Savage Amazons (5e Race)

This content deviates from 5e standards. Its use could dramatically alter campaigns, take extreme care.

Caution - Here there be monsters! This content intends to provide a different experience, or goes beyond the scope of the anticipated subjects and situations, than the 5e rules were intended to handle. Some portions of the content below may not be what you expect from traditional game content. When implementing this content, DMs and Players should read over all the information carefully, and consider the following specific notes of interest:

This race somewhat utilizes biological sex as a mechanic.

Savage Amazon

“	When it comes to procreation, men are essential, but for pleasure, not necessary.	”
—Diana Prince

History

Artist: FransMensinkArtist

The last of an ancient ruined culture now dominated by the eternally-cursed women.

Deep within ancient forests, far from civilized lands, savage amazons run wild and free, hunting and foraging in dense jungles, defending their homes and their sisters from monsters and beasts, and living strong and often dying young in such unforgiving environs that demand wise choices and strength.

Attitudes and Beliefs

Savage amazons are quick to act, feeling that talking will often confuse the situation when their gut has already given them the answer they need. They are quick to distrust all outsiders, especially men, though given time, they will develop friendships outside of their own race. Since all amazons were raised with a specific life-path ahead of them, they rarely change their minds once they settle on an opinion.

Amazons that become adventurers are often outcasts or commanded to adventure as a decree of their priestesses. So, they tend to get along better with folks of other races than their cloistered sisters who stay within the amazon culture.

Physical Description

Savage amazons stand roughly six feet to eight feet in height with strong arms and legs. Beneath the layers of dirt, war paint, tattoos, scars and sweat lays a woman with earthly beauty and strength. Their hair, eyes and skin can be of colors found in nature, tending toward earth tones. Though their skin could be any shade of brown, the colors of their hair and eyes vary from greens, browns, tans, golds, and pale blues. Individual tribes tend to have similarly colored sisters, with only a few unusual individuals, and other than superficial features, they tend to appear very similar in looks and size as well.

Amazon clothes are often hides or leathers adorned with decorative flourishes from things they found in the wilds or taken as trophies from fallen prey. Their armor is purposely dulled to blend in with their surroundings. Often, metallic armor is layered with thin leather or cloth to hide its appearance. Though, within their tribes, metallic armor is rare.

They also tend to decorate themselves with tattoos. The ink used is a blueish purple in color and is derived from fermenting and boiling a local fruit to concentrate the dye. Tattoos vary from small designs, to complete coverings and depictions of animals or even tattooed camouflage. The dye readily stains clothing, and is also used to dye the robes of priestesses.

Relations

Wild but not uncivilized, a common misconception about the savage is that they lack any ‘civilized’ knowledge, and stories are told of naked men and women falling upon unsuspecting villages to raid, ravish, and slaughter. Those tales are meant to incite fear and distrust, but they are not accurate. Most amazon tribes are peaceful and prefer to not engage with other races. They are not primitive and have developed an advanced knowledge of craftsmenship that rival the artisans of the great cities. Most of their arms and armor utilize natural materials as metal requires forges to smelt ore, but their hide armor offers protection just as comprehensive as a breastplate and their weapons are carved from the bones of beasts that can be stronger than iron. Their crafts are not simply functional, they are also meant to be aesthetically beautiful; a fact that many other races are surprised to see when they encounter a true savage amazon when venturing far from home. The amazons are not ignorant of the views of outsiders and will often play into false stereotypes if it can be used to scare away intruders from their lands.

Amazons love to interact with other races, most commonly trading and adventuring. They can get along with almost all races, excluding most evil races since those races tend to be extremely self-interested. Most races are fond of the amazons for their smithing abilities that are good enough to rival even the dwarves in most respects. Though amazonian craftsmanship more commonly has elaborate designs and is often decorated with pelts or feathers of monsters they have slain.

Alignment

As amazons spend a lot of time at the mercy of nature, they tend toward neutrality. However, the law of their culture is also very important to them, for it is those few doctrines that uphold their fragile civilization.

Lands

Savage amazons, for all their wild nature, are very social, forming crude cities deep within jungles, cliffs and forests, even occasionally settling overtop old ruins of long forgotten cultures. They build over top stone with bamboo and thatch houses which are typically very open, except for sleeping areas, which are closed off to prevent insects and bats from pestering them. They wall their city with stones and thatched bamboo, which reach twenty feet high. The posts are sharpened at the tips to prevent interlopers. Typically, the outside walls are also staked with sharp spears to keep the wall safe, since it is made from such a weak material.

Priestesses rule over the function of the cities, while groups of specialized warriors hunt for food and defend their lands from invaders. With a limited range of skills for each individual, all members of a tribe are specialized, and vital to the workings of their society. Since there are no male amazons, their populations are small and limited.

Amazons only give birth to savage amazon children. Once in a great while, a male will be born. He will be sacrificed on an alter to ensure that their culture does not fall. Even a single male child is considered tremendously bad luck, and the mother may even be cast out for bearing such a child.

Religion and Superstitions

Savages learn to adapt to the challenges of their territories and the ease of their survival is the envy of any interloper in their lands. The geographical differences between amazons tends to be the only barrier between cultures, and so a Mountain tribe will harbor no ideological prejudice to a visiting member of the Plains tribe. Amazons generally worship a wide range of gods and entities according to their respective tribes. With tribal traditions, are highly superstitious and pay careful attention to any signs or omens around them:

If the shadow of a great black bird passes over you, it's a sign of bad luck.

Seeing an owl in the day is bad luck, and you will loose something valuable in the coming days.

A great moth landing on you is a sign of death, it means that you or someone you know will die soon.

When a turtle lets you touch his head without recoiling into his shell, its a sign of favorable fortune ahead.

Catching a falling feather is a good sign, it means you will see something or someone that has long been absent in your life.

A sad cry in the night is a sign of bad weather to come.

To be stung by a bee while asleep is a sign of hard work ahead with great rewards.

Savage Amazon Names

Amazons have short names, nicknames and titles rather than surnames. Their common names are typically short and easy to pronounce for use in combat and hunting situations. Among the most common names stand out those of Nordic, Celtic, Latin and Greek origins.

Male: No male names.

Female: Most common names Nordic, Celtic, Latin and Greek origins names. As well as nicknames or titles.

Savage Amazon Traits

A race of warmaidens and hunters.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength, Dexterity, and Charisma scores each increase by 1.
Age. Savages reach adulthood in their 14, and usually live to be just over 150 years old.
Alignment. Amazons usually tend toward neutral or lawful alignments.
Size. Amazons typically stand roughly between 6 and 8 feet tall and weigh between 180 and 270 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 35 feet.
Armor Aversion. Amazonian culture views the use of armor as a sign of weakness. As such, amazons never wear armor, and their warriors have learned to fight without it. While you are not wearing armor, your Armor Class equals 12 + your Constitution or Dexterity modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.
Rugged Build. Your peoples emphasize on self-betterment and your naturally adept body causes you to be significantly stronger than most races your size. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Powerful Grace. Amazons have an inherent, nigh-deific, yet somewhat uncivilized presence that other races take note of. Whether this takes the form of noble gesture, bombastic charm or feminine sway, their unusual mannerisms, intentionally or otherwise, fill others' perceptions with warm feelings and clouded judgment. Whenever you make an Charisma (Persuasion) or a Charisma (Intimidation) check against a humanoid creature, you have advantage on the roll.
Beast Hunter. Many tribes must share their lands with fierce predators and brutal monsters. You have advantage on ability checks to track beasts.
Warmaiden's and Hunter's Lore. You are proficient in two of the following skills of your choice: Animal Handling, Nature, Perception, Stealth, Survival.
Isolated. You have been separated for a long time from those of the other sex, which hampers your understanding of them. You have disadvantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks on male humanoids.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Giant.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
6′ 2''	+2d10	200 lb.	× (1d8) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

3.00

(one vote)

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