Cervan

Cervans are one of the five "Humblefolk", or Beastfolk, races who are presented as alternatives to the five Birdfolk PC races in the Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition setting of Humblewood.

As their name suggests, cervans resemble humanoid deer of various kinds, although other cervids such as elk, moose or antelopes are also common. Theoretically, branches of this race could exist that resemble any hooved, horn-sprouting creature native to forest environments. However, most cervans only have small antlers or horn buds on their foreheads, regardless of their gender. Only those blessed by their patron Amaranthine, Cairith, possess true horns - these magically blessed individuals occur but once in a generation, and are revered as "Pronghorns", to call attention to their mighty head ornaments. Attitudes amongst pronghorns vary; some embrace this position of privilege, whilst others rebel against the resulting constraints thrust against them.

Of all the humblefolk, cervans are the most insular and reclusive; stories keep alive the bad old days when Vulpin raiders and Mapach thieves bedeviled their people, and they do not trust outsiders as a general rule. Even today, they favor the deepest, most ancient parts of the Humblewood, places far removed even from the birdfolk, and rarely allow more than a token presence of races such as jerbeen or hedges amongst their number... and even then, the cervans will keep the leadership amongst themselves.

Aside from their reclusiveness, which gives them a reputation for being timid, cervans are also well-known as one of the heartiest humblefolk races. Robust physiques ensure they are rarely sick, and their lifespan is one of the longest in the Humblewood.

Despite their cautious natures, cervans generally remain active and alert, preferring practice to contemplation. They like to pursue independent skills in order to give themselves a sense of purpose - this striving is also the most likely factor to propel a cervan out of isolation and into the more occupied parts of the Humblewood. A happy cervan is one who is hard at work. The ability to balance their innate caution with practical considerations is one of the cervans’ greatest strengths. Cervans teach that the best means of survival in any situation is to remain calm and weigh one’s options. The best cervan leaders favor this approach.

The mystical nature of cervans, who could be considered the Humblewood equivalent of the Elf archetype in many ways, most shines through with a single unique racial ability. Cervans have a unique ability to bounce back and survive a physical shock that might kill others. Occasionally, cervans who survive such traumas are granted mystical visions. Sometimes these are flashes of insight into the world around them, sometimes portents of doom, and other times visions of a far away future. Known among cervans as “The Sight”, this phenomenon is elusive, and out of the control of mortals. Cervans who have seen visions in this way are known as “The Sighted”, and after this initial event, some will suddenly find themselves receptive to visions of the past, present, and future.

A cervan whose Sight has been triggered is encouraged to hone it, so that they might take on the role of a seer within their village. However, these efforts aren’t always met with success. The Sight will sometimes visit a cervan only once in their lifetime, with no amount of training granting a glimpse of such visions again. This is believed to be for the best, as cervans acknowledge that those who are truly Sighted carry knowledge that can be both a blessing and a curse.

PC Stats

Ability Score Increase: +2 Constitution

Size: Medium (normal, or "grove", cervans average between 5ft and 6ft tall and 130-180 pounds; pronghorns are larger, reaching up to 7ft tall and 200 pounds)

Speed: 30 feet

Age: Reaching maturity around the age of 12, which is quite remarkably fast compared to birdfolk, cervans live an average of between 100 and 150 years, which they attribute to a combination of their lifestyle and the blessings of Cairith - pronghorns tend live longer than grove cervans, which reinforces this belief.

Alignment: Cervans are pragmatic in their thinking, and generally prefer to keep their philosophies flexible in order to prioritize what they believe is important for both themselves and their communities. They lean towards neutral alignments

Practical: You have Proficiency in either Athletics, Medicine, nature or Survival.

Surge of Vigor: All cervans possess a great tenacity and will to survive, which allows them to bounce back from even the most devastating blows. If an attack deals over half of your current remaining hit points in damage, (even if your hit points are reduced to 0 by the attack) you immediately regain hit points equal to 1d12 + your Constitution Modifier. You can’t use this feature again until you have completed a long rest.

Subrace: Choose either the Grove or Pronghorn subrace.

Grove Cervan:

Ability Score Increase: +1 Dexterity

Swift: Your base walking speed increases to 35 feet.

Standing Leap: Your long jump is 30 feet and your base high jump is 15 feet, with or without a running start.

Nimble Step: Opportunity attacks made against you are rolled with disadvantage.

Pronghorn Cervan:

Ability Score Increase: +1 Strength

Robust Build: Your carrying, pushing, draging and lifting capacities are all doubled.

Antlers: You have a set of large, strong antlers that can be used to make devastating charge attacks. You can use your unarmed strike to gore opponents, dealing 1d6 + your Strength Modifier piercing damage on a hit. Additionally, if you move at least 20 feet in a straight line towards an opponent, you can spend a bonus action to charge them, dealing an extra 1d6 points of piercing damage. If the target of your charge is Large or smaller, they must make a Strength saving throw against a DC of your Proficiency Bonus + 8 + your Strength Modifier. On failure, the target is pushed 10 feet away from you into a space of your choice