Homebrew Beaver Species Details

Villages rich in nature, houses carved from nearby trees, the echoing of songs and hammers deep in the woods and welcoming faces, a commitment to family and tradition, and a fulfilling  love of all faces—these common threads unite all beavers.

Short and Cute

Kind and talented, beavers are known as skilled farmers, miners, and workers of wood and water. Though they stand well under 5 feet tall, beavers are so small and compact that they can weigh as much as a human child. Their will and endurance are also easily a match for any other builders nearby.

Beavers fur ranges from deep brown to a paler hue tinged with red, but the most common shades are light red or deep brown, like certain tones of earth. Male beavers often stand a foot taller than the female beavers, Beavers often spend some time grooming themselves carefully after the sun falls.

Short lives, Long History

Beavers can live to be 12 years old but their memory is fantastic, so the oldest living beavers often pass on the history of their generation. For example, some of the oldest beavers will recall, what their village looked like when they where a child and with their creativity will give ideas to allow the village to flourish after they pass. This talent grants them a perspective on the world that less connected races lack.

Beavers are solid and enduring like the forest they love, keeping their village for centuries with respected work and beautiful creations. They respect the traditions of their family's, tracing their ancestry back to the founding of their most ancient villages in the youth of the world, and don’t abandon those traditions lightly. Part of those traditions is devotion to the gods of nature, who uphold the beavers ideals of industrious labor, skill in creation, and devotion to the village.

Individual beavers are determined and loyal, true to their word and friendly by nature, sometimes to the point of annoyance. Many beavers have a strong sense of justice, and they are quick to forget wrongs they have suffered. 

Family and Villages

beavers villages stretch deep within the woods where the beavers gather wood and precious memories and create inspiring views. They love the beauty and artistry of wooden buildings and great dams, and in some beavers this love festers into avarice. Whatever wealth they can’t find in the surrounding nature, they gain through trade, to protect their villages they ask to be in minimal contact so enterprising humans and halflings frequently handle trade in beavers goods along water routes. Trustworthy members of other races are welcome in beaver settlements, though some areas are off limits even to them.

The elder of beaver society is the head of household, and beavers highly value social standing. Even beavers who live far from their own villages cherish their family identities and affiliations, recognize related beavers, and invoke their ancestors’ names in oaths and curses. To be shunned by their family is the worst fate that can befall a beaver.

Beavers in other lands are typically artisans, especially woodcarvers, carpenters, and masons. Some become builders or merchants, highly sought after for their work ethic and loyalty.

Gods, Nature, and Family

Beavers who take up the adventuring life might be motivated by a desire for vengeance—for its own family, for a specific purpose, or even out of a deep desire to help others. Other beavers are driven by the command or inspiration of a deity, a direct calling or simply a desire to bring glory to one of the beaver settlements. family and ancestry are also important motivators. A beaver might seek to restore a family members lost honor, avenge an ancient wrong the family suffered, or earn a new place within the village after having been exiled. Or a beaver might search for a long lost family member after they where exiled years ago.

FAST TO TRUST

Beavers get along amazingly well with just about anyone. “The difference between an acquaintance and a friend is about one nice jester” is a beaver saying that is hard to believe in a world like this, but certainly points to how easy it can be for a member of another race like humans to earn a beavers trust.

 

Beaver Names

A beavers name is granted by a village elder, in accordance with tradition. Every proper beaver name has been used and reused down through the generations. A beavers name belongs to the village, not to the individual. A beaver who misuses or brings shame to a village name is stripped of the name and forbidden by law to use any beaver name in its place.

Male Names: Sprucebellow, Bitteryew, Barebirch, Dwardmaple, Firwood, Splintertree.

Female Names: Autumntree, Shadowtree, Nettlepine, Hazeltooth, Hardwillow, Mellowoak

Clan Names: Locustbeard, Pinetip, Hazeltip, Springbirch, Treesprout, Dwarftrunk, Acornbark, Oakenlimb,

Beaver Traits

Your beaver character has an assortment of inborn abilities, part and parcel of beaver nature.

Stealth

With your small size its pretty easy to sneak around so you gain advantage with stealth checks.

Ability Score Increase

Your Charisma score increases by 2.

Age

Beavers mature at the same rate as humans, but they’re considered young until they reach the age of 5. On average, they live about 12 years.

Size

Beavers stand between 1 and 3 feet tall and average about 60 pounds. Your size is Small.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 15 feet but when you'r on all 4 legs your walking speed is 25. Also your base swimming speed is 30 feet. Your speed is not reduced by wearing heavy armor.

Darkvision

Accustomed to life underground, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Beaver Resilience

From your fur you have advantage on saving throws against cold, and you have resistance against cold damage (explained in the “Combat” section).

Beaver Combat Training

You have proficiency with the Spear and Wooden Armor.

Tool Proficiency

You gain proficiency with the artisan’s tools of your choice: wood carver's, carpenter's tools, or mason’s tools.

Woodcunning

Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to the origin of stonework, you are considered proficient in the History skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common you can also speak with animals.