medium. the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Whichever
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. ability score you increased with the Galaxy subrace's Ability
Score Increase trait is your spellcasting ability for these
Born to the Night. Starborn don't often sleep. Instead, spells. You can only cast these spells while using your
they gaze up into the night, observing the subtle movements Starlight feature.
and patterns in the heavens, for 5 hours a day. You are
unaware of your surroundings beyond the sky in this state. Hound
After resting uninterrupted in this way, provided you can see Hound starborn are dedicated protectors, putting their life on
the night sky, you gain the same benefit that a human does the line for the sake of their friends and family. If you become
from 8 hours of sleep. friends with a hound starborn, you can count on them to
Read the Heavens. You have advantage on any ability protect you in even the most dangerous situations.
checks made involving the stars, such as navigating by them Ability Score Increase. Your Strength and Charisma
or recalling the name of a specific constellation. scores each increase by 1.
Starlight. As a bonus action, you can cause your body to Friendly. You know the friends cantrip. Charisma is your
flare up with starlight, revealing your true nature. While this spellcasting ability for this spell.
is active, you shed bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim Loyal Guardian. As a reaction when a creature you can
light for an additional 20 feet. This transformation lasts for 1 see within 60 feet is targeted by an attack, you can cause
hour, or until you dismiss it as a bonus action. their AC to be increased by an amount equal to your level
Superior Darkvision. Used to navigating under the night until the end of the attacker's turn. After you use this ability,
sky, you can see well in darkness. You can see in dim light you can't use it again until you complete a short or long rest.
within 120 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. Constellations in Your World
Languages. You can speak, read and write Common and The constellations the starborn subraces are based
Starborn. The starborn tongue has a mysterious tone to it, upon are intended to be as generic as possible to
and is often used by mages when writing prophecies or other allow them to be used in a variety of settings.
such mystical scriptures. However, if any of them don't fit your campaign,
Subrace. The constellation a starborn is marked with alter their name and perhaps even their role
determines its subrace. The following subraces detail generic accordingly.
constellations, which can be renamed according to the world
you play in.
Hunter
Hunter starborn are the scouts and - well - hunters of their
society, making use of their natural advantages to wield
lightweight, ranged weapons with ease.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity and Wisdom
scores each increase by 1.
Gifts of the Hunt. You know the magic stone cantrip.
When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the hunter's mark
spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when
you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast
the cordon of arrows spell once with this trait and regain the
ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Wisdom is your
spellcasting ability for these spells.
Sea Serpent
Starborn marked with the Sea Serpent often form separate
societies to the rest of their kind, preferring to live by or
within the water. They often join societies of sea elves and
tritons. Bestowed starborn of this constellation tend to be
born from members of these species.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution and Wisdom
scores each increase by 1.
Amphibious. You can breathe air and water.
Serpent's Bite. You know the ray of frost cantrip, although
you can only cast it while using your Starlight feature. When
you do, the serpent on your body appears to come to life and
bite your target. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this
spell.
Swim Speed. You have a swimming speed of 30 feet.
Steed
Steed starborn are naturally good with animals. They tend to
livestock that their communities bring with them, and when
they need to fight, they tend to ride into battle on top of the
creature their constellation symbolises.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by
2.
Animal Affinity. You have proficiency in the Animal
Handling skill.
Starry Steed. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the
find steed spell as an action once with this trait, and regain Credits
the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you do Created by: u/a2a3a2a3.
so, the duration becomes 1 hour. You can only cast this spell Theme: Silver-Blue XGtE theme by u/AeronDrake.
while using your Starlight feature. When you do, the stars on Art: Watcher Kai by Gauntletto, Starry Sky by Felipe
your body spring off and form themselves into the steed they Diniz, and Night Sky by Chris Ngo.
represent. Page stains: XGtE Style Stains by u/FallenWyvern.
During the duration, you cannot use your starlight feature Extra thanks: Nerdhogg on the Discord of Many
and are no longer under the effect of it. However, the steed Things for finding me the starborn art.
sheds bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an
additional 20 feet.
Tool
Starborn marked with the tool are practical folk. They form
the smiths, farmers, and artisans of their communities. They
may not be doing the work people remember, but they are
truly the backbone of starborn society. And they're content
with knowing that.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity and Charisma
scores each increase by 1.
Natural at Your Trade. You have proficiency with one tool,
one skill, and one weapon of your choice, and learn one
language of your choice.