Homebrew Amazon Species Details

In ancient times, they were thought to be the daughters of Ares. Now they are known as the Amazons. Hidden away on Themyscira, they plan for war; toppling kingdoms and establishing empires. No man has ever stepped foot upon Themyscira and lived, leaving its location lost to all but the Amazons. Shrouded in mystery, these warriors are never caught off guard.  

Diverse Duties

Every day starts before dawn for Amazons. Each one off to her position to best utilize her skills. Though most Amazons are indeed warriors, there are some that act as craftswomen of all kinds, chefs, cleaners, and anything else the kingdom needs. These jobs are filled with warriors injured in battle that are no longer able to fight or Amazons that lack the natural talent for war. These women support their sisters in arms back on Themyscira by keeping the kingdom in peak condition, working on advances in medicine, and teaching the next generation.

 Amazons are raised being taught medicine, the crafts of their mothers,  combat, and tactics. This early teaching helps a young Amazons figure out where her skills will be of the most help to her kingdom.

Debate of Fists

Amazons settle any and all debates in the arena. “Your fists are as strong as your resolve,” they often say. The philosophy is that if you truly believe what you’re fighting for and that your position is the best for that situation, you will prevail. From a simple debate over the last slice of bread to whether or not to go to war, all disagreements are settled by combat. 

This isn’t to the death combat though. The victor only needs to get her opponent to admit defeat by her hands. The killing of one’s opponent in a Debate of Fists is strictly forbidden as is cheating in any way. Receiving aid from the gods is considered cheating since it is outside interference, even if it is divine in nature.  

Defiled Exile

Any Amazon that breaks the sacred rules of a Debate of Fists is defiled and then exiled. This defilement is the removal of an integral part of the offending Amazon’s body. For example, say the offender is a craftswomen, her hands would be cut off and she would be set adrift on a small raft. If the gods willing, the amazon will survive, but most die at sea upon being exiled. The few that do survive and make it to land are killed soon after for their bronze skin which can be sold at a high price for those twisted enough to covet such a thing.

Amazons unable to contribute to the kingdom are also exiled but are not defiled. The exiled Amazon is given the bare minimum, a small raft, and is also sent adrift. These exiled Amazons do have a better chance at survival, but are often killed for their bronze skin shortly upon reaching land. It’s are for one to survive over a year outside of Themyscira on her own.

Coming of Age

When Amazons reach eighteen, they have a coming of age ceremony. This ceremony is better known as a trial of strength, but, pass or fail, the Amazon is recognized as a woman and given her earned name. To complete the ceremony, an Amazon is tested in simple medicine, combat, and battle tactics before being sent into the wilderness of Themyscira to slay a beast. Any beast can be slain, from a simple rabbit to a fearsome chimera.

Upon slaying a beast and bringing its hide back to the colosseum in Themyscira’s center, the young Amazon has earned a new name, her title, bestowed by the reigning queen .If an Amazon fails to slay a beast, she will still be given a title but it will be a name that reflects her failure. It will be a reminder she carries with her the rest of her life. 

Amazon Names

Amazons are given two names, one from their mothers and one from their queens. The names from mothers are birth names which contain two to four syllables and end in a vowel. Names from queens are earned names or titles. These are a compound phrase consisting of no more than 2 words that reference how well the name’s owner did during her coming of age ceremony.

Birth Names: Xanthe, Lysistrate, Euthalia, Irene

Earned Names: KeenEye, WobbleFoot, SlowSwing, DragonSlayer

Amazon Traits

Amazons share several traits with their sisters in arms

Ability Score Increase

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

Age

Amazons have lifespans comparable to humans. They enter adulthood in their late teens but usually live more than a century. The oldest known Amazon was 186.

Size

Amazons are between 7 and 8 feet tall and weigh between 280 and 340 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Natural Athlete

You have proficiency in the Athletics skill.

Bronze Skin

You can focus yourself to occasionally shrug off injury. When you take damage, you can use your reaction to roll a d12. Add your Constitution modifier to the number rolled and reduce the damage by that total. After you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Battlefield Medic

Each Amazon is thoroughly trained in basic first aid and medical practices most likely needed on the battlefield. You are no exception. This gives you proficiency in the Medicine skill.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Greek and Amazonian.