Birdfolk
The following information was sourced from Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse and the Elemental Evil Player's Companion.
Aarakocra
A winged people who originated on the Elemental Plane of Air, aarakocra soar through the sky wherever they wander. The first aarakocra served the Wind Dukes of Aaqa — mighty beings of air — and were imbued with a measure of their masters’ power over winds. Their descendants still command echoes of that power. From below, aarakocra look like large birds and thus are sometimes called birdfolk. Only when they roost on a branch or walk across the ground is their Humanoid nature clear. Aarakocra have long, narrow legs that taper to sharp talons and feathers cover their bodies — usually red, orange, yellow, brown, or gray. Their heads are also avian, often resembling those of parrots or eagles.
Feathered folk who resemble ravens, kenku are blessed with keen observation and supernaturally accurate memories. None of them can remember the origin of the first kenku, however, and they often joke that there are as many kenku origin stories as there are kenku. Some of them paint their genesis as a curse, being a flightless bird people doomed to mimic other people’s creations. Other kenku recite cryptic but beautiful poems about their advent being a blessed event in which they were sent into the multiverse to observe and catalog its many wonders. Whatever their true origin, kenku are most often found in the Shadowfell and the Material Plane, and they tend to have the coloration typical of ravens.
Distant kin of giant owls from the Feywild, owlin come in many shapes and sizes, from petite and fluffy to wide-winged and majestic. Owlin have arms and legs like other Humanoids, as well as wings that extend from their back and shoulders. Like owls, owlin are graced with feathers that make no sound when they move or fly, making it easy for them to sneak up on you in the library. Your owlin character might be nocturnal. Or perhaps your character is simply prone to rise later, embodying the common nickname of night owl.
Minor changes to the Languages trait: Inclusion of my homebrew language Beast Speak.
Changes to the Ability Score Increase trait for Owlin: Specified ability score increases.
Addition of the Age trait for Owlin.
Addition of the Alightment trait for Owlin.
Minor changes to the Size trait for Aarakocra: Option of Medium or Small size.
A winged people who originated on the Elemental Plane of Air, aarakocra soar through the sky wherever they wander. The first aarakocra served the Wind Dukes of Aaqa — mighty beings of air — and were imbued with a measure of their masters’ power over winds. Their descendants still command echoes of that power. From below, aarakocra look like large birds and thus are sometimes called birdfolk. Only when they roost on a branch or walk across the ground is their Humanoid nature clear. Aarakocra have long, narrow legs that taper to sharp talons and feathers cover their bodies — usually red, orange, yellow, brown, or gray. Their heads are also avian, often resembling those of parrots or eagles.
- Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.
- Creature Type. You are a Humanoid.
- Age: Aarakocra reach maturity by age 3. Compared to humans, aarakocra don’t usually live longer than 30 years.
- Alignment. Most aarakocra are good and rarely choose sides when it comes to law and chaos. Tribal leaders and warriors might be lawful, while explorers and adventurers might tend toward chaotic.
- Size. You are Medium or Small. You choose the size when you select this race.
- Speed. Your walking speed is 30 feet.
- Flight. Because of your wings, you have a flying speed equal to your walking speed. You can’t use this flying speed if you’re wearing medium or heavy armor.
- Talons. You have talons that you can use to make unarmed strikes. When you hit with them, the strike deals 1d6 + your Strength modifier slashing damage, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
- Wind Caller. Starting at 3rd level, you can cast the Gust of Wind spell with this trait, without requiring a material component. Once you cast the spell with this trait, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast the spell using any spell slots you have of 2nd level or higher.
- Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it when you cast Gust of Wind with this trait (choose when you select this race).
- Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Beast Speak.
Feathered folk who resemble ravens, kenku are blessed with keen observation and supernaturally accurate memories. None of them can remember the origin of the first kenku, however, and they often joke that there are as many kenku origin stories as there are kenku. Some of them paint their genesis as a curse, being a flightless bird people doomed to mimic other people’s creations. Other kenku recite cryptic but beautiful poems about their advent being a blessed event in which they were sent into the multiverse to observe and catalog its many wonders. Whatever their true origin, kenku are most often found in the Shadowfell and the Material Plane, and they tend to have the coloration typical of ravens.
- Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.
- Creature Type. You are a Humanoid.
- Age. Kenku have shorter lifespans than humans. They reach maturity at about 12 years old and can live to 60
- Alignment. Kenku are chaotic creatures, rarely making enduring commitments, and they care mostly for preserving their own hides. They are generally chaotic neutral in outlook.
- Size. You are Medium or Small. You choose the size when you select this race.
- Speed. Your walking speed is 30 feet.
- Expert Duplication. When you copy writing or craftwork produced by yourself or someone else, you have advantage on any ability checks you make to produce an exact duplicate.
- Kenku Recall. Thanks to your supernaturally good memory, you have proficiency in two skills of your choice.
- Moreover, when you make an ability check using any skill in which you have proficiency, you can give yourself advantage on the check before rolling the d20. You can give yourself advantage in this way a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
- Mimicry. You can accurately mimic sounds you have heard, including voices. A creature that hears the sounds you make can tell they are imitations only with a successful Wisdom (Insight) check against a DC of 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier.
- Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Beast Speak.
Distant kin of giant owls from the Feywild, owlin come in many shapes and sizes, from petite and fluffy to wide-winged and majestic. Owlin have arms and legs like other Humanoids, as well as wings that extend from their back and shoulders. Like owls, owlin are graced with feathers that make no sound when they move or fly, making it easy for them to sneak up on you in the library. Your owlin character might be nocturnal. Or perhaps your character is simply prone to rise later, embodying the common nickname of night owl.
- Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2, and your Dexterity score increases by 1.
- Creature Type. You are a Humanoid.
- Age. Owlin live, on average, around 100 years, reaching maturity around the age of 30.
- Alignment. Owlin have a neutral alignment, prefering facts over feelings.
- Size. You are Medium or Small. You choose the size when you select this race.
- Speed. Your walking speed is 30 feet.
- Darkvision. 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.
- Flight. Thanks to your wings, you have a flying speed equal to your walking speed. You can't use this flying speed if you're wearing medium or heavy armor.
- Silent Feathers. You have proficiency in the Stealth skill.
- Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Beast Speak.
Minor changes to the Languages trait: Inclusion of my homebrew language Beast Speak.
Changes to the Ability Score Increase trait for Owlin: Specified ability score increases.
Addition of the Age trait for Owlin.
Addition of the Alightment trait for Owlin.
Minor changes to the Size trait for Aarakocra: Option of Medium or Small size.
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