Mantid

Origin & Overview

Hidden deep within the densest jungles and forests steeped in Feywild magic, Mantids are a race of proud, formidable insectoid warriors. Gifted with exceptional camouflage that mimics flowers and other natural surroundings, they have developed a strict society founded on honor, mastery of the martial arts, and absolute patience. To a Mantid, combat is a deadly dance, an art performed in a single perfect strike.

Deceptive Beauty

Far from the bestial monstrosity often attributed to insectoid creatures, Mantids possess an unsettling elegance. Their chitinous exoskeleton perfectly mimics the texture, softness, and color of plants and flowers, displaying exquisite shades of pink, pearly white, and soft green. They use this captivating beauty to charm and disorient an enemy, lulling their prey into a false sense of security before the trap snaps shut with breathtaking violence.

Dimorphism and Anatomy

In addition to a pair of athletic legs, Mantids have four arms: two large primary arms whose forearms fold back to reveal fearsome serrated blades, and two smaller secondary arms on their torso, ideal for delicate tasks.

The race exhibits pronounced sexual dimorphism: females are markedly larger, more majestic, and more colorful than males. They generally serve as clan leaders, matriarchs, or elite champions, and do not hesitate to eat their mates when hunger strikes. Males, smaller and more slender, with coloring that often tends toward green, excel as scouts or assassins in the shadows.

Mantid Names

The Mantids' true language, Lamesang, consists of clicking mandibles and rasping chitin that ordinary humanoids cannot reproduce. When interacting with other races, Mantids choose or are given names translated into Common, usually describing their coloring or fighting style.

Female names: Rose-Blade, Silk-Mantis, Pearl-Crown, Flower-Dance, Petal-Queen, White-Thorn. Male names: Green-Hunter, Thrumming-Strike, Leaf-Shadow, Hidden-Dew, Swift-Sting.

Racial Traits

Your predatory insect anatomy grants you formidable abilities.

You have the following racial traits.

Ability Score Increase. Increase one of your ability scores by 2 and a different score by 1, or increase three different scores by 1.

Age. Mantids mature very early, at around 10 years old. Their life expectancy is relatively short, generally between 40 and 60 years.

Size & Weight. Your size is Small or Medium. Females generally stand between 1.6 and 2.1 meters tall, while males stand between 90 centimeters and 1.5 meters tall. A female can be the same height as a male, and vice versa. Their light chitinous frames mean they weigh between 10 and 70 kilograms, depending on their size.

Speed. Your base speed is 9 meters.

Creature Type. Your creature type is Humanoid.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Sylvan. You can also communicate in Lamesang with other Mantids using your mandibles.

Floral Carapace. Your body is covered in a chitinous exoskeleton. While you aren't wearing armor, your AC is 13 + your Dexterity modifier. You can use your natural armor to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC. You can use a shield and still benefit from this trait.

Secondary Arms. You have two slightly smaller secondary arms below your primary arms. These arms can perform simple tasks, such as opening doors, holding a torch, or interacting with an object. They can wield weapons that have the light property, but cannot wield a shield.

Raptorial Blades. Your large primary arms are natural weapons. Your unarmed strikes deal 1d4 + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice) slashing damage, and they have the finesse property.

Gripping Legs. You gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed. In addition, at 3rd level, you can move along vertical surfaces such as trees, uneven walls, branches, roots, and any natural surface.

Deadly Ambush. You can naturally blend into surroundings such as flowers, leaves, or any vegetated environment, giving you proficiency in the Stealth skill. In addition, when you are in a dense natural environment, you can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by that vegetation.