Homebrew Giff Species Details

Military Organisation. Every aspect of giff society is organised along military lines. From birth until death, every giff has a military rank. It must follow orders from those of a superior rank, and it can give orders to those of lower ranks. Promotions dont depend on age but are granted by a superior as a reward for valour. Giff are devoted to their children, even as most of their education is geared toward fighting and war.

Mercenaries Extraordinaire. Giff are in high demand as warriors for hire, but they insist on serving in units composing of entirely giff; a giff hiring itself out individually is unheard of. Giff refuse to fight other giff, and will never agree to a contract unless it stipulates that they can sit out a battle rather than wage war against their kin. A giff prizes the reputation of its unit above its own life. Life is fleeting, but the regiment endures for generations or even over centuries.

A Wiff of Gunpowder. Muskets and grenades are the favourite weapons of every giff. The bigger the boom, the brighter the flash, and the thicker the smoke it produces, the more giff love a weapon. Their skill with gunpowder is another reason for their popularity as mercenaries. Giff revel in the challenge of building a bomb big enough to level a fortification. They gladly accept payment in kegs of gunpowder in preference to gold, gems or other currency.

No Honour in Magic. Some giff become wizards, clerics and other kinds of spellcasters, but they're so infrequent that most giff mercenary units have no magical capability. Typical giff are as smart as the average human, but their focus on military training to the exclusion of all other areas of study can make them seem dull-witted to those who have more varied interests.

Giff Traits

Headfirst Charge, Powerful Buil, Giff Weapon Training, Natural Armor.

Headfirst Charge.

If you move at least 20 feet straight toward a target and then hit it with a melee weapon attack on the same turn, that creature must succeed on a Strength saving throw with a DC equal to 8 + your Strength modifier + your proficiency bonus, or take 7 (2d6) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone.

The damage increases to 3d6 at 11th level, and 4d6 at 16th level.

Giff Weapon Training

You have been trained to wield firearms since birth. You have proficiency with muskets and pistols, and can ignore their loading property.

Powerful Build

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

Natural Armor

You have thick, leathery skin. When you aren’t wearing armor, your AC is 12 + your Constitution modifier. You can use your natural armor to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC. A shield’s benefits apply as normal while you use your natural armor.