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.

 

[dave2008]

With the changes to so many things (hiding for example), it isn't the same edition.

It is definitely a variant of 5e, even if not a whole new edition.

I can go with variant, but it definitely is not a new edition like 2e-3e, 3e-4e, or 4e-5e. I mean I can use any adventure, any monster, and any PC from 5e14 and 5e24 in any combination so it feels very different than the previously mentioned edition changes.

 

[Ferrousbones]

I can go with variant, but it definitely is not a new edition like 2e-3e, 3e-4e, or 4e-5e. I mean I can use any adventure, any monster, and any PC from 5e14 and 5e24 in any combination so it feels very different than the previously mentioned edition changes.

Yeah, that is why I haven't been calling 5e24 a new edition, myself, but instead call it a different version.

Most things are compatible, some things aren't, similar to how many things from 5e14 are compatible with other entities variants and vice-versa.

 

[J-H]

If WOTC is changing Humanoids to other creature types because of their origin, when are Tieflings going to be changed to Fiends? Given all the (ugly IMO) 5e art, they already look like they're basically Cambions anyway instead of normal people with a touch of the unnatural.

 

[Oryzarius]

If WOTC is changing Humanoids to other creature types because of their origin, when are Tieflings going to be changed to Fiends? Given all the (ugly IMO) 5e art, they already look like they're basically Cambions anyway instead of normal people with a touch of the unnatural.

The current stance seems to be that they can be both. PC tieflings have been "civilized" long enough to be "mere" Humanoids, but the kinds you find out in the wild might well have enough association with dark powers to be Fiends... in exactly the same way that PC gith are Humanoids, but their counterparts living in the astral plane are Aberrations, and PC aarakockra are Humanoids, but the ones you encounter on adventures might well be Elementals instead.

I can see the benefit in terms of mechanical simplicity: Hold Person is now less of a "works on everything" wonder-spell for PCs, and yet monsters who only show up for a single encounter can still use it evenly against all PCs opposing them. But it does remove a certain amount of flavor, and the opportunity for occasional drama or mis-steps due to varying creature types among the party.

 

[pawsplay]

I'm not sold on the elementals with thundering javelins angle. Like, I guess it's fine, it's unlikely to impact my home campaign. But they had existing lore. In fact, they have already had their special equipment described, and it did not involve elemental powers. They also have some fairly notable FR appearances.
They seem to have absorbed some lore from the 3e raptorans, the "you can't have flying PCs" race with some birdlike features. They revered nature and had a pact with wind spirits, giving them flight as adults. They had some ties to the Plane of Air.

 

[Hexmage-EN]

The 2014 version was able to summon an air elemental, so I guess they decided to just make the aarakocra the air elementals themselves and cut out the middle man.

 

[Parmandur]

Actually there is a bit more that keeps the original 2014 text:

Equipping a Monster with Other Items
You may equip monsters with additional gear however you like, using the equipment chapter of the Player’s Handbook for inspiration. 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.

I mean, that seems like a pretty explicit n
invitation to just take the rules effects from the stat block and "homebrew" a magic weapon. Easy peasy, lemon squeezey.