D&D Homebrew Races - The Estran / Object-Head Strangers

    A homebrew race of object-headed planescape wanderers for Dungeons & Dragons 3e/3.5; created by Aboleth Eye!  Originally starting out as a way to bring object/TV-headed characters to life, this has developed into its own entire race of unusual outsiders searching for their purpose
    As always, though this homebrew was made with D&D 3.5 edition in mind, with a few tweaks you can absolutely use this material with Pathfinder 1st edition! -- Aboleth Eye

    The Estran are a race of outsiders said to come from neutral planes, where the forces of Law and Chaos clash.  Sometimes even planar energy fronts collide, manifesting these strange outsiders as wanderers of the planescape.
    Also known as “object-heads”, the Estran are outsiders born with humanoid-resembling bodies from the neck-down.  Floating above their stump of a neck, instead of an attached humanoid head, these outsiders have a large object perpetually levitating above.  There are several categories of Estran heads, supposedly connected to what Purpose each is born to do.

    Estran is the plural/collective name for the race; with singular individuals being Estranei. 

 

Photo by Sydney Riggs on Unsplash

Physical Traits

    The Estran are famously known by their strange heads.  Though that is not quite the apt word, as instead they have objects that perpetually levitate above their neck.  These objects  can shift and bob as they wish, often displaying the Estranei's emotions for all to see.  An Estranei who is uncomfortable with another creature’s presence may unconsciously float their head away from the offender.  The exact shifting behavior of an Estranei's head are personal to each one; but they typically never take the form of anything but a singular object or set cluster of objects.
    Estranei heads have unlimited mobility within twelve inches of a central point about six inches above their necks.  Their heads can spin, rotate, bob and turn freely without limits should they wish.  An Estranei cannot have their heads removed, even intending to do so willingly.  It causes them pain if a creature attempts to pull or remove their heads, as a human would in similar circumstances.  If an Estranei’s head is pulled downward against its will, for instance, their body will bend and be pulled down as well as if it was physically attached.  Aside from their strange heads, it appears they have physical limits similar to most humanoid races.

    The heads of the Estran are not completely solid or liquid; they are able to bend, stretch and contort to express the moods and intentions of these outsiders.  Despite most not having any obvious sensory organs (such as eyes, ears, noses or mouths); an Estranei can see, hear, smell and taste just as a humanoid can.  They have can see extensively in natural darkness through some unknown sensory input.  The Estran do not require food or water for sustenance, as they are outsiders; but they have been known to enjoy food and drink.  If an Estranei is watched while eating, to the naked eye it appears as if the food or drink vanishes all at once without a trace.

    Currently, it is unknown if the Estran are capable of permanently changing their object head to another.  Their heads are a reflection of their Purpose, and they will often change in subtle ways as they experience life in the planes.  

    The bodies of the Estran are covered in semi-metallic skin that often has a dull sheen.  Typically they keep their bodies covered up by clothes and armor, often including gloves of some kind as well.  The Estran are so rare that their internal structure of organs and bone are quite unknown.  Their skin is harder to damage but it is entirely possible.  Wounds inflicted on an Estranei will heal over time; many Lawful-aligned/born Estranei never have scars, while more Chaotic Estranei often have strange shapes and colors for their scar patterns.  Estranei bleed an oil-like substance that is often metallic or glittery.  As far as scholars have investigated, the Estran do have skeletons beneath their metallic flesh--they resemble the metal armatures of sculptures.  However, like each individual Estranei, they seem to be varied in the exact number and material of their inner supports.  
    Depending on their alignment and/or plane of manifestation, an Estranei's body physiology may look different from another’s.  Law-dominant Estranei typically have tall, wiry bodies that are perfectly proportioned–having a set of matching arms and legs.  Chaos-dominant Estranei often have strange, wild proportions to their bodies; and their limbs are often unusual and non-matching.  All Estran bodies have two arms and legs, but some have been seen with extra vestigial limbs, or even floating segmented body parts.  One chaotic-aligned Estranei was recorded to have no legs, bouncing itself along by a large metallic spring coil from below their waist.  
    Estran bodies are hairless and genderless, but even among lawful Estranei they have differences in musculature, height, weight and masculine/feminine/androgynous proportions.  The Estran race has no concept of gender or sex, nor can they reproduce.

Estranei Purposes    

    Each Estranei is born with a singular Purpose, some inkling or instinct as to what conflict between Law and Chaos they are born of.  The Purpose is deeply personal to each Estranei--it is their only reason for existence.  No other ideals or ambitions are greater than their Purpose among their kind.  Attitudes in alignment often shape how each of these outsiders attempts to live out their Purpose--but they follow it nonetheless.  

    The most common way to identify an individual Estranei’s Purpose is by the object each of these outsiders has for a head.  No two Estran have the exact same object appearance, even among those that share a Purpose.

    The most common Estran Purpose is the Observer.  Those born to this category feel the need to observe everything around them, recording them in their minds for posterity.  Typically these Estran have object-heads resembling elaborate tomes, boxy screens (such as a television or computer monitor), or even a telescope or glass lens. 

    Observers often also act as historians and scribes, with heads of blank tomes and scrolls that fill up as they memorize information.

    Another common Purpose is the Traveler, to tread as far and wide as possible and see all there is to see.  Estranei with this Purpose typically have objects such as maps, compasses and telescopes for heads.  
    However, this Purpose is also common among Estran with specific goals to travel across the many planes–manifesting as heads of flaming stars, cosmic nebulas, comets and even small planetoids/asteroids.  

    Some of these creatures have Entertainers as their Purpose, delighting in performing music and poetry to those whose society they wander through.  Entertainers have objects such as keyboards, harps, drums and other musical instruments for heads.  Others love to tell stories and their heads resemble television or movie screens, projecting their imaginations as they evoke tall tales and legends for their audiences.  

    Entertainers who create art through other mediums–composers, novelists and actors–often have floating theater masks, instruments, scrolls and quills for heads.  Actors and dramatists typically have masks and they love to decorate them to express a role or even temporarily confuse onlookers as to their otherworldly origins.  Those that sing tend to have voices that match the instrument-heads they have, such as a twittering piccolo, flowing viola or booming tuba.

    These Estran are the most sociable with other races, and love to gather songs, jokes and stories from across the planes.      

    Unluckily, there is a Purpose that manifests a more dangerous and confrontational breed of Estran, the Conqueror.  Conquerors are born to rule, subvert and force their changes through any means necessary.  The heads of these Estran are usually blades, axe heads and even massive firearms like pistols or warheads–weapons of any kind could be the object-head of Conqueror.  
    The more damage or violence a Conqueror inflicts in their journeys, typically their object-heads become permanently stained with blood or begin to constantly bleed.  One Conqueror fooled many people by having a chalice for a head and being very sociable, until it betrayed its victims and the chalice flipped over to pour out a floating wave of blood.

    The Estran are so rare and scattered throughout the planescape that there may be hundreds of Purposes and potential objects for an Estranei to possess.  Where Law and Chaos meet, the Estran may manifest as something totally new or even anachronistic to the planes they travel.  
Some notable examples of unusual or rare Purposes (and object heads) are:

    Driven to make their mark on the vastness of creation, Artists are driven to create and replicate the wondrous sights they see or imagine!  Whether a particular plane is someone or something’s property or domain does not matter–they will warp, reshape and color everything in their path to portray their ideals and message.  Even monuments and entire planar landscapes may be reshaped by their brushes or hands.
    Estran with this Purpose often have art supplies for a head, such as blank canvases that constantly display new illustrations, a shifting painter’s palette or even roiling globs of colorful pigment and paint for a head.  Some Artists are even writers and journalers, with typewriter and quill heads to write and draw their thoughts for all to see.

    Caretaker Estran are exceedingly rare, their impulse to aid and sense of empathy is nearly impossible to replicate where Law and Chaos exist.  And yet, these Estran travel to ease wounds from all life and save entire planes from blights physical, emotional and even divine.  Caretakers are drawn to sites of planar warfare, and will travel wherever their skills are needed.  Even for immortal outsiders, these Estran take deaths extremely hard.  Melancholy over failing to save a life can drive them to self-isolate or have inner turmoil over their Purpose’s dependence on others’ lives.
    Caretaker Estranei usually have objects like medicine or potion bottles for a head.  However, any object with calming or soothing properties can be possible: such as potted plants or herbs, painted porcelain tea kettles, and even cups of herbal tea.  Dour Caretakers who seek to prevent death rather than save life often manifest heads of gravestones or other memento mori.

    Estranei with the Gambler Purpose embrace their chaotic side, skipping through the planescape and enjoying every high and low that comes their way.  Every action and reaction is part of a great game only they know how to play.  Risk is an addiction they cannot help but indulge–the worst sore losers and the most arrogant winners.  They love all schemes and risky endeavors, from simple games of chance to betting on the outcomes of entire wars!  Some even make bets on the outcomes of planar conflicts, even manipulating entertaining “pieces on the board” to make their gambles come to fruition.
    Gambler Estranei often have objects like playing cards, oversized dice, jacks or even the controllers for video games for heads.  They love to bring people together for games big and small, and their minds are constantly on the hunt for the best game in existence.

    Despite what some scholars suggest, the existence of the Paramour Purpose among the Estran proves that Love and Desire are truly potent forces integral to the planescape.  For the Paramour are embodiments of passion and emotion.  Drawn to the highs and lows of mortal emotions, these Estran care not for the long game of their existence, instead preferring to make connections and forge alliances with those of shorter, more meaningful lives.  They are both matchmakers and diplomats, heartbreakers and poets; hungry to witness and experience considerate connection.  
    These Estran are also the only ones among their kind capable of physical intimacy with mortal races, capable of feeling the physical sensations of romance.  They are not able to reproduce, but scholars suggest anyone kissed by a Paramour in the throes of passion or love may manifest a planetouched in their bloodline’s future generations.  Most often a lawful-attuned zenythri or a chaos-aligned chaond.

    Paramours are often glamorous and flashy with their object-heads, resembling romantic gifts: some have heads of beautiful flower bouquets or shining jewelry.  Other symbols of matrimony and love–like colorful hearts, giant lips, and pairs of chalices–often exist among these rare Estran.

    Lastly, there exist some Estran who do not instinctually know what Purpose they have upon.  When birthed by the collision of Lawful and Chaotic planar energies, it seems these Estran are not “told” what their exact Purpose is: they are the Unknown.
    Unknown Estranei are incredibly solitary and unsure when traveling the planes.  Others of their kind look upon them with intense pity and anxiety, some driven to destroy them out of fear of what they might be capable of.  Estranei with this purpose go out into the planes and seek out Purpose, a goal of finding their place in the intersection of the planar realities.  Often the Unknown will join adventuring parties of mortals, seeing their shenanigans as an opportunity to witness many different Purposes (through mortal ambitions) interact and come together.  
    Being a taboo even to their strange race, many Unknown become Purposeless (or rather give up the pursuit of Purpose).  But perhaps that act of giving up is their Purpose manifesting itself?  These questions often torment this type of Estran…
    The object-heads of an Unknown Estranei are the most random of their kind.  Giant shoes of modern design, giant keys and keyrings, embroidered pillows, molten blobs of shifting metals, cracked monocles, etc.  One even had an ice cream sundae for a head, frosty and unmelting, perpetually rotating in a glass dish!  Anything that seems random or lost without something else to complete it; that seems to be the uniting theme among the Unknown.

Personality
    When individual Estranei meet they have some form of kinship, regardless of Purpose or alignment.  If they share a similar Purpose they will often converse and eagerly share information with one another.  If the Estran have no shared Purpose, they will converse about their travels and be friendly to one another.  If their Purposes are in opposition, there is a chance of conflict erupting between them--especially if they have vested interests that are threatened by one another.
    Lastly, and quite unfortunately, the Estran seem to struggle with their sanity and ability to communicate.  Seeing all the wonders of the expanded planescape means they also witness its many horrors great and small.  They are forever outsiders from wherever they travel, and mortal lives especially are too short for them to get attached (otherwise they suffer heartbreak again and again).  Their emotions are tied up completely to their Purpose, often bordering on disconcerting zealotry to non-Estran.  They do not relate well to other races, especially mortal ones, and they think their brilliance and Purpose makes up for their unpredictable mental states and inability to empathize.  
    Very rarely will an Estranei manifest with a Purpose and find nothing but dissatisfaction in pursuing it.  A Conqueror with the head of an black-and-red sword could find bloodshed distasteful after going through the planescape for a time.  An Observer could use their skills not to record history but to intervene when things go against their ideals.  Usually Estran Purposelessness may manifest after an Estranei has wandered around for at least a few centuries.  Adventurers are often a trigger for an Estranei to question and doubt their Purpose, as they are often the most accepting of their unique outlook and the most challenging to such single-minded, endless pursuits.  
    Often a Purposeless Estranei’s search for meaning will manifest in their floating object-heads; the forms may become less solid or may change color/pattern over time.  One Observer Estranei with a mirror for a head was seen several centuries later attempting at being an Artist, their mirror cracked in a spiraling pattern of self-reflection.  

Estran Racial Traits

    The following are the Racial Traits for Estran characters:

• Medium-size Outsider (extraplanar) - Despite manifesting into existence wherever Law and Chaos meet, they gain the extraplanar subtype when not on the Astral Plane.  
• Racial Hit Dice: 3d8 Outsider
• Racial Base Attack Bonus: +3
• Racial Base Saves: Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +3
• Racial Feats: The Estranei’s outsider levels give it two starting feats.
• Racial Class Skills: Balance, Concentration, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Knowledge (planes), Listen, Profession, Search, Speak Language, Spellcraft, Spot, Survival.
• Racial Skill Points: (8 + Intelligence modifier) x 6
• Racial Ability Scores: Strength +2, Constitution +4, Intelligence +4, Wisdom -6, Charisma -2.
• The Estran have sturdy bodies and inquisitive minds, regardless of purpose.  However, they are quite prone to madness from their travels, and lack social graces among mortals–failing to communicate their ideals or recognize Purpose in creatures not of their kind.
• Special Abilities:
• Estran Purpose (Ex): The Estran each manifest into existence with a Purpose (starting at their first Hit Dice).  Purpose is a role that compels their aspirations and decisions throughout their unusual, immortal lives.  A Purpose grants each individual Estranei a unique set of skills.  A Purpose cannot be changed once it is chosen, nor can an Estranei possess more than one Purpose through any means.  
• Observer: The Observer constantly has a +4 racial bonus to Hide, Listen and Spot checks.  Hide is always a class skill for the Observer Purpose.
• Traveler: The Traveler gains a +4 racial bonus to Survival checks, as well as Knowledge (the planes) checks.  Knowledge (the planes) is always a class skill for the Traveler Purpose.
• Conqueror: The Conqueror gains a +4 racial bonus to Bluff and Intimidation checks.  The Conqueror Purpose also gains proficiency with a single martial weapon of their choice at 1st level.
• Entertainer: The Entertainer gains a +4 racial bonus to Diplomacy and Perform checks.  Uniquely, the Entertainer Purpose’s favored class becomes Bard, despite their Charisma penalty.
• Artist: The Artist gains a +4 racial bonus to all Craft and Profession checks, increasing to +6 racial bonus if it is related to the creation of fine art, poetry/literature, etc.  
• Caretaker: The Caretaker gains a +4 racial bonus to all Heal and Sense Motive checks.  Uniquely, the Caretaker Purpose’s skill checks with Heal and Sense Motive are considered to have a Wisdom modifier of +0 (or their own, if higher).
• Gambler: The Gambler gains a +4 racial bonus to Bluff, Sleight of Hand and Profession (gambler) checks.  Bluff is always a class skill for the Gambler Estran.
• Paramour: The Paramour gains a +4 racial bonus to Bluff, Diplomacy and Sense Motive checks.  Diplomacy is always a class skill for the Paramour Estran.
• Unknown: Chosen at 1st HD, an Estranei with an Unknown Purpose gains a +4 racial bonus to any single skill of their choice.  It becomes a permanent class skill for them.  Additionally, the Unknown Purpose grants a single bonus feat, provided they fulfill any prerequisites.
• Floating Head (Ex): An Estranei’s head naturally floats a few inches above its shoulders.  The creature can rotate its head in any direction but cannot raise, lower, or otherwise move its head away from where it floats; an unseen force prevents others from moving its head by force, as well. 
• Opponents who flank an Estranei do not gain the normal +2 bonus on attack rolls.  
• Estranei are immune to the decapitation of a vorpal weapon. 
• They may not be strangled and are immune to suffocation.
• Special Qualities:
• Damage Reduction 5/adamantine.  The bodies of the Estran are resilient to the weapons of many planes, except for adamantine.  
• Darkvision out to 60 feet
• Spell-like Abilities: 1/week - plane shift.  
• Caster level 4th or character Hit Dice, whichever is higher.  Save DCs are Intelligence-based.
• Automatic Languages: Common and one of the following (Abyssal, Celestial or Infernal)
• Bonus Languages: Abyssal, Celestial, Infernal, Aquan, Auran, Ignan, Terran. 
• Favored Class: Wizard
• An Estranei with the Entertainer Purpose has their favored class changed to Bard.
• Level Adjustment: +2.  
• ECL: 5+. With the Racial Hit Dice and Level Adjustment, an Estranei with no class levels is considered a 5th level character.

Author's Note:

    Whoever came up with the idea for a computer monitor for a character's head launched a thousand OCs once the internet got a hold of the idea. 

    The Estran started out as a joke.  An exercise to see if I could create a race of weirdos obsessed with their special interests.  And, it was an experiment to take something completely modern like the object or TV head and bring it into sword and sorcery storytelling.  I feel I did a good job.

    Inevitably, as with every fantasy writing project I throw myself into, I got deep into the personalities and lore of my object-heads.  Once I came up with the idea of their Purpose, I could build a foundation of limitless options for players and storytellers to use them.  Their weirdness was because Law and Chaos come together to make Weird.  But weird for weird's sake is out of place in a grounded setting.  But if it has a Purpose, a drive to create or conquer or observe or whatever single thing; that is something everyone can understand.  Aimless characters are never fun, but if a character is solely motivated by Love or Games or Knowledge--you can grab onto that and implement it into any setting. 

    Now the Estran hold a weird little place in my heart.  I hope you get inspired to create your own strange TV or object head in your own games.  

Aboleth Eye