Oh, Give Me a Home... Where the Bariaurs Roam!
Commonly seen in Sigil, the Outlands, and across the Upper Planes, Bariaurs are a distinctive part of the Planescape multiverse. A street scene in the City of Doors can hardly be complete without one of these four-legged folk wandering by. When Planescape was released in 1994, the option to play as one of these wanderers of the Great Wheel was revolutionary. Non-humanoids just weren’t playable at the time. Introduced alongside tieflings as a PC species, these intrepid nomads unfortunately haven’t fared as well as their more famous counterparts.
But that changes here! Planescape is back, and alongside it comes this fan interpretation of the classic playable “sheep centaur”!
To those unfamiliar, a bariaur resembles a small centaur—they have a humanoid head (often sporting ram's horns) and torso atop a stout sheep- or goat-like body. But while centaurs hail from the Feywild and the untamed places of the world, bariaurs are natives of the Upper Planes and Ysgard in particular. Bariaur culture encourages playfulness and wanderlust, contests and courage. They most often live in nomadic flocks of around 20–80 individuals with a single leader. Any member of the flock may issue a challenge for leadership. Losing such a contest is no dishonor, only signifying that it is not one’s time to lead, and former leaders remain valued members of the flock.
Despite their close-knit lifestyle, bariaur culture encourages self-expression, especially through personal appearance. Many wear clothing and jewelry on their upper body and horns. Dyeing or shaving their fur in distinctive ways is also a popular fashion.
From the grandest city or the darkest forest to the shimmering seas or the fires of Avernus, bariaurs can find wonder in it all. Rarely passing up a chance to test their bravery or skill, they can appear foolhardy to others. But a bariaur knows that there is no shame in failure, so long as you escape with a tale to tell or having made a bond with a new friend.
These planar folk were built for adventure. Now you can adventure as one of them!
If you like this, also check out my playable Rogue Modrons, Illithids, Concubi & Cambions, Myconids, Poriferans, and Giff Expanded PC species! I'm currently releasing a new one every Tuesday.
You might also enjoy my Smoke & Thunder series of guides to firearms, explosives, and other technology in D&D!
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