Homebrew Cervitaur Species Details

Though they look like centaurs, cervitaurs actually hail from the Feywild. Indeed, they have more in common with the fey than any mundane race, in that while they have no natural arcane prowess, they possess a mind that's hard to comprehend to, say, a human. Cervitaurs have almost completely adapted to the material plane, to the point that they are nowadays quite rare in their native Feywild. Cervitaurs have no history as a race per se: they do not build nor have they ever built nations or empires, they feel no need to record their deeds or attempt to make themselves famous, and they rarely if ever consider the long run. They have little to show for the thousands of years of their existence in the material plane. This ties into their live-in-the-moment nature.

Unfortunately, this lack of a need to assert themselves has led cervitaurs into being cruelly mistreated in many parts. Their mindset means that cervitaur bands respond to aggression with fierce resistance, but the moment the offender backs off, the cervitaurs do too. It's not that they forget: rather, they cease caring. This makes it easy for a tactical foe abusing this tendency to devastate cervitaur populations. Cervitaurs also possess a fairly low level of technology unless they live close to a more stable society. Their weaponry consists of little more than sharpened sticks, and they have no need of constructed dwellings.

Society

Cervitaur society is arranged by gender, although again this might vary by phenotype. Males usually live alone or in small gatherings, while females live in larger packs with the fawns. An interested male will approach a pack of females and attempt to court them. A male will usually court around three to five of the females at once. If their affections are returned, the male will live with the pack for a while. While in no way monogamous, a male cervitaur with children will frequent the packs that contain their young, and will protect them as best they can (and often sire more children at the same time).

This only holds true for cervitaurs living solely with their own kind, however. Cervitaur populations that live near other races will quickly adopt any positive features of their cultures. These populations are a breeding ground for cervitaur adventurers, a line of work the cervitaur mindset is actually well suited for. Cervitaurs are present-moment-oriented, adaptive creatures with a penchant for moving in small parties - all qualities of the archetypal adveturer.

Cervitaur Names

Cervitaurs often take fey names and are content with just a first name, made possible by the small size of their populations.

Male: Ailde, Eadan, Rònan, Odiane

Female: Eimhir, Donella, Ellette, Liliana

Cervitaur Traits

Creatures with hybrid bodies and transient minds.

Hooves of Fury

You may attack with your hooves as though they were your unarmed strike. You are proficient with your unarmed strikes, which deal 1d6 bludgeoning damage on a hit.

Deer Half

You cannot wear boots, pants, or anything that is worn on the legs or waist area except for belts and specially made armor and saddles. All armor you wear must be specially made to accommodate you, doubling the cost. You cannot ride mounts

Rideable Anatomy

You can willingly serve as a mount for a Medium or smaller creature as long as their additional weight doesn't cause you to be encumbered. Furthermore, your carrying capacity is multiplied by 1.5.

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.

Age

Cervitaurs mature in around 2 or 3 years and live up to be around 40 years old

Alignment

Cervitaur are inclined toward neutrality. 

Size

Centaurs stand between 6 and 7 feet tall, with their equine bodies reaching about 4 feet at the withers. Your size is Medium.

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.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 40 feet.

Fey

Your creature type is fey, rather than humanoid.

Charge

If you move at least 30 feet straight toward a target and then hit it with a melee weapon attack on the same turn, you can immediately follow that attack with a bonus action, making one attack against the target with your hooves.

Hooves

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

Deer Build

You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push or drag.

In addition, any climb that requires hands and feet is especially difficult for you because of your equine legs. When you make such a climb, each foot of movement costs you 4 extra feet, instead of the normal 1 extra foot.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Sylvan.