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

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.

 

[Weiley31]

Aarakocra

Also, on a more serious part of the topic, of Aarakocra looking like different bird types, this legit means that, if your DM says yes, you could actually use Humblewood 's bird folk as different variants of Aarakocra.

 

[Chaltab]

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

Who said the players can't loot it?

 

[Anarchclown]

Who said the players can't loot it?

Who said it was the item that is magical and not the elemental that is throwing it?

 

[Frozen_Heart]

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

Yeah agreed. Over the years, DnD has become less and less compatible with lower magic settings.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

What can you give the wind javelin to your players?

No, you can't. So much was spoiled from the Monster section. The returning seems to be an elemental trait of the Aaracokra. RAW you don't even fimd a normal javelin as it is not in the gear entry.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Who said the players can't loot it?

Monster Manual "how to use a statblock".

 

[DEFCON 1]

No one is required to do everything WotC writes down in their books. You have control of your own campaign.

You know how to make magic items for your game? Make this one if it matters that much to you and let the players loot it.

Or if you don't? Just have your monsters throw normal javelins instead. Again, you don't have to do everything the book writes down.

 

[dave2008]

No, you can't. So much was spoiled from the Monster section. The returning seems to be an elemental trait of the Aaracokra. RAW you don't even fimd a normal javelin as it is not in the gear entry.

I realize that may be RAW (I don't have the 2024 MM so I can't verify that), but the stats of the wind javelin are right there in the book. It takes about 1% effort as a DM to provide that to players if they want to give it. If a DM can't do that, then maybe they shouldn't play D&D?

 

[dave2008]

Monster Manual "how to use a statblock".

Again, I don't have the 2024 MM, but the 2014 MM allows you to recover a monster's equipment. From the intoduction to the 2014 MM:

Equipment​

A stat block rarely refers to equipment, other than armor or weapons used by a monster. A creature that customarily wears clothes, such as a humanoid, is assumed to be dressed appropriately.

You can equip monsters with additional gear and trinkets however you like, using the equipment chapter of the Player’s Handbook for inspiration, and you decide how much of a monster’s equipment is recoverable after the creature is slain and whether any of that equipment is still usable. A battered suit of armor made for a monster is rarely usable by someone else, for instance.

If a spellcasting monster needs material components to cast its spells, assume that it has the material components it needs to cast the spells in its stat block.

So, it is RAW that PCs can loot a monster's equipment.

 

[el-remmen]

Definitely not the kind of changes I am into, so not regretting my decision to skip 5.5e, but also, even if I wanted to adopt the new player side rules (i don’t) that wouldn’t mean I’d have to use the monsters as written here. Heck, I haven’t used monsters as written since some time in the 90s!