Homebrew Worg (Goblin Dog) Species Details
Worgs are fearsome monstrosities born from a twisted union of wild dogs and bugbears, embodying both animalistic ferocity and unsettling intelligence. Standing 4 to 5 feet tall, these powerful pack hunters possess thick hides and dense fur that serve as natural armor, sharp jaws capable of delivering devastating bites, and hand-like front paws that allow them to wield weapons and even perform magic. Their keen senses and predatory instincts make them formidable on the battlefield, where they move swiftly on all fours or rise onto their hind legs when needed. Worgs are cunning combatants with an uncanny ability to coordinate attacks, and their strange physiology allows them to carry riders and navigate diverse terrains—though climbing presents a challenge due to their quadrupedal build. Despite their bestial heritage, their unsettling mix of monstrous traits and goblinoid cunning make them more than mere talking beasts, but true threats to any who cross their path.
Worg (Goblin Dog) Traits
As a Worg, you have the following special traits.Creature Type
You are a Monstrosity. You are also considered a goblinoid for any prerequisite or effect that requires you to be a goblinoid.
Size
You are Medium (about 4–5 feet tall).
Speed
You have a walking speed of 40 feet (25 when bipedal).
Darkvision
You have Darkvision with a range of 60 feet.
Keen Senses
You have proficiency in the Insight, Perception, or Survival skill, and you have Advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Bite
Your formidable jaws are a natural weapon, which you can use to make Unarmed Strikes. If you hit with them, you deal Piercing damage equal to 1d8 plus your Strength modifier in place of the normal Bludgeoning damage of your Unarmed Strike.
Pack Hunter
You can use the Help action as a Bonus Action.
Natural Armor
Your dense fur and thick hide provide you with natural armor. While you aren’t wearing armor, your base Armor Class equals 12 plus your Dexterity modifier. You can still benefit from a shield.
Unnatural Paws
Your front paws are disturbingly hand-like, allowing you to use them as hands when standing bipedally (see the Strange Quadruped feature).
Strange Quadruped
You have several traits based on your quadrupedal body shape.
• You can perform the Somatic components of spells with your front paws, even when quadrupedal.
• You can use a reaction to stand on your hind legs, but your speed is reduced to 25 ft when standing bipedally.
• You can stand up from the Prone condition with only 5 ft of movement, but you stand quadrupedally when you stand in this way.
• You can carry a rider of Medium size or smaller. You also count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity.
• You cannot wear armor designed for humanoids, you must wear barding instead. The cost is four times the equivalent armor made for humanoids, and it weighs twice as much.
• Any climb that requires hands is especially difficult for you. When you make such a climb, each foot of movement costs you 4 extra feet, instead of the normal 1 extra foot.
(In the character builder, you can set this to Bipedal to reflect the speed change on your character sheet.)
Canine Languages
You are able to learn languages spoken by sapient canine creatures. You speak Worg and one other canine language of your choice. Whenever you would be able to learn a language, you can choose to learn a canine language instead (Blink Dog instead of Elvish, for example). Additionally, as an animal, you are exempt from the rule against teaching or learning Druidic.
Canine Languages include the following languages: Worg, Winter Wolf, Druidic, Gnoll, Giant, and Blink Dog. Your DM may expand or reduce this list for their campaign, so be sure to check with them.
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