Amazon

The Amazons are a species of warrior women. Although they are similar in appearance to human women, they are a distinctly different breed, with a strength and endurance unparalleled by human females. They were originally born of the god Ares and the nymph Harmonia.

Unflinching Warriors

Amazons have athletic builds with dark complexions and sharp features. Their hair coloring ranges from black to dark brown while their eyes range through shades of green to brown.

Amazons are notorious for their warlike demeanor. They are a harsh people, stalwart in the face of certain death and committed to the death of their enemies.

Amazons wear long pants (unheard for women in Ancient Adventures) made of animal skin. They also wear clasped vests with long sleeves. Many Amazons wear a girdle around the waist. They typically wear leopard hide on their heads and are highly proficient in the use of spear, shield, and bow. Their main weapons are the bow, the librys (a double-edged axe), and a crescent shaped shield.

Born To War

Whenever Amazons give birth, impregnated by conquered men, they sear the right breast of the infant. The removal of the right breast allows them to wield bows more effectively when firing arrows. Amazons are also superb horsemen and experts at mounted archery.

The Amazons have waged war against the Atlanteans, the Argonauts, and the Mygdonians. They get along fine with other women who display strength and courage and look down upon men in general. Men who are warriors that can best them in combat will gain a grudging respect; scholars and any males who are weak are openly despised.

Amazon adventurers are violent and headstrong, usually war chieftains who want to experience more of the world.

They are also committed to beating men at their own game and thoroughly enjoy testing the skill of male warriors.

Despite their lineage, Amazons worship both Ares and Artemis. They worship Ares out of respect for their bloodline. Amazons worship Artemis for the purity of her hunting abilities and her reliance on no man.

Unparalleled Equestrians

Amazons were able to tame and ride horses long before mainland Greece acquired the skill. Amazons make their homes in two different countries: at the mouth of the river Themiscyra, in Pontus and Thrace, under Penthesileia’s leadership. They are divided into three tribes:

Themiscyreans (led by Hippolyte), Lycastians, and Chadesians. Some groups of Amazons are nomadic, roaming on horseback across vast swaths of land. Others settle and establish matriarchies with an Amazon queen ruling over all.

Traits

Your Amazon heritage manifests in a variety of traits you share with your kin.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.

Age. Amazon reach adulthood in their late teens and live less than a century.

Alignment. Amazons tend towards chaotic alignments— their love of warfare often overrides their allegiance to discipline. They tend to be more evil than good as a result of their obsession with warfare.

Size. Amazons stand between 6 and 7 feet tall and usually weigh between 180 and 250 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Amazon Weapon Training. Themiscyrean and Lycastian Amazons are proficient with the battleaxe, longbow, shortbow, spear. Chadesians are also proficient in the javelin.

Equestrian Lore. You have proficiency with the Animal Handling and Survival skills.

Saving Face. Amazons are careful not to show weakness in front of their allies, for fear of losing status. If you miss with an attack roll or fail an ability check or a saving throw, you can gain a bonus to the roll equal to the number of allies you can see within 30 feet of you (maximum bonus of +5). Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common.