Harpy, 2nd Variant (5e Race)

Harpy

Design Note: See Flying Races (5e Guideline)

“It must be difficult for you.” The shop keep said looking at the harpy struggling to secure the bed roll to their bag.
“What do you mean?” They didn't look up from their work, close to accomplishing what they were working on,
“Not having... hands. Just having wings like that. Will you really be okay adventuring out in the world?” The harpy looked up with a bright smile,
“I just have to adapt! That's what adventurers do after all isn't it? I can still hold things, so everything will be fine.” Slinging the pack onto their back the harpy left the shop, ready to start out on their new journey into the world.

Physical Description

Art by 河澄

Harpies are humanoid creatures with a number of bird features. Instead of having a set of wings on their backs, their arms are their wings, usually spanning between eight and ten feet depending on the height of the harpy. Where the claw would usually sit on a bird's wing, a harpy has a similar digit that allows them to grip and hold things against their wing and carry what they need to, but holding fine tools and manipulating them still is difficult for them. Their heads and chests are almost identical to human physiology, the only notable difference sometimes being the ears, sometimes elongated and covered in small feathers depending on what species of bird the harpy is reminiscent of. Below their waist is the other most striking difference with their thighs, or sometimes up to their waist, covered in feathers and tapering down into legs that mimic that of the type of bird the harpy represents, almost always ending in talons. The feathers covering the bird-like parts of their bodies tend to match the type of bird they are, tail feathers coming out at the bottom of their spine and extending a different length depending on the type of bird they are.

History

Harpies hail from areas with high altitude areas such as mountain ranges or regions with high tree top canopies where they can roost. Harpies have lived on the fringes of societies for as long as they have existed, only venturing in to meet with more other races out of necessity. Most places are wary about dealing with a monstrous race, afraid of being attacked or stolen from later. Some places accept them for their charming nature, while others are wary of them and keep them as far away as possible, using whatever means or reasons they come up with to keep them away. Integration into society hasn't been easy for them due to harpies being unable to perform a many tasks requiring finesse and because of the need to pass down their history in the form of stories and oral traditions, often leading to some heritage and knowledge getting lost or warped over time.

Society

Only usually forming small communities with one another, harpies do their best to fend for themselves. They tend to form hunting areas and try to trade with other locals for things they cannot produce themselves. When living in communities of other humanoids, harpies tend to branch out and try to contribute in whatever way they can, hoping to find a place where they can form a bond and become useful to those who thought they many only be monsters.

Harpy Names

Harpy names come from sounds they find to be the most pleasing to themselves. Wanting to be called and hear names that are pleasing to them and make them happy to hear. This has led to odd names over their generations that don't seem to have any cultural relevance to anyone but the harpy who came up with the name.

Male: Fereris, Linis, Mesasis, Tena, Heymore, Velo, Lineo, Tyrete, Aroris, Ollaeno

Female: Savasha, Loroelle, Zerya, Zephelle, Nyphora, Gylea, Menylia, Crela, Hystola, Pheloe

Harpy Traits

Half-Bird people that appear to be more bird than person.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2 and your Charisma score increases by 1.
Age. Harpies reach maturity by age 3. Compared to humans, harpies don’t usually live longer than 30 years.
Alignment. Harpies tend towards neutrality. Wanting to live a life that is free of strict laws and enjoy what time they have to explore and adventure. Some tend to have devious and destructive streaks, taking the free life style a little too far.
Size. Harpies are about 5 feet tall. They have thin, lightweight bodies that weigh between 80 and 100 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet.
Monstrous Nature. Your creature type is considered to be monstrosity.
Flight. You have a flying speed of 30 feet. To use this speed, you can’t be wearing medium or heavy armor or be carrying more than half of your carrying capacity.
No Hands. Due to your lack of hands and only having a 'thumb' to hold things, you have disadvantage on Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) checks or Dexterity checks involving fine manipulation of objects. You are treated as one size smaller for the purpose of carrying capacity and weaponry.
Talons. You are proficient with your unarmed strikes, which deal 1d4 slashing damage + Dexterity modifier on a hit.
Eagle Eye. Whenever you make an Wisdom (Perception) check related to sight, you are considered proficient in the Perception skill.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Auran.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
4′ 6''	+1d12	95 lb.	× (2) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

Art by Rnd.jpg

Suggested Characteristics

When creating a Harpy 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	Singing is a part of my daily life, especially when I can watch myself do it.
2	Attention from strangers is always appreciated and makes me happy.
3	I tend to get attached to people I meet too easily.
4	Unless the situation is dire, its hard for me to be sad.
5	I have the confidence to take on the world! No one will convince me otherwise!
6	I can, and will, collect every shiny trinket I can get my talons on.
7	Seeing new places excites me to no end, I'm always chasing after that excitement.
8	My memory isn't the best, so I ask the same question... a lot.

d6	Ideal
1	Aspiration. I seek to be accepted by the world around me and prove I'm worthy of their trust. (Any)
2	Independence. I can, and will, go anywhere that I want to. (Chaotic)
3	Greed. I want everything shiny, everything. (Evil)
4	Greater Good. I'm here for everyone, I won't use my talents to only benefit myself (Good)
5	People. I love making people smile, I'll do what I can to make it happen. (Neutral)
6	Fairness. Sharing is necessary, its how everyone survives. (Lawful)

d6	Bond
1	I want to be accepted, no matter what it takes.
2	I have heirlooms from my clan that I treasure more than anything else.
3	Other Harpies are important to me. They're all family in my eyes, no matter what.
4	Someone saved me from a horrible situation and I owe them everything.
5	There's someone I love, but I don't know if they would accept me. I will try everything I can to earn their love.
6	I'll always be loyal to the first town I visited.

d6	Flaw
1	I trust far to easily and can be led astray with very little effort.
2	I can forget something I was told moments ago.
3	If I find someone/something I love, I obsess over them/it.
4	I get impatient/bored very easily if the situation is familiar to me.
5	If I see something shiny, I immediately need to see what it is.
6	I can't help but follow people I think look 'pretty'.

4.00

(2 votes)

---

Back to Main Page → 5e Homebrew → Races