Homebrew Bristleback Species Details

The Bristleback people of Aeozorynn are strong in body, tenacity, and courage. They are at home on the battlefield, willing to fight for their various causes.

They combine a burning fury in battle with savage tenacity that make them excellent front line combatants and highly valued shock troops.

Tusks and Thick Skulls

Bristlebacks are the thick headed, heavyweight champions of many arenas and fight pits across Aeozorynn, they are large barrel-chested humanoids with heads resembling a mix of a wild boar and a Warthog. The males often bear two sets of tusks, the lager tusks on their lower jaw range in size from about 8 inches long to great, curling weapons easily three times that length, while the significantly smaller tusks on their upper jaw range from 3 inches long to a mighty 9 inches in length. They often ornament their tusks with metal rings or sheathe them in metal to protect them from damage.

Manes of thick shaggy fur extend down Bristlebacks' necks and powerful backs, and males have long tufts of hair on their chins and cheeks. Their legs end in heavy, cloven hooves. Bristlebacks are born with thick, tough hide, coated in a layer of thick fur, but Bristlebacks of the Gold-Tusk clan (and some others) have their Chests, abdominals, and biceps shaved and tattooed as part of a coming-of-age ceremony; in which they are expected to wrestle a large beast, that has been selected by the clans matriarch, to the ground and kill it with their bare hands.

Fury and Tenacity

Bristlebacks are tenacious with a battle lust only matched by few other race's. They are found among the Plains and mountains of Aeozorynn, but the Bristlebacks of the Gold-Tusk clan, long associated with the Ironside pact, which contains the Gold-Tusk clan, Blood-Tusk clan, and Hairy-Hooligan clan, are much better known and respected. Both the Blood-tusk, Gold-Tusk, and Hairy-Hooligan Bristlebacks often choose to either fight alone or in small groups after barreling through the front lines of an enemy formation in a wild, unyielding charge.

Bristlebacks tend to vent their outrage through violence, and while they are typically quick to anger They are passionate, loving their friends and partners fiercely, and they laugh loud and long at good jokes.

Clan and Pact

The bristlebacks have few legends that describe a small pantheon of heroes and warriors—perhaps they were once thought of as gods—who established the bristlebacks’ place in the world. Many bristlebacks in Aeozorynn claims to have been a descendant of one of these heroes. The Gold-Tusk clan is the most prominent, with hundreds of members descended from an ancient hero who is said to have taught bristlebacks the arts of war. Other important Clans include the Silverback clan (primarily associated with the Ironside Pact), the Frost-Hoof clan (found scattered among the clans of the mountain born pact), and the Hairy-Hooligan clan (divided between the Blood-Tusk clan and the Gold-Tusk clan, with a significant number in the Silverback clan as well).

Since each of the clans have so many members, bristlebacks don’t usually find it helpful to connect the name of the clan to their personal names; even though Warchief Zargagg of the Ironside Pacts’s Mammoth stone Fortress is a prominent member of the Gold-Tusk clan, he would never call himself Zargagg Gold-Tusk the way a human would.

Bristleback Names

The legends that recount the deeds of ancient bristleback heroes are full of other names as well: those of the retainers, allies, lovers, servants, enemies, and others who played roles, however small, in the lives of the heroes. Almost every bristlebacks name is drawn from that long list of minor characters of legend, so that those folk are never forgotten.

Male Names: Ankog, Boargog, Braggak, Durgh, Doorek, Douzdaan, Ghog, Krugbag, Klodak, Muuba, Nuggag, Pumba, Radug, Rugbug, Slagoton, Sludgton, Shaggob, Trogban, Vroomak, Yaggab, Zargagg

Female Names: Akrab, Bolsa, Cruna, Dakka, Drabana, Eleska, Enkag, Irnaya, Jaska, Kalka, Makla, Noraka, Pesha, Raisha, Sokali, Takyat, Vrokya, Veska, Yelka, Zarka, Zoka

Bristleback Traits

Your Bristleback character has the following racial traits. These traits are also suitable for Bristleback's in other D&D worlds where these people have avoided the demonic influence of Baphomet.

Ability Score Increase

Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Constitution score increases by 1.

Alignment

Most bristlebacks lean toward chaotic alignments.

Size

Bristlebacks average at 7 feet in height, and they have stocky builds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Tusks

Your tusks are natural melee weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Hog Wild

As a bonus action, you can enter a wild frenzy increasing you're movement by 15 feet and granting you resistance to all non magical damage for 1 minute. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Hard Headed Hog

Immediately after you hit a creature with a melee attack as part of the Attack action on your turn, you can use a bonus action to attempt to headbutt that target for 1d4 bludgeoning damage and shoving them. The target must be no more than one size larger than you and within 5 feet of you. Unless it succeeds on a Strength saving throw against a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier, you push it up to 5 feet away from you.

Savage Appearance

You have proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Intimidation or Persuasion.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Bristleback Hog speech.