Homebrew Bariaur Species Details

 

Mountain Cavalry

Bariaurs have the upper bodies, down to the waist, of muscular humanoids, displaying all the human variety of skin tones and features. Their ears and faces are rather sheep/ram like, complete with curling ram horns. Below the waist, they have the bodies of shaggy mountain goats/rams, with a similar range of coloration — from various shades of dull black to tawny brown to snow white. Many shear intricate patterns into their fur/wool.

The upper bodies of bariaurs are comparable to dwarvish torsos in size, and their lower equine bodies average about 3 feet tall at the withers. Though they are slightly larger than a normal mountain goat/ram, they often fill roles as cavalry warriors, messengers, outriders, and scouts.

Affinity for Nature

Bariaurs have an affinity for the natural world. Bariaurs celebrate life and growth, and the birth of a lamb is always cause for festivities. At the same time, they revere the traditions of the past, and with their elders acting as the voices of memory and history, preserving old ways and keeping alive the legends of ancestral heroes. They feel a close kinship with wild animals, perhaps because of their own goat-like bodies, and delight in the feeling of running alongside herds and packs of other beasts.

Clans and Community

Bariaurs sense the interconnectedness of the natural world. Thus, they celebrate family and community as microcosms of that greater connection. Their love of history and tradition also means that Bariaurs are more likely to follow the paths of their family regarding occupation.

Bariaur Names

Bariaurs’ given names are passed down through family lines. The name bestowed on a new lamb is typically the name of the most recently deceased family member of the same gender, keeping alive the memory — and, the Bariaurs believe, some shard of the spirit — of the departed. Bariaurs use family names, but they also wear symbols that represent their family membership. These symbols might include graphical representations of plants or animals, printed mottoes, braids and beads worn in the hair and tail, or even specific patterns of shorn into their fur. IRL terms, Bariaur names usually have a Scandanavian sound.

 

 

Bariaur Traits

Your bariaur character has the following racial traits.

Ability Score Increase

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

Age

Bariaurs mature and age at a rate that falls between humans and dwarves.

Alignment

Bariaurs are inclined toward neutrality. Evil bariaur are extremely rare and are driven from the herd.

Size

Bariaurs stand around 5 feet tall, with their goat-like bodies reaching about 3 feet at the withers. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet. This includes difficult terrain.

Fey

Your creature type is fey, rather than humanoid.

Charge

If you move at least 20 feet straight toward a target and then hit it with a melee weapon attack on the same turn, you can immediately follow that attack with a bonus action, making one attack against the target with your horns.

Horns

Your horns are natural melee weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of a normal unarmed strike.

Survivor

You have proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Acrobatics, Athletics, Nature, or Survival.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Dwarvish, as bariaur and dwarves share the same home terrain.