Thri-Kreen
by Prince Phantom
An easy winner of the “least visually appealing race” award, the bugfolk Thri-Kreen are a strange, yet extremely unique option, both mechanically and flavorfully. As insects, they’ve got an extra set of arms, which by itself creates a whole host of possibilities. Their other features aren’t slouches either, making for a surprisingly well rounded race.
Thri-Kreen Features
Creature Type: Monstrosity: This is probably the single best creature type to be, as we get to dodge all of the humanoid only spells and abilities while also not being negatively effected by any extra spells like Fey and even Oozes are. We also don’t have to worry about missing out on healing spells like Constructs do. Where other creature types are arguably a net-positive, this one is always a good thing for your character.
Darkvision: Always nice to have.
Chameleon Carapace: We have the standard 13+Dex natural armor provided by many races, but just like the Autognome we are lacking the line of text that allows us to wear a shield while using this method of AC. Yet another victim of the rushed development of the Spelljammer books, or an intentional design decision? Most likely the former, and that’s how I would rule it at my tables. We also have the ability to change the color of our carapace, granting advantage on any stealth checks where that could be helpful (that will be most stealth checks).
Sleepless: This is such a nebulous and vague ability that I don’t know if it’s amazing or just a ribbon feature. I’ll start with what we know for certain. We remain conscious during a long rest, making us the dedicated night watch and incentivizing us to invest in Perception. As for stuff we don’t know, how the heck do you define “strenuous activity”? Are scribing scrolls, copying spells into a spellbook, crafting alchemical items, enchanting magic items, casting spells, or any number of other class features considered strenuous? I have absolutely no idea, and it will all come down to how your DM rules this. With a lenient DM, this is an extra 8 hours per day to work on downtime activities, with a strict DM, this is just a ribbon feature. Please stop using such vague descriptions for your features WOTC.
Thri-Kreen Telepathy: This is the longest range telepathy provided by any race, save the Kalashtar at very high levels. It’s also one of the best forms of telepathy, requiring your target to simply know at least one language, not share a language with you. This is how you’ll be doing all of your talking too, as the Thri-Kreen’s anatomy prevents them from talking normally, so it had better be a good replacement. Thankfully, this will feel like a benefit rather than a detriment 95% of the time.
Secondary Arms: This is the big, race-defining feature. We get two extra arms, but they are a bit limited in their functionality. These arms can pick up tiny objects and manipulate them just like normal arms, and can even wield light weapons. It has been confirmed by the designers that these are the only things these arms can do, and also that they cannot wield a shield. That limits build options significantly, but still allows for some interesting ideas. We can dual wield while holding a shield. We can hold a shield, weapon, spellcasting focus, and still have a hand free for somatic components of spells. We can fill our hands up with magic items we find throughout our campaign. We can keep a hold on the big important macguffin while still fighting at full strength. There’s tons of possibilities here that really can enable some strange looking builds. Of course, if I was your DM I’d totally let you hold a shield with one of these secondary arms, but I have to write these based on RAW.
The Thri-Kreen is one of the most interesting and unique races in 5e. It enables many builds that wouldn’t be possible without it, all while having good supporting features that just about any character could take advantage of. If you can get past the hurdle of accepting that you’re a disgusting bug man, you’ll find a lot to love with the Thri-Kreen.
Final Rating: 4/5
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