Today is Bat Appreciation Day and, to mark the occasion, I thought it might be fun to share a player character option I created for use in the 5th edition of the world’s most popular roleplaying game.

I’ve always loved bats and I’ve always loved goblins, so smushing the two together just made sense. The result is batlin, a player character option I cooked up mostly as a practice exercise while I was working on Iron Kingdoms: Requiem.

Maybe someday I’ll get some art done for them and actually release them somewhere but, for now, and in honor of Bat Appreciation Day, enjoy, and feel free to use them in your own games if you see fit.

BATLIN

No one really knows for sure where batlin come from. Some say they were created long ago by a powerful wizard who wished to create minions for his subterranean lair. Others suggest that the batlin are an underground species of goblin, or that they came pouring in from another realm through some kind of planar rift. Even among the batlin communities that dot the underground, the stories of their origins vary, though many of them pay homage to a deity called Leutog who, they claim, carried them here on its wings from a plane of everlasting darkness.

A Life in the Dark

Most batlin live in the endless caverns that honeycomb the world, dwelling in the dark places where their unique senses make them particularly well-adapted to thrive. A few of their number have established colonies on the surface, where they are most commonly found in sub-tropical climes, though batlin have been known to make their way into cities all over the world. When encountered in their own underground communities, batlin tend to survive on a diet consisting almost exclusively of mushrooms and insects, both of which they raise in elaborate farms within the colony. Those batlin who have made their homes on the surface have often adapted to the eating of fruit, though no one has yet encountered a batlin who eats any kind of meat except insects.

Small but Industrious

Capable of vicious attacks to defend their territory – life below the ground can often be harsh, after all, and resources scarce – batlin sometimes accrue an undeservedly bad reputation among adventurers. In fact, they are industrious workers who enjoy a communal existence where everyone in the colony works, contributes, and shares alike. Because of their usually quick thinking and the ready availability of ingredients and compounds to be found below the earth, many batlin have taken to the practice of alchemy, and those that trade with the surface world often sell the fruits of their labors in city markets. Because of their relatively short lifespans and the dangers of their subterranean homes, batlin tend to have large families, and most members of a batlin community view the rest of the colony as their extended clan.

No Roost Like Home.

Most batlin colonies that are established underground make use of small networks of existing caves, with defensible dens that provide enough room for individuals or families to have semi-private living quarters. In some instances, batlin either modify or fortify these caves, while in others they have been known to build domed structures on cave floors or even walls and ceilings. Perhaps most unusual, for those from the surface who have, through whatever happenstance, made themselves companion to a batlin adventurer, batlin – like common bats – sleep by hanging upside down, their clawlike toes gripping branches, cave ceilings, or bars installed in their homes for just that purpose.

Communal Magocracies

Whether because of some underlying truth to the rumor that batlin were created by powerful wizards or simply by dint of the fact that magic helps make life underground a whole lot easier, batlin colonies tend to place a high value on spellcasting abilities. In general, batlin communities tend to be matriarchal, and those with the aptitude for magic often rise to positions of especial prominence and respect. Virtually all batlin colonies act as communal living spaces, however, and anyone who acts against the perceived good of the community – be they mage or matriarch – can be overruled by the rest of the colony at any time.

Not All Wings

Superficially, batlin resemble humanoid bats. They could easily be mistaken for bat-faced goblins were it not for their leathery, batlike wings. Like the more mundane bats that thrive in underground caves, batlin’s wings do not sprout from their backs, as those of many winged humanoids do, but instead act as their arms. When not in motion, a batlin can wrap its wings around itself like a cloak simply by folding its arms in front of its body, and they tend to move with the loping gait of a grounded bat, using their arms as well as their legs for ambulation. Perhaps due to their different size or body shape, most batlin cannot truly fly, unlike common bats, but their wings enable them to glide across short distances.

Batlin Traits

Your batlin character has the following traits in common with most other batlin.

            Suggested Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2 and your Intelligence score increases by 1.

            Age. Most batlin live difficult lives in the dark places beneath the earth. They mature quickly and seldom live more than 50 years.

            Languages. Batlin do not appear to possess a unique language of their own. You speak Common and one other language of your choice, usually that of a nearby settlement.

            Size. Batlin are usually around 3 feet tall and often appear shorter due to their hunched posture and tendency to walk using their wings. Your size is Small.

            Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

            Echolocation. You have blindsight within 60 feet as long as you aren’t deafened. You also have darkvision, allowing you to see in dim light within 120 feet of yourself as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray.

            Glide. While most batlin can’t actually fly, your wings allow you to glide short distances. When moving up to your normal speed, you can move over changes in elevation, pits, chasms, traps, or other hazards or obstructions that extend no more than 5 feet above the level of the ground, so long as you move at least 10 feet in a straight line. This movement ignores penalties from rough terrain.

            Shelter of the Dark. Even those batlin who live on the surface are typically nocturnal creatures, at home in the darkness. You have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks when in dim light or darkness.

Batlin Feats

The following feats are available exclusively to batlin characters:

Improved Foraging

Thanks to their unique diets, batlin are capable of surviving in conditions that many others would find inhospitable, at best. Increase your Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20. When you attempt to forage for food and water, you find twice as much as you normally would. If you are underground, you have advantage on your Wisdom (Survival) check to forage.

Wings that Work

The wings of some batlin are more highly developed than those of most of their kin, allowing them to take to the air. You gain a flying speed equal to your walking speed, but you cannot use this flying speed if you are wearing medium or heavy armor.