Homebrew:Ibis-headed Aven: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 03:10, 8 December 2022

(OOC: This is an implementation of the ibis-headed aven race from Plane Shift: Amonkhet)

Aven have humanlike bodies, arms, and legs, along with birdlike wings and heads. Two distinct varieties of aven are found in Naktamun. One has the head of a hawk or similar bird of prey, with short wings allowing fast flight. (See the Aven race for racial features of the hawk-headed aven.) The other variety has the head of an ibis atop a long neck, with wide, angular wings better suited to soaring. All aven have lean bodies with feathers extending from their heads down to their shoulders.

Aven delight in flying above their foes, using their superior mobility to confound and outpace their opponents. They love soaring through the sky as well, though the Hekma limits their altitude. Like all people of Naktamun, they are grateful for the Hekma’s protective magic, of course. But they keenly anticipate the hour when the God-Pharaoh will return and dissolve the veil, letting them fly without limit in the afterlife.

A majority of ibis-headed aven, drawn to the teachings of Kefnet, specialize in spellcasting. They take great pride in all the qualities they share with the god of knowledge—not just their avian heads, but their quick wit, self-confidence, cunning, and spellcasting prowess.

Combat Classes

Spellcasters are common among ibis-headed aven drawn to follow the teachings of Kefnet. Their physical resemblance to the god of knowledge is reflected in the metal discipline, focus, and confidence for which aven spellcasters are known. They wield magic of air, wind, and sometimes water to buffet their foes, enhance their own flight, and counter enemy attacks. Hawk-headed aven who follow the path of the mage are more likely to learn sand-based magic that can cloud the air, blast their foes, or bury enemies in living dunes.

Hawk-headed aven are often drawn to master techniques of long-range combat, whether the javelin that is the preferred weapon of many, the bow, or other thrown weapons. Whatever weapon they use, aven hover and swoop in the air above the fray, seeking the opportune moment to strike in exactly the right place. In line with the teachings of the god of solidarity, they often fly in tight formations with other aven in their crops, supporting and protecting each other. Aven take great pride in the precision of their attacks, relying on their keen vision and superior vantage points. They view the sharp tip of a javelin or arrow as a symbol of their love for precision, and some initiates maintain carefully tended collections of spearheads or arrowheads.

A relatively small number of aven of both varieties end up focusing on hand-to-hand combat. Even there, they use their ability to fly to great advantage, often swooping down on their foes from a great height. The speed and power of a blow from a diving aven can be utterly devastating, but such a strike poses a tremendous risk to the aven as well as the target. An aven who fails to pull up from the dive in time can suffer even worse injuries than the target of the attack. Aven often minimize this risk by hurling javelins while they dive, then pulling up early after a successful throw.

Ibis-headed Aven Traits

As an aven, you share the following traits with all your kind.

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity score increases by 2 and your Intelligence score increases by 1.

Age

Like humans, aven reach adulthood in their late teens and can theoretically live into their 80s. Of course, most find a glorious (or inglorious) death long before that point.

Alignment

Most aven lean toward some form of neutrality. Ibis-headed aven, focused more on knowledge than any other virtue, are usually neutral. Hawk-headed aven are inclined toward lawful neutral.

Size

Aven stand from 5 to 6 feet tall, but their bodies are slender and their bones are partially hollow to facilitate their flight. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 25 feet. You have a flying speed of 30 feet. You can’t use your flying speed while you wear medium or heavy armor. (If your campaign uses the variant rule for encumbrance, you can’t use your flying speed if you are encumbered.)

Languages

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

(Note: the aven language must be added to your character sheet manually.)

Kefnet's Blessing

You can add half your proficiency bonus, rounded down, to any Intelligence check you make that doesn’t already include your proficiency bonus.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-[[file:naga.jpg|right|thumb|500px]]
+[[file:ibis-headed aven.jpg|right|thumb|500px]]
-{{ooc note|This is an implementation of the naga race from [[Plane Shift: Amonkhet]]}}
+{{ooc note|This is an implementation of the ibis-headed aven race from [[Plane Shift: Amonkhet]]}}
 __NOTOC__
-Naga resemble enormous snakes with shoulders, arms, and a torso that resembles a humanoid form. They typically hold their heads and torsos off the ground while moving, but they can increase their speed by lowering their bodies and using their hands for extra propulsion. They adorn their torsos with armor, jewelry, and a vague nod toward the clothing worn by other races. Male naga have broad hoods, wider than their shoulders, while females have narrower hoods and longer faces.
+Aven have humanlike bodies, arms, and legs, along with birdlike wings and heads. Two distinct varieties of aven are found in Naktamun. One has the head of a hawk or similar bird of prey, with short wings allowing fast flight. ''(See the [[homebrew:Aven|Aven]] race for racial features of the hawk-headed aven.)'' The other variety has the head of an ibis atop a long neck, with wide, angular wings better suited to soaring. All aven have lean bodies with feathers extending from their heads down to their shoulders.
-Naga believe in a principle called the Sweetest Harmony, which describes a perfect balance between the body and the mind. Finding that balance, as they understand it, is a sure path to glory in the trials, since a combination of physical and mental preparation will ensure success in every trial. For an example of this Sweetest Harmony, they point to the Luxa river and the land it nourishes, which exist in a delicate and life-giving balance. Either one without the other would be diminished and useless. Just so, mental strength supports physical capabilities, and physical fortitude feeds mental tenacity, so neither mind nor body can exist in isolation.
+Aven delight in flying above their foes, using their superior mobility to confound and outpace their opponents. They love soaring through the sky as well, though the Hekma limits their altitude. Like all people of Naktamun, they are grateful for the Hekma’s protective magic, of course. But they keenly anticipate the hour when the God-Pharaoh will return and dissolve the veil, letting them fly without limit in the afterlife.
-In the same way, the naga believe that Kefnet and Rhonas exist in interdependence, and that their trials are best conceived as two halves of a whole. But in practice, as much as they strive for balance and harmony, most naga identify more strongly with one god than the other.
+A majority of ibis-headed aven, drawn to the teachings of Kefnet, specialize in spellcasting. They take great pride in all the qualities they share with the god of knowledge—not just their avian heads, but their quick wit, self-confidence, cunning, and spellcasting prowess.
 == Combat Classes ==
-To the benefit of those naga who struggle with the ideal of the Sweetest Harmony, the training of acolytes encourages specialization. Thus, naga who follow in the path of the snake-headed god Rhonas can cultivate their physical strength as they specialize in hand-to-hand combat styles, while other naga favor the teachings of Kefnet and other combat styles.
+Spellcasters are common among ibis-headed aven drawn to follow the teachings of Kefnet. Their physical resemblance to the god of knowledge is reflected in the metal discipline, focus, and confidence for which aven spellcasters are known. They wield magic of air, wind, and sometimes water to buffet their foes, enhance their own flight, and counter enemy attacks. Hawk-headed aven who follow the path of the mage are more likely to learn sand-based magic that can cloud the air, blast their foes, or bury enemies in living dunes.
-Naga who specialize in hand-to-hand combat rely on axes, daggers, and shortswords—but also on their own fangs and the constricting strength of their serpentine bodies. They make extensive use of poison, coating their weapons with multiple layers of deadly substances—including, but by no means limited to, their own venom. Quick, well-timed, and well-placed blows, followed by an equally nimble retreat, allow many naga to triumph over opponents who might seem stronger. With acknowledgment of the Sweetest Harmony, these naga cultivate an understanding of strategy and tactics that enhances their physical training.
+Hawk-headed aven are often drawn to master techniques of long-range combat, whether the javelin that is the preferred weapon of many, the bow, or other thrown weapons. Whatever weapon they use, aven hover and swoop in the air above the fray, seeking the opportune moment to strike in exactly the right place. In line with the teachings of the god of solidarity, they often fly in tight formations with other aven in their crops, supporting and protecting each other. Aven take great pride in the precision of their attacks, relying on their keen vision and superior vantage points. They view the sharp tip of a javelin or arrow as a symbol of their love for precision, and some initiates maintain carefully tended collections of spearheads or arrowheads.
-Speed and accuracy are equally important to naga who specialize in long-range combat. Some prefer to analyze a battle from a distance and pick off the strongest opponents with their ranged weapons, including poisoned spears and arrows. Others ride in chariots driven by trusted drivers (usually other naga) and throw their spears from the midst of battle. In any case, they excel at finding and exploiting strategic advantages.
+A relatively small number of aven of both varieties end up focusing on hand-to-hand combat. Even there, they use their ability to fly to great advantage, often swooping down on their foes from a great height. The speed and power of a blow from a diving aven can be utterly devastating, but such a strike poses a tremendous risk to the aven as well as the target. An aven who fails to pull up from the dive in time can suffer even worse injuries than the target of the attack. Aven often minimize this risk by hurling javelins while they dive, then pulling up early after a successful throw.
-Some naga mages, drawn to the example of Kefnet, make extensive use of illusion magic to trick and mislead their opponents. Others apply Rhonas’s teachings to their studies, wielding poisonous magic that weakens opponents or kills them outright with clouds or darts of deadly toxins. Still others, in service to the ideal of balance, use the magical power of their minds to enhance their physical strength and speed.
+== Ibis-headed Aven Traits ==
+As an aven, you share the following traits with all your kind.
-== Naga Traits ==
-All naga share the following traits.
 === Ability Score Increase ===
-Your Constitution score increases by 2, and your Intelligence score increases by 1.
+Your Dexterity score increases by 2 and your Intelligence score increases by 1.
 === Age ===
-Like humans, naga reach adulthood in their late teens. They show no signs of aging beyond that point except for growing larger, so in theory, a naga could live well over a century.
+Like humans, aven reach adulthood in their late teens and can theoretically live into their 80s. Of course, most find a glorious (or inglorious) death long before that point.
 === Alignment ===
-Most naga are either neutral or neutral evil in alignment.
+Most aven lean toward some form of neutrality. Ibis-headed aven, focused more on knowledge than any other virtue, are usually neutral. Hawk-headed aven are inclined toward lawful neutral.
 === Size ===
-Naga stand about 5 feet tall when upright, but the total length of their bodies, head to tail, ranges from 10 to as much as 20 feet. Your size is Medium.
+Aven stand from 5 to 6 feet tall, but their bodies are slender and their bones are partially hollow to facilitate their flight. Your size is Medium.
 === Speed ===
-Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
+Your base walking speed is 25 feet. You have a flying speed of 30 feet. You can’t use your flying speed while you wear medium or heavy armor. (If your campaign uses the variant rule for encumbrance, you can’t use your flying speed if you are encumbered.)
-=== Speed Burst ===
+=== Languages ===
-By lowering your body to the ground and propelling yourself with your arms, you can move more quickly for a time. As a bonus action on your turn, if you have both hands free, you can increase your walking speed by 5 feet until the end of your turn.
+You can speak, read, and write Common and Aven.
-=== Natural Weapons ===
-Your fanged maw and constricting serpentine body are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with your bite, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, and your target must make a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier). On a failed save, the target takes 1d4 poison damage.
-If you hit with your constrict attack, you deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, and the target is grappled (escape DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and you can’t constrict another target.
-=== Poison Immunity ===
+''(Note: the aven language must be added to your character sheet manually.)''
-You are immune to poison damage and can’t be poisoned.
-=== Poison Affinity ===
+=== Kefnet's Blessing ===
-You gain proficiency with the poisoner’s kit.
+You can add half your proficiency bonus, rounded down, to any Intelligence check you make that doesn’t already include your proficiency bonus.
-=== Languages ===
-You can speak, read, and write Common and Naga.
-''(Note: the naga language must be added to your character sheet manually.)''
+[[category:homebrew subraces|Aven]]
-[[category:homebrew 5e races]]