Fēng
Aarakocra Monk (Level 5, Way of the Open Talon: Wild Wind Fighting Style)
The tribe of aarakocra who build their eyries high in the mist-shrouded Q’sulth Mountains spend simple lives of peaceful isolation from the outside world. But the tribal elders understand that isolation and ignorance are very different things. To pretend that the outside world does not exist is folly because evil from the outside is constantly threatening the peace of their mountain enclave. That is why the best among them are trained from youth to become warrior monks and are sent out into the world to learn of its dangers before returning to the mountains as true guardians of their home.
Fēng was raised in the Golden Talon Sanctuary where the days are spent in quiet contemplation and the perfection of the art of Kuang Fong ("wild wind"), an aggressive fighting style centered around the flow of personal energy, using the aarakocra’s natural speed & agility and their flying ability to deliver whirling attacks, and strikes from above with talons and weapons.
Fēng is a young aarakocra, truly devoted to his people and his order. All his young life he has trained to fight, but is yet untried in real combat. He is quick of both body and mind. Perhaps a little distracted at times because of his newness to things outside his cloistered experience. His curiosity sometimes gets the better of him, something that the Sanctuary Masters have always reprimanded him for. His sense of wonder and his fierce loyalty are his best personality traits.
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I'm still working out some of the details, particularly his alignment (are we even using alignment here at all?)
I put the level 4 ability boost in Dex.
I'd also like to add some kung fu flavor to Fēng's gear. The monk starting equipment package specifies 10 darts but I'd like to go with 1
rope dart instead (How would you stat this? Same as a regular dart?). His primary weapon is a
spear and his unarmed strikes of course.
We've all seen kung fu movies so we know what that's like. Kuang Fong, ("wild wind") Style taught at Golden Talon Sanctuary is distinct in that it utilizes the aarakocra's flight. Ever seen a
cockfight? I know, I know, I agree that animal fighting is cruel, but if you've ever seen one (I have) then there's a bit of that mixed in: intense bursts of flight to get the "high ground" and deal death from above.
What about hitting opponents with a grapple, hoisting them 60ft into the air and dropping them? Legal? Nothing in RAW against it but I know that some GM's disallow it. But I am actually contemplating making it so Fēng's monastic order sees such tactics as dishonorable. What do you guys think?
I love that the item I rolled on the Trinkets table is a fan that, when unfolded, shows a sleeping cat. Wind-themed character...fan...get it? I'm going to say it's a bladed war fan. Fēng would probably never use it in actual combat but he uses it during his
meditative practice early in the morning.
I've never had the opportunity to play this race nor this class and the two just seem to work so well thematically that I just had to give it a go! I hope I RP it well :-)
Last edited Jun 12, 2015 9:31 pm
