Loxodon
Fucking elephant people.
Loxodons are a race of beastfolk that resemble humanoid elephants from the multiverse of Magic: The Gathering. Found on several planes throughout the cosmos, most loxodons are associated with White Mana, either wholly or in conjunction with Green Mana, in contrast to the sole Green Mana alignment of their bestial relatives.
Ravnican Loxodons are nearly extinct. Most seek membership in the Selesnya Conclave, it being the most naturalistic of the guilds. Unlike their non-sentient elephant cousins, all Loxodons are white or white-green creatures rather than only green.
Loxodons were brought to Mirrodin via Memnarch's soul traps. In Mirrodin, they had as much metal on their bodies as any other beings, and had a more clerical rather than natural focus. Inhabiting the Razor Fields, these Loxodons believed in the Modest Truth, a code of absolute morality that was taken at face value and passed on from generation to generation. In arguments, Loxodons proved stubborn and nearly impossible to sway. Some Mirrans even doubted if a Loxodon was able to think in shades of grey. Loxodons wandered around the fields, dispensing justice in form of physical punishment and offering atonement. These loxodon ascribed religious superiority to those born albino, believing them to be spiritually pure. Long ago, the Auriok attempted peace with the loxodons and the leonin attempted war; neither succeeded.
As Mirrodin became New Phyrexia, the Machine Orthodoxy's invasion of the Razor Fields isolated the remaining loxodon. The last remaining living loxodons on the plane are the ones who accompany Ghalma the Shaper, who has settled in Bladehold.
Loxodon can also be found in Tarkir. Allied with the Temur Frontier, these are very different from the Loxodon of other planes, resembling mammoths and being disconnected from White mana, instead being red and blue (Avalanche Tusker) in addition to green.
D&D Loxodons[edit | edit source]
Not to be confused with the Loxo, a similarly elephantine race of beastfolk native to the Forgotten Realms, Loxodons appeared as a player character race in Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, courtesy of an appearance in the Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica splatbook. There, they were presented with the following stats:
Loxodon
- Ability Scores: Con +2; Wis +1
- Size: Medium
- Speed: 30 ft.
- Age. Loxodons physically mature at the same rate as humans, but they live about 450 years. They highly value the weight of wisdom and experience and are considered young until they reach the age of 60.
- Alignment. Most loxodons are lawful, believing in the value of a peaceful, ordered life. They also tend toward good.
- Size. Loxodons stand between 7 and 8 feet tall. Their massive bodies weigh between 300 and 400 pounds. Your size is Medium.
- Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
- Loxodon Serenity. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened.
- Natural Armor. You have thick, leathery skin. When you aren't wearing armor, your AC is 12 + your Constitution 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.
- Trunk. You can grasp things with your trunk, and you can use it as a snorkel. It has a reach of 5 feet, and it can lift a number of pounds equal to five times your Strength score. You can use it to do the following simple tasks: lift, drop, hold, push, or pull an object or a creature; open or close a door or a container; grapple someone; or make an unarmed strike. Your DM might allow other simple tasks to be added to that list of options. It can't wield weapons or shields or do anything that requires manual precision, such as using tools or magic items or performing the somatic components of a spell.
- Keen Smell. Thanks to your sensitive trunk, you have advantage on Wisdom (Perception), Wisdom (Survival), and Intelligence (Investigation) checks that involve smell.
- Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Loxodon.
An earlier version had appeared as a playtest in Unearthed Arcana. This version lacked the Trunk trait, instead having the Stonecunning racial ability of the Dwarf and free proficiency with masonry tools, and its Loxodon Serenity trait instead consisted of Loxodon Bravery, which just gave Advantage to saves vs. Fear.