How the Monsters Have Changed in the 2025 Monster Manual: Aarakocra

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How much have the monsters changed in the 2025 Monster Manual? Well, one way of showing this is to make side-by-side comparisons of the 2025 monsters to their 2014 equivalents. First up, the Aarakocra.

The 2014 Aarakocra entry had a single statblock for a CR 1/4 creature. There are two statblocks in the 2025 Monster Manual, a CR 4 Aarakocra Aeromancer and a CR 1/4 Aarakocra Skirmisher. Per the Monster Manual's conversion guide, the Aarakocra Skirmisher is the equivalent to the 2014 Aarakocra. The lore entry is significantly reduced - it's only 68 words and notes that Aarakocra "soar the sky of countless worlds" in addition to the Elemental Plane of Air. One additional note - aarakocra often resemble the avians in the world they live in, with the traditional hawk/condor look mentioned alongside hummingbirds and archaeopteryxes. This isn't a lore change per se, but the artwork features a bright pink-feathered aarakocra alongside a hawk.

Also, aarakocra are now classified as elementals instead of humanoids.

As for the stats themselves, the 2025 Aarakocra Skirmisher's AC remains the same, but its hit points have been reduced to 11 (or 2D8+2). Constitution ability score increased by 2, which gives the Aarakocra Skirmisher a +1 to Constitution saving throws, but no other changes to ability scores or saving throws.

The Aarakocra's Dive Attack feature from the 2014 statblock (which adds a D6 to damage if the Aarakocra is flying and dives 30+ feet towards a target) was incorporated into the Skirmisher's base Talon attack with a more straightforward trigger. The Talon attack has the same attack bonus, reach, and base damage, but it now deals 2D4 extra damage if the aarakocra moves 30+ feet in a straight line toward the target directly before making the attack. The aarakocra's javelin attack is now a Wind Javelin. It has the same attack bonus, reach, and range. However, it now deals an extra 2 (1d4) Thunder damage in addition to its base 5 (1D6+2) Piercing damage. Additionally, the Wind Javelin magically returns to the Aarakocra's hand whether it hit or misses after making a ranged attack.
 

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Christian Hoffer

Christian Hoffer




I don't like how everything is so magical. Every one of them has a magical thunder javelin that the player can't loot? Booooooo

Yes, I find that troubling as well. I didn't mind as much when the interviews described giving creatures more interesting innate attacks (like dryads' "vine lash" and "thorn burst"), but magical equipment that mysteriously becomes unusable by anyone else is a bit annoying as an assumed campaign option.

If I were a research-minded wizard, I'd be working up a custom Transmutation spell that would allow the subject to masquerade as a creature type for purposes of using their captured equipment... or an enchantment option that would make my own enchanted weapons unusable by anyone outside my own sworn circle of friends.
 


I don't like how everything is so magical. Every one of them has a magical thunder javelin that the player can't loot? Booooooo
I wonder if the deity Talos will claim these critters under his portfolio (if he hasn't already)?

Anyway, I bet a priest of Talos (or the Storm Deity of your choice) might be able to cast a spell granting the returning property to a javelin---especially an Aarakocra-crafted one.
 

Yes, I find that troubling as well. I didn't mind as much when the interviews described giving creatures more interesting innate attacks (like dryads' "vine lash" and "thorn burst"), but magical equipment that mysteriously becomes unusable by anyone else is a bit annoying as an assumed campaign option.

It could be something along the lines of how some spells like True Strike and Booming Blade use a weapon as part of the spell. Maybe a lot of creatures just have signature spells along those lines? Of course it wouldn't apply to PC aarakocra, so IDK, but I just prefer monsters using special things to make them mechanically unique.
 

What can you give the wind javelin to your players?

I don't like how everything is so magical. Every one of them has a magical thunder javelin that the player can't loot? Booooooo

Yes, I find that troubling as well. I didn't mind as much when the interviews described giving creatures more interesting innate attacks (like dryads' "vine lash" and "thorn burst"), but magical equipment that mysteriously becomes unusable by anyone else is a bit annoying as an assumed campaign option.

If I were a research-minded wizard, I'd be working up a custom Transmutation spell that would allow the subject to masquerade as a creature type for purposes of using their captured equipment... or an enchantment option that would make my own enchanted weapons unusable by anyone outside my own sworn circle of friends.
 

If I were a research-minded wizard, I'd be working up a custom Transmutation spell that would allow the subject to masquerade as a creature type for purposes of using their captured equipment... or an enchantment option that would make my own enchanted weapons unusable by anyone outside my own sworn circle of friends.

Ironically, Baldur's Gate 3 let's you do that via Change Shape. Got a Gith Silver sword? Change into a Gith and you can get the bonus 1d4 Psychic Damage along with the normal attack die. That's the foremost example that comes mind.

Still, doesn't seem like making a spear that does a bonus 1d4 damage would break anything. Heck, ya can follow the Fizban rules for powering it up when it comes to the attack die. That way you can represent a basic birb grunt spear or an aerial commander birb spear.
 

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