A Wildwood Tale

When it comes to choosing an animal species, here are your options:

A) Pick an animal from the options listed below. These are all good to go, and you don't need to ask me if you're picking one of these! I encourage it! There's a hodgepodge of stuff there. Some of it is from Gus' Errata 'Wanderers of the Infinite Skies', a third-party homebrew with a lot of animal options. Some of it is from Humblewood, which is a semi-official D&D third-party add-on. More on Humblewood down below.

B) Choose a woodland animal not listed below. I reserve the right to refuse something if it's not appropriate to a woodland fairytale (no honey badgers please, but european badgers are great!). Then, pick a basic D&D race from the Players Handbook, Monsters of the Multiverse, Mythic Odysseys of Theros - anything published - that you think fits the animal mechanically. So, for example: you could play a badger, and use the stats of a Half-Orc, or an Orc, or a Goliath, or a Leonin, and all of those would make sense. Just flavor it! We can also tweak stuff: for the badger, you can also choose to be a Large animal in exchange for a 20ft movement speed, as badgers are pretty big compared to mice and hedgehogs. Other good examples include: Aarakockra for a falcon, Tortle for tortoises, Lizardfolk for a lizard, Harengon for rabbits, and so on.

C) If there's truly nothing that appeals to you about option A or B, then you can play a fairy. Here's how that works: pick any humanoid race that's been officially published. Then we do two things: we give you a flying speed equal to your walking speed (which you can't use if you're wearing medium or heavy armor, or if you're touching iron), and we give you vulnerability to all forms of iron. So anything steel, armor, nails, horseshoes, arrow-heads - double damage, it's anathema to you. I also encourage you to lean into the fey side of it! You probably hate owing people favors, you lie by cleverly twisting the truth, and bargains made with you hold magical weight. For more on fairies, see the Lore tab.

Given that the magic within you has made you 'awakened animals', more or less, you all count as humanoid for mechanical purposes, and you can all speak Common. However, you automatically also speak whatever language your animal species usually would, which you can use to communicate with non-awakened animals of that species. (These 'animal' languages also allow for secret conversations. Two rabbits could have a private conversation in Lapin in the company of a hedgehog, and unless the hedgehog also knows Lapin, the conversation will remain secret.)

Language options include:

• Amphibian (Frogs, Newts, Toads, etc)
• Bat
• Bird (Sparrows, Crows, Ducks, etc)
• Hedgehog
• Lapin (Rabbits, Hares)
• Mouse
• Mustelid (Otters, Raccoons, Weasels, Badgers, etc)
• Reptile
• Rodent (Mice, Rats, Squirrels)

You may also choose an option not listed here. For example, if another player was playing a non-listed animal, you could reasonably have learnt that animal's language. You can also get funky with it. Learn how to speak Canine, Feline, Deer, or Ursine. Fuck with the predators by talking to them, you know? They'll never see it coming.

Amphibians are small and adaptable coldblooded animals. These include frogs, newts, salamanders, and toads. Amphibians are all about change, baby. Most amphibians have some ability to resist poison, and all are aquatic at some point in their life cycle.

Ability Score Increase: When determining your character’s ability scores, increase one score by 2 and increase a different score by 1, or increase three different scores by 1. You can't raise any of your scores above 20.

Creature Type: For mechanical purposes, you are a humanoid.

Size: Frogs are usually about 3-5 inches long. You are Small.

Speed: Your walking speed is 25 feet. You also have a climbing speed of 20ft.

Extra Proficiency: You have proficiency in either Stealth or Survival.

Standing Leap: Your long jump is 25ft and your high jump is 15ft, with or without a running start. You may make a standing leap as a bonus action. If you do so, you may use your reaction to impose disadvantage on an enemy’s attack of opportunity. You may use this reaction twice per short rest.

Aquatic Nature: You have a swimming speed equal to your walking speed, and can hold your breath for up to 1 hour. You have advantage on Stealth checks to Hide in swampy terrain, or when submerged in a body of water.

'Don't Eat Me': Your skin secretes a poison that is harmful when ingested. You have advantage on Saving throws against being poisoned, and you have resistance to poison damage. In addition, when you are Swallowed by a creature, it must succeed on a Constitution saving throw at the start of its turn, the DC of which is equal to your 10 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. On a failure, it takes 2d6 poison damage and must spit you out. On a success it takes half as much damage, and suffers no other effects.

Languages: Your character can speak, read, and write Common, Amphibian, and one other language that you and your DM agree is appropriate for the character. (See the list above for available languages).