D&D 5E How did you handle the Aarakocra?

My last campaign was humans-only. Does that count as banning aarakocra? I guess that counts.

I don't have anything against 'em mechanically, though. I tend to hurry my PCs along to 5th level anyway (or just start them there), so they have access to flight pretty quick if they want it.

StateOfConfusion said:

Slight pivot here but I am currently in a fun campaign where my friend is an Aarakocra Monk. He is enjoying it but still feels under-powered compared to other characters. Wondering if anyone has some cool ideas or tips for him to try in combat - both to be more effective but also to add color to his character. I have only a couple:

- Petition GM to allow him to have a Dive attack (mentioned elsewhere in the forums as something the Aarakocra as a monster has - add 1d6 to each attack. Must come from 30' above.
- grab enemies and drop them?
- grab boulders and drop them on enemies

Click to expand...

Perhaps take the Mobile feat. Makes a fast aarakocra even faster, but better yet, when it swoops down to attack, it can fly out of melee range again without taking an opportunity attack.

It can also use reach weapons in the same manner.
Or make it a range fighter/caster, using speed and flight to keep it out of melee.

And it could come across other aarakocra that essential its help ...
SUMMONING AIR ELEMENTALS
Five aarakocra within 30 feet ofeach other can magically summon an air elemental. Each ofthe five must use its action and movement on three consecutive turns to perform an aerial dance and must maintain concentration while
doing so (as if concentrating on a spell). When all five have finished their third turn of the dance, the elemental appears in an unoccupied space within 60 feet of them. It is friendly toward them and obeys their spoken commands. It remains for 1 hour, until it or all its summoners die, or until any of
its summoners dismisses it as a bonus action.Asummoner can't perform the dance again until it finishes a short rest. When the elemental returns to the Elemental Plane ofAir, any aarakocra within 5 feet of it can return with it.

Since the Aara·kocra is strictly optional supplemental material, it seems misleading to imply that a DM needs to ‘ban’ it.

It is enough to say, the DM did not find it useful or interesting, so chose to ignore it. Or even under the strongest pressure to use it, the DM ‘opted out’ of it.