Homebrew Phoenix Species Details

Usually found near high mountains or volcanoes, an aarakocra born with phoenix blood, will evoke much fear and wonder. Most are not native to the Material Plane. They hail from a world beyond — from the boundless vistas of the Inner Planes.

Feather and Flame

From below, a phoenix looks much like a large brightly colored bird. Only when they descend does their humanoid appearance reveal itself. Standing upright they are around 4 feet tall, they have long narrow legs and razor sharp talons.

Feathers the color of flames cover their bodies. Ranging from deep reds and oranges to whites and light blues. Their heads complete the avian appearance, though they are more hawk like than other aarakocra breeds.

When a phoenix takes flight, flames shroud their wings and flicker up and down their backside to engulf the talons at their feet. This fire causes any creature that touches it or hits it with an unarmed melee attack to take 1d4 fire damage.

Fire and Air

Like most aarakocra, a phoenix will spend hours in the air, and some go as long as days, locking their wings in place and letting the thermals hold them aloft. In battle, they prove dynamic and acrobatic fliers, moving with remarkable speed and grace, diving to lash opponents with weapons, fire, or talons before turning and flying away.

Once airborne, they rarely leave the sky and only with reluctance. On their native plane, they can fly for days or even months. A phoenix tends to follow the warmest air currents landing only to nest and hatch offspring, usually around volcanic caves. Those that stumble into a world in the Material Plane find it a strange place. They sometimes forget or ignore vertical distances, and they have nothing but pity for those earthbound people forced to live and toil on the ground.

Avian Mannerisms

The resemblance to birds isn’t limited to physical features. Like other aarakocra, a phoenix displays many of the same mannerisms as ordinary birds. They tend to punctuate their speech with chirps, they use these sounds to convey emphasis and to shade meaning, much as a human might through facial expressions and gestures. Frequently becoming frustrated with people who fail to pick up on those nuances; a threat might be taken as a jest and vice versa.

The idea of ownership baffles most aarakocra. After all, who owns the sky? Even when explained to them, they initially find the notion of ownership mystifying. As a result, aarakocra who have little interaction with other people might be a nuisance as they drop from the sky to snatch livestock or plunder harvests for fruits and grains. 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.

Confinement terrifies all aarakocra. To be grounded, trapped underground, or imprisoned by the cold, unyielding earth is a torment few aarakocra can withstand. Even when perched on a high branch or at rest in their mountaintop homes, they appear alert, with eyes moving and bodies ready to take flight.

Phoenix 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.

Phoenix Blood

You are born from the ashes of a previous life. As such, you cannot die. When you are reduced to 0 hp your body explodes. This causes any creature within 30 feet to make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 4d8 fire damage on a failed save, or half that much damage on a successful save.

The explosion destroys your original body and leaves behind a large egg-shaped cinder that weighs 40 pounds. The cinder is blazing hot, dealing 4d6 fire damage per round to any creature touching it. The cinder is immune to all damage, after 1d6 days you hatch, reborn from ashes.

Ability Score Increase

Your Charisma score increases by 1. Another ability score of your choice also increases by 1.

Age

While normal aarakocra reach maturity by age 3, your phoenix blood accelerates this process tremendously. A phoenix will reach full maturity in the time it takes to be reborn from their egg-shaped cinder. Unlike other aarakocra that don’t usually live longer than 30 years, a phoenix will burst into flames at around 20 years old to be reborn and begin the process anew. A phoenix retains all previous knowledge and class levels, because of this, some are rumored to have lived for thousands of years. 

Alignment

Most aarakocra tend to be good and rarely choose sides when it comes to law and chaos. A phoenix however is highly influenced by the spirit of fire within their blood, as such they are naturally drawn to a chaotic alignment. Their concepts of good and evil are somewhat skewed and most tend to fluctuate around neutral. 

Size

Phoenixes are shorter than usual aarakocra, only standing about 4 feet tall. They are also very thin, and have extremely lightweight bodies that weigh between 40 and 70 pounds. Their tiny stature makes their size small.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 25 feet.  You have a fly speed of 50 feet. 

Flight

You have a flying speed of 50 feet. To use this speed, you can’t be wearing medium or heavy armor.

Talons

Your talons are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, Aarakocra, and Auran.