Houseki
Houseki Traits
All characters with the houseki heritage share the following traits.
Age. Houseki do not die of old age. They reach maturity somewhere between 40 and 150 years.
Size. The growth process of the houseki is not fully understood. Your size is based on your adventuring tier. At Tier 0 you are Small and weigh between 50 and 75 pounds; at Tier 1 you are Small and weigh about 100 pounds; at Tier 2 you are Medium and weigh between 200 and 300 pounds; at Tier 3 you are Medium and weigh between 300 and 400 pounds; and at Tier 4 you become Large and weigh in excess of 400 pounds.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet.
Crystalline. As a crystalline creature, you do not need to breathe, and are unaffected by vacuum. Additionally, you are immune to poisons and poison damage, but when you take thunder damage you make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or become rattled until the end of your next turn.
Enervore. You consume energy instead of food. A small hand-held electronic device contains enough power to constitute 1 Supply for you.
Grinding. When you move, you cannot hide the tinkling and grinding noises of your crystalline joints. Unless you remain still, you make Stealth checks with disadvantage.
Houseki Gifts
Houseki characters may choose one of the following gifts.
Color-change
Whenever you take a long rest, you may alter the color of your crystalline body. You can only be one color all over, usually choosing from red, blue, green, and yellow. The color you choose grants you resistance to one damage type–fire (red), cold (blue), acid (green), or radiant (yellow).
Crystal Healing
Your crystalline body repairs itself at a rapid rate, visible as new crystals form and grow. You can use an action to expend one hit die, rolling it and adding your Constitution modifier. You recover that many hit points.
Implacable
Houseki are noted for their slow, ponderous nature. You have advantage on saving throws made to resist the charmed, confused, and frightened conditions.
Jagged Crystal
Jagged crystals protrude from your body. Creatures who hit you with a natural melee weapon take 1d4 piercing damage.
Houseki Paragon
When you reach 10th level, you have grown into a paragon of houseki-kind. Choose one of the following paragon gifts.
Hard As Diamond
Your crystalline body is as tough as diamond. You gain resistance to slashing and piercing damage.
Ponderous
You are so slow and deliberate in your thoughts that you rarely make mistakes. When you make an Intelligence or Wisdom check, any roll of less than 10 on the d20 counts as a 10. This does not apply to attack rolls or saving throws.
Shockwave
As a bonus action you can emit the energy you consume as a spherical shockwave emanating from you. All creatures within 10 feet of you must make a Strength saving throw with a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier. On a failure, the target takes 6d8 force damage and is pushed 10 feet and knocked prone. On a success, the target takes half damage and is not pushed or knocked prone. Once you have used this feature you cannot use it again until you take a long rest.
Houseki Culture
The houseki don’t ask for a lot in life, do not tend to seek wealth or glory, and it is not uncommon to see a houseki perfectly content with a role as a laboror, engineer, or even a bartender. Houseki society is quiet, contemplative, and slow. Houseki are–usually–very good natured, and it is almost unheard of to see one lose their temper or display anger. Houseki are very at-home in space, need little in the way of excitement or company, and are generally unaffected by trivial details like atmosphere or temperature. They are often found on starship crews, asteroid mining outfits, and remote outposts. Comfortable with their own company, a houseki is able to spend extended periods of time alone, and it is unusual to find groups of houseki away from their homeworlds.
Suggested Cultures
The houseki can be found throughout known space. However, the following cultures are linked closely with this heritage: belter, enlightened, stoic, underclass.