Homebrew Batfolk Species Details

"You're an unusual one, aren't you?"

He studied her curiously, his eyes glimmering with the look of a man whose interest is piqued by something rare.

"You've found your way here from those far away caves, not seeking wisdom, but a thrill."

She stared back, unfazed by his intensity.

"The world is more exciting when you live in it," she replied. "I prefer to see what there is in the world for myself than to drift in a sea of what-ifs and what-might-bes."

"Maybe that makes you the wisest one of all your philosophizing folk. Maybe the secret to life truly is to live rather than to think of living. But the question remains, how are you living? What brings a young girl like you to the doorstep of a person such as myself?"

"Death," she answered vaguely. What more was there to be said?

---Zinnia A. Nonex, Instante Book

A serene, benevolent quiet fills the communities and lives of most Batfolk. They live their lives in search of deeper meaning, and as such live their lives mostly in silence. The lack of background noise also helps their echolocation guide them through the darkness of their home caves and the difficult-to-see-in brightness of the outside world. A race of wisdom and philosophers, Batfolk live at peace.

Cavern Dwellers

Batfolk make their homes deep in the caves and caverns of their homeland. They've adapted to the dark with an echolocation that gives them full awareness of their surroundings, though their vision has atrophied due to their reliance on it. The providers of their communities, usually the women, sometimes leave their caves at night en masse in order to collect food and provisions to last until their next trip out.

Batfolk resemble humanoid bats, in a very obvious way. They are covered in brown, dark red, or black fur, and have large ears that help them with their echolocation and wings that extend from their arms and can unfold at will, and thin, frail fingers. This is where uniform traits end, however. Batfolk come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from as short and stout as a dwarf to as tall and lanky as an elf. Some have large snub noses, while others have small, catlike noses at the end of their snouts.

Wise Thinkers

 Batfolk are thinkers, not doers. While they have wings, many of them do not use them often. They spend their time philosophizing about the world to understand the meaning and purpose of life itself. The women are more active than the men, who often spend most their lives hanging upside down pondering their thoughts alone, while the women tend to discuss their ideas amongst each other and generally living more social lives.

Batfolk who leave their cavernous communities often do so in search of wisdom about the world. They seek knowledge, and learn about the culture and ways of other races of the world. This informs a new, more whole worldview that they adapt, and they often return home to share their newfound wisdom with their communities. There are a rare few batfolk who long for adventure, however, and leave this peaceful lifestyle behind for good.

 Batfolk Names

Batfolk names are traditionally one word that holds sway over an individual's life. Batfolk children are usually named after an adjective that describes their personality in their more energetic youth. As they learn the ways of life and thought, batfolk will pick a certain treasured topic that holds their interest, and this will be their name. While most names are introspective, those batfolk who cast aside the way of thought and peace often pick wilder, more interesting names, like Adventure or Thrill. Batfolk names are not gendered.

Childhood Names: Energetic, Jubilant, Loud, Quiet, Rough, Rowdy, Spitfire

Adult Names: Chaos, Compassion, Existence, Infinity, Knowledge, Life, Love, Meaning, Multiverse, Order, Purity, Purpose, Sentience, Thought

Pacifistic by Nature

It is extremely rare for batfolk to be aggressive. Even the more adventurous and thrill-seeking batfolk are almost never the type to fight first and ask questions later. 

Batfolk Traits

Being part bat gives you some abilities.

Ability Score Modifiers

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

Age

Batfolk mature at the same rate as humans but live a few years shorter.

Size

Batfolk come in a variety of builds, from as short as a gnome to as tall as an elf. Your size is Small or Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Bat's Talents

A batfolk's batlike way of life gives you proficiencies in stealth and perception.

Echolocation

Batfolk have blindsight equal to any other race's normal vision. Their regular vision, however, only extends for 45 ft. If a batfolk is deafened, though, they lose access to their blindsight.

Wings

You have batlike wings, and can fly at a speed equal to your current movement speed.

Language

You are fluent in Common and Kazhish.