![[mantid.jpg|500]] Mantids, sometimes called mantisfolk, have insectile features and four legs. All mantids are ambidextrous. Their bodies are encased in protective chitin, and they can alter the coloration of this carapace to blend in with their natural surroundings.  Mantids speak by clacking their mandibles and waving their antennae, indicating to other mantids what they are thinking and feeling. Other creatures find this method of communication difficult to interpret and impossible to duplicate, and mantid mandibles cannot produce the words of most languages. To interact with other folk, mantids rely on a form of telepathy. ### Mantid Traits Mantids gain the following traits. **Age.** Mantids live much shorter lives than their neighbors. They mature quickly, reaching adulthood within 3-4 years of hatching. The average mantid lives for around 25 years. **Size.** Small or Medium **Carapace Camouflage.** As an action, you can change your carapace's color, granting you an expertise die on Stealth checks made to hide in matching surroundings. **Mantis Telepathy.** Although you learn new languages as normal, your mouthparts prevent you from speaking the non-mantid languages you know, so you use telepathy to convey your thoughts. You have the psionic ability to transmit your thoughts mentally to willing creatures within 120 feet of yourself. The creatures can understand your thoughts regardless of common languages (tho the reverse isn't true), as long as they can understand at least one language. Your telepathic link to a creature is broken if either of you is incapacitated, if more than 120 feet separate you and the creature, or if either of you mentally breaks the contact (no action required). **Speed.** Your base walking speed is 30 feet. ### Mantid Gifts Select one of the following gifts. #### Natural Dual Wielding You can apply the dual-wielding property to any weapon without the two-handed property. #### Enhanced Carapace You can use your Carapace Camouflage as a bonus action. While you aren't wearing armor, your carapace gives you a base Armor Class of 13 + your Dexterity modifier. #### Psionics - Emotional Intelligence Your lineage can be traced back to ancient hive minds, providing you with psionic benefits. - [[10.1 Psionic Heritage Gifts and Paragon Powers#Mantids|Emotional Intelligence]] ### Mantid Paragon When you reach 10th level, choose one of the following paragon gifts: #### Improved Ambidexterity You add half your proficiency bonus to damage when making an attack using two weapon fighting. Additionally, you can use your bonus action to draw and throw, or pick up and throw, a weapon or improvised weapon.  If you’re proficient with a weapon without the Thrown property, you can still make a ranged weapon attack with it. It has a range of 20/60 feet, you add your proficiency bonus to the attack, and it deals damage as if you had made a melee attack with it. If you throw a weapon without the Thrown property and you aren’t proficient with it, you treat it as throwing an improvised weapon with a range of 20/60 feet and dealing 1d4 damage. #### Mantid Wings You have a fly speed of 30 feet. You cannot fly if you are wearing armor that has a Strength requirement, if you are currently carrying an object that weighs a number of pounds equal to twice your Strength score, or if you are currently encumbered. You may, however, utilize magic items that increase your Armor Class and use light shields if you are proficient. If your movement speed is reduced to 0 or you are incapacitated, you fall at a rate of 30 feet per round. #### Psionics - Hive Paragon Your talent grows in strength with time, and expands. - [[10.1 Psionic Heritage Gifts and Paragon Powers#Mantids|Hive Paragon]] ### Mantid Culture This is a population of solitary travelers, and outsiders know "mantisfolk" for their solo efforts as hunters, mercenaries, traveling merchants, or wandering experts-for-hire, such as sages or apothecaries. Mantids surprise outside races with their high levels of knowledge and education, coupled with their nomadic and somewhat tribal nature. Though generally solitary travelers, they gather on regular lunar cycles to exchange news, knowledge, and companionship. These are part celebration, part meeting of minds. Small bands of mantids will travel together to and from these meetings, sharing news and stories with local communities as they go. Once they reach their destination, the band will disperse, avoiding contact until the next lunar cycle approaches. **Suggested Cultures.** While you can choose any culture for your mantid character, the following cultures are linked closely with this heritage: collegiate, forsaken, itinerant, lone wanderer, nomad, stoneworthy, [[2.2d Urban Wanderer|urban wanderer]], or wildling.