Homebrew Giff Species Details

It’s easy to spot the giff in a room: a group of 7-foot-tall, hippopotamus-headed humanoids attired in gaudy military uniforms, with gleaming pistols and muskets on display. These spacefaring mercenaries are renowned for their martial training and their love of explosives.

Military Organization. Every aspect of giff society is organized along military lines. From birth until death, every giff has a military rank. It must follow orders from those of superior rank, and it can give orders to those of lower rank. Promotions don’t depend on age but are granted by a superior as a reward for valor. Giff are devoted to their children, even as most of their education is geared toward fighting and war.

Mercenaries Extraordinaire. Giff are in high demand as warriors for hire, but they insist on serving in units composed entirely of giff; a giff hiring itself out individually is unheard of. Giff refuse to fight other giff, and will never agree to a contract unless it stipulates that they can sit out a battle rather than wage war against their kin. A giff prizes the reputation of its unit above its own life. Life is fleeting, but the regiment endures for generations or even centuries. Separated from your company, you must take on work while trying to find your way back.

A Whiff of Gunpowder. Muskets and grenades are the favorite weapons of every giff. The bigger the boom, the brighter the flash, and the thicker the smoke it produces, the more giff love a weapon. Their skill with gunpowder is another reason for their popularity as mercenaries. Giff revel in the challenge of building a bomb big enough to level a fortification. They gladly accept payment in kegs of gunpowder in preference to gold, gems, or other currency.

No Honor in Magic. Some giff become wizards, clerics, and other kinds of spellcasters, but they’re so infrequent that most giff mercenary units have no magical capability. Typical giff are as smart as the average human, but their focus on military training to the exclusion of all other areas of study can make them seem dull-witted to those who have more varied interests.

Giff Traits

Your Giff character has the following racial traits.

Ability Score Increase

Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Constitution score increases by 1.

Age

Giff mature faster than humans, reaching adulthood at 14 and old age at 60. They can live to 90 years.

Alignment

Giff have a reputation for honouring contracts: many are Lawful Neutral. They are less concerned about the ethics of those contracts, so Good giff tend to be less common.

Size

Giff are bulky and tall, and can be as tall as 9 feet. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

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 gray.

Headfirst Charge

The giff can try to knock a creature over; if the giff moves at least 20 feet in a straight line that ends within 5 feet of a Large or smaller creature, that creature must succeed on a Strength saving throw or take 7 (2d6) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Strength modifier + your proficiency bonus and the damage increases to 3d6 at 6th level, 4d6 at 11th level, and 5d6 at 16th level.

Firearms Knowledge

Your training from a young age grants your proficiency with muskets and pistols and also enables you to ignore the loading property of these weapons.

Military Training

Your extensive training grants you proficiency with Medium Armour.

Fragmentation Grenade

Your thorough training and love for gunpower allows you throws a grenade up to 60 feet. Each creature within 20 feet of the grenade’s detonation must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 17 (5d6) piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Once you use this trait your cannot do so again until you complete a long rest as you savour the memory of the previous blast.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra language of your choice. Giff typically learn the languages of other peoples they deal with.