Raptor, Maran

When the birdfolk think of hunters or rangers, they picture a raptor. Resembling small hawks, eagles, and other birds of prey, they have sharp talons and agile builds that help them effortlessly glide through the canopy. These birdfolk are swift and strong with an uncanny knack for tracking. They are rarely prey, and are quick to turn the tables when finding themselves hunted.

As a maran raptor, you are as at home in the water as you are in the trees. You also have a wealth of patience, acting only when it best suits your goals.

Given their heightened senses, often raptors appear to be distracted or deep in thought. In reality, they are processing the wealth of sensory information they receive from their particularly keen eyes and sensitive ears. While many folk are only ever aware of what goes on directly around them, raptors have an extremely wide field of awareness. Raptors are adept at living off the land. They are skilled hunters, usually leading the harvesting of meat and skins for their perches. Raptors are especially well versed in stalking prey from great heights, lining up impossible shots that their prey could not predict.

While many of the birdfolk races are culturally communal, raptors don't have a great sense of connectedness, nor do they tend to create their own perches. They are more likely to adopt a transient lifestyle, moving from perch to perch, or to simply live in the vast forests of the Wood itself. Though typically quiet, raptors are not averse to forming relationships with other birdfolk. Despite their reserved nature, raptors value personal bonds more highly than societal or even familial ties.

Raptors take after smaller birds of prey, like falcons and hawks, but using larger species, like eagles or vultures as a reference would also work for raptor characters. Maran raptors could also take visual inspiration from seabirds, notably petrels or shearwaters, due to their swim speed.

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

Raptors reach maturity around 20 years. They can live longer than any other birdfolk race, over 100 years.

Raptors tend towards neutral alignments. Preferring the path of naturalists and hunters, raptors rarely see value in order for the sake of order, and are often more pragmatic than idealistic.

Raptors are lean, muscular hunters, but they stand less than 4 feet tall. Their light builds usually lend themselves to bodies that weigh far less than one would expect for their height, averaging around only 35 pounds. Your size is Small.

To set your height and weight randomly, start with rolling a size modifier:

Size modifier = 2d6 Height = 2 feet + 11 inches + your size modifier in inches Weight in pounds = 25 + (1 × your size modifier)

Using your feathered arms, you can slow your fall, and glide short distances. When falling you can use your reaction to spread your arms, stiffen your wing feathers, and slow your descent. While doing so, you continue to fall gently at a speed of 60 feet per round, taking no fall damage when you land. If you would fall at least 10 feet in this way, you may fly up to your movement speed in one direction you choose, although you cannot choose to move upwards, landing in the space you finish your movement. You cannot glide while carrying heavy weapons or wielding a shield (though you may drop any held items as part of your reaction to spread your arms). You cannot glide while wearing heavy armor, or if you are encumbered.

Your sharp claws aid you in unarmed combat and while climbing. Your damage for an unarmed strike is 1d4 piercing damage. Additionally, you have advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks made to climb any surface your talons could reasonably grip.

You have proficiency in the Perception skill.

Your accuracy allows you to treat three-quarters cover as half cover and half cover as no cover.

You have proficiency with the longbow, short bow, and spear. Additionally, your familiarity with the longbow means that it is not considered a heavy weapon for you.

You have a swimming speed of 25 feet.

When you react with a readied action, you have advantage on the first attack roll, skill check, or ability check you make as a part of that action.

You can speak, read, and write Birdfolk. You can also understand Auran, though you cannot speak it naturally.

Birdfolk is a language of clicks, caws, and whistles. Though primarily oral, a system for writing Birdfolk in pictograms was developed long before the founding of Alderheart and has since transformed into a set of abstract glyphs representing different sounds. Birdfolk can be written quickly with a quill, or scratched easily with a claw, and has been widely adopted throughout the Wood.