Homebrew Groucher Species Details

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Dwelling high in the mountains, grouchers are a traditionally reclusive, largely misunderstood community. Maligned by many as mean-tempered spoilsports, few outsiders have knowledge of the grouchers’ true way of life. Although their name has no negative connotations in their own culture, the fact that elsewhere it is synonymous with unhappiness does not help the grouchers’ reputation.

Adapted for the Elements

A groucher’s most striking physical feature is the double-layered fur that covers their entire body. Long green hairs form the outer layer, while a dense underlayer of transparent, hollow hairs provides insulation next to the groucher’s skin. If a groucher travels into warm climates, this underlayer will sometimes start to shed, leaving them looking somewhat bedraggled. They don’t require clothing for warmth, but often wear utility jackets lined with pockets.

Grouchers stand between 4 feet to 5 feet tall, and can weigh anywhere from 80 to 120 pounds. They typically build up their fat reserves during the coldest months to maintain their energy levels and counter potential food scarcity. Grouchers have long slender limbs with dexterous fingers and toes, which provide the fierce grip needed to clamber up steep rocky inclines.

Function Over Fun

Grouchers have an advanced technological culture, honed over many generations of sustaining life in harsh environments. Some grouchers specialise in navigation and laying traps, others in the creation of tools and weapons.

Scarce resources also mean grouchers typically value efficiency, sustainability and reject waste of any form. This efficiency is evident in their direct way of speaking, which can seem rude to outsiders. It is also where claims grouchers dislike festivities originate from. In fact, it is more accurate to say that grouchers do not generally have a history of celebrating or gift giving, as these activities are seen as a waste of resources. When a groucher encounters another society’s celebrations, they can react in a variety of ways, ranging from curiosity, derision, jealousy or confusion.

Lift at Altitude

Groucher communities often reside in inhospitable mountaintop villages. Their incredibly engineered dwellings cling to the mountainside and feature sharply angled turrets and towers that seem to defy the rules of physics. Reinforced rope bridges connect snow-capped peaks and sway violently in the bitterly cold winds. Traps encircle the settlements to protect the grouchers against any hungry predators who might stray too close.

Some grouchers will spend periods of time further down the mountains, typically those who specialise in farming. Pickled vegetables are transported up the mountain and form most of the groucher diet over the winter months. It is extremely rare for a groucher to venture any further from their mountain.

Outside studies have failed to get an accurate estimation of how large the groucher population is. Some accounts claim groups of green-scaled grouchers live amongst sweltering desert dunes, while communities with webbed feet can supposedly be found in deep caves that are only accessible underwater. As with most outside reports of grouchers, little of this information can be trusted.

Naming Conventions

Groucher names are typically short and inherited from an older relative. The existing pool of names is generally seen as fit for purpose and inventing something unique is considered an unnecessary luxury. This means multiple siblings, colleagues and neighbours often share the same name. In these cases, a descriptor is added to distinguish between individuals. These descriptive names are not permanent and can change three to four times over a groucher’s lifetime, for example Young Mik may later become known as Quick Mik, Strong Mik or Old Mik.

Groucher Names: Aarn, Art, Byl, Cal, Cip, Dee, Dun, Edd, Fyll, Greg, Grin, Hans, Jen, Jev, Jim, Mag, Mik, Nic, Rey, Sal, Syd, Su, Trev, Ub, Vyn, Wan, Wez, Zik.

Groucher Traits

Your groucher character is efficient, and has adapted well to the harsh environment they grew up in.

Ability Score Increase

Your Constitution score increases by 2 and your Intelligence or Dexterity score increases by 1.

Age

Grouchers are considered adults after their 10th birthday and, if they can survive in their dangerous surroundings, can live to around 75 years of age.

Alignment

The personality of a groucher is forged in the bleak and wild conditions that they call home, and the harsh realities each one of them must face on a daily basis. Because of this, grouchers often lean towards neutral alignments.

Size

The furry and somewhat hunched form of a groucher stands between 4 feet and 5 feet tall. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision

Living in dark mountain caves has allowed your eyes to adapt to both light and dark 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 colour in darkness, only shades of grey.

Mountain Born

Your green, double-layered fur offers great defence against biting winds and snow flurries. You have resistance to cold damage, and are acclimatised to high altitude, including elevations above 20,000 feet.

Tool Proficiency

You gain proficiency with the artisan’s tools of your choice: smith’s tools, tinker’s tools or mason’s tools.

Keen Survivalist

Growing up in a harsh environment has given you a well-rounded insight into the natural world. You gain proficiency with one of the following skills of your choice: Survival or Nature.

Trap Familiarity

Due to your experience with traps, you know the sound of a trigger all too well. You have advantage on Investigation checks made to find traps, and advantage on saving throws made to avoid or resist them.

Extra Language

You can speak, read and write Common and one other language of your choice.