Owl Demon (5e Race)

Owl Demon

"When we look at the stars, what do we see? A past long behind us, or a future to be?"

Physical Description

Owl Demons, also known as the Stolas, are dark owl headed humanoids with four demonic eyes known for their ability to glare into the future. These eyes have a menacing, demonic appearance to those who look upon them, as they are completely white and devoid of pupils, with only silver veins being visible around the edges. Their bodies are completely covered in darkly colored feathers, but their faces are white and resemble the faces of barn owls. They have 3 ft long demonic tails with tufts of feathers at the end which they sometimes use as fans to cool off from the simmering heat of hell, and their hands and feet are powerful, dark grey talons which they use to grasp and claw at their enemies with deadly precision.

History

Owl Demons are an enigma within the Nine Hells. It is believed that this demonic race originates from the souls of those who accumulated great knowledge of the future only to let it go to waste, or worse, used it for nefarious purposes. It is said that the souls of individuals such as speculators, advisors, soothsayers and fortunetellers who misuse their gift of foresight are reborn after death within the Nine Hells as Owl Demons.

These reborn souls retain their ability to peer into the future, if only for a brief moment, giving them a substantial advantage over their opponents in the midst of combat, but have completely forgotten their past lives, and are in turn destined to repeat the same mistakes they committed in life. Over countless centuries, these demons have risen to become high ranking elites within the demonic hierarchy, frequently serving as tacticians and advisors to the powerful devils of the Nine Hells.

Throughout their history, Owl Demons have played many pivotal roles in the great conflicts and schemes that have shaped the hierarchical landscape they are captive to. Because of their proximity to power, prophecies uttered by these demonic advisors have a way of reverberating through the Nine Hells, granting them great influence despite not actually being seated on the throne themselves. Often, Owl Demons will be involved with plots to betray and assassinate their masters, such is their hatred of their own eternal servitude to these cruel, dark overlords. Still, it is far more common for devils to rule over Owl Demons in their servitude with an iron fist, ensuring that no such mutinies are able to formulate.

Behavior

Due to their natural abilities, Owl Demons are rarely seen squabbling among the lower classes of hell, instead taking on advisory roles within powerful circles of influence. Typically, Owl Demons are kept in line by powerful demonic masters who view them only as tools they can use to foretell the future. As long as the Owl Demon remains loyal to their master, they are generally allowed to behave with wicked impunity towards lower ranking demons, as any who raises a hand against them risks drawing the attention of their master.

On occasion, there have been Owl Demons who have sought to bring about the destruction of the devils ruling over them, though any short-lived victories won in this arena have invariably ended in the tragedy and ultimate defeat of the would-be usurper. Within the hierarchy of hell, it seems that Devils will band together in times of need to keep the Owl Demons subjugated and out of the reach of any true seat of power within the Nine Hells.

As a result of this Machiavellian environment, Owl Demons have become known for their intelligence, cunning, social wit and resilient nature. Owl Demons aspire to rise in rank and will cling to power fiercely whenever they attain it, while looking down upon those who lack it. They are seekers of knowledge but not practitioners of wisdom, as they are doomed by their forgotten past to repeat the same mistakes in their future.

Owl Demon Names

Owl Demon names are surprisingly elegant in compression to the names of other demons, typically being derived from word that make reference to planets, stars or the cosmos.

Male: Stolas, Sol, Quazar, Mundis, Axis, Constell, Orbitus, Enox, Atlas, Atmos, Zenith, Cosmos

Female: Stella, Asteri, Nova, Eclipse, Luna, Aurora, Galaxy, Quanta, Lumina, Nebula

Traits

Owl Demon Hybrids which originate from the 9 Hells.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2.
Age. Among their own kind, Owl demons are not considered truly mature until they have reached at least 250 years of age. While
Alignment. Owl Demons tend to lean towards lawful evil, though a handful among them have more neutral tendencies due to their close connection to the beings of the mortal plane.
Size. Owl Demons tend to stand nearly 4ft in height (approx. 3'8 to 3'10), though they often take on a hunched body stance closer to 3'3 in height. Your size is considered Small.
Speed. You have a base walking speed of 30, You will not do well in water....
Darkvision. You have 2 sets of silver eyes with which you can see in dim light within 120 feet of yourself as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray.
Keen Senses. With your naturally sharp hearing and excellent vision, you have an advantage on Perception checks when your hearing and sense of sight are involved.
Hellish Leap. Owl Demons like to leap in and out of combat at strategic points during battle. You have resistance to damage received as a result of falling. You may make a long jump and a high jump as a single action and double the distance of each to execute a glide. Any damage taken immediately ends the glide. Executing a glide may provoke an opportunity attack.
Preternatural Vision. As a reaction to being successfully hit by an enemy, you may use this ability to force a reroll with disadvantage on the attack made against you, due to your races ability to see glimpses into the future. This ability can be used once per long rest.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common, Abyssal, and Infernal.

Variants

Nyxian Owl Demon

These Owl Demons are prized for their tenacity and relentless nature, as they require very little rest to continue fighting.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1 instead of your Wisdom.
Insomniac. You only need to sleep 4 hours to regain spell slots and health, with 4 hours of light duty afterwards.

Infiltrator Owl Demon

There Owl Demons are known for their ability to move swiftly and silently in order to deal devastating damage to enemies caught off guard.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1 instead of your Wisdom.
Silent Feathers. You have proficiency in the Stealth skill.

Elitist Owl Demon

From birth, these demons are raised within the aristocracy of hell and indoctrinated to believe that despite being above other lower demons, their sole purpose is to advise the most powerful devils and forever serve them, but never rise above them.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1 instead of your Wisdom.
Demon Handler. You have Proficiency in history and religion, as well as animal handling when it comes to demonic creatures.

Banished Owl Demon

Some Owl Demons have been banished from the Nine Hells and sough refuge within the material plane. There, these demons have had to adapt to dealing with mortals, a group of being they revel in deceiving.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1 instead of your Wisdom.
Sly Nature. You are proficient in Charisma (Persuasion) checks.

Deathwing Owl Demon

Deathwing Owl Demons stand taller than the rest of their kind, their bodies having been influenced and shaped by dark magic in order to serve as mounts for their demonic overlords.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1 instead of your Wisdom.
Size. You size is considered Medium instead of Small.
Powerful Build. Despite being medium in size your physical stature enables you count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Demon Beak. You can use your powerful beak as a weapon. Your bite is a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you land a hit, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike, and your target becomes grappled. To escape, they must succeed a strength save against DC 8 + your strength modifier + your proficiency bonus. Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and you can't bite another target.

Owl Demon Personality

When creating an Owl Demon character, you can use the following table of traits to help flesh out your character. Use this table in addition to or in place of your background's characteristics.

d8	Personality Trait
1	I love to adorn myself with expensive jewelry made of the most expensive materials.
2	I am paranoid about being robbed. I feel the need keep my valuables well hidden.
3	I detest being around creatures larger than myself, especially if they are arrogant.
4	I seek vengeance and retribution, and for ways to bring about the downfall of the Devils.
5	I cannot stand to witness sickness and poverty, it disgusts me.
6	I find peace to be boring and conflict greatly amusing.
7	I like to plan ahead instead of throwing myself into danger.
8	I must punish those who insult me or show me disrespect.

Owl Demon Fortunes

It is said that throughout an Owl Demons life, potent visions of the future will assail their minds with a prophetic message. Due to the vague nature of these visions, it is not known where, when, or even how they will come true, only that they all inevitably do. This has leads most Owl Demons to obsess over their future, though Owl Demons react many different ways to the messages received by this gift foresight.

d100	Owl Demon Fortunes
1	I foresee myself embarking on a great voyage to distant lands.
2	I foresee someone trying to trick and deceive me.
3	I foresee a great, immovable obstacle that will impede my path.
4	I foresee a the arrival of a new, powerful enemy.
5	I foresee an encounter with an individual of extraordinary wealth.
6	I foresee an encounter with a terrifying beast.
7	I foresee myself imprisoned and in shackles.
8	I foresee a great war coming, there will be much bloodshed and many will die.
9	I foresee a time of peace and prosperity throughout the land.
10	I foresee myself running from an unknown assailant in the night.
11	I foresee gold and riches around me, more than I have ever seen.
12	I foresee myself surrounded by flames.
13	I foresee the return of someone from my past.
14	I foresee a great, powerful storm approaching.
15	I foresee myself lost within an endless expanse of trees.
16	I foresee a gargantuan creature, its body casting dark shadows as it blocks out the sun.
17	I foresee the assassination of the ruler of these lands.
18	I foresee an encounter with a wise and helpful, elderly individual.
19	I foresee a destructive explosion of magical nature.
20	I foresee a time of drought and famine coming to these lands.
21	I foresee myself spiraling downward in a perilous fall.
22	I foresee a great feast, a banquet to which my allies and I are welcome to attend.
23	I foresee the cackling laughter of a haggard elderly woman.
24	I foresee myself traversing through dark, subterranean caves in search of... something...
25	I foresee the death of a well-known enemy at the hands of a new, more powerful enemy.
26	I foresee the arrival of a great army as well as it's legendary general.
27	I foresee myself engaging in a battle to the death with a skilled warrior.
28	I foresee an exotic marketplace in a distant land with valuable items of interest.
29	I foresee a child in mortal danger and dire need of help.
30	I foresee a terrifying darkness clouding my vision.
31	I foresee an encounter with a messenger bearing important news.
32	I foresee a defeated enemy begging me for mercy and to spare their life.
33	I foresee an encounter with a mysterious stranger under the light of the full moon.
34	I foresee an encounter with a terrifying and uncontrollable demonic force.
35	I foresee a thousand arrows falling from the sky.
36	I foresee the opening of a massive door, larger than any I have ever seen.
37	I foresee myself following a trail of blood to an unknown destination.
38	I foresee a scroll covered in glowing symbols radiating with power.
39	I foresee myself standing atop a pile of bones and skeletons.
40	I foresee myself being pursued by an angry mob holding torches and pitchforks.

5.00

(3 votes)

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