Playable Race – Ratatoskr

The Ratatoskr are a small, elusive race of humanoid rodents that live in large, hidden communities. They delight in causing trouble and can be either dangerously mischievous or unpredictably helpful.

Fluffy and Fleet-footed

Ratatoskr are small squirrel-like humanoids that have very thick coats of fur and long, fluffy tails. They can appear in a range of fur colours, from black and grey to ginger or even pure white. They vary in size to a degree, yet the largest of them will only reach heights of 2.5 feet.

Most people this small would find themselves buried beneath the thick snow of Frostwoods, however, Ratatoskr are light enough to walk on top of the snow, avoiding this problem. To encourage individuality, they will often shave tattoo-like patterns into their fur, usually on their faces or arms where the fur is thinnest. While some wear armour or clothing, it is seen as optional in their communities due to the fur being a more effective tool against the Frostwood’s hostile weather conditions.

Clan of the Forests vs Clan of the Mountains

The Ratatoskr are born into one of two primary clans. The Woodblessed clan live within the huge forests of Frostwoods and build their homes by burrowing into the trees. The Hillpeak clan take up residence in the mountain ranges and inhabits hard-to-reach caves upon dangerous cliff-sides.

While these two clans have no real reason to be hostile to one another, they do take great joy in pestering, pranking and harassing each other. Violent outbursts do occur when they encounter each other, yet they prefer to rely on tricks and manipulation to push the others into danger.

Ratatoskr Names

Ratatoskr names are typically squeaky and short. There are two main clans in Ratatoskr culture, the Woodblessed and the Hillpeaks, and these clans are used as surnames. You can choose from the list below or come up with your own option:

Masculine	Feminine
Reech	Shill
Keith	Pithe
Trill	Sheer
Shein	Raith
Keane	Leer

Ratatoskr Traits

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

Age. Ratatoskr are a short-lived race. They mature at the age of 3 and live to the age of 45.

Alignment. Ratatoskr take joy in causing disputes. They tend towards chaotic alignments.

Size. Most Ratatoskr don’t grow much larger than a dog, sitting at a height of 2.5 feet. Your size is small, although you may choose to be tiny sized, using the additional rules.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Frosted.

Gods Messenger. You learn the Sending spell which you can cast without expending a spell slot. When they cast this spell, they can choose to use the voice of another person when speaking through the spell. Once you use this ability you cannot do so again until dawn.

Provoking Words. You learn the Vicious Mockery cantrip. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this spell. In addition, you gain expertise in Deception.

Squirrels Mobility. You gain a climb speed of 30ft and can walk freely on snow and ice without suffering from difficult terrain. In addition, opportunity attacks are made against you with disadvantage.

Rodent Nimbleness. You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours.

Final Thoughts

Thanks for reading! The Ratatoskr went through a lot of different iterations. Originally they had two sub-races, one for each clan, but I felt that the difference was arbitrary and splitting the features took away from both rather than adding something unique to each. Hence why the idea was dropped. I’m pretty happy with where they are now. I know they’re less combat-focused than some of the other races, however, I feel they make up for that with their RP and exploration utility!