Homebrew Ettin-Kin Species Details

Branching Species

While ettins have occupied the Forgotten Realms for thousands of years, ettin-kin are a result of only a few hundred years of evolution, and are arguably a different species. This evolution was caused when a few tribes of orcs took some wild ettins and forced them into labor to help build and protect lairs, as well as fight for them. The result of this, centuries later, is the smaller, slightly more intelligent ettin-kin.

Same Body, Different Styles

Thanks to evolving mostly within caves meant for orcs, ettin-kin are shorter than their wild brethren, growing up to be around 7 to 8 feet tall, and weighing just 350 to 450 pounds. They are generally bulky creatures, with broad shoulders and long arms. Their skin tones can range anywhere from pink to brownish to grey, and their hair is usually brown or black. Females are usually bulkier than the males, and males usually have beards. Their faces are orc-like, with scrunched-looking faces, small foreheads, and prominent lower tusks. What makes them stand out the most, though, is their two heads. Each of their heads has its own personality, and therefore its own style. One head might be shaved bald and the other could have long, messy hair and a beard.

Messy Culture

While ettin-kin are raised amongst and work for orcs, they generally care little for the orcs' gods, and therefore care little for mindless slaughter. Centuries of assimilation into orc society didn't do nothing to their minds, though. Ettin-kin are generally more intelligent than their wild counterparts, and have a higher sense of honor. Whether that means being more open-minded or never sneaking up on an enemy varies from individual to individual, but it exists in almost every ettin-kin. Along with that, they've developed a sense of loyalty or family, and can grow close to those who earn their trust.

Ettin-kin don't have societies of their own, but that doesn't mean they lack their own culture. While their orc cave-mates revere their own pantheon, ettin-kin worship one of a couple of gods. One of these gods is Grolantor, the primary patron of hill giants, though they might call him by a different name, such as Grolettinor or Grelinor. Many believe him to be the creator of their species, though Grolantor rarely, if ever, grants ettin-kin any power. Their other major deity is the two-headed demon lord known as the Prince of Demons or the Demogorgon. Those who don't believe that Grolantor created the ettin-kin believe the Demogorgon did, and they are often granted dark power for doing so if they are faithful enough.

Ettin-kin usually have trouble trusting other races, but are easier to befriend than their unsophisticated kin. In fact, wild ettins usually regard ettin-kin with disgust or contempt, and might attack them on sight. As a result, ettin-kin return the favor. The only races they can easily trust are orcs or goblinoids, but even they have to earn it. The only creature they trust almost completely is their other head, and that's out of necessity. Even with that trust, the heads of an ettin-kin might not get along, or even resent each other, but each knows they need the other to survive.

Freedom, Wanderlust, and Collecting

An ettin-kin who takes up the adventuring life might do so simply to get away from their enslavement. Being more intelligent than wild ettins, another motivation might be a wanderlust, a desire to explore the world for themselves and see what it has to offer. Or, still being ettins, they might begin to explore the world in search of things they can collect, such as animal skins, pieces of art, or gemstones. Whatever the reason, ettin-kin aren't well known in the Forgotten Realms, so they'll probably be met with fear by strangers.

Ettin-Kin Names

Ettin-kin are usually referred to using compound names for the whole individual, and parts of that name to refer to the individual heads. The right head is usually referred to with the first one or two syllables of the name, and the left with the last one or two syllables. Ettin-kin do not have gendered names, so any name can apply to any gender. When the ettin-kin as a whole is referred to, it is in the singular sense, such as 'he' or 'her.'

Example Names: Hogger-Bogger, Noggin Knocker, Kling-Klang, Bing-Bong, Frothmouth, Drarak

Ettin-Kin Traits

Ettin-Kin are quite unique in that they share a body with another person, and their traits often reflect or compliment that.

Ability Score Increase

Your Strength score increases by 2 and your Constitution score increases by 1. This only applies to you and your other head once total.

Age

Ettin-kin reach adulthood at 2 or 3 years of age, and live up to 70 years.

Alignment

Ettin-kin are usually chaotic in nature as a result of both being raised by orcs and their lack of any privacy. They are often neutral or evil, but good ettin-kin aren't unheard of.

Size

Due to domestication by orcs over hundreds of years, ettin-kin are shorter than their wild brethren. You are between 7 and 8 feet tall, and weigh between 350 and 450 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 40. You share your speed with your other head, and together you can use your total speed each round. For example, if you were first in the initiative roll, you could move 25 feet on your turn, then your sibling could move up to 15 feet on their turn for a total of 40 feet.

Conjoined

You share your body with another head. You only have control of your corresponding arm. For example, if you are the left head, you control the left arm. You share control of your legs and the rest of your body with your other head.

You and your other head share maximum health, current health, equipped set of armor, AC, inventory, and always occupy the same space. To calculate maximum health, use the formula: Your character level hit points + Your other head's character level hit points + Your shared CON modifier per level. If you aren't proficient in an armor type but your other head is, you may wear it as if you were proficient in it, and vice versa. However, any armor restrictions (such as the druid's aversion to metal armor) still apply.

You share your Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity stats. When you roll a Strength, Constitution, or Dexterity saving throw or ability check that requires the use of more than one arm, both you and your other head must roll and average the two rolls together, rounding down. Your individual roll gains (dis)advantage and/or a bonus, such as proficiency, as you would add it, and is then averaged with your other head's number. Only when it is averaged do you add your shared ability modifier to get the final result.

You each have individual Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma stats, and you each roll your own saving throws or ability checks involving those stats. You also each have and roll for your own initiative, and have your own turns.

When you and your other head gain the Ability Score Increase feature through leveling, you can't put more than two points into the same physical stat between the two of you. If you and your other head both have an identical feat or feature that gives a physical ability score bonus or an AC, speed, or hit point increase, you only apply it once; they do not stack.

Feats and features that affect your physical body affect both you and your other head. For example, if one head had the paladin's Divine Health feature, it would make both heads immune to disease. However, if that feature or feat requires the head who has it to actively use it, only that head can take advantage of it. For example, only the head with the Athlete feat could take advantage of its bonuses, besides its Strength or Dexterity increase, which it would share with its other head. The head without Athlete would need to use up half of their shared movement if it stood up on its turn, while the head with it would only spend 5 feet if it did so on its turn.

Any Resistances, Immunities, or Vulnerabilities that you have or your other head has are shared with the other head.

Spells or abilities that affect your physical body affect both of you. Any damage you take, your other head also takes. You share any physical conditions affecting your body with your other head, but not mental or head-affecting ones ones (Blinded, Charmed, Deafened, Frightened, or Stunned). Poison and area-of-effect damage sources, such as spells, only affect you and your other head once, except for psychic area-of-affect damage sources, which will hurt each head individually to damage your shared body twice.

If you or your other head have a damage-over-time effect on them, it is only applied on your or their turn, respectively.

If you are or your other head is transformed, the transformation affects both of you. You will transform as normal, except you will keep your two individual heads, and continue sharing control of your body. If the transformation is total, like the druid's Wild Shape Feature or the Polymorph spell, you retain your Conjoined, Tug O' War, and Wakeful traits.

Like Minds

You may use your item interaction on your turn to have your other head draw or stow a weapon if they agree to it.

If a target leaves your melee attack range, only you or your other head may use a reaction to perform an attack of opportunity; you cannot both do so. You and your other head can decide amongst yourselves who will, if anyone.

In order to make a ranged attack with a weapon with the ammunition property, the head not wielding the weapon must have a free hand. However, you may fire a weapon with the loading property if it is loaded even if your other head's hand is not free. To load it, though, their hand must be free. If you have the Crossbow Expert feat, you can use it if your other head is wielding a hand crossbow.

You and your other head can only benefit from the Defense Fighting Style feature once; it does not stack if you both have it.

You may use the Dueling Fighting Style feature even if your other head is wielding a weapon, but cannot use your bonus action to make an attack with their weapon if you do, regardless of what that weapon is.

Thanks to your Giant Ancestry feature, you may use the Great Weapon Fighting style feature even if you are wielding your two-handed or versatile weapon in one hand.

You may use the Protection Fighting Style feature or Shield Master feat only if you wield a shield, not your other head. If you each wield a shield, their AC bonuses do not stack.

In order to take advantage of two-weapon fighting, your other head must be wielding a weapon that applies to the fighting style and be willing to let you use it. You may use the Two-Weapon Fighting Style feature or Dual Wielder feat as if you were wielding two weapons if this is the case.

Darkvision

Accustomed to life in caves and traveling at night, you have superior vision in darkness and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Tug O' War

If your other head is forced to move (like with the Dominate Person spell) or you disagree with their chosen movement, you can use your reaction to fight the movement, attempting to force yourself to go prone. You and your sibling each make a Strength roll against the other. If you are successful, you go prone. If you are unsuccessful, your sibling's movement is enacted.

Level Heads

When your other head is Charmed, Frightened, or Stunned, you can use a bonus action to use a Strength check to slap them out of it, with a DC of 12. If the check succeeds, take 1d6 unarmed damage and remove your other head's Charmed, Frightened, or Stunned status.

To use this feature, your hand must be free and you can't be affected by any of the statuses mentioned above.

Heedless

As a bonus action, you can move up to half your speed toward an enemy of your choice that you can see or hear. You must end this move closer to the enemy than you started. Once you use this trait, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.

Giant Ancestry

As a result of your giant lineage, you can wield two-handed weapons you are proficient with in one hand, and can use the higher damage die of versatile weapons you are proficient with when wielding them in one hand.

Powerful Build

You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

Wakeful

You can be awake while your sibling sleeps, and vice versa. While your other head sleeps, you can move your arm and use your hand, but cannot walk. You can also make other minor movements, like turning your body or even eating.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, Giant, and Orc. Growing up around both orcs and other ettins, picking up all of these languages was crucial for your survival.

Previous Versions

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