Homebrew Awakened Hawk Species Details

Hawks of Noriahtus are well known amongst its people for a widely spread species of them known as Blood Hawks, pack hunters who mainly prey off of separated pack animals and carrion.  These pack birds have various other species amongst them, and are different enough from the other raptors of the sky to have developed differently when awakened.  When the Planar Cataclysm struck, those Awakened received greater control of the wind, and greater agility while flying.

In the first years of the Awoken Kingdom, hawks were sent into the Valley of the Twin Gales in vain attempts to control the powerful winds there.  Once that was deemed fruitless, they began to live lives independent of the towns and villages established by their Awoken brethren, favoring the skies instead.  Granted, they were not aggressive or cruel in their many partings, being pack animals they naturally got along well with others, but many of them were hasty in their farewells.  Many "hawk-homes" have been built on the cliffs which face the forests, and a small village of hawks have settled on the mountains which bear the faces of owls.  Hawk Homes are nests built on outcroppings of rock, or shallow caves, either in high places.  Usually built of firm pieces of wood traded from settlers below, they are comfortable enough aeries for their inhabitants.  

Now, many years since then, hawks have begun descending back into the world for one reason or another.  That is, in fact, the best explanation, for every bird has its own reasons for going down.

Awakened Hawk Traits

As an Awakened Hawk, you have certain traits in common with your kin.

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity, Wisdom, and Charisma scores each increase by 1.

Age

Hawks reach maturity by age 3.  Awakened species can live up to 30 years, while the regular ones live near 18.

Alignment

Most hawks are good, living life as a part of a pack which works together to support itself.  Outcasts may lean to be more chaotic however, having spent a lot of time away from the pack structure.

Size

Hawks can grow from 3 to 4 feet tall.  Your size is small.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 25 feet.

Flight

You have a flying speed of 50 feet. To use this speed, you can’t be wearing medium or heavy armor.

Talons

You are proficient with your unarmed strikes, which deal 1d4 slashing damage on a hit.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, Aarakocra, and Auran.

Updraft Ride

Attuned to the winds, hawks have become experts at locating and navigating updrafts.  Updrafts are naturally forming gusts of wind which blow directly upwards, and are usually the result of hot air rising above cold air, or air flow following channels which send it upward.  While outdoors, you can use a bonus action to allow one of these updrafts to carry you straight upward up to your flying speed.

This ability can be used inside of a building or cave, as you channel your innate connection to the winds to conjure an updraft yourself.  Your ability to use Updraft Ride this way is recharged after a short or long rest.

Pack Tactics

You have advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of your allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated