Gith

The warlike githyanki and the contemplative githzerai are a sundered people – two cultures that utterly despise one another. The brutal githyanki are trained from birth as warriors, while the githzerai hone their minds to a razor’s edge in their fortresses within Limbo. But before there were githyanki or githzerai, these creatures were a single race enslaved by the illithids.

Although they attempted to overthrow their masters many times, their rebellions were repeatedly crushed until a great leader named Gith arose. After much bloodshed, Gith and her followers threw off the yoke of their illithid masters, but another leader named Zerthimon emerged in the aftermath of battle. Zerthimon challenged Gith's motives, claiming that her strict martial leadership and desire for vengeance amounted to little more than another form of slavery for her people. A rift erupted between followers of each leader, and they eventually became the two races whose enmity endures to this day: the Githyanki in the way of Gith, and the Githzerai in the way of Zerthimon.

Whether these tall, gaunt creatures were peaceful or savage, cultured or primitive before the illithids enslaved and changed them, none can say. Not even the original name of their race remains from that distant time.

The githyanki plunder countless worlds from the decks of their astral vessels and the backs of red dragons. Feathers, beads, gems, and precious metals decorate their armor and weapons – the legendary silver swords with which they cut through their foes. Since winning their freedom from the illithids, the githyanki have become ruthless conquerors under the rulership of their dread lich-queen, Vlaakith.

Focused philosophers and austere ascetics, the githzerai pursue lives of rigid order. Lean and muscular, they wear unadorned clothing free of ornamentation, keeping their own counsel and trusting few creatures outside of their own kind. Having turned their backs on their warlike githyanki kin, the githzerai maintain a strict monastic lifestyle, dwelling on islands of order in the vast sea of chaos that is the plane of Limbo.

Githyanki
Ability Score Modifiers: Githyanki are both strong and smart. They gain +2 Strength and +2 Intelligence

Alignment: Githyanki tend toward lawful evil. They are aggressive and arrogant, and they remain the faithful servants of their lich-queen, Vlaakith. Renegade githyanki tend toward chaos.

Size: Githyanki are Medium creatures and thus receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.

Type: Githyanki are Outsiders with the Gith subtype.

Base Speed: Githyanki have a base speed of 30 feet.

Languages: Githyanki begin play speaking Githyanki. Githyanki with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Common, Draconic, Infernal,, Githzerai, Slaad, and Undercommon. See the Linguistics skill page for more information about these languages.

Defensive Racial Traits
Spell Resistance: Githyanki have spell resistance equal to 8 + character level.

Feat and Skill Racial Traits
Natural Hunter: Githyanki receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception, Stealth, and Survival checks.

Senses Racial Traits
Darkvision: Githyanki can see perfectly in the dark up to 120 feet.

Offense Racial Traits
Martial Prodigy: You are proficient with light and medium armor and with shortswords, longswords, and greatswords.

Githyanki Psionics: Gith with a Wisdom of at least 10 may use mage hand at will as a spell-like ability, with a caster level equal to their character level.

When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Jump spell once with this trait, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the Dimension Door spell once with this trait, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.

Githzerai
Ability Score Modifiers: Githzerai are both wise and smart. They gain +2 Wisdom and +2 Intelligence

Alignment: Githzerai tend toward lawful neutral. Their rigorous training in psychic abilities requires an implacable mental discipline.

Size: Githzerai are Medium creatures and thus receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.

Type: Githzerai are Outsiders with the Gith subtype.

Base Speed: Githzerai have a base speed of 30 feet.

Languages: Githzerai begin play speaking Githzerai. Githzerai with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Common, Draconic, Infernal,, Githyanki, Slaad, and Undercommon. See the Linguistics skill page for more information about these languages.

Defensive Racial Traits
Greater Spell Resistance: Githzerai have spell resistance equal to 11 + character level.

Mental Discipline: Githzerai can roll twice and take the better result on saving throws against the charmed and frightened conditions.

Feat and Skill Racial Traits
Keen Senses: Githzerai receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks.

Senses Racial Traits
Darkvision: Githzerai can see perfectly in the dark up to 120 feet.

Offense Racial Traits
Githzerai Psionics: Gith with a Wisdom of at least 10 may use mage hand at will as a spell-like ability, with a caster level equal to their character level.

When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Shield spell once with this trait, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the Detect Thoughts spell once with this trait, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.