Homebrew Air monk Species Details
Small Stature, Big Personality
Air monks typically appear to be physically weak. Air monks are shorter and thinner than most other races, having the appearance of physical vulnerability. Quite the opposite, however, air monks live in some of the most inhospitable places in the world, and are well-equipped to deal with such adversity, where others might suffer. Air monks are usually around 5 feet tall, and have skin that ranges from fair to dark. Air monks have varying hairstyles, but very important to their culture is the bald heads of airlancing masters. To form a closer connection with the air, master lacers will shave their heads, often tattooing culturally important symbols onto their skin. Airlancers like to wear light orange and yellow robes, and don't typically have more than a single type of outfit that they wear.
Long Traditions
Of the human races, air monks are the most likely to be long lived. A simple life of asceticism and spiritualism allows an air monk to live for a century or even longer. While air is the element of freedom, air monks do have many traditions that help to dictate the way they live their lives. The monks typically live in solitude, meditating on the balance of the world and the nature of the Spirit World. Almost all air monks hail from the great air sanctuaries, which are scattered in the tallest mountains of the world. Airlancing temples are usually separated by gender, each temple only having males or females present. Several festivals take place each year where the temples come together to make new friends, rekindle relationships, and move those young air monks who are ready for a new home.
Lost Civilization
While the air monks are known and encountered occasionally by others, they are the most secluded of the human races. As an entire society made up of simple monks, there is almost no industry to speak of amongst the air monks. The only things created by air monks are those that are needed for daily life (ceramics, bowls and utensils, etc.), and simple trinkets with spiritual significance. It would be very rare to encounter an air monk curio anywhere aside from the temple where it was made, or on the person for whom the monk created it.
Traditions on the Road
All air monks are trained in their temples in simple ascetic life, but any air monk can choose to hit the open road. Not abandoning their temple life, but taking its teachings and traditions abroad, spreading knowledge and culture with them. Air monks who choose to leave are not shunned by their society, but instead are seen as important messengers, bringing the customs and culture of the air monks to other peoples who have no other way to learn about them.
Air Monk Names
Air monks receive their names at birth. These names are taken from oral tradition and history, and each name has an important meaning. Some are the names of spirits in creation stories or other lore, while others are more recent inventions. Many air monk names also feature repeating vowels, often called an "extra bit of love" from the monk's mother.
Male Names: Agni, Ajeet, Amar, Anaand, Anik, Anuuj, Ashok, Baldev, Basu, Brahma, Chander, Deepak, Deo, Girish, Gopinath, Hari, Isha, Jai, Kailash, Kamaal, Mahavir, Navin, Oom, Rajiv, Rama, Rohan, Saral, Shyam, Sumaan, Vikram
Female Names: Abha, Abilasha, Amaala, Anandi, Anima, Ashiwarya, Avani, Chanda, Damayanti, Darshanaa, Devika, Drishti, Gauri, Iila, Jayanti, Jyothi, Kali, Lakshmi, Lila, Malini, Minali, Pallaavi, Priya, Reshmi, Srii, Vimala, Yamii
Air Monk Traits
As an air monk, you share some similarities with other monks
Ability Score Increase
Your Dexterity score increases by 2.
Age
An air monk reaches adulthood at the age of 18 and typically live for about a century.
Alignment
Air monks usually live in ritualistic peace in their temples while having a vibrant and chaotic approach to life, so their spirits tend toward neutrality.
Size
Air monks are typically shorter than other human races. Your size is Medium.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 35 feet.
Swift
When you roll for initiative, a roll of 4 or lower counts as a 5 for you.
Tumbler
You gain proficiency in the Acrobatics skill.
Sky Legs
You can travel normally in altitudes up to 10,000 feet, and are not disadvantaged by strong winds.
Light Foot
Any distance you fall counts as though the fall were 20 feet shorter than it actually is.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common and Vaayu.
Subraces
While the air monks are one people, two distinct types of personalities have emerged. The cenobites are happy to live peaceful, simple lives, high in the air temples of the world. The nomads are the opposite, completely susceptible to wanderlust, wanting to see and discover the world. Cenobites can travel as well, but typically only travel to other air temples to share knowledge and wisdom, while nomads scour the world in search of friendship and fun.
Cenobite
Cenobites are known for their asceticism, living peacefully, high in the tallest mountains of the world, where secret air temples exist that almost cannot be found, except by those who already know they are there. Cenobites practice a life of simple joy and frivolity, while adhering to airlancing traditions dating back thousands of years.
Ability Score Increase
Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Deep Meditation
You only need 4 hours of sleep in order to gain the benefit of a long rest.
Nonviolence
You can cast the sanctuary spell once with this trait, and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
Nomad
Most air nomads are born to cenobite parents, but the spirit of airlancing takes hold. This is a known phenomena, and is seen as a rite of passage for those who were born as nomads. Nomads take their monastic lifestyle on the road, traveling far and wide, and making acquaintances and allies all over the world.
Ability Score Increase
Your Charisma score increases by 1.
Ascetic Diet
You only need half as much food and water as a creature your size would normally need.
Charming Personality
You can cast the charm person spell as a 1st-level spell once with this trait, and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
Air monk Traits
It’s hard to make generalizations about humans, but your human character has these traits.Ability Score Increase
Your ability scores each increase by 1.
Age
Humans reach adulthood in their late teens and live less than a century.
Size
Humans vary widely in height and build, from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall. Regardless of your position in that range, your size is Medium.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra language of your choice. Humans typically learn the languages of other peoples they deal with, including obscure dialects. They are fond of sprinkling their speech with words borrowed from other tongues: Orc curses, Elvish musical expressions, Dwarvish military phrases, and so on.
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