118
votes
How can I, as a DM, keep an Aarakocra player in check?
There are ways to prevent easy flight -- Strong Wind (DMG p.110) is the most obvious -- but maybe the more important response to your question is to ask:
Why does flying need to be countered or ...
- 78.3k
38
votes
How can I, as a DM, keep an Aarakocra player in check?
Not everyone in the party can fly.
Sure, aarakocra can fly at will, but the rest of the party can't. It might be trivial for that arrakocra to get to the top of a castle via flight, but does that ...
- 5,877
36
votes
Accepted
Which of these sources for Aarakocra lifespan is correct?
Only one of those is an official source
The listing from DnDBeyond is the only one that is officially supported. The others are fan sites or wiki that don't have official status. This answer has a ...
- 31.1k
32
votes
Accepted
Is playing an Aarakocra player character currently legal in Adventurers League, as of September 2017?
There is no way for a starting character to be an Aarakocra or a Winged Tiefling, because the Adventurers League Player's Guide v9.1 says:
Races with flight at 1st level [...] aren’t available ...
- 49k
30
votes
How do Aarakocra fly with a backpack?
Presumably, their backpack is designed so that it allows for flying.
The only restriction the Aarakocra fly speed poses is medium or heavy armor.
You have a flying speed of 50 feet. To use this ...
- 5,917
29
votes
Accepted
Can an Aarakocra look like any bird?
Any bird is hard to prove, but there are certainly variations
The best known variation of Aarakocra tend to resemble eagles.
The ones in the Tomb of Annihilation campaign book, where it describes ...
- 36.5k
23
votes
How can I, as a DM, keep an Aarakocra player in check?
Do not try to get rid of flight as option. many spells, racial or class abilities can grant flying. If you start doing it you'll basically never be able to stop placing one restriction after another.
...
- 1,504
21
votes
Accepted
Can an Aarakocra use a shield while flying?
Yes
There is no language in the Aarakocra stat block that says they must have a hand or arm free in order to fly. They simply just have a fly speed.
Adding a rule that if they hold a shield, or ...
- 126k
20
votes
Do aarakocra have rules about gliding?
Gliding is not a thing in 5e
And in fact, Gliding is just a form of flying (just with less effort). Colloquially, we envision gliding to not take movement, but in 5e Movement is simplified and ...
- 126k
20
votes
Can an Aarakocra look like any bird?
Yes. One of the designers for CoS confirmed it.
They basically have eagle/hawk heads, but the aarakocra in your game
might have owl heads instead. You could call them hooters. #WOTCstaff
So, per ...
- 19.2k
20
votes
Do aarakocra have arms as well as wings?
Yes, they have both arms and wings.
What previous editions state has no impact whatsoever on 5e.
With that in mind, nothing indicates that they don't have arms and wings, and their illustrations in ...
- 26.3k
20
votes
How do Aarakocra fly with a backpack?
Why does it have to be a "back" pack?
Before now, I've taken backpacks for people who've hurt themselves and needed help. Since I've been carrying a pack myself, I've put their pack on my ...
- 1,565
19
votes
Accepted
Would an Aarakocra be able to play a flute?
RAW, there is no limitation.
As usual, this is not a thing that the ruleset cares about, so Aarakocra can play any instrument just as well as anyone else.
If you're looking for a well fitting ...
- 5,894
19
votes
Accepted
Would the benefits of an aarakocra ranger's Natural Explorer feature apply when they are flying over their favoured terrain?
The ranger benefits still apply.
Good question! A ranger's Natural Explorer feature is not an aura spell, but instead comes from their knowledge of the terrain. While certain skill checks would have ...
- 5,007
19
votes
Accepted
What is the script for the Aarakocra language?
Maybe Dwarvish or Draconic
I had a search through resources for 5e and previous editions, but couldn't find mention of the script used for the Aarakocran language. In fact, Aarakocra doesn't seem to ...
- 66.5k
18
votes
Is playing an Aarakocra player character currently legal in Adventurers League, as of September 2017?
The Adventurers League Player's Guide says:
NOTE:
A character race that grants a fly speed
at
1st
level isn’t allowed for D&D Adventurers League
play.
So no, Aarakocra (also ...
- 145k
16
votes
How can I play an Aarakocra in 3.5e?
While, as The Vagrant Dog’s answer notes, aarakocra are a “playable” race in 3.5e, that is almost a technicality: their LA +2 means you are allowed to play them under the rules, but that you basically ...
- 361k
15
votes
Accepted
Can 5 Aarakocra PCs summon an Air Elemental?
Short answer: No, by RAW
The monsters and NPCs in the monster manual (and equivalent sections in other supplements) do not necessarily follow the same rules as player characters.
This can be seen ...
- 28.6k
15
votes
Accepted
Do aarakocra have arms as well as wings?
https://www.dndbeyond.com/races/aarakocra
If you look at the image, plain common sense indicates that the arms move independently of the wings. The wings aren't even attached at the shoulders, but ...
- 1,024
15
votes
Can an aarakocra grapple using their feet?
Feet cannot be used for grappling
You've answered your own question. The grappling rules state that you must use a free hand (PHB p.195), and the aarakocra does not have more than the usual two ...
- 6,794
15
votes
Accepted
What would the Aarakocra language sound like?
Syllables connected by clicks, trills, and whistles.
The portion of the race description which suggests some names for Aarakocra characters contains some insight into their language:
As with much of ...
- 154k
14
votes
Aarakocra dive attack damage?
No
If the Aarakokra is free falling to make the attack, it would also take fall damage. The attack gets extra damage because of the extra velocity from gravity, yes, but it has to pull up at the last ...
- 76.1k
13
votes
Can an Aarakocra use a shield while flying?
They can fly with a shield
Note the only restriction on flying for the aarakocra is:
You have a flying speed of 50 feet. To use this speed, you can't be wearing medium or heavy armor.
Since ...
- 36.6k
12
votes
What is the script for the Aarakocra language?
The Aarakocra language probably has no script
By searching across all editions of D&D, the aarakocra language is mentioned only twice: in the Fiend Folio (and derivative works like the Monstrous ...
- 6,010
11
votes
Accepted
Do my Aarakocra's Talons really have a 150ft reach?
The reach should be the same as for your unarmed strikes.
Here are the rules from the Elemental Evil Player's Companion for an aarakocra's talons.
Talons. You are proficient with your unarmed ...
- 30.4k
11
votes
Accepted
How much room does an Aarakocra need to fly/take-off?
They only need space enough to move into a space
Flying isn't treated specially in the rules compared to other modes of movement. To fly, all you need is enough space to move off the ground. Then, as ...
- 95.6k
11
votes
Accepted
Is there any mechanical support for aarakocra flying continuously for days?
The text you cited is the ammunition you need to make the case to the DM, which is where you need to go to get your ruling.
When it comes to flavour and thematic elements of a character, 5e was ...
- 32.2k
10
votes
Can an Aarakocra use a shield while flying?
Yes, you can.
The rules only state one limitation in this racial trait of the Aarakocra (emphasis mine):
Flight
You have a flying speed of 50 feet. To use this speed, you can’t be wearing medium or ...
- 10.1k
10
votes
Accepted
Is there a precedent for wounds that can't be healed?
A missing wing is not easily replaced at lower levels.
You’re right, magic can fix anything, but at lower levels limbs are not so easily regrown.
To regrow a limb you’d need access to the Regenerate ...
- 25.2k
9
votes
How can I, as a DM, keep an Aarakocra player in check?
You could:
add strong winds that require (for example) strength saving throws to continue flying
use ranged enemies
use flying enemies
make the inescapable pit inescapable by adding a lid that closes ...
- 26.3k
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