Faun (5e Race)

Faun

"Listen, son, Fauns are just like you and I. They build, they destroy, they love, they hate. The only difference is... They really don't like tile floors." His son stared questioningly. "Hooves. No traction."

Physical Description

[Source]

Deer ears and tails, horns and legs like a deer separate Fauns from humans; as well as their predisposition. These Fey-ancestry humanoids are light-hearted and prone to taking it easy. They range in height from the shortest at 3.5 feet to the tallest at just over 6, with most at about 5.5, and they run the gamut of hair colours and styles. They are native to everywhere from steep mountain ranges to deep forests to wide-open plains and have adapted to their surroundings over long periods of time. They breed often and stay fertile most of their lives, having litters of 2-8 kids every decade or so. A Faun would be most contented working as a craftsman or researcher or farmer, though their innate nimbleness makes them fantastic hunters and fighters. Half-Faun children can be born with any, or none, of their faun parent's traits, but their aptitude for creativity generally shines through.

History

History is vague as to how exactly Fauns came to the world. Some Fauns are adamant that they descended from the High Sidhe Fey, or their ancestors were given their form by them as a reward for deeds done. Those who hate Fauns generally claim they were made through a magic-aided pairing of man and beast, though that's unlikely. Where they agree, though, is that Fauns must have some human heritage to look so much like them. They were some of the first civilized peoples, and their empires stretched all over the Planescape at a time; though that was long ago.

Society

Modern Fauns find their places in eclectic and integrated societies as any of a thousand professions. Their kingdoms are generally social-centered, inclusive, and slow to war, but a credible threat is never ignored. Faun royalty and aristocracy pride themselves on their closeness to the people (whether or not they actually are is a different matter) and compassion for their people (real or feigned). They haven't forgotten their closeness with nature even through all the centuries of modernization and their cities are generally full of greenery with large parks and sometimes even ring-shaped cities with hundreds of acres of wild land in the center.

Fauns are generally curious folk, with a common fascination with magic and ruins. Adventurers are common enough though not any more than their human companions, and find themselves naturally attracted to being rangers, druids, and rogues.

Though they have a reputation for being wild partiers and free of inhibitions, Fauns are like most other races and just enjoy having a good time. Their light-hearted disposition can get them in trouble, though, and it's something they're cautioned against as children.

Faun Names

Faun names are generally nature-inspired, borrowed from other races, or go by nicknames or earned names. Name changes are typical when a Faun comes of age, to better reflect them as a person.

Male: Leaf-Hair, John, Oak, Resting Bear Face, ThunderFoot the Magnificent, River, Woody.

Female: Ocean-Eyes, Urania, Valis, Head-In-The-Clouds, Maria-Who-Hates-Kids, Willow, Ash, Moon.

Faun Traits

A lighthearted and nimble race, Fauns make excellent craftsmen and deadly hunters.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2.
Age. Fauns mature at about the same rate as humans, maturing at the age of 20. They can generally expect to live up to 150-500 years.
Alignment. Most are generally kind and gracious in nature, making them tend to be good, and do not usually stray towards either lawfulness or chaos.
Size. Fauns vary in build, some being stocky and wide, others being willowy and thin. Generally, your height will be around 4 or 5 feet. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 35 feet.
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.
Magic Resistance. You have advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Trance. Fauns sleep very lightly compared to other races, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.
Artisans Tools. Fauns are naturally drawn to creating and crafting. You gain proficiency with one set of artisan tools of your choice.
Languages. You can speak, read and write Common and Sylvan.
Subrace. Fauns differ depending on the environment they grew up in or were born into. The types of faun are Forest, Mountain, Plains, and City. Pick one.

Forest Faun

As a Forest Faun, you have a deep understanding of the great woods and their denizens both plant and animal. Your hind legs may appear more deer-like than goat-like, and your hair is likely to be brownish, with or without white spots. Bows and slings feel right in your hands and hunting comes naturally.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
Natural Camouflage. You can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomena.
Forest Magic. You know one cantrip of your choice from the Druid spell list. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for it.

Mountain Faun

More mountain goat than domesticated goat, these Fauns are at home on the uneven and extremely steep terrain of mountains. These Fauns tend to be deeper thinkers and scholars, preferring botany over bushcraft and animal husbandry over hunting. They still consider themselves close to nature, but they see it in an academic approach. Most of the aristocracy of this subrace will be a remnant from the old kingdoms.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.
Spear Culture. Most races favor swords. Yours favor spears as the king of weapons. Spears do one damage die larger in your hands, their one-handed damage die becoming a d8, and their two-handed damage die becoming a d10.
Nimble Footed. Since mountain fauns are well suited to difficult terrain, they ignore the extra movement cost of non-magical difficult terrain.

Plains Faun

These Fauns are more rural than their city-dwelling counterparts, preferring an agrarian lifestyle in villages or small towns farming and living off the land. Faun villages are typically communal-living arrangements of up to several hundred Fauns in houses that will contain up to 30 families each. A central living area with both sleeping and private chambers are surrounded by animal pens and fields in a radial arrangement to the other buildings. These Fauns are more antelope-like than the others, being able to jump great heights and run very fast to catch their prey and avoid becoming it.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.
Strider. Your legs are naturally better at jumping, your jump distance is doubled.
See Them Coming. You have advantage on initiative rolls while in plains, grasslands and other open natural environments.

City Faun

Centuries of civilization have taken the wild out of these Fauns. Their legs are the most goat-like, and the hair on them is much less rough than their cousins. They make good merchants and are frequently seen as traders between countries, or as spies to those less trusting of them.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1.
Extra Language. You can speak, read, and write one extra language of your choice.
Merchants Tongue. You have proficiency in the Persuasion skill.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
3′ 6''	+6d12	100 lb.	× (2d4) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

Suggested Characteristics

When creating a Faun character, you can use the following table of traits, ideals, bonds and flaws to help flesh out your character. Use these tables in addition to or in place of your background's characteristics.

d8	Personality Trait
1	I feel more at peace sleeping in a barn as opposed to a bed.
2	I don't eat cloven-hooved animals. Too close to cannibalism.
3	The herd should stay together; I stick close to my allies if possible.
4	Following the herd isn't my thing. I think for myself.
5	I descended from the greatest society ever. I do not appreciate anything but the finest lifestyles.
6	Everyone is worth something. No matter what race you are.
7	If you're not part of the herd, you're not worth my time.
8	I will lead the herd or I will find a different one.

d6	Ideal
1	Harmony, whether it be in the party or worldwide.
2	Safety for the herd. Even at the death of others.
3	Revelry. I just want to have a good time.
4	Solace. I seek spiritual peace and enlightenment.
5	Power. Through any means, though preferably easy ones.
6	Love. I am seeking my soulmate and will go anywhere for them.

d6	Bond
1	Birth family is the only one that matters.
2	Friends are family that you choose yourself.
3	My land is my love. Be that nation or farm.
4	My culture is what made me who I am.
5	Booze is really what makes the world go round.
6	My faith is everything to me.

d6	Flaw
1	I don't know when to stop partying.
2	I don't understand when someone needs space.
3	Pants feel unnatural. I wear them only when I have to.
4	You know where leather comes from right? I don't wear it.
5	I have the urge to set livestock free, though I do my best not to.
6	Mess with the bull, get the horns. Literally.

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