Homebrew Decatoncheires Species Details

Towering over the highest mountain peaks, Hecatoncheiries, enormous giants with one hundred arms and fifty heads, are more a force of nature than anything else. This is rather fitting, as they are Titans, massive living superweapons created by the god Ymir during the war of creation. There are very few Hecatoncheires that exist, and in fact, almost certainly the ones that do exist are most likely sleeping under a mountain somewhere, causing massive earthquakes when they turn over every 3000 years or so.

However, they do have descendants. These giantkin descendants have retained just a bit of that original raw destructive energy. Instead of 100 arms and 50 heads, they have 10 arms and 5 heads. As "Hecatoncheires" means "Hundred-handed" these descendants are called Decatoncheires, meaning "Ten-Handed".

Few folk can claim to even have knowledge of Decatoncheires, and fewer still can claim that they've seen one. Decatoncheires are reclusive nomads who live in the most remote and inaccessible parts of virtually any evironvent. Due to their immensely powerful nature, they're fine with living in these harsh conditions, and prefer to lead quiet lives over nonstop action and adventure. However, any Decatoncheires will move the Nine Hells to stand up for what they think is right.

Multiple Personalities

Each of a Decatoncheires' heads has a distinct personality that still makes sense with the individual. For example, a Decatoncheires' five heads might be a stoic warrior, a strong-willed speaker, an honor-bound leader, a dimwitted but charming meathead, and a witty narcissist.

These heads all have their own individual names, as well as the collective name for the whole being.

These different personalities should be treated like different elements of the same character, and should include some flaws as well as positive character traits.

Head-to-Head Competition

Every day brings a new challenge to a Decatoncheires. Food, water, and shelter are rare in the remote areas these hulking figures make their home. A single mistake can bring doom, while an individual’s head's heroic effort can ensure their survival.

Decatoncheires thus place a premium on self-sufficiency and individual skill between their own five heads. They constantly try to get one up on themselves, counting their deeds and tallying their accomplishments to compare to the others.

A Harsh Lifestyle

A Decantoncheires' parents are a Decantoncheires and another giantkin, such as a goliath or firbolg. Sometimes, they are taken in by the culture of their non Decatoncheires parent, but most often, they are left to strike out on their own once they are able to walk.

Because of this, they are very well adapted to wild environments, and can survive and thrive in almost any environment.

However, Decatoncheires can't really fully adapt to comfortable lifestyle, as they find it too cushy. They're more accustomed to the harsh life of survival that they live out on a day-to-day basis.

Decatoncheires Names

Every Decatoncheires has six names: a birth name and 5 head names.

A birth name is a collective name name assigned by the newborn’s Decatoncheires parent. A birth name is usually up to Eight syllables long.

Birth names names are rarely linked to gender. Decatoncheires see females and males as equal in all things, and they find societies with roles divided by gender to be puzzling or worthy of mockery. To a Decatoncheires, the person who is best at a job should be the one tasked with doing it.

A Decatoncheires' five heads' names are chosen by the Decatoncheires' heads themselves, as they decide what best suits them.

Decatoncheires present only their birth name when identifying themselves. In casual conversation, they use their heads' names.

Birth Names: Apostoliades, Athanellis, Athaniade, Bireas, Charalambos, Demaki, Gabratos, Keothi, Manneo, Maveith, Orilo, Pagonakos, Panagiotis, Pethanti, Speropoulou, Siskatos, Stamopoulos, Theofylaktos, Vaunea,

Head Names: Alecto, Charon, Damocles, Eudora, Iapetos, Lamia, Leto, Medea, Melia, Nestor, Nemesis, Thalia, Thanatos, Themis

Decatoncheires Traits

Decantocheires share a number of traits in common with each other.

Ability Score Increase

Your Strength score increases by 1, and your Constitution score increases by 1, ad your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Age

Due to their elemental heritage, Decatoncheires have lifespans much longer than humans. They enter adulthood in their late teens and live to around 560 years or so.

Alignment

As they primarily rely on the law of the wild, they are most often a neutral alignment.

Size

Decatoncheires are between 8 and 12 feet tall and weigh between 340 and 480 pounds. Your size is Large.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Natural Athlete

You have proficiency in the Athletics skill.

Powerful Figure

Your unique physique lends itself particularly well to defending against attacks. You get +3 to your unarmored AC. This does not stack with monk or barbarian unarmored defense. In addition, your body makes it very hard to wear armor effectively. Because of this, your AC with armor is permanently 10, and you suffer one level of encumbrance while wearing it. you may use a shield as normal.

Ten-Handed

You have 10 arms, and may wield weapons as such.

• You may wield up to 10 one-handed weapons or 5 two-handed weapons or a mix of both simultaneously. You may attack with two separate weapons in one turn, but only if both are one-handed and at least one of them are denoted as light. You suffer the other normal penalties for dual wielding as well, unless stated otherwise. You may only carry one Heavy weapon at one time.
• You have proficiency with your unarmed strikes and improvised weapons.

Force of Nature

As a bonus action, you can call upon the raw destructive power of your ancestors. This wears off after a round and returns after a long rest.

• Your weight and the amount you can push, drag, or lift is doubled.
• You gain a temporary +3 bonus to your strength.
• You have advantage on all strength checks made in the round.
• Your speed is temporarily doubled.
• You can move through the space of any creature of a size smaller than or equal to you. If you do, you make an unarmed strike attack against them when you do so and they take 1d4 damage if you hit.

Cumbersome

Your massive physical form makes it very hard for you to hide. You have disadvantage on stealth checks.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Giant.