Homebrew Cocra Species Details

The Cocras are flightless bird warriors, who are said, but not proven, to come from the Elemental Plane of Earth, and to be cousins of the Aarakocra.

In ancient times, they were conquered by a forgotten, brutal population, who used to keep prisoners and force them to fight each other for their entertainment. The Cocras would grow to become the strongest combatants, to the point when they managed to survive the war that erased their captors from existance.

Nowadays, they live in the material plane, worshipping strength as a necessary mean to survival, using all kinds of methods to enhance their strength, from selective breeding to steroids abuse. The strongest of them all are honored by their people with the title of Cooplites.

In an unfortunate twist of events, their strength brings the nearby populations to avoid conflicts, while their brutal behaviour makes them actively look for fights. In order tu suppress their violence, they organize tournaments in arenas similar to those their ancestors used to fight for their life in. While they try their best to avoid casualties, making non-lethal strikes is difficult, especially when the only sentiments they feel is bloodlust.

Beak and Feather

Cocras are humanoids which, from afar, might look like plain birds. Interestingly, the species they resemble are many, yet all flightless. The most common are the roosters, but ostriches and kiwis are quite common.

Feathers cover their bodies. Their plumage typically denotes membership in a tribe. Males are adorned with dark colors, such as black or brown, accompanied by feathers of red, orange, or yellow. In most cases, females have more pale colors, usually white or gray, though some subspecies might share the male's colors. Their heads complete the avian appearance, being almost identical to the bird their subspecie takes the appearance from.

Grounded Avians

Though bird-like, the Cocras don't envy those who are blessed with flight. They believe in the importance of stable footing and stability. There's a popular saying among them: "If somone mocks you for being unable to fly, throw a rock at them, and watch as they fall down to their demise."

Non-picky Eaters

They're used to eat whatever they can in order to survive. Female cocras produce extreme amounts of non-fertile eggs, which are big in size and full of nutrients, therefore they consume them daily. When on the battlefield, they have no problems eating the fallen, no matter if enemy or ally. As a result, they keep the same substances within a months long cycle, letting them survive by introducing only a sixth of the average human's total consumption.

Born Warriors

Unless they breed with an other race/specie, Cocras train their children since the moment they are born, trying their best to turn them into war machines. If their toddlers find themselves incapable of holding a simple weapon, the parents voluntarily cannibalize it, in order to focus their attention on a hopefully more promising newborn.

Homelands

Most Cocras live in the Material Plane, inside small cities built in mostly flat, temperate areas where threats that would hinder most other creatures lie, such as dry, infertile terrains, not fit for life.

Their structures are quite ugly and rough-looking, are distant from each other, use tons of metals and look way bigger from outside than they are inside. This, however, is because they value endurance and stability over looks and space efficiency. These structures are so thick and durable you'd have to cast Shatter multiple times in order to make a dent into the walls. The biggest of them all is the arena, where they fight to either satisfy their need for violence or "prove their own political view as better". It's also used for storage, study and research purposes, and is so well built you'd need an apocalypse to get rid of it in less than a century.

These villages don't have complex politics, the strongest decides everything. Similarly, there are no structures specialized for treating the ill: you've got a deadly virus? Just man up, if you die you were too weak. However, some learn on their own accord to make their own treatments, mostly bandages and pain killers, but one in one thousand understands the arts of chirurgy. While there are some clerics, they tend to hide their faith and powers, as one's strength must only be their own. The same condition applies to paladins and warlocks. Unsurprisingly, those who accept external powers tend to spend the most time outside of their cities.

Cocra Names

Each Cocra is assigned two agendered names once they're born: a childish name, mixing cute sounds with chirps and squeals, and a honor name, which tries to be rough, scary, intimidating or respectable. Only those who are emotionally close to a Cocra may use their childish name without offending them, and they all do their best to be worthy of their honor name. Calling a Cooplite with a child name means either death or marriage.

Examples of childish names are: Pipí, Squawee, Chirpú, Cawoo, Peacaw, Cisquaw.

Examples of honor names are: Kraytoss, Brutali, Barron, Tremora, Drakarov.

COCRA BACKGROUNDS

Backgrounds that are most appropriate for cocras include the marine, mercenary veteran and city watch.

Cocras live for violence, but not all of them fight the same way or for the same reason. May it be to defend those they care about, to find them new lands to inhabit or new sources of food, or to prove themselves as the best warriors in existance, they all keep fighting. No pureblood Cocra will ever attempt to achieve a peaceful life.

Cocra Traits

As a cocra, you have some traits in common with your people, but most of them depend on the way your character decides to achieve power, or the way their genetics were specialized.

Ability Score Increase

Your constitution increases by 1 and an ability score of your choice between strength, dexterity, intelligence, wisdom and charisma increases by 2.

Age

Cocra reach maturity by age 3. Compared to humans, Cocra don’t usually live longer than 50 years.

Alignment

Most Cocras are neutral or evil, as they don't feel guilt or pity. They often choose neutrality over lawfulness or chaos, as they might need both in order to get stronger.

Size

Cocras are between 5'5 and 6'5 feet tall. They have different builds, some being thin, some being musclar, therefore they can weight anywhere between 90 and 160 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Specialized tactics

You choose a specialization that aids you in combat:

• Metal appendages: Your beak and claws endured a painful process that coated them in sharp metal. Whenever you make an unarmed strike, they count as weapon attacks with non-magical, silvered weapons. Also, if you make at least 1 unarmed strike during your turn, your AC increases by one until the start of your next turn. While not ideal, all your appendages combined can be sold for 10 silver pieces.
• Enhancing substances: You're proficient in Athletics and Acrobatics checks, and gain an extra attack which can stack with the extra attack feature, but only stacks as long as you're holding a light weapon. However, you are constantly in need of specific substances. After every battle, you must make a Nature or Medicine check (your choice) until you succeed. Each failed attempt deals you 1d4 necrotic damage.
• Musclar Infusion: You got raw magic injected directly into your muscles, a dangerous practice banned almost everywhere. Every non-magical weapon you hold counts as magical for the purpose of overcoming damage immunities. Also, you can add your constitution modifier as force damage when attacking with a weapon with the Heavy property. Your life expectancy lowers to 40.
• Intense Workout: You trained your muscles fair and square, but intensely enough to match the power level your parents expected of you. In order to stay in shape, you work out constantly. You always have 1 level of exaustion, but only feel it's effects once it reaches levels 3 or higher. When you calculate your total HP, you add your constitution modifier once more than normal. Finally, you gain proficiency in Athletics checks as long as you're not proficient in Acrobatics checks.

Talons

Your talons 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.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and an other language of your choice.

Specialized genetics

Your selective ancestry grants you a special ability of your choice, depending on your chosen ability score, from the following list:

• (Str) While you grapple an enemy, you can spend a bonus action to attempt to pin down the grappled enemy. The enemy must roll a DC12 strength saving throw. On a fail, they're restrained, your speed falls to 0 until you release it and you can take the Attack action while grappling the enemy. If you attack the enemy you're pinning down, you can add 1d4 to each damage roll. If the enemy is released from your grapple, the enemy isn't restrained anymore and falls prone. The enemy can't crawl or stand up until the start of your next turn.
• (Dex) You have advantage on your stealth checks. While hidden, you gain an extra 1d4 to hit with a ranged weapon. Also, as a bonus action while hidden, you can increase by 1 all the damage rolls you can make with a single action during the current turn.
• (Int) You use your intelligence for every wisdom-based ability checks instead of wisdom, including passive perception. You also learn a cantrip with a casting time of 1 action of your choice from the wizard's spell list, and can cast it as a bonus action.
• (Wis) You learn the Guidance cantrip and can cast it as a free action a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus without having to concentrate on it. The spell lasts for it's maximum time. You can do so outside of the current turn order, in which case you use your reaction instead. You regain all expended uses at the end of a long rest.
• (Cha) You have an eye-catching presence, which lets other characters use your charisma modifier instead of their own, even while you're resting, as long as you can be seen by the target. You can also decide to roll three dice instead of one
• (Any) You can spend your bonus action to gain advantage on all your constitution saving throws for up to 1 minute. This ability requires concentration, and, when you stop concentrating on this feature, it ends prematurely.