Homebrew Pandaren Species Details

Embrace the moment, the pandaren seek inner peace and harmony. Each breath is cherished, just as each meal, each brew, each laugh, and each battle is treated as if it could be their last. Tied inextricably to their island of Pandaria, they will fight with their entire being to protect their way of life and their home.

If a single trait could sum up the pandaren culture, it’s that they live in the moment. They embrace life with gusto. A pandaren does everything with vigor, focus, and intensity. Every meal is an event. Every moment with the family is cherished. Every project or work of art demands their full attention. Every nap is treated as if it will be the last! The pandaren work hard, play hard, fight like animals, love with all their soul, tell impossibly tall tales, drink like they mean it, and sleep like the dead.

On the whole, pandaren are slow to anger and prefer measured solutions to problems. But underneath all of that practiced civility, there is a bear to contend with. When a pandaren focuses on combat, each blow rings with the weight of his or her entire body. Living “in the moment” also means getting lost in the fury of combat; a pandaren monk in the midst of battle has fists like wrecking balls and a roar that can be heard from horizon to horizon.

However, it takes a great deal to get a pandaren wound up. On mainland Pandaria, negative emotions such as fear, anger, or despair can literally take on a physical form and stir up trouble. For this reason, pandaren emphasize and cultivate a quiet life of inner harmony and focus. Conflicts, no matter how bitter, are quickly forgotten over cold drinks once the matter is resolved. The pandaren sense of inner peace and love of life is infectious. Spend any significant time with a pandaren and you, too, can’t help but get lost in the moment

Proud People

Honorable and filled with a love of good company, good food -- and every now and then, a good friendly brawl -- the pandaren have been content to live in seclusion, allowing their culture to flourish and thrive away from the influence of the outside world. However, every now and then, a pandaren is born with a thirst for adventure that rivals his or her thirst for a strong drink, and he or she strikes out to explore beyond Pandaria’s shores. One of the most famous such wanderers was the brewmaster Chen Stormstout, who set out looking for exotic ingredients for his special ale and wound up an integral part of the founding of the Horde.

The pandaren are used to the mists. They see through them and are unseen within them. They would be a terrible force unleashed were they not so balanced and concerned with.

Balance. In it they find peace and, with reason, are reluctant to surrender that peace.

Pandaren are humanoid bears, covered in fur from head to toe. The males stand at an average of 7'6", while the females average around 7'. Every pandaren has two colors of fur; one is always white but the other color ranges from black to brown to red. They have paws for hands and feet, with three fingers, a thumb and three toes. Each digit is tipped with a black claw. They refer to their hands directly as paws. While the species has a tail, there are two distinct forms. The common form is a round stub of fur, but the second form, which is long and thickens out by the end, is exclusive to red-and-white females.

Pandaren are usually very rotund, which tend to be a point of pride in their society (see cuisine section)

Pandaren Names

Pandaren naming practices are similar to those of humans: each pandaren has a given name and a surname. The names themselves, of course, are different.

Male Names: Chen, Cheng, Gao, Jaomin, Ji, Jojo, Jun, Lee, Li, Min, Shang, Shen, Ten, Yu,

Female Names: Aysa, Kiryn, Lien-Hua, Mei

Pandaren Traits

Adventurous and exotic, your pandaren heiritage manifests in a number of ways.

Quaking Palm

When you hit another creature with a melee weapon attack, you can attempt a stunning strike. The target must succeed on a DC (8 + your Proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier) Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of your next turn. After using this feature, you must take a short or long rest before using it again.

 

Inner Peace

Once per long rest, the pandaren gains access to Calm Emotions on herself only.

Lifestyle Philosophy

Pandaren are very philosophical people, and as a result, it leads to several different opinions on which way is right or wrong.

Hoijin’s Way. Another philosophy is the way of Huojin. It states that inaction is the greatest injustice, and that there is no shame in defending one's homes and loved ones regardless of cost. Ji Firepaw is a staunch follower of this way, and the first of them who recognized the similarities of this way in the races of the Horde, and all that find themselves closer to this belief have decided to follow Ji and stand united with all these Horde races, whose desire is to live free.

Tushi’s Way. One of the two primary philosophies followed by pandaren of the Wandering Isle is the way of Tushui. It encourages living a venerable life through meditation, rigorous training, and moral conviction. Aysa Cloudsinger is one of the pandaren that have mastered this way and can be recognized as somewhat of a leader of the Tushui monks. This philosophy is very close to the ways of the Alliance, and Aysa has decided to join this faction along with the pandaren who uphold this belief.

Wanderer’s Way. The Wanderer's Way is a philosophy of the Wandering Isle pandaren, made famous by Chenand Li Li Stormstout. Basically it means to take each journey one step at a time, observe everything around you, speak to everyone you meet, and soak in all the details. However, it also teaches importance of knowing when to explore and when to stand your ground and fight.

Ability Score Increase

Your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Age

Pandaren reach adulthood in their late teens and live a bit longer than a century.

Alignment

Pandaren are a more passive race, leaning towards neutral alignments.

Size

The generally stand between 6.5 to 7 feet tall and weigh anywhere from 200 to 350 pounds (males tend be to taller and heavier than females), believing a large belly is key to a happy life. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Gourmand

Pandaren are known for their love of ale and good food, and mainland pandaren frequently show concern that the races of the Alliance and Horde look too "thin".

The Way of the Brew, based around brewing tea and alcoholic beverages. Increases CHA score by 1.

The Way of the Grill, which focuses on strength and good health and produces foods that increases one's physical strength. Increases STR score by 1.

The Way of the Oven, which produces hearty, sustaining meals that increases one's stamina. To be skilled with the oven, one need to have endurance and patience, but the results are considered very much worth the effort. Increases CON score by 1.

The Way of the Pot, whose cuisine helps expand one's intellect. Increases INT score by 1.

A great meal can lift one's spirits, and none more so than food from the Way of the Steamer. Increases WIS score by 1.

The Way of the Wok, which produces dishes that increase one's agility. To "cook with the wok", one needs to be nimble. Increases DEX score by 1.

Bouncy

You are proficient in the Acrobatics skill and you take half as much damage from falling.

Traditional Training

You gain Proficiency in Unarmed Strikes and All Polearms (Quarterstaffs, Halberds, Pikes, Javelins, Glaives, and Spears)

Languages

 You can speak, read, and write Common, Pandaren, and Celestial. Pandaren is an exotic-sounding language, similar to modern-day chinese.