Homebrew Chirra Species Details

The Chirra used to be humans, but were caught up in a biological disaster some time during the Golden Epoch and transformed. Their history is muddled by a loss of written knowledge during the cataclysm but today keep a robust population in many cities and often serve unique roles due to their capacity for flight.

A Chiropteran Visage

Chirrans today are easily identifiable as lightweight, short, fur-covered people with strong bat-like features. Atop a thick frill of fur around their neck and chest, Chirran faces pull out into a bat-like snout and crowned with enormous ears, gifting them with incredible hearing ability. Chirrans exhibit some variation in body type, with some taller and more dog-like, with a long, lashing tail behind them. Another body type is reminiscent of insectivorous bats, with stubbier, spade-shaped noses, wider ears and a smaller frame. Their tail is also stubby and near non-existent.

Without a doubt the most apparent quality of the Chirran body is their enormous arms - their fingers elongated considerably and connected with a thin, but tough membrane that meets up at the body above the waist. Chirran arms are also wings, giving them the capacity for flight - a rare natural ability. Normally, these wings are kept folded up or wrapped tightly around the Chirran's body. In the air, Chirrans are highly dexterous and agile, although it comes at a cost - the hands no longer function as such, leaving the Chirrans with only a strong, clawed thumb to work with. However, Chirrans easily make up for this limitation with their feet - or should we call them, talons - which are as dexterous as a human hand.

Chirran Wings - Costs and Benefits

The adaptation of flight provides considerable benefits and costs. Flight is impressively useful, and Chirrans are more agile in the air than many birds, as bats tend to be. However, without dexterous hands to manipulate tools and do other complex tasks, Chirrans have had to get creative. Some common weapons, armor and tools like say, a crossbow, are hard to use for a Chirran, but these clever people have designed effective tools like ankle-mounted bolt-throwers to serve the same roles.These tools are sometimes harder to find than common tools, especially in areas where Chirrans are scarce, but most Chirrans make a habit of coming prepared when needed, knowing this limitation.

The enormous, membranous wings come with another complication - the significant surface area of the wings makes the Chirran prone to losing body temperature, especially in colder climates. For this reason, Chirrans tend to keep their wings tightly wrapped around their bodies when it's cold, and usually prefer to live in warmer climates generally. The Chirran's furry frill around their neck and chest helps insulate them, and unique clothing choices also improves their resilience to the cold, but it is a natural struggle the people experience as a consequence of their impressive wings.

Chirran Hearing

The long, radar-like ears atop the Chirran's head give them an incredible hearing ability. With extremely sensitive hearing, the Chirran's senses immediately around their body are dramatically improved, giving them awareness of their surroundings even when blinded or in pitch-black environments. This quality, coupled with eyes attuned to the dark, make the Chirra a highly perceptive bunch. However, the Chirrans also have strong spatial awareness that is improved with an echolocation ability - they are capable of making high-frequency clicking sounds, which they listen to in order to quickly understand the layout of an area, even in complete darkness. The noises are quite loud, of course, but the result is very impressive nonetheless.

Chirran Culture

Chirrans tend to form tight-knit communities of their own due to their unique anatomy and needs. Pockets of Chirran communities are spaced throughout many cities, organized in a highly vertical configuration. With the ability to fly, Chirrans tend to spend half their time with feet on the ground, and half their time dangling upside down from ceilings and walls - a state they tend to find more comfortable long-term than standing. Social gatherings among Chirrans tend to shift between these multiple levels, with the older Chirrans tending to spend most of their time hanging in the rafters of the community as "the more comfortable place to be". Chirrans tend to sleep best hanging upside down, but can certainly get rest on the ground or in a bed.

Chirra Traits

As a Chirran, you have certain traits in common with your people. Being able to fly at high speed starting at 1st level is exceptionally effective in certain circumstances and exceedingly dangerous in others. As a result, playing a Chirran requires special consideration by your DM.

Cold Sensitivity

Your enormous wing membranes leave you vulnerable to heat loss, making it hard to keep your body temperature high in cold weather.

You are vulnerable to cold damage. Constitution checks and saves against the effects of cold are made at disadvantage.

Sensitive Hearing

Your enormous ears atop your head take in sounds with ease, giving you advantage on auditory perception checks. You also have blindsight within 10 ft of you, as long as you are not deafened.

As an action, you can utter a series of loud, high-frequency clicking sound, and listen for its echo. This action extends your blind sight up to 30 ft around you for that turn, allowing you to momentarily perceive any physical people or objects within range even if they are invisible or magically concealed. This clicking sound is very loud and distinct however and can easily be heard 120 ft away.

You do however make saving throws against being deafened at disadvantage.

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Intelligence score increases by 1.

Age

Chirrans have been recorded as living longer than 150 years, although it is rare to exceed 80.

Alignment

Most Chirrans are good or neutral in alignment

Size

Aarakocra are about 5 feet tall. They have thin, lightweight bodies that weigh between 80 and 100 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 25 feet.

Flight

You have a flying speed of 50 feet. To use this speed, you can’t be wearing medium or heavy armor.

Talons

Your talons are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Chirran