Homebrew Araku Species Details

Too Clever By Half

The “masked bandit” Araku race resembles humanoid raccoons, complete with the facial markings, ringed tails and dexterous delicate hands. Their origins are not well known, as they were not record-keepers until after they came into contact with literate species (though the Araku immediately took to writing as the “cleverest of inventions”). Unlike other "beastfolk", whose histories are filled with migrations, wars and heroes, the Araku are largely absent from the oldest tales. They seem to have attached themselves to settled peoples very early in their history, leaving few legends of their own before the adoption of writing.

Araku call no particular place their homeland, and some of their kind have taken to nomadic lives as wandering merchants and tinkerers. Though not found in large numbers in any one place, it is no surprise to encounter an ox-drawn wagon with an Araku family at a market, faire, or on the road. They also readily accompany trade caravans, traveling entertainers and circuses.

Araku are equally at home in the woods or in a city. Most of them quickly become comfortable around other races and new people, adopting the clothing, the mannerisms and the speech of their fellow humanoids. They can be short of attention-span, yet this stands them in good stead in bad times; they seemingly bounce back from adversity more readily than most other species. That said, they also have a remarkable ability to learn quickly when given the opportunity, and Araku can succeed as scholars and mages as well as any, if they can just focus. Easier said than done.

I Can Fix That!

Small, intricate devices fascinate Araku. Broken small, intricate devices make them sad. Araku have a talent for taking things apart, and almost as much of a talent for putting them back together. Their small, sensitive fingers and ability to generate short bursts of monomaniacal fascination allow them to grasp how a whatchamacallit or a thingummie or a do-dad works and get it doing whatever it was supposed to be doing again.

If any one species can be blamed for the rise of fidget spinners, it would be the Araku.

A Touch of Light, a Light Touch

Araku, in addition to having a reputation for being easily distracted and getting into places others don’t want them to be, also are known for their skill as “hedge healers”. This is not a magical ability per se, but is rather the result of their finely honed senses and centuries of practicing the healing arts; if any one species can be said to have ritualized and internalized cleanliness in the practices of healing and medicine, it is the Araku. So goes the common wisdom: “Keep a hand on your purse around the ring-tails should you wish to keep it, but seek a ring-tail healer to keep that hand should it become infected.”

Both can be true of the same Araku at the same time.

 

Araku Traits

Your Araku is versatile and clever (sometimes too clever for their own good).

Languages

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

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity score increases by 2 and your Intelligence score increases by 1.

Age

Araku have lifespans equivalent to humans.

Size

Araku tend to be slightly shorter than most humans. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Nimble Fingers

Your dexterous hands excel at delicate work. When you fail a Dexterity check made using thieves' tools, tinker's tools, or a Sleight of Hand check, you may reroll the check. You must use the new result. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Hedge Healer

You gain proficiency in either the Medicine skill or with the Herbalism skill. You have advantage on checks made to diagnose, identify, or treat non-magical diseases and poisons. You also may use your Intelligence bonus instead of your Wisdom bonus in practicing the Medicine skill if you so desire.

When you use a healer's kit to stabilize a creature, that creature regains hit points equal to your proficiency bonus. 

Wanderer's Trade

Araku quickly absorb useful knowledge wherever they travel. Choose one:

• Gain proficiency in one skill of your choice.
• Learn the Prestidigitation or Mending cantrip. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for this cantrip.

Cuss-Weasels

Nobody swears like an Araku; even the most polite ringtail can if properly motivated conjure a string of expletives that would make an orc sailor blush. Once per Short Rest, upon taking damage an Araku may as a reaction immediately cast Vicious Mockery against the creature responsible if the Araku perceives who is responsible. Charisma is the spellcasting ability for this ^%#@! *$%@#! ^&!@!! cantrip and yes they know that raccoons aren't &@#^!! weasels.