Aarakocra

 

Species Name: Aarakocra, Bird people, Parrot men

Aarakocra are humanoids with the features of parrots and eagles, who live in high, mountainous regions in South America. They are strong fliers, and capable warriors.

Type: Humanoid

Physical Traits: Aarakocra have a humanoid body shape, though with many avian qualities, such as feathers, talons, and a beak. Perhaps most prominently, they have wings in place of arms. Halfway along the edge of each wing is a hand with three human-sized fingers and an opposable thumb. An elongated fourth finger extends the length of the wing and lock in place during flight. The hands can not grasp while flying, but they are nearly as useful as human hands when an Aarakocra is perched and its wings folded back. Their powerful legs end in four sharp talons that can unlock and fold back to reveal another pair of functional hands. These humanoids have hollow, fragile bones. Their faces combine the features of both parrots and eagles. They have gray-black beaks and black eyes. Plumage colour varies, but males generally have red, orange, and yellow colouration, while females tended towards brown and gray. They use their hands normally when on the ground, but they can't make use of them while flying. Fortunately, the talons on their feet are equally as capable as their hands, and it is with these that they wield javelins when hunting and fighting. The plumage of an Aarakocra varies from tribe to tribe, but the males tend to be brightly-coloured, and females are duller. Keen-eyed, and capable fliers, many hurl javelins from high above the battlefield, just as they would when hunting large prey. They can fight with claws and beaks as well, but these aren't much more effective than a normal human's punches or kicks. For this reason, they usually keep at least one javelin for melee combat, if pressed into it. They can fly at a speed of 50 kph with a ceiling of 8 kms.

Height: 5-6 ft and wingspan of 20 ft

Weight: 90-130 lbs

Abilities: Vision is double normal.

Mobility: Legs and wings

Sensory Organs: Visual

Communication: Vocal

Reproduction: Sexual, egg

INT: 3D6, WIS: 3D6, STR: 3D6 -1, DEX: 3D6 +1, CON: 3D6, CHA: 3D6 +3, MR: 3D6/flight 17D6, HPs: CON +D6

Orbit/Climate: See Earth

Feeding Habits: Omnivore

Lifespan: 80 years

Technology: 2

Culture: Standard. Diversified mix of kind and evil people. They are usually found in temperate and tropical mountains in South America and were worshipped as sky gods by the Aztecs. Aarakocra are reluctant to engage in ground or grappling combat because of their fragile bones. They love gems and other shiny objects. Their religious
ceremonies are simple affairs involving whistled hymns. Sunset on the first day of each new month is of religious significance. These bird-men enjoy peace and solitude. Adventurers must have clear motivations. Some leave on a quest to aid their people, others because they do not fit in with the rest of their tribe. Aarakocra fighters prefer heavy fletched javelins when they must go to battle. An Aarakocra can carry up to six javelins in individual sheathes strapped to his chest. While flying, he can clutch a javelin in each of his lower hands, throwing them or stabbing opponents as necessary. Aarakocra who have left their home territory and travelled to more civilized lands will sometimes wear pieces of studded leather armour to provide additional protection.

Government: Council

Population: 400,000




 

Creating an Aarakocra character

Step 1: Attributes
Roll attributes as normal but STR is -1 and DEX +1. Mana = INT + WIS x3. Mana is recovered at a rate of 10 per hour if remain active (but not using magic) and 20 per hour if asleep. Mana can however be permanently traded for HPs at a rate of 1 for 1. Hit points = CON +8, +8 per level.
Step 2: Skills

Choose skills in the normal manner according to the character's class.
Step 3: Abilities

All Aarakocra gain all the following free;

Enhanced Vision - The eyes can focus on extremely distant objects too small for normal vision to perceive. The eyes function as telescopes magnifying normal visual images. x2 normal range. +3 to thaco with modern weapons, add +5 to thaco with thrown objects.

Wings - The feathered wings provide flight at WIS x10kph, +10kph per level with a maximum ceiling height of eight kilometres. The character can carry his normal weight carrying capacity without it affecting his speed. After that he loses 1kph for every 10 additional kilograms. The character can also hit enemies with his wings with each wing doing damage equal to the character's own STR. The HPs of each wing is equal to half the character's total HPs.

Additionally Aarakocra start with 35 Points to spend on any of the following abilities. As they earns more experience they may buy or rebuy more abilities.
Ability Cost Notes
Agile 5 +1 AC
Animal Empathy 5 Aarakocra can establish telepathic communication with any normal or giant aerial animal within line of sight if he does nothing else in the round. The animal must have a minimum INT of 1. This has the following benefits:
He can communicate to the creature that he desires its friendship. If the offer is sincere (and the animal will be able to sense if it isn't), the creature can be calmed and will not attack or flee unless it is attacked.

Further he can then recruit this animal as an ally. Once he does so he permanently psionically links with the animal turning it into a familiar. At any point he may see through the familiar's eyes, smell through its nose, hear with its ears, taste with its mouth or link with any of its other senses (including supernatural ones). The two are always in constant telepathic contact.

Detect Hidden 5 The character gains +1 per 5 INT to detect a hidden object, door, person, etc.
Enhanced Hearing 5 Hearing increases by x1 normal range per 3 WIS with an additional x1 per level (eg. WIS 15 = x5 range). At 25% of radius hear as low as 1 decibel, at 50% of radius 10 decibels, at 75% 20 decibels, and at 100% cant hear below 39 decibels. +6 Initiative, +2 AC.
Increased Thac0 5 +1 Thac0 with ranged weapons at levels 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17 and 19.
Intimidating 10 This character has greater presence, +1 CHA
Reduced Sleep 10 The character needs one hour less normal sleep per 5 CON.
Sanity Bonus 10 +1 Sanity save at levels 2, 5, 9, 11, 13 and 17.
Willpower Bonus 10 +1 Willpower save at levels 1, 4, 8, 12, 14, 16 and 20.
Witch Sight 5 The character can see the true image of any person or object regardless of any form of concealment, disguise, illusion or invisibility. This also includes the ability to detect whether it is magical, and whether it is harmful or helpful.
Step 5: Classes

Any.

 

Races