Homebrew Celestial Simian Species Details

Thus it is written in old scrolls and spoken by the mouths of wandering sages:

In the years before years, when Heaven and Earth had not yet settled and the stars still drifted like lanterns upon a dark sea, there arose a kind of spirit unlike dragons, unlike men, and unlike the beasts of the mountains. They were born where the breath of Heaven descended and where the essence of Earth ascended. In places where the winds gathered, where sacred rivers met, and where stones drank of moonlight for a thousand years, there appeared the first of the Celestial Simians.

Though they bore the forms of monkeys and apes, they were not mere beasts. Though they laughed, quarreled, and delighted in mischief, they possessed hearts touched by the mysteries of the cosmos. The old masters called them the Simians, for it was said that each carried within them a fragment of the world’s first breath.

Their limbs were swift, their hands deft, and their spirits untamed. They climbed the highest peaks as though walking upon level ground and crossed forests with the speed of a rushing stream. Their eyes were bright and ever searching, for curiosity dwelt in their hearts like fire dwells within the sun. There was no door they did not wish to open, no secret they did not wish to uncover, and no challenge they did not wish to overcome.

It is said that among all living things, none possess a spirit more difficult to bind. To command a Simian by force is as foolish as attempting to grasp smoke within one’s hand. They are creatures of great stubbornness and fierce pride. When denied a path, they carve another. When cast down, they rise again. When the world declares a thing impossible, they laugh and seek to accomplish it.

Yet their pride is not born solely from arrogance. The Simians hold that every soul enters the world carrying a spark of Heaven’s design. Whether one becomes a sage, a king, a wandering beggar, or a calamity upon the earth is of little consequence. What matters is that one strives without ceasing, polishing the spirit as a craftsman polishes jade.

Among their kind, strength is not measured by muscle alone, nor wisdom by age. The greatest among them are those who refuse surrender, whose determination endures like mountains and whose ambitions reach beyond the clouds. They admire cleverness as much as courage and see no shame in laughter, trickery, or harmless mischief, for they say, “The river bends and yet reaches the sea.”

Though they dwell in clans and monasteries and may swear loyalty to masters and kingdoms, every Simian remains a creature of freedom. Their hearts are compared to wild horses running across endless plains and to clouds wandering the heavens without chains. Many become travelers, hermits, scholars, warriors, and pilgrims, forever seeking greater understanding or greater strength.

The oldest legends speak of Four Celestial Primates, ancient beings from whom all Simians claim distant kinship. Some call these stories fables, while others whisper that traces of the Four still slumber within the blood of their descendants. Thus it is said that from time to time, one is born whose spirit burns brighter than the stars, whose will cannot be bent by gods or demons alike, and whose name shall one day shake the heavens themselves.

And so the sages conclude:

“The dragon rules the seas, the phoenix graces the skies, and mankind builds kingdoms upon the earth. Yet the Simian belongs to none of these things. Its home is the road untraveled, its treasure is self-mastery, and its destiny lies wherever its feet dare to tread.”

 

Celestial Simian Traits

As a Celestial Simian, you have these special traits

Creature Type

You are Humanoid

Size

You are Medium or Small

Speed

Your walking speed is 35 feet, and you have a climbing speed equal to your walking speed.

Celestial Legacy

Choose one aspect of your simian heritage:

Natural Climber

You can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check, unless the surface is especially slick or magical.

 

Prehensile Tail

You have a tail that can assist you with balance and minor tasks.

• Advantage on Acrobatics checks to keep balance
• Can interact with objects (draw weapon, open door, etc.)
• Cannot wield weapons or shields with it

Cloudstep

You can briefly step through the air as if walking on invisible clouds.

• As a bonus action, you can gain a flying speed equal to your movement until the end of your turn
• You fall if still in the air afterward unless something holds you up
• Uses: Proficiency Bonus per long rest

Language

Your character knows at least three languages: Common and Celestial, plus one other language.

Primate Spirit

Choose your primate spirit: