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Born from conflict stemming from survival and freedom, the githzerai are aDungeons & Dragonsspecies with a deep and dark, illithid-filled history. Despite that, they have found a way towards peace. Githzerai are often tranquil and collected, moving away from the darkness and towards light.
Still, they find themselves at conflict with the githyanki, a species that was once the same as the githzerai. The war between the githzerai and githyanki are an important part of their history and finding away towards peace is an admirable goal. The githzerai, however, are not weak-willed and will do what they must to survive.
Githzerai Overview
Githzerai have innate psionic power which grant them special abilities. Upon character creation,your githzerai knows the Mage Hand cantrip.Your version of the cantrip is alsoinvisible.At 3rd level you learn the spell Shield and at fifth level you learnDetect Thoughts.
You are able to cast each of these spellsonce per dayor more if you expend a spell slot of the appropriate level. you may choose between Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma as your spellcasting ability for these spells.
As a result of your psionic nature, you have advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened. You also have resistance to psychic damage.
Best Classes For A Githzerai
Githzerai can fit many different archetypes and molds. The spells granted to the species are helpful in many situations but canespecially enhance the abilities of select classes.Below are noteable classes for a githzerai:
Why it fits
Artificer
The githzerai plays very well to thestrengths and weaknessesof the artificer. The githzerai’s advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightenedcompensates for the fact that many Artificers do not have a high Wisdom score. Your innate access to the Shield spellbuilds upon the survivability and high armor class manyartificers strive for.
Barbarian
A githzerai barbarian flips the traditional idea of the species from peaceful to rage-filled.Barbarians are very powerful combatants, capable of destroying waves of enemies. This also means that they areoften chosen to be charmed or pitted against their own partydue to their often low Wisdom scores. The githzerai’s resistance against those effectshelp to reduce this risk.Shield can also prove to bevery useful in the heat of battle when surrounded by enemies.
Bard
All the githzerai’s spells are very helpful for a bard,both in a role play and mechanical sense.you may use Mage Hand to assist with performances or sneaking around,especially as it is invisible.Shield is a valuable spelltypically not available to bards, so picking that up can be a lifesaver. Detect Thoughts is also great for a bard, being the social and occasionally manipulative class it is.
Monk
Githzerai are often depicted as monks so playing one is a natural choice. The features from the githzeraido not necessarily match with the monk class, but still work well.Shield is always a boon, andyou will likely have a free hand to use it.Monks do typically have a high wisdom, however, so the advantage granted on saves against being charmed or frightenedis not as potent.
Paladin
The githzerai are in a constant war against their githyanki counterparts. It only makes sense for some githzerai to take up the mantle of a paladin to fight for peace and natural order.Shield increases the armor class and defensive abilitiesalready common for a Paladin and can add to their imposing presence. Paladins also typically shrug off wisdom so anything that helps with wisdom saving throws is good.The oath of redemption and oath of the crown subclasses work well with a githzerai, as they also strive for peace and order.
Rogue
The rogue survives on trickery, subversion, and stealth. As such, an invisible Mage Hand and the ability to Detect Thoughts would prove useful.It provides much more options and utilityto a class which normally doesn’t involve magic. The advantage against being frightened and charmed is alsohelpful for a class without Wisdom saving throws.It is also explicitly said that thegithzerai often become soulknife rouges.
Sorcerer
Shield is somethingmost sorcerers end up taking anyway, and due totheir limited number of spells known, it is especially helpful.Thematically, sorcerers are appropriateas their existence in limbo might have exposed them to the source of their magic.Consider the aberrant mind or wild magic originsfor your sorcerer.
Warlock
Living in Limbo, it only makes sense for a githzerai to form a pact with a patron, such asthe ones presented in the great old one subclass.Regardless of subclass choice, however, the githzerai’s spells,especially shield, compliment the class. This is even more the case if you’re playing a melee warlocksuch as a hexblade
Roleplaying As A Githzerai
Gith of all types are often, but not necessarily, somewhat alien compared to other species. This is due to their origin and home in the plane of Limbo. It makes for a different perspective and culture. Keeping this in mind while making your githzerai can lead to an interesting character and memorable moments.
Still, githzerai arenot a monolithand areunique individualswith their own thoughts and ideas. Whether you do or don’t want to take place in thecosmic warbetween the two sides of the Gith, you may always find other interesting aspects about the character.
Taking thetypical, peaceful approachto your githzerai can result in arefreshing contrastto the morebloodthirsty charactersyou can find. But it can be equally interesting to have your character bejadedenough to embrace their moreaggressive side. Being someone in the middle is also a valid option.
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