Homebrew: 5e Vistani Heritage and Gypsy Background

[Deewun]

I'm about to embark on a new Ravenloft 5e campaign. I've made a ton of changes, house rules, class restrictions and DMsGuild finds, but I've only had to create two things: a Vistani Heritage I was happy with, and a Gypsy background. So I figure I'd share both of those mechanics sets with you all fine folks in the Fraternity.

Human - Vistani Hertiage variant

Ability Score bonuses: INT and WIS +1
Skill proficiency: Insight
Vigilant Mind: Whenever your character would make a saving throw versus the charm or frightened conditions, you may use your reaction to grant yourself advantage on that roll.
Evil Eye: Once per long rest, you may cast your gaze upon a creature, using a special variation of the Bane spell. As an action, you may have a single creature makes a Charisma Saving Throw. If they fail, whenever that creature makes an attack roll or ability check, it must roll a d4 and subtract the number rolled from the attack roll or ability check. This condition ends when you stop concentrating or the creature rolls a modified 1 or less, whichever happens first.

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Gypsy Background

Skill proficiencies: Survival, and one additional skill based on your gypsy clan - Kamii: Proficiency with Smith's tools; Equaar: Proficiency with Animal Handling; Vatraska: Proficiency with Medicine; Naiat: Proficiency with Performance; Corvara: Proficiency with Sleight of Hand; Canjar: Proficiency with Arcana; Zarovan: Proficiency with Initiative (add your proficiency bonus to your initiative rolls)
Languages: Tralaks (see below) and 2 additional languages
Equipment: A handmade item with markings of the clan, such as a vest, headband, or sash; a stilleto dagger, a set of traveler's clothes, and a puch containing 15 gp

Feature: Accepted, but Outcast
As a gypsy, you are generally mistrusted outside of your circles. But you do have access to a network of supporters and operatives who can provide assistance on your adventures. By reading tralaks around the Lands of the Mist, you can find safe haven, free room and board, and potentially information, though other gypsies will not risk their lives for you and will not risk incarceration. Gypsies are by nature travelers, so tralaks and potentially vardos of like-minded brothers and sisters and be found anywhere within the Land of the Mists.

You have also learned to read and understand Tralaks, a written only language used as grafitti and street signs by gypsies for gypsies that conveys quick information. It is an incredibly guarded language, unshared with anyone not of this background.

[Skyrock]

The clan bonuses are very uneven: Initiative (which is impossible to gain outside of some niche class features like the Bard's Jack-of-all-Trades) > Skills (sharply limited, can only be gained (rarely) through Multi-Classing and Feats) > Tools (can be gained at will through downtime, less commonly useful than skills). I would consider to give those with just a skill an extra minor save proficiency (Str, Int or Cha), and those with just a tool an extra major save proficiency (Con, Dex or Wis).

Suggestion:
- Kamii: Proficiency with Smith's tools and Con saves
- Equaar: Proficiency with Animal Handling and Str saves
- Vatraska: Proficiency with Medicine and Int saves
- Naiat: Proficiency with Performance and Cha saves
- Corvara: Proficiency with Sleight of Hand and Str saves
- Canjar: Proficiency with Arcana and Int saves
- Zarovan: Proficiency with Initiative (add your proficiency bonus to your initiative rolls)