Abominations are humanoids, dwarf, human or otherwise, that have been subjected to a harrowing ritual and forever changed. They may hide among society in their humanoid form, but a monster lives within the abomination, able to transform into an unrivaled predator. No two are alike, save for the unrelenting hunger that lurks within, urging them to violence. Some embrace it, others rail against the bloody cravings, but all suffer from its burden.
Eldritch Transformation
Long ago in a bygone age, a dark wizard sought to forge the ultimate minion. He gathered the most powerful creatures he could find, from werewolves to trolls, and took their most potent traits. In one abhorrent ritual, the wizard fused them all together within a mortal's body. The result was a disfigured man, scarred by a hundred eldritch runes, with the ability to undergo a brutal transformation—he could change into a monstrous form at will, which reflected the creatures he was wrought from.
And so the first abomination was created. Swift, strong, and with a deadly intelligence driving its viciousness.
Since then, many dubious spellweavers have since attempted to recreate the ritual, but only the most ambitious and depraved have succeeded. Each abomination that lurks among the lands is a product of one such effort, whether they were an unwilling victim who survived and escaped, or else a willful volunteer seeking the power it would give them.
The Beast Within
The basic nature of the abomination's original race will have been wiped away. Although their true form remains humanoid, appearing as a human, elf, or otherwise, they lack its traits, and in their place have unnatural agility, strength and cunning, along with the ability to shapechange at will into a monstrous form, reminiscent of lycanthropy. Their humanoid form is likely scarred—typically by experimental wounds, or the ritual branding of sorcerous glyphs.
The monstrous form of an abomination can take many varying appearances, with each abomination created from a different combination of creatures. Some might have jagged fangs and leathery wings, others claws and a canine snout, whilst there are also those with a chitinous carapace and burrowing claws. Once you've selected your traits from the options, decide with your DM on your monstrous form's appearance. Some resemble were-creatures, whilst others are uniquely grotesque. Some are even blessed with only subtle visible changes, with the abomination still appearing mostly humanoid, although this is extremely rare.
Ravenous Hunger
The one defining trait between all abominations is the bloodlust that affects them, regardless of what form they currently reside in. Those who embrace it are inevitably evil, prowling among civilized society like a wolf among cattle. There are those that resist it, if with difficulty, eking out a living in backwater villages, or as hermits keeping themselves away from those they might otherwise harm.
A rare few abominations can, through a steel will and great effort, redirect this terrible thirst into something productive. They vent their need to rend flesh by targeting not victims, but other horrors, often keeping their true nature secret and gaining great (and ironic) repute as monster slayers.
This hunger is not truly physical, in that an abomination does not necessarily need to eat its victims. The need is to cause pain, harm, and ultimately something's death. The hunger can be sated, but only briefly, and the longer an abomination goes without harming something, the more irritable and uncontrollable it becomes. Sometimes an abomination can go without harming a creature for weeks, others need to strike every other day, depending on what kind of monsters they were made from, and the manner of the ritual that changed them.
Regardless, a revealed abomination is a horror to the common folk of almost every race, if only for being mistaken as a werewolf, vampire, or other known monster.
Abomination Names
Most abominations keep the name they had in their life, prior to gaining the ability to take on a monstrous form, having a name from their basic race (human, elf, dwarf, etc). Those who embrace the change may take up a moniker to symbolize their new, dark nature. Others find themselves unable to remember their name, suffering amnesia from the immense magics put upon them, and cling to the first name they're given by another.
Abomination Traits
Abominations have many differing traits, but each share similar aspects.
Ability Skill Increase
Your Strength, Dexterity and Intelligence ability scores each increase by 1.
Age
Abominations live up to two hundred years after the time they were transformed, sustained by the unholy powers that mutated them, before the dark energies fizzle out and the abomination perishes.
Alignment
The bloodlust that lives within all abominations drives them toward evil, but the strong willed can maintain a neutral disposition. A rare, exceptional few can even become good.
Size
Abominations differ vastly in their height and build, but their size is always considered Medium in both your true form (humanoid) and monstrous form.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Shapechanger
You can use a bonus action to polymorph into your monstrous form, or back into your true form, which is humanoid. Your statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment you're wearing or carrying isn't transformed. You revert to your true form if you die.
Unholy Sight
Your sight goes beyond that of most mortals. These traits work when you're in either your humanoid (true) form, or your monstrous form. Choose one of the following options:
| Unholy SIght | Effect |
|---|---|
| Ankheg's Tremorsense | You have tremorsense to 10 feet. As an action, lasting for one minute, you can extend your tremorsense to 40 feet, twice per short rest. |
| Fiend's Darkvision | You have darkvision to 60 feet. As an action, lasting for one minute, you can extend your darkvision to 120 feet and pierce magical darkness, twice per short rest. |
| Draconic Blindsight | You have blindsight to 10 feet. As an action, lasting for one minute, you can extend your blindsight to 40 feet, twice per short rest. |
| Kuo-toa Ether Sense | You can sense the presence of any creature within 30 feet of you that is invisible or on the Ethereal Plane. You can pinpoint the exact location of such a creature if it's moving. |
Apex Predator
You have the traits of a dangerous creature. These traits only work when you're in monstrous form. Choose one of the following options:
| Apex Predator | Effect |
|---|---|
| Arachni's Carapace | When you aren’t wearing armor, your AC is 13 + your Dexterity modifier. You can use your natural armor to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC. A shield’s benefits apply as normal while you use your natural armor. |
| Stirge's Fangs | You have two fangs, with which you can drain blood from a target. As a bonus action, you may make a special bite attack, where your attack modifier is your proficiency bonus, + your Strength or Dexterity modifier. If you hit, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength or Dexterity modifier, and gain temporary hit points equal to the damage dealt, and you can’t use this trait again until you finish a short or long rest. |
| Trollish Regeneration | Roll a d6 for every Hit Die you use after your short rests. Add the result to the total health you regain. |
| Wereboar's Relentlessness | When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest. |
Eldritch Blood
Your blood surges with eldritch power, manifesting when transformed. These traits only work when you're in monstrous form. Choose one of the following options:
| Eldritch Blood | Effect |
|---|---|
| Stolen Fey Ancestry | You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed. |
| Troglodyte's Chameleon Skin | You have an extra +10 bonus to Dexterity (Stealth) checks if you have not moved during your turn. You lose this bonus if you move through any means, and regain it at the end of your next turn if you spend that turn hiding without moving. |
| Werewolf's Senses | You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell. |
| Yuan-ti Poison Resistance | You have advantage on saving throws against poison. |
Unnatural Movement
Your have unnatural abilities, allowing you to hunt your prey, no matter where it flees. These traits only work when you're in monstrous form. Choose one of the following options:
| Unnatural Movement | Effect |
|---|---|
| Cloaker's Demi-Flight | As a reaction, you glide, slowing your falling speed to 60 feet per round, and taking no falling damage. Additionally you can always jump 5 feet higher, and 10 feet farther. |
| Ettercap's Spider Climb | You can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check. |
| Orcish Aggression | As a bonus action, you can move up to your speed toward an enemy of your choice that you can see or hear. You must end this move closer to the enemy than you started. |
| Umber Hulk's Burrowing | You have a base burrowing speed of 15 feet. |
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice. This is usually the language of your pre-transformation race.