Non-Eurasian Races and Classes

[Samloyal23]

For the campaign I am currently working on one of the races I want to make use of is the Aarakocra. There is really no particular built-in mythological archetype for this race, it was made from whole cloth for the game. So I'm thinking that different tribes may have totally unrelated cultures. Flying races can travel farther than non-aerial ones, can lose contact with each other, diversify, pick up odd cultural influences from other races, and end up with small groups that do not even seem to be the same race beyond their appearance. So I want to have a tribe based on the Maya, one based on Polynesian culture, and one based on the Australian Aborigines. I would like to have some unique classes based on these cultures instead of just generic types, but aside from tweaking Maztica I do not know where to find any existing game material to start from. Suggestions?

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

I'm having difficulty understanding your question & I think it stems from my own historical ignorance.

Are you asking:

A- these are actual historical races & you're looking for a way to adapt them into your game?

B- These are fictional races and you're looking for suggestions on how to build them? If so, what specifically are you asking?

C- These are fictional races and you're not so much asking how to mechanically design the race, but how cultures may be influenced and developed realistically if fictional factors such as flying were applied to the way we know cultures develop realistically?

D- are there existing mechanics for developing homebrew cultures?

E- Something else and I'm waaay off base.

I guess what I need to know is:

1. more explanation of what you mean when you refer to each race and...

2. if you're seeking a "mechanical" or "Fluff" content related response.

 

[Samloyal23]

I'm looking for classes based on historical and mythological archetypes from the cultures, like the Meso-American derived jaguar-knight from the Maztica setting, to develop cultural differences between tribes of Aarakocra...

 

[xigbar]

I'd say Lizardfolk are most easily adapted to that sort of culture, based on the Serpent Kingdoms book. Definitely worth a look.

 

[Samloyal23]

I'd say Lizardfolk are most easily adapted to that sort of culture, based on the Serpent Kingdoms book. Definitely worth a look.

I actually created a snake-like race, the Naja-Set, based on the Lizardfolk but with an Egyptian slant. Right now, my thoughts are turning to the Aarakocra and Bullywugs...

 

[Sekhmet]

Give them a stick and a cultural feeling of superiority about it (the stick), and tah-dah! You're done with the Australian Aboriginals.
Their warriors should be the NPC class Warrior, with Stick Focus as a bonus feat at level 1.

 

[Tonguez]

Aboriginal classes- Warrior*, Bard, Druid (Kadaicha) and Shaman (maparnjarra)

*There might also be a case made for Ranger using a boomerang

Non-Human Races
Yowie
Quinkins - spirit people of Cape York, Australia who never allowed themselves to be seem by the Yalanji tribe. There were two groups of Quinkins – the Imjim and the Timara.

• The Imjim: were small fat-bellied bad fellows, with large ugly heads, long teeth and claws. They stole children and took them to their cave in the great red mountain. The Imjim had long knobbly tails that they used like a kangaroo to travel in giant leaps across the land.
• The Timara: humorous, whimsical spirits who liked to play tricks on people, but they didn’t like the Imjim stealing children and always tried to stop them

Australian Folklore

 

[Samloyal23]

I'm having difficulty understanding your question & I think it stems from my own historical ignorance.

Are you asking:

A- these are actual historical races & you're looking for a way to adapt them into your game?

B- These are fictional races and you're looking for suggestions on how to build them? If so, what specifically are you asking?

C- These are fictional races and you're not so much asking how to mechanically design the race, but how cultures may be influenced and developed realistically if fictional factors such as flying were applied to the way we know cultures develop realistically?

D- are there existing mechanics for developing homebrew cultures?

E- Something else and I'm waaay off base.

I guess what I need to know is:

1. more explanation of what you mean when you refer to each race and...

2. if you're seeking a "mechanical" or "Fluff" content related response.

I'm using the Aarakocra as a PC race, I want fluff and mechanical crunch to give their different tribes cultures based on Mayan, Hawaiian, and Aborigine cultures. So I want classes, feats, spells, et cetera that have the flavour of those cultures...

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

I'm using the Aarakocra as a PC race, I want fluff and mechanical crunch to give their different tribes cultures based on Mayan, Hawaiian, and Aborigine cultures. So I want classes, feats, spells, et cetera that have the flavour of those cultures...

Google has helped me follow. Aarakocra, avian humanoids, got it. Not sure how I'd never seen them before. Reading up in Races of Faerun now.

 

[Samloyal23]

Google has helped me follow. Aarakocra, avian humanoids, got it. Not sure how I'd never seen them before. Reading up in Races of Faerun now.

If I recall correcly the Aarakocra were in the original Fiend Folio. Later they were turned into a player character race in an article in Dragon Magazine. I am using them in my campaign setting to widen the options for players beyond the usual humanoid/demihuman races...