Homebrew ฅRaccoonfolk Species Details

The raccoonfolk of Valley are hoarders, collectors, and wanderers who are just as much at home on the road and in the wild expanse as they are in large villages. Their journeys shape their free-spirited attitudes and love of nature. You'll seldom find a raccoonfolk who would turn down an adventure, no matter the dangers ahead. Other species might see them as flakey, willing to shirk responsibility in favor of excitement, but to raccoonfolk there is no obligation more important than self-discovery. At their best, raccoonfolk are strong-willed, adventurous, and entertaining. At their worst, they are scatterbrained, solitary, and impulsive.

Personalities

Raccoonfolk are natural-born adventurers who value the thrill of discovery that waits around every bend and behind every branch. They'll gladly join others on a journey but will leave just as quickly when they want to move on. Even so, they have strong memories, and even after many seasons away will greet old friends like they had left only yesterday. While their memory is good, their attention span is not. Raccoonfolk tend to miss important deadlines, pursuing a rumor or wandering a path for days, only to return without acknowledgement or apology.

Property and ownership are foreign concepts to most raccoonfolk, who are never surprised to see a guest in their home when they return. They do, however, expect their possessions and history to be treated with respect, often primarily concerned with their collection of trinkets that line their houses walls and pile up in the corners.

Wanderers

Raccoonfolk don't settle down like other animalfolk tend to do. Instead, they live most of their lives on the road, roaming the world at their own pace away from their kinfolk. As a result, they're knowledgeable about locations around Valley and even The Brambles that many animalfolk will never hear about. Most raccoonfolk have an arsenal of incredible stories, neither entirely true nor completely false, based on adventures they've had during their travels. History and culture are passed down orally and haphazardly, resulting in fragmented but colorful traditions that are sometimes completely idiosyncratic to a given location or even individual raccoonfolk.

Mementos and Trinkets

Wherever their paws take them, raccoonfolk bring mementos from their journeys. Often these mementos look like junk, such as broken teapots, shattered weapons, scraps of cloth, or pebbles. These objects stir up memories in their raccoonfolk owners, frequently sparking long sessions of reminiscing and remembrance. Raccoonfolk carry these mementos in magically woven vine knapsacks that can even function as bludgeoning weapons in a pinch, the added weight of their memories causing greater impact.

Racoonfolk Role in Valley

Raccoonfolk hold deep friendships with many other animalfolk species as the free-spirited joy at the heart of raccoonfolk culture melts even the iciest dispositions. Raccoonfolk are often the muscle of a group or a project, owing to their above-average size, or druids who command the elements to defeat their adversaries. With their vast understanding of the different species and cultures around Valley, raccoonfolk often act as adept advisors whose worldly knowledge helps steer projects towards success. And if their advice is no help, maybe a trinket they've found from across the plane will solve the issue.

Being invited to a raccoonfolk's home can mean many things, but it's usually a sign that a going-away party is in your future. A far cry from the delicate dinner parties of other animalfolk, these shindigs start late at night with games, festivities, and lots of food. Once everyone is full, the stories start, with each partygoer expected to pick up where the person before them left off, creating a unique tale that everyone can use to remember their party. Raccoonfolk hosts consider this to be a truly priceless gift.

Relationships

They get along great with otterfolk, as they're both naturally curious risk takers, but the tendency of otterfolk to provoke Calamity Beasts can feel disrespectful to a nature-loving raccoonfolk. The strict hierarchical rules of batfolk society doesn't typically mesh well with a raccoonfolks' drive to follow their own paths, resulting in conflicts between the two cultures.

Weaving

Raccoonfolk magic typically involves manipulating discarded materials many would consider "junk", using it for projectiles or barriers. Raccoonfolk of prodigious skill learn to use their magic to empower themselves and the natural world around them, weaving knots from plant matter and imbuing them with energy. A druid might magically grow their staff to encase objects so that it can serve double duty as both a carrying device and a weapon. Extremely skilled raccoonfolk druids can even animate the surrounding environment into natural defenses.

Raccoonfolk Structures and Settlements

Raccoonfolk homes tend to be built into the bases of trees, with big round doors and a warm fireplace that fills the room with its glow whenever they are home. Though these homes can appear haphazardly constructed to other animalfolk, in reality they are sturdy structures that can last for generations. Frequently, these houses are less "dwellings" and more "storage units" where raccoonfolk hoard the countless trinkets and trophies they've gathered from their travels. Clutter is expected, and raccoonfolk moving into a new home will "break it in" by scattering piles of junk around. Raccoonfolk will reuse a house after its current owner has abandoned it, leaving their previous owner's decorations up and adding their own.

 

ฅRaccoonfolk Traits

Your raccoonfolk character has a the following characteristics.

Attuned to Nature

Your connection to the natural world has granted you proficiency in the Nature skill.

Claws

Your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. They qualify as a valid weapon for the shillelagh granted by your weaving.

Weaving

You know the mending cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the catapultspell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 6th level, you can cast the fabricate spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Ability Score Increase

Your Strength score increases by 2.

Age

Foxfolk have live well into their 80's, reaching maturity at around 10.

Size

Raccoonfolk are among the largest of Valley's animalfolk, towering over squirrelfolk and mousefolk. They can easily reach sizes of 8 or 9 feet tall. You are Medium or Large. You choose the size when you select this race.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 25 feet. 

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common.