Apeling (5e Race)

Apeling

Physical Description

By Grafik

Apelings are a fusion of human and monkey traits. This relation is evident in their fur, tails, fangs, and other traits. However, their intelligence, larger size, and more bipedal posture suggest some closeness to humanity. Apelings are slightly smaller than humans but are still medium. They usually have more defined muscles than monkeys, though they are still rather slender, keeping a very athletic appearance. Fur colors include black, brown, red, orange, and grey. White fur is usually a "sign" of inherent greatness. Apelings age fast, reaching full adulthood in only 12 years. Although apelings only have a slightly longer lifespan than humans, their active nature and lifestyle mean they burn through their years faster than a human, putting their average lifespan at 100 years. Few careful and quieter apelings may live to see 150 and usually hold roles as tribal leaders and chiefs. Despite aging fast, apelings do not feel the usual effects of old age until months before their death, many still adventuring within the last year of their life.

History

Apelings are direct descendants from a long-forgotten Monkey God. This God was extremely joyful and filled with pride, but was one day challenged by an unknown villain. This challenge would see the disappearance of the Monkey God, but an influx in similar lesser creatures known now as Apelings.

Society

Apelings are extremely confident, headstrong, and upbeat. Their boastful presence might dismay common folk and be found disrespectful by upper-class citizens, however; apelings hold a firm loyalty to those who have proven themselves.

Apelings usually live in small, closely-held tribal communities. Entire nations or cities of apelings are few and far apart. Leadership roles are often held either by the elders or by the most personally accomplished, however, leaders generally don't have much power as many apelings prefer group decisions over the decisions of one individual. In the traditional sense, apelings do not have "families" and usually have an "all kin are family" mentality.

Apelings found outside the normal communities either from being banished or simply wanderlust have an easy time adjusting to the "easy" life of cities. Finding work in such places comes easy due to the general truthfulness and raw strength of the race. Though work as teachers in any form meets a swift end, due to a simple disinterest in treading the same old beaten path.

Dwarfs and Apelings get along great establishing trades of not only goods but physical feats. Though the boastful attitude Apelings have can be off-putting, Dwarves have long since grown fond of their attitude. Apelings still have trouble distinguishing male and female dwarves.

Through their time with the dwarves, Apelings have adopted similar feelings towards elves. Though contact with elves remains oddly scarce.

Most apeling adventurers tend to be more independent than their kin at home, but still hold on a lot to their sense of family and loyalty. Naturally energetic and overtly eager, spending their time standing still is against their nature.

Apeling Names

Apelings originate from a more oriental part of the world, so while they share similar names to that of humans they are normally of the variety found in countries like Shou Lung.

Male: Lang, Xin, Qiang, Kinta

Female: Ming, Mei, Lin, Simia

Apeling Traits

A race of nimble and strong monkey-like people.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Charisma score by 1.
Age. Apelings mature faster than humans, reaching adulthood by the age of 12, and commonly live to be around 150 years old.
Alignment. Apelings' love for adventure and energetic personalities often cause them to be more chaotic.
Size. Apelings are shorter but weigh about as much as most humans. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 35 feet.
Adept Climbers. Your natural agility gives you a climbing speed of 30 feet. You can also climb across ceilings, as long as you have something to hold on to.
Eager Mind. If you find someone who has a skill proficiency you don't have and they agree to teach you, you can spend a short or long rest learning that skill proficiency. You lose that skill proficiency at the end of your next long rest. You can only have one new skill proficiency learned this way at a time.
Empty Stomach. You burn through your energy faster than most humanoids and require twice as much food as a creature your size requires each day.
Heavy Slumber. During a long rest, anyone trying to wake you up must make a DC 15 Charisma ability check. Taking damage will wake you up as will being thrown into or splashed with water.
Limit Break. Apelings are always striving to push themselves. As a reaction, when you fail Strength, Dexterity or Constitution ability check or saving throw, you can remake the check and take the new result. Once you use this ability, you can't use it again until you complete a long rest.
Skills of the Primate. You have proficiency in either Acrobatics or Athletics. You can use your feet and tail as if they were hands. If you use both of your feet simultaneously to interact with an object, your speed becomes 0.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Languages. You can speak, read and write Common and one other language of your choice.

Random Height and Weight

Table: Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier	Base Weight	Weight Modifier
4′ 0″	+1d12	100 lb.	1d8 × (10) lb.

4.44

(9 votes)

---

Back to Main Page → 5e Homebrew → Races