Diopsid

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Diopsids are Underdark creatures that resemble a cross between a humanoid and a beetle. They occupy large, sprawling caverns deep beneath the earth where they carve settlements into the walls and floors of their domains. Diopsids have a deep love of metal weapons and other objects, but they lack the technical ability to manufacture such goods. Thus, they work as mercenaries, laborers, hunters, and scouts for other races. To the folk of the Underdark, diopsids are simple but dangerous barbarians best dealt with via a mercenary contract rather than open engagement. Tough, strong, and skilled with a variety of weapons, diopsids make terrifying opponents and valued allies.

Hives in the Rock

Diopsids occupy large caverns within the Underdark, typically in areas isolated from other folk. While diopsids remain neutral in most conflicts, they prefer to avoid such entanglements rather than risk their safety and security. A typical diopsid settlement consists of stone towers built into the sides of a cavern's wall. Diopsids build up along the cavern, digging into the rock and scattering the debris down upon the cavern floor to create a rough, treacherous zone of rubble. Over time, diopsids slowly stretch their corridors and chambers to the cavern's roof. A visitor to a diopsid cavern might believe he has somehow stumbled back to the surface world during the night of a new moon. The flashing lights of diopsids' natural luminescence looks like twinkling stars across the black canvas of the cavern's walls and floor. Diopsid watchtowers flash beacons back to their settlements. Once alerted, warriors march to the upper passages in the cavern roof When the battle is joined, these elite diopsid warriors jump down upon their enemies. These simple but effective tactics have taught many would-be enemies that diopsids are better met with barter than battle.

Diopsids see the realms above as a terrible place of fearful ordeals, dangerous monsters, and horrific peril. The air moves and slashes, the ground slopes high into unimaginable reaches of the ether, and torrents of endless water batter the earth in an endless assault. A diopsid who ventures to the surface is regarded as a mighty hero, one worthy of the highest praises. Because of this belief, diopsids tend to regard humans, elves, and other travellers from the surface with something close to pity. Diopsids see them as lost souls cast out of the comforting grasp of the earth and forced to survive in a deadly, alien land.

A diopsid settlement is likely to traffic with drow, dwarves, and other folk without prejudice. As insects, diopsids see all humanoids as one indistinguishable mass. The differences between a dwarf and a drow are trivial in their eyes, considering the vast gap between a diopsid and any other humanoid creature.

Chitinous Freelances

A diopsid is a large beetle with six limbs. It uses its rearmost limbs as legs, allowing it to walk upright like a humanoid. Its four arms form two markedly different pairs. Its upper arms are strong and powerful, allowing it to heft weapons, carry heavy loads, and manipulate tools like a humanoid. Its middle pair of limbs is situated just below its arms. These small, slender limbs are much weaker than its legs and upper arms. A diopsid has a pair of stalks that project outward from the sides of its head. Each stalk ends with a large, multifaceted red eye. These stalks are immobile, and diopsids see a wide gap between the two as an indicator of strength, power, and beauty.

Diopsids work with almost anyone who meets their asking price, and they are quite willing to push aside an ally to work with a new paymaster. Diopsids are opportunistic and somewhat greedy, particularly when it comes to metal weapons, tools, and armor. They take care to protect their reputation as mercenaries. A diopsid tends to think over a problem first and act later. They find other races endlessly fascinating, especially humanoid surface dwellers, and they sometimes prove annoying with their endless questions and conjectures. When it comes to metal weapons and tools, a diopsid becomes a frenetic, energized explorer. It might turn a weapon over in its hands, stroke its length, and test it on a handy rock or giant mushroom.

Diopsid Names

Diopsids lack names they can communicate in languages such as Common. The patterns of flashes they use have no analog. Thus, diopsids usually allow others to pick nicknames for them. Diopsids embrace new names and drop old ones with ease. They see such monikers as devices of communication devised by and for their trading partners and employers. They care little for their nicknames and rarely grow attached to them.

Diopsid Traits

A Diopsid character has an assortment of inborn abilities, part of their insectoid nature.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2.

Age. Diopsid young grow quickly. They walk hours after hatching, attain the size and developmentof a 10-year-old human child by the age of 3, and reach adulthood by 15. They live to be around 80.

Alignment. Diopsids are typically neutral. Even in service to evil creatures, diopsids rarely take pleasure in causing pain or misery. They simply fight for their masters and rarely spread more havoc than needed to defeat an enemy.

Size. Diopsid are generally broader and heavier than humans. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision. Your darkvision has a radius of 60 feet.

Illumination. A diopsid has a number of glands on its body that allow it to shed light much like a firefly. At will, the diopsid can shed bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet.

Gliding Wings. Diopsids have a pair of stubby wings that, while too weak to provide them with flight, allows them to gently guide to a soft landing regardless of how far they fall. As a reaction when falling, it can unfurl its wings and float slowly downward at 60 feet per round. A diopsid does not take falling damage if falling in this way. A diopsid with a speed of 0 cannot use its wings in this manner.

Natural Armor. When you aren't wearing armor, your AC equals 13 + your Dexterity modifier.

Extra Arms. Diopsids have a secondary, weaker set of arms. A diopsid doesn't need a free hand to load a weapon with the ammunition quality and can perform the somatic or material components of spells even when they have weapons or a shield in one or both hands.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common. A diopsid's voice is usually dry, hollow, and punctuated with clicks of its mandibles. The diopsid native language consists of an intricate code of light flashes generated by luminescent glands situated on their bodies. It has no system of writing, a critical handicap that prevents diopsids from developing any advanced technologies.

Diopsid Adventurers

Diopsid adventurers are usually ex-mercenaries who grew bored of working for others. Spurred on by stories of the horrific outer world— unlike other, more docile diopsids who see that world as a source of terrors real and imagined— these diopsids strike out in search of fame, glory, and metal weapons and tools. Many of the most powerful diopsid war chiefs and leaders once acted as adventurers. By demonstrating their resourcefulness and making grand gifts of metal goods to potential allies, these wanderers cement their political status after a successful adventuring career.