Homebrew Ettin Species Details

An ettin is a foul, two-headed giant with the crude characteristics of an orc. It never bathes if it can help it, and its thick skin is usually encrusted with a thick layer of dirt and grime beneath the stinking hides it wears. Its long stringy hair hangs in an unkempt mess about its faces, and its breath reeks from mouths filled with crooked teeth and tusks.  

Dual Personality. The twin heads of an ettin are two individuals trapped in the same brutish body. Each head has its own mind, personality, and name, and possesses unique preferences and quirks. Bound from birth, both minds only rarely experience privacy or solitude. This familiarity breeds contempt, and an ettin bullies and argues with itself constantly, its two heads each taking constant offense at the other’s slights.

When other creatures refer to an ettin, they combine its double names to form a single compound name that applies to the creature as a whole. If an ettin has one head named Hargle and another named Vargle, other creatures call the ettin Harglevargle.

Solitary Lives. As much as an ettin argues with itself, it is even less tolerant of other ettins, since a conversation between two ettins almost always amounts to a shouting match between a crowd of four belligerent heads. Most ettins are solitary creatures as a result, tolerating one another only to reproduce.

Two Heads Are Better Than One. When focused on a mutually beneficial purpose or united by a common threat, an ettin can resolve its personality differences and dedicate itself fully to a task. An ettin fights with a weapon in each hand, making twin attacks directed by its respective heads. When an ettin sleeps, one of its heads remains ever alert, gaining its only moments of privacy and keeping two eyes open for any creature that disturbs its precious solitude.

Ettin Traits

Two heads can be better than one, even if neither of them is really smart.

Ability Score Increase

Your constitution is increased by 2, and your strength is increased by 2. 

You have a -2 to your Intelligence ability score.  You also have disadvantage on saving throws and ability checks based on Intelligence.  

Age

An ettin's average lifespan is 75 years, but has been known to last as long as 120 years.

Size

You are a large creature.  You stand between 10 and 13 feet tall and weigh between 350 and 500 pounds.

Speed

You have a walking speed of 40.

Darkvision

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 grey.

Natural Armor

You have tough skin. When you aren’t wearing armor, your AC is 14 + your Dexterity 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.  

Two Heads

The ettin has advantage on Wisdom ability checks.  They also have advantage on Constitution saving throws.

Wakeful

When one of the ettin's heads is asleep, its other head is awake.  They will need a total of 8 hours rest to qualify as a long rest.

Languages

You can speak, read and write Giant.  You can speak enough Common to get by.

Uncertainty, Indecision, or Intense Focus

At the start of your turn when in combat, roll a d20. If you roll a 1, your two heads disagree on what action they want to take and you waste your primary action arguing with yourself.  If you roll a 20, the heads will completely agree on what to do.  You can take a second action in place of your bonus action.