Homebrew Canus Species Details

Born from the vast, wild plains of a distant land, the Canus are doglike humanoids renowned for their unwavering sense of loyalty and dedication. In ancient times, Canus roamed in tightly-knit packs, where bonds of trust and cooperation were the essence of survival. Over centuries, as they encountered other societies, they began to assimilate into the larger world. Though they no longer live in packs, their intrinsic sense of kinship endures, now directed toward the communities they protect and the causes they hold dear.

The word of a Canus is their bond, and to pledge themselves to a cause is a sacred act. Whether they swear to protect a village, uphold a noble quest, or defend a companion, they see their commitment through to the bitter end, no matter the personal cost. This undying loyalty has led some to call them idealistic, yet the Canus strive to live in accordance with a moral code that reflects their pure desire for good.

Sporting Group

Sporting Canus are naturally active and alert. They first worked closely with hunters to locate and/or retrieve prey. A sporting Canus is known for their superior instincts in the water and in the woods.

Herding Group

Herding Canus have an instinctual ability to persuade others and do well in groups. They have an inherent desire to gather and a strong desire to protect their community. A herding Canus is also very agile and can run for miles without stopping.

Working Group

Canus of the Working kind are strong, watchful, and alert. They excel as guards and other forms of physical labor. Working Canus are also the largest of the Canus groups, which lead many to believe they are a different species than the other Canus.

Canus Traits

As a Canus, you gain the following traits.

Creature Type

You are Humanoid.

Size

You are Medium or Small (about 3–6 feet tall). You choose the size when you select this race.

Speed

Your walking speed is 30 feet, and you have a burrowing speed of 10 feet.

Darkvision

You have Darkvision with a range of 60 feet.

Bite

You can use your fangs to make a bite attack, with which you have proficiency. When you hit with them, the strike deals 1d6 + your Strength modifier piercing damage.

Canus Group

You are part of a group that grants you additional abilities. Choose a group from the Canus Groups table. You gain the benefits of that group.

Canus Groups

Group	Group Proficiency	Group Trait
Sporting	You have proficiency in the Survival skill.	Your Speed increases to 35 feet and you gain a Swim Speed equal to your Speed. Additionally, when you take the Dash action, you can ignore difficult terrain created by natural elements.
Herding	You have proficiency in the Persuasion skill.	Once per turn, on your turn, when you move 15 feet or more towards an ally within 60 feet of you, that ally may use its reaction to move up to half its speed without provoking opportunity attacks. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all uses after a long rest.
Working	You have proficiency in the Intimidation skill.	As a bonus action, you can let out an especially menacing bark. Creatures of your choice within 10 feet of you that can hear you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of you until the end of your next turn. The DC of the save equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Keen Senses

You have proficiency in the Perception skill, and you have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.