Homebrew Anpu Species Details

Long ago, before Anubis passed ruler-ship of the Underworld to Osiris, the Anpu were loyal servants crafted in his image and tasked with defending the land of the dead. When their creator chose to relinquish his throne, the Anpu were released from their millennia of service, and were rewarded for their loyalty with the chance to live in the mortal realm. Many accepted their creators offer, and left the land of the dead for the mortal realm to will live out their lives before returning to their creators side, where they may live eternally in the peace of the Underworld or, should they choose, undergo the cycle of rebirth and experience another mortal life. Like other mortals, those that choose rebirth have the memories of their past lives removed until they return to the land of the dead, allowing them to experience life anew. 

Preferred Classes

Having spent millennia in service to their creators as soldiers, the Anpu naturally find themselves drawn to all forms of combat, though most prominently that of hand-to-hand.

Martial Classes

Anpu who focus on hand-to-hand combat often wield the khopesh, a sickle-bladed sword with balance akin to an ax, designed for hacking and chopping as well as hooking an opponents shield. Anpu wield these blades with devastating accuracy and power, landing blow after crushing blow in a furious chain of strikes designed to cleave into their foe. Their preferred armor is light weight and non-restricting, allowing them to move around the battlefield at their maximum mobility, charging and lunging at their enemies while nimbly jumping and rolling away from danger in a vicious dance of death. This, in addition to their races natural aggression and ferocity, lead Anpu warriors to shy away from regimented combat of heavy infantry, and often seek positions as shock-troopers, scouts, or skirmishers.

Anpu who focus on long-range combat prefer shortbows over longbows, particularly in conjunction with chariot combat, raining death upon their enemies or performing rapid hit and run tactics.

Mystical arts

Many Anpu mages specialize in fire spells, channeling the roaring flames of the underworld to create blades or hails of flame to sear and scorch their enemies, seeking to overwhelm their foes. Others prefer to channel their magic to enhance their physical abilities, boosting their strength and speed, augmenting their endurance, or sapping the energy from their foe. They work to hone their magical prowess alongside their bodies, melding elements of hand-to-hand combat into their spell-casting to devastating effect.

The Clergy

While free to devote themselves to whatever god or gods they choose, Anpu find themselves particularly drawn to devote themselves to their creator, Anubis, in their mortal lives as their kind did in the eons before. Those who join the priesthood typically lean to the Domains of the Grave, Death, or Order, the Domains over which Anubis holds sway, and are often found presiding over both funerary rites and judgement as their creator, Anubis, does in the afterlife. While all in the clergy are trained in the traditional forms of combat, those whose tastes lean more towards martial pursuits often choose to become Paladins, swearing themselves to the Oaths of the Crown or Devotion, seeking to preserve law and the divine order as demanded of Ma'at while those with more zealous tendencies are drawn to the strict tenants of the Oath of Conquest, seeking to stamp out chaos by any means necessary. Others seek to help wayward souls atone for their sins so that they may be allowed into the realm of the dead, and so Swear Oaths of Redemption, while those who seek to punish sinners for their transgressions swear Oaths of Vengeance.

Anpu Traits

An Anpu character possesses the following traits.

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Age

Anpu mature at much the same rate as humans, however the lingering divinity in their blood allows them to live well into their seventh or eighth century before time claims them.

Alignment

Owing to their connection to Anubis, the Anpu tend to Lawful alignments, with no particular inclinations to good or evil morality.

Size

Anpu tend to be slightly taller than humans, with males on average being 7 (8 counting the ears) feet tall, while females tend to average at 6 (7 counting the ears). Their bodies are naturally muscular, tending to dense yet lean muscles as opposed to bulk. Typical weight ~280 for males, ~260 for females.

Speed

Naturally quick, an Anpu's base walking speed is 35 feet per turn.

Anpu Weapon Training

You have proficiency with longswords such as the khopesh, and shortbows.

Desert Winds

You may call upon the winds of the desert to transform into a cloud of sand before reforming a 15ft away. You may use this ability once per long rest.

Language

You can speak, read, and write in Common and Celestial.

Touched by Death

As former servants of one of the Gods of Death, and their former minor divinity, Anpu carry with them a resistance to Necrotic damage.

Keen Senses

Your canine ancestry grants you advantage on perception checks for scent and hearing.