TEXT: Vespidan
  "VESPIDAN? THEY ARE PRETTY MUCH GIANT WASPS! JUST AS AGGRESSIVE,
  but a lot bigger to boot. Still, provided you can distinguish their
  meekly males, you can actually establish good relations, as
  Vespidan are renowned builders. Don't try and take advantage
  of them though, their female counterparts wouldn't like that.
  And those they don't like usually die."
                                          — Tordek, dwarf fighter and adventurer
  The insectile race known as Vespidans were created in the First
  World as a side project by Calistria, the elven goddess of lust,
  revenge, and wasps. Loosely related to elves, wasps, and fey, the
  highly social vespidan formed societies of rigid caste-based
  hierarchies centered around a reproductive queen. Calistria
  quickly grew bored of the strongly lawful aligned societies of her
  creations and soon abandoned them for other ventures, though
  she still regards their wasp-like form and tenacious territorial
  ways fondly and they still revere her as the mother of their
  species.
  Physical and appearance notes
  Vespidan body structure is relatively similar across the castes
  with the noteworthy visual differences being in size,
  proportions, and hair colors. Their carapace is largely a single
  color usually ranging from yellow to yellow-orange to orange to
  red and accented with dark stripings from brown to black, with
  their limbs reversing the primary and secondary colors.
  Members of the same hive generally share the same color and
  pattern and there even being little variation between hives in a
  region. Their crafting techniques are largely alchemical based
  and use very little fire, most commonly working with giant
  insect chitin, leathers, and silks. Their armor and clothing
  designs reminiscent of elven and fey fashions.
  Society
  Vespidan society is built and relies on the instinctive dedication
  to the good of the hive exhibited by every member. A single
  Queen acts as the central authority in all matters of a hive and is
  the sole reproductive member capable of producing an egg at a
  rate of up to one per month, twin eggs are possible but un-
  common, while triples are rare in the extreme, and greater
  1
  
  numbers are unheard of. An egg takes about two weeks to hatch
  into a soft pale infant-like vespid baby, or 'larva'. In very small
  colonies (those with less than a couple dozen individuals) the
  eggs and larva are protected and cared for solely by the queen.
  In the largest colonies (up to a thousand or more members) they
  are protected and cared for by both the queen and the most
  experienced and elite of the worker caste.
  Larva are nursed by both the queen and any caretaker sisters
  assigned to them, nurturing them like mammals would, until
  their carapace hardens enough to eat food on their own after
  about one year of age. The vespid child, appearing much like a
  wingless, stingerless child version of an adult, is then allowed to
  grow and experience hive life and is encouraged to learn what it
  means to contribute to the hive. At eight years of age they molt
  their wings, and stingers in females, and are now considered
  adolescents and are expected to begin pursuing a path to benefit
  the hive. At twelve a vespid is considered to be a full adult and
  given all of the responsibilities that go with it.
  Those that begin to place their own needs and/or individuality
  above the needs of the hive risk being cast out as 'hive-broken',
  considered a taboo mental illness in hive society. The hive-
  broken, while might act more like any other individual of
  another humanoid race pursuing their own wants and dreams,
  are treated as bogeymen within hives with young being told
  stories of mad cannibalistic hive-broken.
  These are merely fairy tales, as Vespids generally do not
  consume the flesh of their own or of sentient humanoids unless
  emergency demands it. Though they culturally detest
  wastefulness and will usually feed their dead and those of their
  enemies to the young of the giant wasps a hive tends to keep in
  a fashion similar to cattle and horses. Also, young vespids, those
  under 12 but above 1 year old, are strictly carnivorous while the
  adults over 12 become largely herbivorous, becoming intolerant
  of solid meat proteins, though liquid like blood and broths are
  fine, resorting to hunting only to feed their young.
  The domesticated giant wasps of the vespidan serve many
  purposes depending on their needs and training.
  They can serve as battle steeds for cavaliers, draft beasts pulling
  small carts, plows, and other devices for vespid agriculture, and,
  like cattle to humanoids, can be a source of wasp honey and
  meat for vespidan and their young. There are rare particularly
  gifted vespidan ranchers who can extend their ability to train
  wasps to not attack giant honeybees, whose honey, meat, and
  domestic uses are far more desirable. If such an individual is
  able to peacefully keep both wasps and bees she'll find herself
  as one of the most valuable members of a hive.
  Drones (males) are considerably less desirable as they are
  physically weaker than their female counterparts, lacking any
  natural defenses, and have weaker overall cooperative instincts.
  A drone's real purpose is in their necessity for reproduction. For
  this reason they are prized and treated more like royal treasures
  than actual people. To prevent inbreeding, Drones are traded
  with other Hives for either another drone or they are traded for
  a small fortune of resources. This combined with their more
  gregarious and less xenophobic tendencies makes drones prone
  to becoming hive-broken as well. Despite this stigma, Drones
  are highly respected for their raw magical talent. And they are
  often deployed as diplomats to other races due to their
  Gregarious nature. Because while Vespidan Hives are usually
  isolated, and fiercely defended by the territorial Vespidans,
  eventually these expanding Hives will encroach up the lands of
  other civilized races, making contact inevitable.
  In the event of the death of a queen, or prolonged absence, a
  hive can usually keep up as normal but is severely weakened in
  it's ability to respond to new threats to the hive. The Queen's
  absence will cause a small amount of Workers (around 3%) to
  develop into Queens themselves. In this event the queens
  develop increasingly aggressive tendencies toward one-another
  until a 'Queen-War' breaks out until one queen is determined
  the winner with any surviving contenders exiled from the hive's
  territory, forced to survive on their own until they are able to
  acquire a drone and begin their own hive, are driven hive-broken
  by despair, or worse fates. Sometimes a Queen leaves with a
  sizable contingent to create a new Hive, or sends one away to
  colonize a new area, with the intend to force this effect. Thus
  allowing new Hives to be created.
  2
  
  Workers form the vast majority of a hive's population and
  manage nearly all aspects of a hive's infrastructure, agriculture,
  production and virtually all non-authoritarian roles of colony
  society. Their most noteworthy professions involve their abilities
  to train giant wasps as livestock and mounts and create
  massive, impressively strong structures out of durable paper
  and mud that dries harder than stone and their ability to create
  weapons and armor from chitin through secretive alchemical
  shaping and treatment processes that leaves it as hard as steel
  and also produces exquisite quality leathers. The workers in the
  field often travel in teams and are usually fighters, rangers,
  rogues, or clerics.
  Vespidan Hives are renowned for their tenacity in facing
  threats, often relying on guerilla tactics and making use of the
  terrain against their foes. But they are also more than willing to
  face their foes head on should the need arise. Most members of
  the Hive can fight, and will do so till their dying breath. Workers
  are led by tacticians, and supported by Priestesses of Calistria
  as well as the magical might of the Hive's Drones.
  Should the threat be sufficiently high, then several Hives will
  often join together, even if there were previous tensions between
  them. They recognize that the need for survival comes first, and
  those that attack a single Hive will eventually have to face as
  many Hives as it takes for them to deal with the new threat.
  Relations
  Vespids are inherently xenophobic and can quickly see any
  sentients in their territory as a threat, though they are
  significantly more tolerant of the presence of elves and any
  obvious followers of Calistria. Hives that find the need to make
  arrangements with neighboring species will try to make use of
  their drone's innate charisma to create treaties and alliances.
  As such, Hives that have regular contact with humanoids
  might produce more drones to act as diplomats as they have an
  easier time communicating with the neighbors.
  Hive-broken usually get better opportunities to meet with
  other races. They find halflings and gnome's small stature to be
  more approachable but their whimsical tendencies off putting.
  They usually can't tell the difference between humans, half-
  elves, and half-orcs and with their highly varied natures often
  find someone of these races to identify with and rely on as a
  guide to humanoid society. They tend to find the stout build of
  dwarves almost comical, but find their rigid tradition based
  culture the easiest to understand.
  Hive-broken Vespid often find difficulty fitting in. They are
  drawn to human settlements where the people share a similar
  freedom of thought as the broken, but they often find themselves
  feared or reviled for their wasp-like visage and the various
  dangers, both real and imagined, that the hive-folk can inflict on
  travelers along with a distinct unfamiliarity with human society,
  the value of money for example. Should the broken find
  camaraderie, their new allies often find themselves with a
  staunchly loyal compatriot that excels in teamwork.
  Religion
  The primary religion of the Vespidan is their racial goddess, The
  Waspmother. This is specifically Calistria but the form of
  worship is so removed as to be a completely different religion
  altogether. A structured religion promoting teamwork, self-
  sacrifice for your allies, and strict acknowledgment of
  leadership runs anathema to the chaotic whims of the fickle
  elven goddess. Sages believe that vespid divine casters are
  powered not by Calistria but by their very faith in the philosophy
  the Waspmother represents to them. Any vespid
  that is approached with this contradiction often becomes
  immediately incensed and aggressive. Virtually all hives worship
  the Waspmother, though there are a few queens who have been
  made to see the truth and have turned their hive to the worship
  of other lawful deities that better fit with their ethos. Hive-
  broken generally still revere the Waspmother but are much
  more likely to worship other deities than their hive-bound kin.
  Names
  Vespid names are elven in origin, the language given to them by
  their creator Goddess. A vespid takes the name of their mother
  queen as their surname in situations where it is needed. Queens
  usually discard their mother's name entirely upon their
  advancement believing it no longer important to their identity.
  Hive-broken often discard their mother's name as well, out of
  shame, anger, or frustration, they are just as likely to adopt a
  new name entirely, usually one based on whatever culture in
  which they've grown comfortable.
  Vespidan Traits
  Your Vespidan character has the following racial traits.
  Age. All Vespids reach maturity at 12, beyond this workers
  live about as long as 75 years, drones as long as 350 years, and
  workers that become queens can live as long as 750 years.
  Alignment. Vespidan societies are invariably highly
  structured and caste-based. They are almost always strongly
  lawful and usually lawful neutral as the good of the hive
  supersedes all other concerns. The exception are the hive-
  broken who are still often lawful by upbringing, but can easily
  stray into any form of thinking from there.
  Size. Workers and Drones are small sized, while Queens are
  medium sized.
  Speed. Vespidan Workers and Drones have a base walking
  speed of 25 feet, and Vespidan Queens have a base walking
  speed of 30 feet. In addition, all Vespidans have a climbing
  speed of 20 feet.
  Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
  Multiarmed. All Vespids are born with 4 arms. Your two
  additional arms allow you to interact with an additional object
  or feature of the environment for free on your turn. You may not
  carry and use shields for defense with these additional arms.
  Nor do they grant you additional attacks, or allow you to wield
  weapons with them for combat.
  Gliding wings. Using your insect like wings, you can slow
  your fall by rapidly flapping them, and glide short distances.
  When falling you can use your reaction to slow your descent, as
  if under the effects of a feather fall spell. As long as you are at
  least 10 feet above the ground, you may fly up to 60 feet in any
  direction you choose (except upwards) as you descend, and
  should you be within 60 feet of the ground you will land in the
  space you finished your movement in. You cannot glide while
  wearing heavy armor, or if you are encumbered. At the DM's
  discretion you may ride strong wind currents, either no longer
  descending or even ascending, while you may continue to fly up
  to 30 feet.
  Carapace. Your Carapace provides limited protection, and
  makes you accustomed to wearing armor. You can calculate
  your base AC as 11 + your Dexterity modifier while not wearing
  armor, and a shield’s benefits apply as normal while you use this
  AC. While wearing medium armor, your maximum Dexterity
  modifier bonus is increased by 1.
  Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and
  Elven.
  3
  
  Drone
  Drones, the males of the species, are much more docile than the
  other members. Standing about 4 feet like the workers, they
  look much like their female counterpart, except frailer and flat-
  chested (an evolutionary bluff inherited from their wasp
  relatives as they lack the female's dangerous stingers). Their
  hair and neck fluff can be any color common to queens or
  workers. They often wear light, flowy clothing and if they can
  defend themselves at all are usually spellcasters.
  Ability Score Increase. You gain a +1 to your Intelligence
  and Charisma scores. Drones are nimble, intelligent and
  gregarious, often curious about other races.
  Magic Savant. After finishing a short or long rest you may
  choose one of the following spells: animal friendship, misty step,
  or shield. You may cast this chosen spell once without
  expending a spell slot. You regain the ability to choose and cast
  a spell in this manner after finishing a short or long rest.
  Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
  Harmonic Casting. When you cast a non-cantrip spell you
  may channel some of the magic into yourself or a creature you
  can see within 60 feet. The chosen creature gains temporary hit
  points equal to the spell's level plus your proficiency bonus.
  Creatures may only be affected by this trait once, after which
  they may be affected again after they finish a short or long rest.
  Gregarious. You have proficiency in the Persuasion skill.
  Giant Wasps you Charm will actively protect and fight for you.
  Queen
  Queens are the natural leaders of vespid hive structure and
  often stoic and regal, standing about 6 feet in height on average
  with a lithe grace. Their hair and neck fluff tend to be pale in
  color (Silver, blonde, pale red, etc). They tend to wear armored
  flowing attire that is regal in appearance and favor elegant or
  elaborate weapons or can be powerful spellcasters.
  Ability Score Increase. You gain a +1 to your Strength score,
  and a +1 to your Wisdom or Charisma score. Vespidan Queens
  are graceful yet powerful, and possess innate leadership skills.
  Inspiring Queen. You may use the Help action as a bonus
  action, for a number of times equal to your Proficiency bonus.
  You regain the ability to use the Help action this way after
  finishing a short or long rest. At level 3, when you use the Help
  action to aid an ally in attacking a creature, the target of that
  attack can be within 30 feet of you, rather than within 5 feet of
  you. Should the ally already have advantage, then it may add
  half your proficiency bonus (rounded up) to the attack's hit and
  damage roll instead.
  Sting. Your sting is a natural weapon, which you can use to
  make a unarmed strike with. If you hit with it, you deal piercing
  damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the
  bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. On a hit,
  you may choose to inject the target with your venom, after which
  you must spend a long rest before you can use your venom
  again. This venom causes the target to take 2d6 poison damage,
  and it must make a Constitution saving throw (DC: 10+ your
  Proficiency bonus+ your Strength modifier). On a failed save, it
  is also poisoned until the start of your next turn. The poison
  damage increases to 3d6 at 5th level. 4d6 at 10th level, 5d6 at
  15th level, and 6d6 at 20th level.
  Insightful Monarch. You have proficiency in the Insight skill,
  and advantage on saving throws to avoid being charmed.
  Worker
  Workers stand about 4 feet on average with an athletic build.
  They are extremely loyal and quick to turn aggressive toward
  perceived threats to the hive. Their hair and neck fluff tend
  toward dark colors (black, brown, auburn, etc. With Auburn
  being the most common). They tend to wear simple, efficient
  armor and wield light weapons and shields or ranged weapons.
  Ability Score Increase. You gain a +1 on your Constitution
  and Wisdom scores. Vespidan Workers are agile, tough, and
  possess excellent instincts.
  Swarm Tactics. You have advantage on an attack roll against
  a creature if at least one of your allies is within 5 feet of the
  creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated. You may only benefit
  from this trait once per turn.
  Sting. Your sting is a natural weapon, which you can use to
  make a unarmed strike with. If you hit with it, you deal piercing
  damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the
  bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. On a hit,
  you may choose to inject the target with your venom, after which
  you must spend a long rest before you can use your venom
  again. This venom causes the target to take 2d6 poison damage,
  and it must make a Constitution saving throw (DC: 10+ your
  Proficiency bonus+ your Strength modifier). On a failed save, it
  is also poisoned until the start of your next turn. The poison
  damage increases to 3d6 at 5th level. 4d6 at 10th level, 5d6 at
  15th level, and 6d6 at 20th level.
  Talented Builder. You have proficiency in one Tool of your
  choice. In addition, you learn new Tool proficiencies within 100
  days instead of the standard 250 days.
  4
  
  Additional Feats
  The following feats are available to Vespidans.
  Gifted Drone
  Prerequisite: Vespidan Drone
  The Elven goddess of lust, revenge and Wasps favors you;
  blessing you with her divine might, and granting you the
  following benefits:
  Increase your Intelligence or Charisma score by 1, to a
  maximum of 20
  You may add double your proficiency bonus to your
  Persuasion checks. In addition you know the message
  cantrip, can communicate with it to any intelligent creature
  (regardless of language) or beast, and you may use your
  antenna as the material component of the spell.
  When you use your Harmonic Casting ability to grant an ally
  temporary hit points, you gain half as many temporary hit
  points (rounded up). When you gain temporary hit points in
  this manner, it does not count as using the Harmonic Casting
  trait on yourself.
  Gifted Queen
  Prerequisite: Vespidan Queen
  The Elven goddess of lust, revenge and Wasps favors you;
  blessing you with her divine might, and granting you the
  following benefits:
  Increase your Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  Your Sting now also counts as a Finesse weapon, and those
  who fail its poison DC now suffer the Paralyzed condition
  instead of the Poisoned condition for its duration.
  You gain "Inspire points" equal to 1 + your Charisma
  Modifier (minimum of 1). You regain any expended uses
  when you finish a long rest. You may spend an Inspire point
  to benefit from one of the following 3 effects: After you make
  an attack, you can immediately enable one creature within
  60 feet of you to use its reaction to make one weapon attack.
  After you take the Dash action, you can immediately enable
  one creature within 60 feet of you to use its reaction to move
  up to its speed. After you take the Dodge action, you can
  immediately enable one creature within 60 feet of you to use
  its reaction to gain the benefits of the Dodge action until the
  start of your next turn. You gain an additional Inspire point at
  levels 6, 11, and 16.
  Gifted Worker
  Prerequisite: Vespidan Worker
  The Elven goddess of lust, revenge and Wasps favors you;
  blessing you with her divine might, and granting you the
  following benefits:
  Increase your Strength or Constitution score by 1, to a
  maximum of 20. You count as one size larger when
  determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can
  push, drag, or lift.
  Your Sting now also counts as a Finesse weapon, and those
  who fail its poison DC now suffer the Paralyzed condition
  instead of the Poisoned condition for its duration.
  Whenever you gain the benefits of the Dodge action in
  combat, you can spend one Hit Die to heal yourself. Roll the
  die, add your Constitution modifier, and regain a number of
  hit points equal to the total (minimum of 1).
  Winds of Calistria
  Prerequisite: Vespidan
  Supernatural winds flow around you, granting you and your kin
  the gift of flight.
  You gain a flying speed of 30 feet. To use this speed, you can’t
  be wearing heavy armor.
  Allies within 30 feet of you who have the Gliding Wings trait,
  or a similar feature, gain a flying speed of 30 feet until the
  end of their next turn.
  (You may only take this feat with the DM's permission).
  Credits
  Vespidan race by u/NielsPeterDejong
  GM Binder formatting and layout by u/Tobzors
  Art Credits
  All artwork presented in this document was made by the
  artists listed below:
  1235 (Page 1) 
  pixiv.net/member.php?id=4467238
  LFP Commissions (Page 4) 
  twitter.com/LFPtweets
  Madiblitz (Page 5) 
  [https://www.deviantart.com/madiblitz
  "Madiblitz on DeviantArt")
  This is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan
  Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards.
  Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of
  the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/Homebrew/Race - Vespidan.pdf