HeirToPendragon
2008-12-26, 01:48 PM
I have a race in my homebrew campaign known as avians. They are a rare breed of bird-like humanoids known for their great skills in whatever profession they strive towards. In the game, when the PCs do get into fights with them I use manipulations of the harpy and angel templates (depending on level). However I'd like to make them a playable race if my players want. Here is what I have so far, any comments or suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated.
Avian
Racial Traits
Average Height: 5´ 2˝–5´ 10˝
Average Weight: 90–110 lb.
Ability Scores: +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity
Size: Medium
Speed: 6 squares, Fly 8 (Overland Flight) while unencumbered
Vision: Low-Light
Languages: Common, choice of Elven or Dwarven (see Homeland Heritage)
Skill Bonuses: +2 Perception, +2 Diplomacy
Aerial Weapon Proficiency: You gain proficiency with the longbow.
Smooth Descent: You gain a +5 bonus on checks to prevent falling damage
Weightless Preference: If you are proficient with any heavy armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC while wearing light armor.
Homeland Heritage:Choose a native Heritage: Mountain or Woodland. Your pre-heroic life grants you certain bonuses depending on where you were born.
Mountain Heritage: You spent your pre-heroic life in the mountains. Because of this you know Dwarven as your secondary language.
Woodland Heritage: You spent your pre-heroic life in a forest or other heavily wooded area. Because of this you know Elven as your secondary language.
Winged Fighter: Once per encounter, you can use either the Aerial Charge power or the Wing Gust power.
Aerial Charge
You leap into the air and dive at your enemies
Encounter
Move Action Personal
Effect: You fly directly upwards a number of squares equal to your fly speed. You may then charge an enemy. You may charge a distance equal to your fly speed.
Wing Gust
Stretching back your wings you release a large gust of air that sends your enemies backwards.
Encounter ► Force
Standard Action Close blast 3
Targets: All creatures in area
Attack: Strength vs. Reflex, Constitution vs. Reflex, or Dexterity vs. Reflex
Hit: 1d4 + Strength modifier damage and the target is pushed 1 square
Increase to 2d4 + Strength modifier damage at 11th level and to 3d4 + Strength modifier damage and 2 squares at 21st level.
Special: When you create your character, choose Strength, Constitution, or Dexterity as the ability score you use when making attack rolls with this power. This choice remains throughout your character’s life and does not change the power’s other effects.
Tactful warriors and skilled masters in most all fighting styles, Avian’s are a race bred to survive. Many myths tell that Avians were the primordial answer to Angels, though most Avian scholars believe these stories came about, and continue to be circulated, due to Avian pride. Many stories also claim that the Raven Queen herself is an avian, though some consider this blasphemous. Play an Avian if you want:
*to take to the skies
*to be a skillful and proud master of a fighting style
*to be a member of a race that favors almost all martial classes
Physical Qualities
Avians combine the features of human and raptor, having the build of a lanky yet stout humanoid but with talon-like feet and a wingspan equal to their height. They come in a variety of colors along the white, brown, and black spectrum, though some younger avians are known to dye their wings in exotic colors. Their heads remain very birdlike, with a sharp beak, piercing eyes, and tufts of feathers that are groomed into different styles. Their feathers cover most of their bodies, though their hands and feet resemble the tough claws of most birds of prey.
When not in battle situations, Avians are known to dress in light clothing such as cloth and silk. A common tradition among many woodland avians is a necklace known as the Connections Pendant. The necklace carries token feathers, normally no more than three, of significant family members, usually the mother, father, and spouse. Many mountain born avians are known to have an heirloom family weapon, normally a longbow, that can be traced back many generations.
Playing an Avian
Avians are a generally rare race that does not commute much with major cities. Those that do are greeted with either much caution or great admiration. It is not uncommon to find an avian being used as a status symbol inside a royal court. Few avians accept such belittling statuses, and those that do often have ulterior motives for doing so, such as training with the royal’s militia.
No matter where their heritage lies, avians are bred to survive anything. Early in age they are taught how to wield all manner of light weapons and how to aim a bow in high winds. Historians aren’t really sure what it is the avians are planning for, and in fact many avians wouldn’t be able to answer that question either.
The few avians who don’t take interest in training the body can often be found training the mind. Avians are known to make excellent scholars and craftsmen due to their attention to detail and constant need to improve. Avians who takes these paths are known to make great linguists, as learning new languages is a difficult task for the beaked race and presents a great challenge for them to overcome.
Avian mages are rare due to lack of available teachers. Those that do take up the arcane arts tend to leave their homes in search for those that can help them continue learning their skill. Those avians that do walk the path of the mystical arts are highly devoted studiers and many refuse to end their training until they’ve designed their own ritual.
The avian clergy holds some power in the avian society, though not nearly as much as it does in other races. Avian clergy tend to practice the teachings of Kord, Ioun or Avandra, blessing the skilled warrior, the talented learner, and the free spirit. Avians born with black feathers are known to worship the Raven Queen, believing their feathers to be a symbol of her divine favor.
Because of the shape of their hands, many of the weapons that avians use need to be custom made in order to retain the same proficiency. Avian armor is crafted to allow for their tail feathers to remain in use, which would otherwise make flight a lot more difficult. They prefer to wear very light armor and use light weapons in order to prevent hindrance during flight. However, there are a few very dedicated warriors known to dress themselves in heavy battle armor.
Avian Characteristics: Prideful, studious, sheltered, reserved, calculating, militant, quick-witted, perfectionist, perceptive
Avian Male Names: Aleron, Errol, Ephram, Raash, Trent, Vulco
Avian Female Names: Clara, Clymene, Iglenna, Raven, Risa, Valara
Avian Adventurers
Three sample avian adventurers are described below:
Aleron was born in a woodland home constantly threatened by harpies living in the mountains near the coast. His people consider the harpies to be lesser creatures, bastard versions of their form. Since his birth he has trained every day from dusk till dawn’s light in order to perfect his ability with the bow. When he’s not training, Aleron is a known playboy and likes to show off his skills to the avian females, in hopes of one day adding a third feather to his Connections Pendant.
Valara enjoyed wondering off and exploring the deepest tunnels of her mountain home at a very young age. She grew so accustomed to it that her landings are as soft as a whisper, and flight as quiet as a summer breeze. She has mastered the use of a dagger, which gets her out of trouble when she routinely comes in contact with Underdark monsters. She likes to boast that her daggers came from the fangs of a purple dragon, though few actually believe her.
Raven was born in the mountains, but soon learned that training in weaponry simply wasn’t for her. After her mother passed away, Raven left her rocky home and took up residence in a large nearby city. It was there that she learned of her gift for magic and was accepted into the mage’s guild. Though she was very astute and a fast learner, she couldn’t get rid of the nagging feeling that she was only admitted based on the status her being there would provide.
The Homeland Heritage thing will affect later feats unless anyone has other stuff that could be added.
Avian
Racial Traits
Average Height: 5´ 2˝–5´ 10˝
Average Weight: 90–110 lb.
Ability Scores: +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity
Size: Medium
Speed: 6 squares, Fly 8 (Overland Flight) while unencumbered
Vision: Low-Light
Languages: Common, choice of Elven or Dwarven (see Homeland Heritage)
Skill Bonuses: +2 Perception, +2 Diplomacy
Aerial Weapon Proficiency: You gain proficiency with the longbow.
Smooth Descent: You gain a +5 bonus on checks to prevent falling damage
Weightless Preference: If you are proficient with any heavy armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC while wearing light armor.
Homeland Heritage:Choose a native Heritage: Mountain or Woodland. Your pre-heroic life grants you certain bonuses depending on where you were born.
Mountain Heritage: You spent your pre-heroic life in the mountains. Because of this you know Dwarven as your secondary language.
Woodland Heritage: You spent your pre-heroic life in a forest or other heavily wooded area. Because of this you know Elven as your secondary language.
Winged Fighter: Once per encounter, you can use either the Aerial Charge power or the Wing Gust power.
Aerial Charge
You leap into the air and dive at your enemies
Encounter
Move Action Personal
Effect: You fly directly upwards a number of squares equal to your fly speed. You may then charge an enemy. You may charge a distance equal to your fly speed.
Wing Gust
Stretching back your wings you release a large gust of air that sends your enemies backwards.
Encounter ► Force
Standard Action Close blast 3
Targets: All creatures in area
Attack: Strength vs. Reflex, Constitution vs. Reflex, or Dexterity vs. Reflex
Hit: 1d4 + Strength modifier damage and the target is pushed 1 square
Increase to 2d4 + Strength modifier damage at 11th level and to 3d4 + Strength modifier damage and 2 squares at 21st level.
Special: When you create your character, choose Strength, Constitution, or Dexterity as the ability score you use when making attack rolls with this power. This choice remains throughout your character’s life and does not change the power’s other effects.
Tactful warriors and skilled masters in most all fighting styles, Avian’s are a race bred to survive. Many myths tell that Avians were the primordial answer to Angels, though most Avian scholars believe these stories came about, and continue to be circulated, due to Avian pride. Many stories also claim that the Raven Queen herself is an avian, though some consider this blasphemous. Play an Avian if you want:
*to take to the skies
*to be a skillful and proud master of a fighting style
*to be a member of a race that favors almost all martial classes
Physical Qualities
Avians combine the features of human and raptor, having the build of a lanky yet stout humanoid but with talon-like feet and a wingspan equal to their height. They come in a variety of colors along the white, brown, and black spectrum, though some younger avians are known to dye their wings in exotic colors. Their heads remain very birdlike, with a sharp beak, piercing eyes, and tufts of feathers that are groomed into different styles. Their feathers cover most of their bodies, though their hands and feet resemble the tough claws of most birds of prey.
When not in battle situations, Avians are known to dress in light clothing such as cloth and silk. A common tradition among many woodland avians is a necklace known as the Connections Pendant. The necklace carries token feathers, normally no more than three, of significant family members, usually the mother, father, and spouse. Many mountain born avians are known to have an heirloom family weapon, normally a longbow, that can be traced back many generations.
Playing an Avian
Avians are a generally rare race that does not commute much with major cities. Those that do are greeted with either much caution or great admiration. It is not uncommon to find an avian being used as a status symbol inside a royal court. Few avians accept such belittling statuses, and those that do often have ulterior motives for doing so, such as training with the royal’s militia.
No matter where their heritage lies, avians are bred to survive anything. Early in age they are taught how to wield all manner of light weapons and how to aim a bow in high winds. Historians aren’t really sure what it is the avians are planning for, and in fact many avians wouldn’t be able to answer that question either.
The few avians who don’t take interest in training the body can often be found training the mind. Avians are known to make excellent scholars and craftsmen due to their attention to detail and constant need to improve. Avians who takes these paths are known to make great linguists, as learning new languages is a difficult task for the beaked race and presents a great challenge for them to overcome.
Avian mages are rare due to lack of available teachers. Those that do take up the arcane arts tend to leave their homes in search for those that can help them continue learning their skill. Those avians that do walk the path of the mystical arts are highly devoted studiers and many refuse to end their training until they’ve designed their own ritual.
The avian clergy holds some power in the avian society, though not nearly as much as it does in other races. Avian clergy tend to practice the teachings of Kord, Ioun or Avandra, blessing the skilled warrior, the talented learner, and the free spirit. Avians born with black feathers are known to worship the Raven Queen, believing their feathers to be a symbol of her divine favor.
Because of the shape of their hands, many of the weapons that avians use need to be custom made in order to retain the same proficiency. Avian armor is crafted to allow for their tail feathers to remain in use, which would otherwise make flight a lot more difficult. They prefer to wear very light armor and use light weapons in order to prevent hindrance during flight. However, there are a few very dedicated warriors known to dress themselves in heavy battle armor.
Avian Characteristics: Prideful, studious, sheltered, reserved, calculating, militant, quick-witted, perfectionist, perceptive
Avian Male Names: Aleron, Errol, Ephram, Raash, Trent, Vulco
Avian Female Names: Clara, Clymene, Iglenna, Raven, Risa, Valara
Avian Adventurers
Three sample avian adventurers are described below:
Aleron was born in a woodland home constantly threatened by harpies living in the mountains near the coast. His people consider the harpies to be lesser creatures, bastard versions of their form. Since his birth he has trained every day from dusk till dawn’s light in order to perfect his ability with the bow. When he’s not training, Aleron is a known playboy and likes to show off his skills to the avian females, in hopes of one day adding a third feather to his Connections Pendant.
Valara enjoyed wondering off and exploring the deepest tunnels of her mountain home at a very young age. She grew so accustomed to it that her landings are as soft as a whisper, and flight as quiet as a summer breeze. She has mastered the use of a dagger, which gets her out of trouble when she routinely comes in contact with Underdark monsters. She likes to boast that her daggers came from the fangs of a purple dragon, though few actually believe her.
Raven was born in the mountains, but soon learned that training in weaponry simply wasn’t for her. After her mother passed away, Raven left her rocky home and took up residence in a large nearby city. It was there that she learned of her gift for magic and was accepted into the mage’s guild. Though she was very astute and a fast learner, she couldn’t get rid of the nagging feeling that she was only admitted based on the status her being there would provide.
The Homeland Heritage thing will affect later feats unless anyone has other stuff that could be added.