Homebrew Awaken Beast Species Details

A man walks down the road, looking up at the moon on the night sky.                                                                                                                                                                                                      Drunk from the day's festivities, he idely speaks to himself of the crimes that lead up to it                                                                                                                                                                            none the wiser about the two yellow slited eyes, watching him form the dark.

A wizard, locked for months in his tower, looks upon the little black bird.                                                                                                                                                                                                   The  last expiriment was a failor, the last adition to a large strick of disappointment.                                                                                                                                                                                    It looks like this one will be no exception. And then, it spoke.                                                                                                                                                                                                                               "Father...?"

More times than not, nobody is really sure how it happens. Whether it be from the experiments of a mad wizard, the influence of some well of wild magic, or a twist of fate, brought upon by the gods, the byprodact of that event is a beast with intelligence and will of it's own. As a creature capable of understanding and affecting a world it was previously mostly unaware of, those awaken animal have the tendency to wonder, be it in the ally ways of a small town, on the roads, or amongst other intelligent beings. Although most common people are unaware of the existance of these beings, usually treating them like any other animal, there are those that know of them and what they can be capable of, though the treatment they receive from even them varies. Never the less, those awaken beings remain a curious folk, an intelligent consciousness, in a primal mind.

Divided Together

Due to the fact that there are very few of them in the world, awaken beasts often feel a form of kinship with others like themselves, to the point were beings of completely different racies can grow as close as with their own kin. Though unusual, it is not unheard of a small company of such beasts to form a sort of pact that provides protection to it's members and allows them to fight of danger in far more efficient ways. Usually such pacts consist of individuals of similar eating habbits, therefore ofter dividing them into groups of herbivores and carnivores. They often become like a nomadic group, moving from place to place, usually taking up the form of a trading company or a circus, in the hopes of thus being more easily accepted by the residents of that place. There have been cases however were such group decides to stay in one place, more often that not prefering to remain in the shadows than comming out and interacting with the people around them, with the exchaption of acquiring food, when they will put on the act of being just another, stray animal, despread for food. But, no matter the group they are in, or the lack their of, awaken animals have the tendancy to desire the company of those like themselves, beings far more kin to understand and interact with them like equals, as oppose to other races. 

A New World To Explore

Having no deep understanding of the world around you and then suddenly the capacity to understanding it is given you, usually tends to have the effect of leaving one with the desire to learn about it and the other creatures that live on it. Awaken beast, whether they choose to stay in one place or move around the world, are easily intrigued by theire surroundings, and want to gain a better understanding of them. Magic, a form of energy that is everywhere around them and changes constantly, is a point of interest for most of these folk, giving them a sense of wonder and awe unlike anything else in the world. For that reason it is often times that awaken creatures take an interenst in learning how to harvenst this energy and better understand it. 

Awaken Beast Names

Awaken beasts usually don't have names of their own, and if they do, they are the names that their previous owner would give them, some of them though choose to abandon such names. Usually these beings choose a name that allows them to better express their new state of being. Often such names can be a common word, an emotion or feeling, such as the one they first felt when given their intelligence, or even taking up name they've heard as their own.

To choose the name of you're awaken beast, you can look up the names of the race they would most frequently be around of, from the PH or XG.

Awaken Beast Traits

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increasies by 2 and your Dexterity score increasies by 1

Ability Score Increase

Your Intelligence score increasies by 2 

Age

Although awaken beasts are still physically animals, the magic that influences their minds often times also increasies their life span. An awaken beast reachies the age of maturity at the same time as any other animal of its species would, but can live up to 35-60 human years

Alignment

Awaken beast's have a curious and wonderlust nature, that leads them towards the more chaotic alignments 

Size

Your size depends on the kind of animal you are, although duo to the influence of magic, you're size can increase/decrease by 1 foot, thought that does not effect your size category.

Primal Instincts

Even though you are now an intelligent being there are still some insticts within your mind that linger. You have advantage on any Wisdom(Insight) or Intelligence(Perception) check to see if a creature has any hostile intentions or is feeling any short of fear. 

The Animal Tongue

You can cast the "Speak with Animals" spells at will.

Aware At All Times

Your primal senses have been sharpen by the magic that now flows throw your body. Any creature that tryies to stealth against specifically you has disadvantage on that roll. Further more, should a sudden sound or movement suprise you, your body immediately becomes aware of it's surroundings. You cannot be suprised by a suddent attack or ambush, and thusly do not lose your turn due to a suprise round. 

Langueges

You know how to speak, read and write common and two more langueges of you're choise.

Blessed By Magic

Some of the excess magic that awakened your mind still lingers and grows with you. You know one cantrips from the wizards spell list. Further more, at 3rd level you learn one level 1 spell from the wizards spell list, and once again at 5th level you learn one level 2 spell from the wizards spell list. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for those spells and you regain the ability to use them after a long rest.

A Diffrent Kind of Breed

You gain one Feat of your choice.

Physical Limitations

Regardless of you're class, your Hit Dice remains that of your chosen beast, cut by half, rounded down, to a minimal of 1dice, and you're health would be your hit dice + your Constitution modifier, instead of any other modifier your chosen beast's health may have. Example, if the type of beast you chose is a Cat which has a 1d4 for a Hit Dice, then your hit dice would remain 1d4 regardless of you're class. If you were to chose however a Crocodile, who's Hit Dice is 3d10+3, then you're Hit Dice would be 1d10, and you're health would be 1d10+ you're Constitution modifier, reagardless of you're class. 

Further more, you cannot wear any armor or piece of clothing that has not been made specifically for you, or use any iteams that would require you to wear them, unless the DM states other wise.