Homebrew Archeopter Species Details
Deep in the jungles, far from prying eyes, lives one of the most advanced civilisations in the world.
As if sprung from legend, no meer saurian or lizardfolk these. Powerful and sleek, light hearted and colourfull. The very definition of the promise that primordial life, carried to a logical extreme.
Their civilisation, grown from such natural roots, knows little of outright war, instead conflicts are conflated with personal honour and the concept of appearances. Some conflicts resolved with only posing as the most feroceous of opponents, it is considered more honourable to win without fighting than to shed blood. As such they care little for subtlety in their wargear, their hunters and scouts being excused from this. Their appearance as close to invisible being close indeed to the ideal of perfect unfought victory, often you may find that the most subtle are those most dangerous.
Having long mastered technology, understanding it's place vs magic, most eschew the use of ranged weapons unless bringing to bear a wand-spear. These artifacts, only issued in dire times are terrifying marriages of weapon and wand, the most dangerous turning the tides of battle with volleys of fire and lightning. The most insidious, a squadron of snare-spears or hold-spears, halting an enemy wave in it's tracks.
They speak many tongues, having captured explorers throughout the ages, allowing them to live among them when they could. Executing them after stealing all of their thoughts should they be possessed of the idea of personal gain alone.
Though fragile they are ferociously fast and capable of surviving incredible falls, their rangers make for deadly foes in the wilderness.
Fear them, respect them, befriend them. Being their foe may not kill you, but living in mortal terror of seeing a lizard like eye at a gap in the foliage, is enough to break anyone.
Archeopter Traits
Hunt, duel, learn, evolve, glory to progress.Featherscales
The interwoven scales and feathers of the Archeopter display bright and intense colours, as well as serving as cosmetic markings they have invaluable effects for survival.
Firstly the adsorb and deflect most blows with a small surface area, much like a tightly woven and well padded suit of mail.
- Resistance to Piercing Damage
Secondly and more unusually, the flexing of scale and feather can serve as a silent language.
- A character may choose to learn sign language for Archeopters as one of their languages, this is only usable by others of the same species, although non-Archeopters can learn it so they can understand and not speak.
Primordial Body
A heritage of primordial survival has provided the Archeopter with unrivalled reflexes and dexterity.
- +2 Dexterity
Due to the cultural selective breeding around intelligent approaches to conflict resolution, it is common for the average beings intelligence to be higher than average.
- +1 Intelligence
Bird like bone structures and the physiology of a pack hunting ambush predator have resulted in a very fragile form for a humanoid.
- -2 constitution
Due to their extreme isolation culturally they are unprepared to experience an intense and densely populated humanoid culture outside of their own. This has also meant that they miss most of the warnings that would steel a mind to the more malignant magics based on strength of personality.
- Disadvantage Charisma Saving Throws
Their evolution towards winning without fighting has lent them extreme reactions and the ability to know when to act, culturally indoctrinating their entire race into what would normally be considered guerrilla warfare.
- Advantage on Initiative and proficiency with Stealth
Superior lineage
Extreme cultural isolation has lead to the growth of an inability to interact appropriately with other races. Who's alien cultural mores simply do not align with a rigid understanding of the correct approaches to situations in social encounters. Often Archeopters will confront when they should withdraw, relying on displays of confidence to win the day without realising they will have to back up what they say with actions. In the case of Archeopters they consider that the rest of the world is acting rudely and not that they are at fault, after all they are the more evolved species.
- Disadvantage on Charisma Ability Checks.
Predatory bloodlines have left their mark on this race, with extremely long range vision in the dark passing down from generation to generation. The concept of night as others understand it is more like dusk. Still possible to be productive and contributing to society, as such they sometimes adopt a sleep cycle where there is a few hours of sleep in the hottest part of the day where there is risk of dehydration.
- Darkvision 120 feet
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