Homebrew Chiroptaur Species Details
The Chiroptaur (or Batfolk) are feisty and jittery bat-centaurs. They have six limbs, listed from head to tail: two arms, two wings, two legs. On the ground, they walk on the wrist of the bat wing, and their hind legs. It's a bit awkward so they aren't very fast. However, they are agile flyers and climbers. It is hard for other races to tell apart males and females, they look very similar.
The Chiroptaur are from a place that also has titanic trees that are able to grow over a kilometer high. They build cities of staggering scale in these forests, beautifully decorated with masterful wood carvings. Their carpentry skills are legendary – after all, they live in tree houses, which do not fall down even come terrible storms and earthquakes.
They usually have a hyperactive and curious disposition. Despite this, their reputation is more or less the same as goblins. Perhaps worse – while goblins are generally cowardly, Chiroptaur are exceptionally bold and tenacious, and will resist coercion with bitter stubbornness. Their diet consists normally of large insects, jellyfish-like tree parasites, and other animals. Chiroptaur have difficulty digesting plant foods.
If you are given an option to select a musical instruct to be proficient with, you could choose a Chiroptaur inverted violin - these are meant to be held in the armpit while you are hanging upside down from your feet.
The Chiroptaur's culture and language evolved in isolation for centuries and is very strange to outsiders. Chiroptaur are traditionally named after oxymorons, such as "Silent Scream" (Kuol-Hie), "Sharp Cloud" (Ko-Na), "Nebulous Stone" (Li-Te), or "Boiling Ice" (Tio-Iz).
Chiroptaur Traits
Your Chiroptaur character has the following traits:Ability Score Increase
Your Dexterity score increases by 4. Your Constitution score decreases by 2.
Age
Chiroptaur age slightly faster than humans, reaching adulthood at about 12 years and living until about 70.
Alignment
Chiroptaur are erratic and tend toward Chaotic.
Size
Chiroptaur usually stand about 5ft tall, but their total length from nose to tail is about 12ft, and if they stand on their hind legs they are about 10ft tall. They have a thin and frail build. Your size is medium.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 25ft. You're also good at climbing in trees, and have a climbing speed of 25ft. You have large bat wings, giving you a flying speed of 50ft. To use this speed, you can’t be wearing medium or heavy armor. Additionally, your wingspan is at least 25ft, and there has to be sufficient space to extend your wings in order to fly.
Curse of Trembles
Your neurons fire faster than normal. However, you also shake constantly like you just downed a gallon of coffee, and take a -2 penalty to mundane ranged attacks.
Echolocation
Your anatomy is designed for effective echolocation. This gives you blindsight to 80ft, with restrictions. Objects have to be acoustically reflective and within line of sight. The resolution is extremely poor. You can only make out very rough shapes. You can't read text or determine color. You can't tell apart different individuals of the same species using only this trait. Your echolocation doesn't work underwater. You can't use the ability while deafened. The sound generated to perform echolocation is a very high ultrasonic pitch that most creatures can't hear.
Perfect Pitch
Chiroptaur love music and have an excellent sense of pitch. If you are proficient in any musical instrument, you can replicate a song you hear after hearing it only once.
Superb Hearing
You have advantage on regular perception checks that rely on hearing. Additionally, you can use 1 Action to make a perception check to detect the heartbeat of a medium or larger creature within 15ft of you, but you don't have advantage on this check.
Darkvision
You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Languages
You can speak, read and write Common and Chiroptaur. The Chiroptaur language uses many tones to distinguish words, and it is spoken at such a high pitch that older humans may not be able to hear you speak your native tongue.
Chiroptaur Weapon Training
You are proficient with the quarterstaff, longbow, and war pick.
Wing Talons
Your wings have a thumb with a long and sturdy claw, which you can use to impale enemies. This is an unarmed melee attack which uses your strength modifier and proficiency. It has a range of 10 ft. It deals 1d4 plus your strength modifier on a hit.
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