Homebrew Aarakocra (Vulture Variant) Species Details
Sequestered in craggy cliffs, the aarakocra, sometimes called birdfolk, evoke fear and wonder. Many aarakocra aren’t even native to the Material Plane. They hail from a world beyond — from the Cinder Wastes of the Elemental Plane of Fire.
They are immigrants, refugees, scouts, explorers, and scavengers, their outposts functioning as footholds in a world both strange and alien.
Beak and Feather
From below, aarakocra look much like large birds. Only when they descend to roost on a branch or walk across the ground does their humanoid appearance reveal itself. Standing upright, aarakocra might reach 6 feet tall, and they have long, narrow legs that taper to sharp talons.
Feathers cover their bodies. Their plumage typically denotes membership in a tribe. Both males and females have more subdued colored feathers, usually brown or gray. Their bald heads complete the avian appearance, being something like a vulture with distinct tribal variations.
Scavengers
The Aarakocra of the Cinder Wastes feed on the carcasses of whatever they can find, from unlucky adventures to dead salamanders from battles between their warring bands. After a large battle, tribes of Aarakocra can be seen fighting to defend their findings. After the fact, they bring the dead back to their homes to store them for months.
Their tribes consist of 6-20 Aarakocra, who have a pecking order of who gets to eat first. In rare cases, an Aarakocra can be sent to a world in the Material Plane, that seems very foreign to them. They will ration food without a second thought and the amount of food other humanoids eat is unusual to them.
Avian Mannerisms
The resemblance of aarakocra to birds isn’t limited to physical features. Aarakocra display many of the same mannerisms as ordinary birds. They are fastidious about their plumage, frequently tending their feathers, cleaning and scratching away any tiny passengers they might have picked up.
Many aarakocra punctuate their speech with hisses, sounds they use to convey emphasis and to shade meaning, much as a human might through facial expressions and gestures. An aarakocra might become frustrated with people who fail to pick up on the nuances; an aarakocra’s threat might be taken as a jest and vice versa.
The idea of ownership baffles the avian cousins of these scavengers, but not them. They see that everything earned is owned, and if someone is strong enough to have earned ownership, they deserve it. They steal from those not able to defend themselves, though. Shiny, glittering objects catch their eyes.
They find it hard not to pluck the treasure and bring it back to their settlement to beautify it. An aarakocra who spends years among other races can learn to inhibit these impulses.
The water terrifies the Aarakocra. To be surrounded, unable to move in the dark, cold depths is a torment many Aarokocra can withstand. They will refuse to even stay within a mile of a large body of water.
Homelands
Most aarakocra live on the Elemental Plane of Fire. Aarakocra can be drawn into the Material Plane, sometimes to pursue enemies or thwart their foes’ designs there. Accident might also send a nest of aarakocra tumbling into a world on that plane. A few find their way to such a world through portals on their own plane and establish nests in craggy cliffs far from humanoid eyes.
Once tribes of aarakocra settle in an area, they share a scavenging territory that extends across an area up to 100 miles on a side, with each tribe scavenging in the lands nearest to their colony, ranging farther should game become scarce.
A typical colony consists of one large, open-roofed nest made of woven vines. The strongest acts as leader.
Aarakocra enjoy peace and solitude. Most of them have little interest in dealing with other peoples. For this reason, it takes an exceptional circumstance for an aarakocra to leave his or her tribe and undertake the adventurer’s life. Neither treasure nor glory is enough to lure them from their tribes; a dire threat to their people, a mission of vengeance, or a catastrophe typically lies at the heart of the aarakocra adventurer’s chosen path.
Aarakocra Names
As with much of their speech, aarakocra names include hisses, grunts and yaps, to the point that other peoples have a difficult time pronouncing them. Typically, a name has two to four syllables with the sounds acting as connectors. When interacting with other races, aarakocra may use nicknames gained from people they meet or shortened forms of their full names.
An aarakocra of either gender may have one of these short names: Aap, Brn, Dar, Grg, Hez, Jip, Noz, Quat, Xiss
AARAKOCRA BACKGROUNDS
Backgrounds that are most appropriate for aarakocra include the outlander, the hermit, and the sage.
Aarakocra (Vulture Variant) Traits
As an aarakocra, you have certain traits in common with your people. Being able to fly at high speed starting at 1st level is exceptionally effective in certain circumstances and exceedingly dangerous in others. As a result, playing an aarakocra requires special consideration by your DM.Ability Score Increase
Your Constitution score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Age
Aarakocra reach maturity by age 3. Compared to humans, aarakocra don’t usually live longer than 50 years.
Alignment
Most aarakocra are good and many choose to be lawful. A lone aarakocra may bend more towards chaos, but exceptions from lawful are rare.
Size
Aarakocra are about 6 feet tall when standing straight, but many are hunched. They weigh between 100 and 120 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Flight
You have a flying speed of 40 feet. To use this speed, you can’t be wearing medium or heavy armor.
Talons
You are proficient with your unarmed strikes, which deal 1d4 slashing damage on a hit.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common, Aarakocra, and Auran.
Scavenger
You are able to eat meat in almost all stages of decay. You are immune to poison. You gain proficiency in the survival skill.