Harpy, Variant (5e Race)

Harpy, Variant

This exclusively female race is home to the fiercest of matriarchs, as well as the most extreme of mothers.

Physical Description

By Gensokyo-Man

Harpies come with a variety of plumage and feather types that range with the vast plethora of avians they resemble. There are owl harpies, with majestic headdresses of feathers as well as hair. Domestic breeds like the poultry, or fowl harpy, are more recent subraces that embody game fowl like chickens and turkeys. There are land harpies that have strong legs for running and are completely flightless, like ostriches and emus. The most common harpy is the raptor harpy, whose aquiline features make for excellent speed and acute vision. There are variations within even the subraces, but generally, they adhere to these classifications.

History

All harpies are generally the monstrous humanoid kind, but not all are the malignant sort. Unlike the harpies known for carrying people off and eating them, these harpies are more varied in temperament. It is believed all harpies originated from a mix of the vile winds from Yan-C-Bin and the bountiful aerials who originally served benevolent deities of air. Others say they were a cursed bunch for having challenged a wind goddess' beauty. While there are male harpies among monsters, these harpies are exclusively female. Like humans, they have a variable moral compass. Some take up the same calling as sirens, using their songs for evil. Others are more hands-off, preferring to stay away from others within their abandoned aeries.

Society

Despite having the chaotic and evil winds of the Howling Hatred within them, the harpies in question are more chaotic than good or evil. They roost where they please, often overtaking ruins or abandoned buildings and making them into their aeries. They are not particularly brave, which is why they seldom would charge to overtake a town unless they had reliable strength and allies. Fouler harpies like those who dwell in the Nix, or land of goblins, are said to more resemble imps than birds. They commonly team up with other monstrous humanoids to achieve nefarious gains. Other harpies like the domesticated breed are content dwelling alongside humans. There is of course stigma against them and their penchant for eating humans. But to the harpies, those comments slide off their oiled feathers like rain droplets.

They generally organize around the biggest and strongest female matriarch of the nest. She commands the others to bring her food while she will watch over the entire brood of an aerie.

Harpy Names

Harpies tend to have simple names due to short attention spans and a lack of creativity due to generally low intellect, though variation exists more in the more intelligent sub breeds.

Female: Papi, Talon, Harpy, Aeria, Gust

Harpy Traits

A race of monstrous humanoids that have avian features
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2.
Age. Harpies reach maturity at 18 and die rather early, at around 100.
Alignment. Harpies tend to be chaotic, as their nature tends to make them forget laws anyway. Good and evil harpies do exist, but they are often neutral and do as they please.
Size. Harpies tend to be just over 4 feet tall. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 25.
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.
Shriek. Harpies emit amazing pitched cries to scare and stun enemies. As an action, you emit a horrifying and shrill cry. All creatures within 60 feet of you that can hear and are not deafened must make a Wisdom saving throw against a DC of 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. On a failed save, they are stunned until the end of their next turn. On a success, nothing happens to them. You must finish a long rest to use this trait again.
Languages. You can speak, read and write in Common.
Subrace. Choose from the nix, fowl, raptor, land and owl subraces.

Nix

These fowl harpies are close friends with goblins and the like. They appear more demonic, with long tails and leathery wings.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1.
Captor. These harpies often used nets to ensnare prey instead of their claws. You are proficient with nets.
Powerful Build. Nix harpies developed stronger bodies than others due to their close relations with creatures like hobgoblins. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Night Wings. Starting at 5th level, you gain a flying speed of 40 feet. You cannot be wearing heavy armor to use this speed.

Fowl

Fowl harpy are considered the least of their race, sadly. However, they are proud of their abilities in being hardy, as well as an adequate gait on land in exchange for little to no flight. They are considered the most personable and social of the harpies.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.
Flightless. Your base walking speed increases to 35 feet.
Natural Intuition. You know when an egg is bad in the same way when you know water is poisoned. You have advantage in Wisdom (Nature) checks to detect poison.
Worldly. You know one additional language of your choice.

Land

Land harpies cannot fly but have powerful legs to compensate. Their wings are shorter and a bit stubby.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.
Powerful Legs. Your base walking speed increases to 40 feet.
Sharp Talons. Your leg talons are stronger than your average harpy, and so are your unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier.
Fast Dash. You can Dash as a bonus action once. You regain use of this trait after finishing a short or long rest.

Raptor

Raptors are the masterful hunters among harpies. They have masterful flight skills as well as sharp eyesight.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.
Hunter's Flight. You have a flying speed of 20 feet. You cannot fly higher than 20 feet and you cannot use this speed when wearing any armor. Starting 5th level, your flying speed increases to 30 feet and you are not longer restricted in how high you fly.
Eagle Eye. You are proficient in the Perception skill.
Grasping Talons. You have advantage in Strength checks made to grapple creatures of the same or smaller size.

Owl

Harpy owls are incredibly stealthy and wise creatures compared to their other subrace counterparts. Their heads can turn 180 degrees to survey surroundings.

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Silent Feathers. You are proficient in the Stealth skill.
Buffering Dander. Your big wings are pillowy and able to slow and stop your falls. As a reaction, when you would take damage from falling, you can buffer your wings and instead take no damage. At 5th level, you gain a flying speed of 30 feet. You must not be wearing medium or heavy armor to use this speed.
Swiveling Head. You cannot be surprised.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
3′ 6''	+1d8	60 lb.	× (1d4) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

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