Parakins (5e Race)

Parakins

A pair of multicolored red wings dance across the sky above, encircling an enemy encampment. The encampment readies their daggers and crossbows, and prepares to shoot down their assailant, who in turn, with a rapier in their dominant taloned hand, prepares to thrust downward, narrowly avoiding crossbow bolts, and to descend upon their victims. The fighting is fierce, but only one remains victorious: the bandits were no match for this formidably deft, yet crafty foe. And thus, with their beak held high, the red-winged figure emerges victorious. They then proceed to inform the party that the rest of the patrols have been properly dealt with; but not before successfully evading one final dagger to their back, near where the wings meet, the final bandit collapsing to the ground by the blade of their rapier in mere seconds.

Physical Description

Parakins have rainbow-colored feathers, with one of the nine primary colors - magenta, red, orange, yellow, green, turquoise, blue, indigo, or violet - as a base. Their beaks are sharp and jagged, for making light work of their prey, and they possess hominid-like talons on their hands and feet that can be used to grip things, or otherwise rip them apart. Parakins also possess a pair of wings, with a wingspan equal to the length of their bird-like exoskeletal arms and/or legs (both their arms and legs alike are bird-like and exoskeletal in nature). Their eyes are opaque, but are otherwise oval-shaped, and vary in humanoid colors, such as brown, blue, green, or hazel. Their tail feathers and wings alike have the same exact rainbow and primary colored feathers as the rest of their body.

History, Society, and Culture

Contrary to popular belief Parakins are descended, not from the Elemental Plane of Air, but instead from the Celestial Heavens, as a result of the treacheries of a green avian, and his red avian companion. There, they descended into the tropics, and erected their civilizations, in honor of their forsaken brothers, who sought to unite the worlds of the Celestial and the Infernal together in harmony, only for utter chaos and carnage to erupt as a result. Consequently, whilst many Parakins uphold a way of life that is akin to that of a priest or an apostate, many others serve as performers, necromancers, or even outright criminals. No matter their profession, however, many Parakins took to the high seas very early in their development, and formed two distinct factions therewithin: sailors, and pirates.

Whilst sailors worked for the government, providing a wide variety of different military services and accommodations for ordinary citizens and denizens alike, pirates, on the other hand, lived a lifestyle that was independent of the provincial governments, and thus often plundered precious cargo ships, and pawned off what they could in order to survive. A third faction among them, the tribalists, emerged as a call to return to their roots, and attempt to live off of the land that was the lushious jungle before them, rather than destroying it to make way for yet another civilization or vessel; and thus, they became the voice of agriculture and ecological conservation. The tribalists also offered sanctuary to those who were denied entry by the monasteries, and the government alike.

And thus, a complex interconnected web of crime, religion, military, and land cultivation paved the way for integration between the colonists of foreign kingdoms, and the Parakins' own people, which in turn led to a sharp increase in interdependence between the Parakins and the common folk of other kingdoms, but also to a sharp rise in the studies of Arcana among the Parakins people. In the modern day, Parakins still enjoy a robust set of freedoms within their own kingdoms and villas alike, but more often than not face discrimination outside of said kingdoms and villas, save for within the sacred lands of their people. Nevertheless, the vast majority of Parakins also enjoy nothing more than navigating the high seas, no matter if it is recreationally, illegally, or as government agents.

Attitudes & Beliefs

Commonly misunderstood, Parakins are a rather simple folk, but that is not to say that they are by any means a reclusive people. Parakins enjoy not only freedom to roam the lands, where the waves of the ocean meet the sand, right before a rather expansive foliage above and below, but they also enjoy a great deal of socialization with their peers. As they are naturally sociable and quick-learners, parakins are able to take up a wide swath of different skills and subsequent vocations, namely ranging from shamans, priests, clerics, and even necromancers, to traveling merchants and performers, as well as diplomats politicians, and military generals. They are by no means fickle either, as they demonstrate fierce fighting capabilities, even if most of it is done predominantly within the shadows, and they possess an uncanny ability to navigate the seas, using their eco-friendly ships, cruisers, dreadnoughts, and dogs-o-war.

Parakins Names

Parakins more often than not, adopt the naming schemes of other cultures, and thus assume the common tongue, when giving their posterity a male, female, or intersex name. Occasionally, however, a parakins may assume the naming scheme of a linguistic origin, besides common, but only if their parents were impressionably exposed to said language and culture, in the first place. In adulthood, however, if a Parakins' birth gender does not meet their preferred gender, they will adopt a new name, to better reflect the changes in their gender.

Parakins Traits

Descended from the Heavens, Parakins are a celestial humanoid race of colorful bird people that is accustomed to traversing the open seas, and tropics, alike.
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Age. Parakins age to adulthood in their late teens, and can live for nearly a century.
Alignment. Parakins do not tend towards any particular moral alignment.
Size. Depending upon your choice, your size is either small or medium.
Speed. You have a walking speed of 25 feet.
Darkvision. You are able to see within 60 feet of you, in dim light as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. However, you cannot discern color, only shades of gray.
Flight. In addition to your walking speed, you possess a flying speed of 50 feet. If you are wearing medium or heavy armor, this flying speed is reduced to 35 feet.
Talons. Your hands and feet alike possess talons, granting you the ability to replace your damage dice for your unarmed strikes with 1d6 finesse slashing damage upon a successful hit.
Sharp Beak. You naturally possess a shark beak, which can be used as a replacement for your unarmed strikes, as an action, and by applying your Strength modifier to your hit and damage rolls with this feature. Upon a successful hit with your sharp beak, you deal 1d4 base piercing damage.
Hungry Jaws. In battle, you can throw yourself into a vicious feeding frenzy. As a bonus action, you can make a special attack with your sharp beak. If the attack hits, it deals its normal damage, and you gain temporary hit points (minimum of 1) equal to your Constitution modifier. Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again, until after you have completed a short or long rest.
Seafaring Tradesman. Provided your experience with navigating the tropics and the high seas alike, as well as their associated treacheries, you are proficient with water vehicles, as well as with two skills of your choice.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Celestial.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
2′ 0''	+2d8	40 lb.	× (1d10) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
4′ 0''	+2d12	80 lb.	× (1d10) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

Suggested Characteristics

When creating a Parakins 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.

Parakins can be, and typically are many things at once: thrifty swashbuckling roguish do-gooders who can also perform for, and entertain others on a whim; however, among those traits, a few become predominant determinants in fleshing out their personality and beliefs, as well as their potential flaws and drawbacks alike. Additionally, as the parakins are not by any stretch of the imagination, a monolith, they lead their own lives, and thus have their own goals and motivations, within which they simply must achieve their own aims.

d8	Personality Trait
1	I oftentimes like to mimic what others are saying, not out of spite, but to learn from their way of speaking.
2	I see dancing as form a personal expression, alongside my other emotions, rather than as an art form.
3	I always adhere conventional wisdom and teachings to every situation I find myself in.
4	Out of courtesy for others, I will not speak, unless spoken to.
5	As a hobby, I have learned to quietly observe others from a distance, making note of their behavioral patterns and mannerisms.
6	In addition to normal speaking, I have a tendency to sing in sea shanties.
7	I always articulate my emotions, as a means of sorting out my innermost thoughts.
8	I am always applying the things I learn to my own way of life, speech, and mannerisms.

d6	Ideal
1	Freedom. I value my own personal freedom, above all other things, including the welfare and convenience of others. (Chaotic)
2	Belief. I am a firm believer in all things spiritual, and thus I let my intuition guide my actions and thoughts. (Lawful)
3	Greed. Money is the most precious thing to me in the world, and I will stop at nothing to obtain wealth beyond my imagining. (Evil)
4	Community. Serving my community always serves me well, in kind, whenever I need it most, and thus is always my utmost priority. (Good)
5	Nature. Preserving the natural environment for future generations is not only a necessity, but a way of life, and should be treated as such. (Any)
6	Wrath. People often deliberately act in ways that offend each other and the Heavens alike, and thus are sometimes deserving of persecution. (Neutral)

d6	Bond
1	My home was destroyed by an easily preventable ecological disaster, and thus I seek to prevent future incidents from happening in the first place.
2	In my previous life, I committed an egregious sin, which in my current life, I am now correcting.
3	I am the child of a wealthy and prestigious pirate lord, and thus seek to earn my own incumbency.
4	I have fallen in love with a noble from a distant land, and must travel the high seas in order to reach them.
5	I was betrayed by someone close to me, and thus seek to have my revenge by any means necessary.
6	As a naturally curious fellow, I have always wanted to learn as much as I could about the world around me.

d6	Flaw
1	Logic and reasoning are not my strong suits, and thus I sometimes make bone-headed mistakes.
2	I have a tendency to disregard the wishes of others, and act according to my own will.
3	If I see something shiny, I absolutely must have it, no matter the cost.
4	My emotions sometimes get the better of me in stressful situations.
5	If I am given an order from my superior, I must obey it, even if I don't want to.
6	My studies sometimes get in the way of my own safety.

0.00

(0 votes)

---

Back to Main Page → 5e Homebrew → Races