Anthropomorphic Bat [Race]

[JNAProductions]

Anthropomorphic Bat

Ability Score Increases
As a bat, your mind is attuned and your body nimble. Your Wisdom increases by 2, and your Dexterity increases by 1.

Alignment
You tend towards Neutrality, though generally have an affection for groups.

Size
You stand not more than three and a half feet tall, and weigh less than a halfling owing to your hollow bones. Your size is Small.

Speed
You are not designed to be on the ground-your land speed is 15'.
However, you are capable of Flight, at a speed of 40'. You can fly freely while unarmored or in Light armor. To fly in Medium armor, you require a Strength score of 11 to fly at all, at a speed of 20', 13 to fly at 30', and 15 to fly at full speed.
Any armor or clothing, to be flown in, must accommodate your wings.

Darkvision
Your eyes are attuned to the darkness. You have Darkvision out to 60'.
Blindsight would make more sense. It would also be OP.

Natural Affinity
You have proficiency in Animal Handling and Survival.

[Razelquin]

Allowing flight in heavy armor at all, and full speed flight in medium armor seems a bit much.
You don't mention if they have wings on their back or if their arms are their wings. It's a minor note, but drastically changes how armor has to change to accommodate them.

Instead of darkvision you could maybe give them a kind of echo location, seeing as that's what they have. That way it would potentially work even in magical darkness, making up for their otherwise lack of unique traits.

[JNAProductions]

Allowing flight in heavy armor at all, and full speed flight in medium armor seems a bit much.
You don't mention if they have wings on their back or if their arms are their wings. It's a minor note, but drastically changes how armor has to change to accommodate them.

Instead of darkvision you could maybe give them a kind of echo location, seeing as that's what they have. That way it would potentially work even in magical darkness, making up for their otherwise lack of unique traits.

To the first... I dunno. It seems silly to restrict flight on Medium and Heavy armor ENTIRELY, not just behind a Strength gate. I'm not sure 1 point of AC matters that much.

And Blindsight WOULD make more sense... But would be quite a bit too powerful.

[MagneticKitty]

Just a note, bats don't have hollow bones that's birds.

I made a bat race if you're interested in seeing it.
I think flying in heavy armor is probably not ok, especially for small race.
Otherwise seems mostly ok.

[JNAProductions]

Removed the ability to fly in Heavy Armor, though kept Medium. To fly in Medium would make you real MAD, so I don't think it'll cause issues.

[sihnfahl]

Removed the ability to fly in Heavy Armor, though kept Medium. To fly in Medium would make you real MAD, so I don't think it'll cause issues.
Since you decided to pull up an old thread...

Have you considered the base species?

It would impact the ideas of the advantages / disadvantages.

Base fructivore? Insectivore? Hemovore? Degree of omnivorous adaptation, if any?

Fructivores don't necessarily need as precise a 'sonar' as an insectivore, but they're downright 'cute' in comparison (so less dex, more cha).

And hemovores would have that natural 'ick' factor that hits the charisma, but they'd be more dextrous and stronger...

[JNAProductions]

Since you decided to pull up an old thread...

Have you considered the base species?

It would impact the ideas of the advantages / disadvantages.

Base fructivore? Insectivore? Hemovore? Degree of omnivorous adaptation, if any?

Fructivores don't necessarily need as precise a 'sonar' as an insectivore, but they're downright 'cute' in comparison (so less dex, more cha).

And hemovores would have that natural 'ick' factor that hits the charisma, but they'd be more dextrous and stronger...

I have not. D&D is not a reality simulator, so I'm not particularly concerned about mimicking what would be realistic.

If you have ideas for subraces, though, lay 'em on me.

[sandmote]

I have not. D&D is not a reality simulator, so I'm not particularly concerned about mimicking what would be realistic.

If you have ideas for subraces, though, lay 'em on me. Do any claims someone is trying to make it a reality simulator survive the fact this is discussing the abilities of three-and-half foot tall flying sapients?

I do think you need something to set these apart from aarakocra. At time of writing, they appear to make excellent druids, and can fly in armor. And that's about it for their racial idea. Not to say this is bad, but I think I'd need some compelling fluff before I bothered to play one. Which I fully admit might exist and just not be posted.

Note that for the largest IRL bats, they have so little sonar it was discovered only very recently, but they'd likely have more cha than wis. Specifically making flying foxes (a type of bat, in case it isn't clear) might reduce complaints they lack blindsight. On the other hand, vampire bats could easily justify drinking blood for sustenance rather than to regain hit points (or let them do it for very limited THP gain as well).

[sihnfahl]

I have not.
I was thinking more in line of modifiers similar to the elven modifiers between high (like +1 int and a cantrip) and wood (+1 wis and increased walking speed).

So +1 in cha for fructivores, a -1 to strength and a bonus to persuasion checks (cause they're just so naturally doggone cute), but a reduced darkvision (they are still, after all, predominantly nocturnal).

Whereas hemovores would be -1 on the cha, a +1 to strength (gotta be able hold on to things that don't want to be fed on), and standard darkvision. Maybe a disease resistance (cause they can feed on some pretty infected things).

And insectivore would be +1 on the dex, a -1 to strength, enhanced darkvision (they catch small, moving objects in flight). Maybe a bonus to perception as a result of enhanced hearing?