Is this Cervitaur race unbalanced?

Question

Cervitaurs are a race of fey beings born from the breath of Succelos, The Oak Father. They resemble centaurs, but have the lower bodies of deer instead of horses. Possessing an innate druidic gift, they strive to protect the land.

No racial feature seems too unbalanced, but they do have a lot of them, so it might add up. The race also has some variant features that replace their base ones.

• Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2 and either your Wisdom or Charisma score increases by one.
• Size. Cervitaurs average at around 6’9 feet in height from their hooves to their heads. Despite their height, they’re slender and light. Your size is Medium.
• Age. Cervitaurs remain young and youthful and alluring until the last leaf falls from The Tree of Life. Cervitaurs are still mortal creatures capable of dying in other ways.
• Speed. Your walking speed is 35 feet. You can ignore non-magical difficult terrain in natural environments, such as vines, bushes, and rocks.
• Fey. Your creature type is Fey rather than Humanoid.
• Forest’s Camouflage. You have proficiency in the Stealth skill. In addition, you have advantage on Dexterity (stealth) checks made to hide in forested terrain.
• Nature’s Magic. You know the druidcraft cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level you can cast the entangle spell once per day as a 2nd-level spell. Once you reach 5th level you can cast the daylight spell once per day. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells. You regain the ability to cast these spells when you finish a long rest.
• Languages. You can speak, read and write Common and your choice of either Sylvan, Giant Eagle or Giant Owl.

Variant Traits:

Flighty. When you take the Dodge action, you can move up to 10 feet as part of the same action. This movement doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity. Replaces Forest's Camouflage.

Winters of Life. You know the spare the dying cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level you can cast the fingers of frost spell once per day. Once you reach 5th level you can cast the gentle repose spell once per day. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells. You regain the ability to cast these spells when you finish a long rest. Replaces Nature's Magic.

Deadly Shot. Once per turn when you roll damage for a ranged weapon attack that isn't made with a crossbow, you can reroll the weapon's damage dice and use either total. You can't use this feature if you have disadvantage on the attack. Replaces Nature's Magic.

Answer 1

I believe if you were to compare this to an existing race, the closest would be the updated Earth Genasi.

Earth Walk is similar, notably no bonus to speed but also works against magic difficult terrain (if on the ground).

Nature's magic compares with Meld with stone, notably racial spells are now designed to give the player an option of which ability score it uses, and allow use of spell slots after the free casting. Gaining a cantrip, 2nd level and 3rd level spell vs Earth Genasi Cantrip and 2nd level spell. Although the fact the earth genasi also gains limited bonus action casting, and daylight is probably the least dangerous 3rd level spells that exists.

Forest’s Camouflage only comparable ability left in Earth Genasi is darkvision. Gaining a skill prof is stronger than darkvision, gaining that AND occasional advantage is certainly stronger.

Flighty is not a very overwhelming ability, except that in this comparison its literally going against darkvision. So its more powerful.

Winters of Life. Probably OK, but where Daylight only matters in an edge case of darkness spell, gentle repose is the somewhat more common situation of a person of interest dying.

Deadly Shot. When you start adding a bunch of limitations to an ability, you should be aware that you are attempting to limit its power, but when the limitations are easily avoided, it means its not really a limit. You just slapped savage attacker (for ranged) on the race. Keep in mind also that your race could very well be in a setting with access to firearms, does it really make sense they can't use this with crossbows but could with guns? I would just remove the limitations as they don't actually limit it much in realistic play. If you want to show that culturally they trained as archer a lot you could add proficiency for longbows / short bows.

Overall: Against the closest direct comparison, it seems a bit more. If I were designing it, I would drop the advantage to stealth, also drop daylight and gentle repose. Rework Deadly shot to fit the same motif of other options there. If they are using natures magic to be skilled archers that can work with Guidance cantrip and later gaining ensnaring strike or hail of thorns (cast at second level). Give the option of Wis/Int/Cha for spellcasting on all variants, and allow their use with spell slots.

The issue you have is that every ability you have is "And then..." You don't just give them ability to ignore difficult terrain, you do that AND give them 5ft extra movement. You give them stealth proficiency AND the ability to get advantage. You give them cantrip + level 2 spell AND a extra level 2 spell (or level 3).

Final note: You opted to NOT include the drawback of centaurs difficulty using ladder. Even though it rarely would come up (I don't recommend fighting while climbing a ladder) its important to try to model the race you have designed even when its less than perfect.