Alternate Versions
Size
Hero Forge: Varies
Lore: Small to Medium
Suggested: Small to Medium
Abilities
- Divine magic
- Animal features (claws, wings, etc.)
- Keen senses
Stat Block
None (playable species)
Home Plane
Beastlands, Upper Planes
Other Monikers
Plane-trouched, furry, Lion-O, Inuyasha, Sekmet, Horus, Owlin, Ganesha, Osiris, Raven, Coyote, Tanuki
Appearance
An Ardling has a head resembling that of an animal. Depending on the animal, the Ardling might also have fur, feathers, or scales. Some little and others hulking, Ardlings are as varied as the animals they resemble.
Description
(from One D&D Cleric and Revised Species playtest material - 2022 [source])
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Celestial animals roam the Beastlands, a plane of untamed beauty and wild nature. Many of those otherworldly animals serve the Beast Lords, and in the early days of the multiverse, some of the animals evolved into bipedal forms. Among their number are Ardlings, people with beastlike heads, keen senses, and an innate connection to divine magic. Long ago, the ancestors of Ardlings migrated to the Material Plane, and Ardlings can now be found on many worlds.
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(from One D&D Character Origins playtest material - 2022 [source])
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Ardlings are supernal beings who are either born on the Upper Planes or have one or more ancestors who originated there. Their bright souls shine with the light of immortal beings who call the Upper Planes home.
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An ardling gains a measure of magical power from their celestial legacy, as well as the ability to manifest spectral wings. An ardling’s moral and ethical outlook is self-determined, however, not fixed by ancestry. The three celestial legacies are as follows:
Exalted. The fierce passions of Arborea, the heroic heart of Ysgard, and the wondrous nature of the Beastlands call to ardlings who have the Exalted celestial legacy. Their celestial ancestors are heroic champions of the Chaotic Good planes.
Heavenly. The blissful harmony of Arcadia, the unwavering justice of Mount Celestia, and the bucolic paradise of Bytopia touch the souls of ardlings who have the Heavenly celestial legacy. Their celestial ancestors are staunch defenders of the Lawful Good planes.
Idyllic. The Idyllic celestial legacy connects ardlings not only to the Beastlands and Bytopia but also to the eternal compassion of Elysium. Their celestial ancestors are paragons of kindness who hail from the Neutral Good planes.
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