Old Screeds

I've been gathering 5E write-ups for homebrew wemics. And with the advent of the 2024 Edition of the Player's Handbook, just released, it seems a good time to survey the field. look at what others have done, and put together a set of my own wemic rules for the latest version of Dungeons and Dragons. Most of these rules from others were written for the 2014 rules, so I'm looking for ideas, not 2024-version perfection. And I want to focus on mechanics, not flavor text -- honestly, I like writing my own. Also, I'm only looking at mechanics applicable to the 2024 rules, for example, ignoring ability score modifiers, since the 2024 rules remove those from race. Let's start by looking at that others are doing:

Ted Adams of Nerdarchy has a set of rules for a "Fearsome wemic for 5E D&D."

• Darkvision
• Keen Sense of Smell: You can track by scent, and have advantage on Perception checks that rely on smell.
• Languages: You can speak, read and write Common and Sylvan.
• Monstrous: You are a frightening creature, out of the ordinary. Your creature type is monstrosity, rather than humanoid.
• Naturally Athletic: Always being on the move has trained you to be physically adroit. You have proficiency in Athletics checks. Additionally, your jump distance is doubled.
• Size: Wemics reach lengths of 10 to 12 feet long and can easily be 6 to 7 feet tall. They typically weigh around 500 pounds. Your size is Large.
• Sharp 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.
• Speed: Your base walking speed is 40 feet.
Trained Hunter: You have proficiency with all simple weapons and shields.

Oliver Bollmann has an inexpensive supplement on "Tauric Races" at the Dungeon Masters Guild online store.

• Size: Your size is Large, but see below.
• Wemic Build: Because of your unique physiology, the following rules apply ...
  • Mounted: You are treated as always riding a mount of Medium size. You cannot ride most mounts. You can serve as a mount for a humanoid of size Medium or smaller.
  • Poor Climber: You have disadvantage on Strength (Athletics) checks to climb, and climbing quarters your speed.
  • Good Jumper: You have advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks to jump.
  • Humanoid Torso: For the purposes of using weapons and other tools, your size is treated as Medium.
• Speed: Your base walking speed is 40 feet.
• Darkvision
• Natural Weapons: You are never unarmed. You are proficient with your claws and bite, which are simple melee weapons that deal 1d6 slashing (for claws) or piercing (for bite) damage. These weapons possess the Light and Finesse properties, and are always considered drawn and readied in hand.
• Primal Spirit. You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened or dominated.
• Ferocious Pounce. If you move at least 20 feet straight towards a creature on your turn, you may use a bonus action to attempt to shove the creature.

Mafur_Chericada on Reddit has a homebrew wemic he created at a user's request.

• Size: Wemics are larger and bulkier than humans, and they range from 5 to well over 6 feet tall. Your size is Medium, but just barely.
• Speed: Your base walking speed is 35 feet.
• Darkvision
• Menacing: You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill.
• Four Legged Run: When you take a Dash action, instead of doubling your base walking speed to 70, it becomes 90.
• Languages: You can speak Common and one other language of your choice, but cannot read or write them unless your background offers proficiency in another language.

Brent Rogers on Restenford has a "PC Race: Wemic."

• Size: Your size is large.
• Speed: Your base walking speed is 40 feet.
• Languages: You can speak Sylvan and Common.
• Feline Talents: You have proficiency in the Perception and Stealth skills.
• Claws: Your claws allow you to have a climb speed of 30 feet. 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.
• Feline Agility: Your reflexes and agility allow you to move with a burst of speed. When you move on your turn in combat, you can double your speed until the end of the turn. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you move 0 feet on one of your turns.
• Nine Lives: You have resistance to damage taken from falling.
• Subspecies (pick one)
  • Prairie Wemics -- Pounce: If you moves at least 20 ft. straight toward a creature and then hits it with an Attack on the same turn, that target must succeed on a DC = (8 + Strength + Proficiency) or be knocked prone.
  • Mountain Wemic -- Leaping and Jumping: With a 10-foot running start, you can long jump up to 25 ft. Without the running start you can leap 12 feet. When you make a high jump, with a 10-foot running start, you leap 10 feet into the air. From a standing high jump you leap 5 feet into the air. You can extend your arms half your height above yourself during the jump. Thus, you can reach above you a distance equal to the height of the jump plus 1.5 times your height. Which is can be a 12-18 feet reach.

The D&D Wiki has an entry for a "Wemic (5e Race)," mostly written by users ConcealedLight and MetalShadowOverlord.

• Size: Your size is Medium.
• Speed: Your base walking speed is 40 feet.
• Darkvision.
• Hybrid Nature: Your creature type is both humanoid and monstrosity.
• Claws: Your retractable claws are natural melee weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
• Natural Athlete: You have proficiency in the Athletics skill.
• Keen Senses: You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
• Pack Tactics: You have advantage on your first attack roll against a creature if at least one of your allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.
• Tauroid Body: You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push or drag.
• Languages: You can speak Common and Sylvan, but you do not know how to write or read either.

What are the commonalities among these five sets of homebrew rules?

• Speed (40 or 35 with run): 5 of 5 rules include this.
• Size (Medium with benefits or Large with restrictions or just Large): 4 of 5, and the 5th has flavor text regarding being big.
• Darkvision: 4 of 5.
• Claws: 4 of 5.
• Athletics / Jumping: 4 of 5.
• A couple other features are repeated but not universal: monstrous, keen senses, etc.

This is part one on the topic of 5E Wemic rules. The next part will include my own version of those rules designed to be a close fit with the 2024 PHB.