Popular D&D 5e race can easily be killed by one specific attack

One of D&D 5e’s best races can be taken down in a surprising way, thanks to one undead power that has a flavor effect that can be extremely deadly.

In D&D, most races have the same lifespan as humans, with few living past a century. The main exceptions to this are the few long-lived races, the dwarves, gnomes, and elves, who can live for hundreds of years.

Some races, such as goblins and half-orcs, have shorter lifespans. One of the most notable of these is the Aarakocra, who, according to D&D Beyond, canonically reach maturity at around 3 and tend to live to be around 30 years old.

The vast majority of D&D campaigns happen over a short period of time, so character age never becomes an issue. There is one creature that can take out an Aarakocra with one attack: a Ghost.

In D&D 5e, Ghosts have an attack called Horrifying Visage. If the target botches their saving throw, their age increases by 1d4 x 10. This means an Aarakocra player who fails the check and rolls a 4 will die of old age.

This terrible fate was discussed in a thread on the DnD Reddit, as other popular races also have shorter lifespans, like Half-Orcs and Tortles. This means that Ghosts can potentially be fatal in a way most players aren’t aware of.

Aaracokra are a popular D&D 5e race thanks to their natural flying speed, access to the Gust of Wind spell at level 3, and natural talon attack. They’re a great pick for several classes, like the Monk or one of the arcane spellcasters. All the while, they’re one Ghost attack from the grave.

Later D&D 5e books, like Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse, addressed the issue by giving all races a minimum lifespan of a century. However, the original version of the Aaracokra from the Elemental Evil Player’s Companion is still valid and can be snuffed out by the Ghost.

It would take a specific set of circumstances for this type of death to happen, but if it does, then hopefully, the player is cool with suffering one of the most unique character deaths in the game.