Designing an Amazon

[Jeivar]

I've just started toying with the idea of designing a campaign inspired by Ancient Greece, complete with era-appropriate weapons and maybe a few new Backgrounds.

I'm currently debating with myself whether to make Amazons just one of the nations in the setting, or a new Background. If I go with the latter I would give them Animal Handling and Athletics (going with the horse-riding barbarian image, ie Scythians), but I'm a bit stumped as to what special benefit they could have.

I know there was an old Amazon Fighter kit back in ADD that gave them a bonus to the FIRST attack against a male opponent, due to being underestimated in a male-dominated society, but I don't know. Aren't Features specifically meant to NOT be combat-focused?

Maybe a special reputation among the "civilised" people? Or an agreement between different Amazon tribes to grant each other shelter, or at least a chance to speak before throwing down?

What do you think?

[Ninja_Prawn]

but I don't know. Aren't Features specifically meant to NOT be combat-focused?

Maybe a special reputation among the "civilised" people? Or an agreement between different Amazon tribes to grant each other shelter, or at least a chance to speak before throwing down?

What do you think?

Features are definitely not meant to be combat focused, as you say. The ideal feature creates adventuring prompts or gives the DM a way to hook the PC into the world. Your two suggestions there are both workable, though kind of similar to existing ones (far traveller and folk hero).

An alternative might be to focus on the Amazons' warrior culture somehow. Maybe years of training enable you to march for longer without getting exhausted? Or perhaps a feature that gives access to NPCs that know about weapons or martial training or historical battles (kind of like what the sage and criminal get)?

I don't know. Coming up with unique background features that are interesting but not mechanically powerful is really hard.

[Maelynn]

I really like the idea, but since it's restricted to women only I wonder if perhaps it wouldn't be better off as a race. Also because in some other races, the females would already have similar attitudes to amazons and wouldn't be seen the way humans do.

Making it a race also allows you to give them some combat-specific bonuses. Or you could make it a subrace to humans, with some additional stats.

A few things that come to mind:

- advantage on Intimidation checks against human males
- the first strike you mentioned in combat against males
- proficiency with all weapons
- land vehicle proficiency
- +2 CON, +1 DEX/STR

[Jeivar]

Making it a race also allows you to give them some combat-specific bonuses. Or you could make it a subrace to humans, with some additional stats.

A few things that come to mind:

- advantage on Intimidation checks against human males
- the first strike you mentioned in combat against males
- proficiency with all weapons
- land vehicle proficiency
- +2 CON, +1 DEX/STR

Do you mean those as suggestions to pick from, or all of that for the same character? Because if it's the latter, isn't that a bit much?

[Maelynn]

Do you mean those as suggestions to pick from, or all of that for the same character? Because if it's the latter, isn't that a bit much?

Oh yes, I just listed a few suggestions to get started.

I think you can do your idea more justice as a subrace than as a background. So much more potential.

[Vogie]

I'd make them some sort of human variant (that isn't a variant human)

Variant Human - Amazon (female gender only)

Ability Score Increase: Three different ability scores of your choice increase by 1.
Skills & Weapons: You gain proficiency in Animal Handling and one skill of your choice, and in [Appropriate weapon].
Scythian Swiftness: Your land speed increases by 5 ft, and when you're prone, you can stand up by spending 10 feet of movement, rather than half your speed.
Chivalrous Defense: When a male humanoid you can see makes an attack roll against you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the roll. You must use this feature before knowing whether the attack hits or misses. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.