Homebrew Cervitaur Species Details

In the sprawling civilizations of Illari, where “development” and “industry” is seen as contradictory, cervitaurs nevertheless retain a love of sprawling greenery and healing the helpless. As much as they can, cervitaurs prance and gallop — in wide plazas, spacious parks, and expanses of gardens and forestry. They gracefully tread the plains and woodlands of their homes with a great delicacy, every step tentative and caring, as if one with their surroundings and at in tune with the elements amongst the fauna.

Nature’s Caretakers

Cervitaurs have the upper bodies, down to the waist, of toned, lean humans, displaying all the human variety of skin tones and features. Their ears are pointed like elves or fey, but their faces are sleek and with delicate features. Below the waist, they have the bodies of deer, with a small range of coloration — from various shades of chestnut, bay, or even grey, tobeing dappled in white spots as if their youth never left them. Most cervitaurs style their hair similarly to satyrs or fey. Hamivaar cervitaurs favor long, flowing hair with foliage decorating their locks. Maevala cervitaurs cut their hair in short, scruffy styles, sometimes messy or similar to mohawks.

The upper bodies of cervitaurs are comparable to human torsos in size, and their lower cervine bodies average about 3 feet tall at the withers. Though they are smaller than a human rider mounted on a horse, cervitaurs can fit the role as messengers, healers, and assistants. The rare Greater variants, about the average size of centaurs, can serve as cavalry warriors and scouts. Males are known for their antlers, but females grow a smaller set - it's even rare for a cervitaur to have no antlers unless they are one of the Fanged variants.

Affinity for Healing

Cervitaurs have an affinity for the life of the world. Among the guilds that share that affinity, cervitaurs favor the hedgelanes of the Hamivaar Clans and the great sanctuaries of the Maevala Conclave over the Illari coast and the farms of the Simmavir.

Cervitaurs celebrate their time shared throughout their life, and the birth of a foal is always cause for ceremony. At the same time, they see that life can be unfair at times, and among both the Hamivaar and the Maevala they are voices of healing and compromise, tending to those who need help while cautious of a more grim possibility. They feel a close kinship with wild animals, perhaps because of their own deer-like bodies, and delight in the feeling of running alongside herds and packs of other beasts when they are not just enjoying the scenery.

Clans and Community

Cervitaurs sense the magicks of the natural world and how it connects everything through the elements. Thus, they work to preserve the majesty of nature using its lifeforce as the conduit for their magic, which brings many cervituar casters to cast spells without a focus or the need for components. Among the Hamivaar, they have a compassionate identity for relations, and Maevala cervitaurs are fiercely loyal to their individual communities as well as the guild as a whole. Their love of life and helping others also means that cervitaurs are more likely than most other Illarians to join guilds or hospitals as healers.

Cervitaur Names

Cervitaurs’ given names are usually imagined and tend to carry strength in their two syllables. The name bestowed on a new fawn is typically the name of the most beautiful a parent can come up with that ties them to their new life with a blessing from nature — and, the cervitaurs believe, some shard of the spirit carries on into the wilds upon passing. Cervitaurs don’t use family names, but they wear trinkets and patterns to represent those dear to them. These patterns might include graphical representations of plants or animals, with braids and beads worn in the hair to symbolize them, or even specific patterns of woven fabric. Should a cervitaur ever remove this from their person, it is considered to be cutting one out of their lives.

Male Names: Ardur, Barin, Castis, Devor, Eldin, Fentun, Garis, Harken, Ivor, Kartos, Lorkin, Makis, Navis, Orrin, Pralik, Qorven, Reivik, Savok, Tremon, Urahn, Zavon

Female Names: Amai, Beisi, Cari, Daiva, Elnei, Falra, Galya, Hahmra Irna, Kotya, Lalya, Mira, Nedja, Ostra, Pinya, Quiri, Rada, Stalya, Tatna, Una, Vira, Wyndi, Zoria

Cervitaur Traits

Your cervitaur character has the following racial traits. These traits are also suitable for the cervitaurs of other worlds where there are cervitaurs of fey origin. These cervitaurs are smaller than the non-fey cervitaurs that roam in some realms.

Ability Score Increase

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

Age

Cervitaurs mature and age at about the same rate as elves.

Alignment

Cervitaurs are inclined toward good. Those who join the Hamivaar are more often neutral good, while those who join the Maevala are typically chaotic good.

Size

Cervitaurs stand between 5 and 6 feet tall, with their cervine bodies reaching about 3 feet at the withers. Your size is Medium. All heights, including the variants, are measured without accounting for antlers.

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 or antlers.

Natural Weaponry

Your sharp hooves and antlers 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 slashing damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Cervine 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.

Innate Casting

Because of their great connection to the world around them, cervitaur casters do not need components or a focus to cast Divination, Evocation and Transmutation spells. Ritual spells also take half their alloted time.

Survivor

You have proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Animal Handling, Medicine, Nature, or Survival.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Sylvan. Sylvan is widely spoken in the Hamivaar Conclave, for it is rich in vocabulary to describe natural phenomena and spiritual forces.