Holocron

Gotal

Medium species · Antar 4
sourceECsizeMedium
Tweaked from 5eYou already know this as 5e Elf (likely) — Like an elf, the Gotal is built around heightened senses—its horns give it elf-style keen perception and the ability to operate in total darkness (think darkvision)—but it trades the elf's fey magic for reading creatures' emotions and detecting nearby electronics. ✨
Gotal
✨
Gain blindsight out to 30 feet and built-in emotion-reading Insight — a perception and social utility pick with a Wisdom chassis.
Empathic hunters from Antar 4 whose cranial horn-sensors read the electromagnetic auras of every living thing nearby — and hate every droid for the noise.
scoutforce-casterskill-expert
●●○weight · Blindsight 30ft
Ability focusWisdom-first with a flexible bump — a perceptive, intuitive generalist.
Standout traits
  • Energy Sensors — blindsight 30 ft., stacking with other blindsight sources for extended range
  • Natural Empathy — advantage on Insight checks to read emotions of humanoids and beasts within 10 feet
!Blindsight does not help against constructs or undead that emit no electromagnetic signal — the lore-linked limitation is worth noting in specific campaigns.
darkvisionsocialknowledgesurvival
Pairs witha Wisdom-primary class (Sentinel, Scholar) · a scout or face hybrid role · a party that relies on reading enemy intent

Biology and Appearance

Gotals possess cranial horns as receptors to sense electromagnetism and other energy emissions. These nerve-ending filled cones can sense the natural electromagnetic fields produced by Antar 4's magnetite-rich crust, allowing the species to operate even in total darkness. Their senses also pick up the electromagnetic auras from other life forms. When close to their hunting targets, they can ascertain information on its mood, awareness, and state of mind. Electronic devices can also be sensed by Gotals; in fact, most droids give off enough electromagnetic emissions to at least annoy a Gotal, and at worst to seriously disorient the horned beings, making them notoriously distrustful of droids. Gotals rely heavily on their cones, with their eyesight and hearing being quite weak, and their sense of smell almost completely absent.

Society and Culture

Since their natural empathy makes them instantly sensitive to the feelings of others, Gotals have little use for government or laws on their homeworld, resulting in problems when dealing with other societies. No central authority figure can speak for Antar 4 as a whole in a crisis, and no organized Gotal military or police force can act on their behalf. Other species respect the Gotals for their discretion and restraint, but some individuals fear interacting with the horned beings for fear of having their emotional state revealed to others.

Names

Gotal names are quite guttural, though there are also many harsher tones within their names. Gotal names do not vary significantly based on gender, and surnames are familial.

First Names. Thon, Fern, Fuu'rash, Jir, Vluphol

Surnames. Gratlul, Klux, Vathon, Zilat, Krigh, Rahxem

Distinctions. Full body fur, flat noses, head cones

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2, and one other ability score of your choice increases by 1.

Age. Gotals reach adulthood in their late teens and live less than a century.

Alignment. Gotals' polite and respectful nature causes them to tend toward lawful alignments, though there are exceptions.

Size. Gotals typically stand 6 to 7 feet tall and generally weigh about 150 lbs. Regardless of your position in that range, your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Energy Sensors. Gotals perceive the environment around them through use of electromagnetic sensors held in their cranial horns. You have blindsight out to 30 feet. If another trait would grant you blindsight, the range is increased by half as many feet.

Hunter. You are proficient in Survival.

Natural Empathy. Gotal's electromagnetic sensors allow them to sense the emotions in those around them. You have advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks to determine emotions against humanoids and beasts within 10 feet of you.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Galactic Basic and Antarian. The Antarian language is characterized by growls and clicking noises at various volumes.