Homebrew Tanarukk Species Details

Homeless, tribeless, and hunted; this is the lot of the tanarukk, especially among its orcish cousins. The orc deities consider the blessing of Baphomet to be a betrayal of their worship and a crime punishable by obliteration. Orcish zealots view tanarukks as horrid blasphemies that must be attacked on sight.

Abyssal Bloodline

Tanarukks are derived from orcish bloodlines, and in the broadest possible sense, they still look orcish. However, their abyssal heritage has left a clear imprint on their appearance. Tanarukks have one or more sets of horns that take any of a variety of shapes: some have curling horns like a ram, others have wide and jagged horns like a bull or ox, and some spiral upward like an antelopes’ horns. They also often have bony protrusions or ridges on their knees, elbows, and shoulders which can make regular armor or clothing difficult to wear, requiring customization. Tanarukk walk on their toes in a manner similar to other digitgrades and their canine teeth are sharply pointed. Their eyes typically have black, brown or red sclera rather than white, and their pupil-less irises are solid black, white, red, orange, or yellow. Their unnaturally tough skin ranges in tone to include grey, red, brown, and a mottled green. Albino (white) or melanistic (black) skin tones are also not unheard of. Their hair is short, bristly and usually dark, in shades of black, brown, grey, and dark red.

Self-Reliant and Slow to Trust

Tannarukks subsist in small minorities found mostly in orcish strongholds or wandering nomadically in mountainous, hilly, and underdark regions. Those who have thrown off the yolk of Baphomet sometimes migrate to the roughest quarters of human settlements, where they grow up to be thugs and crime lords. Sometimes they live among other minority populations who suffer similar prejudices. It is not uncommon for a fringe community to include tieflings, half-orcs, and tanarukks.

Lacking a homeland, tanarukks know that they have to make their own way in the world and that they have to be strong to survive. They are slow to trust and skeptical of generosity, but when a tanarukk 's companions demonstrate that they trust him or her, the tanarukk learns to extend the same trust to them. Tanarukks respect strength above all, and companions who prove to be formidable can expect to earn a tanarukk's esteem and loyalty.

Tanarukk Names

Tanarukk raised in orcish cultures have orcish names. Tanarukks born into another culture typically have names reflective of that culture. Some have names derived from the abyssal language, passed down through generations, that reflect their demonic heritage. And some younger tanarukks, striving to find a place in the world, adopt a name that signifies a virtue or other concept and then try to embody that concept. 

Male Abyssal Names: Azzog, Bornonod, Brolgrak, Dolgrumin, Gargraraug, Mur'olok, Ozolles, Thug'thoth, Uglach, Zezgon

Female Abyssal Names: Azaerelin, Elrinsya, Felona, Glysieth, Isirless, Qyrora, Rhelneth, Tryxira, Vilinsya, Uhrnila

“Virtue” Names: Aggression, Carrion, Conquest, Creed, Despair, Faithless, Resilience, Sorrow, Temerity, Torment, Woe

MUTUAL MISTRUST

People tend to be suspicious of tanarukks, assuming that their demonic heritage has left its mark on their personality and morality, not just their appearance. While this is often unfortunately true, their are plenty of exceptions. Even still, shopkeepers keep a close eye on their goods and reach for a weapon when a tanarukk enters their stores. The town watch might follow a tanarukk around for a while, and demagogues will blame tanarukks for strange happenings like failed crops and ill luck. Years of dealing with mistrust does leave its mark on most tanarukks, and they respond to it in different ways. Some choose to live up to the wicked stereotype, while others spend their whole lives fighting against the perception. Most are simply very aware of how people respond to them. After dealing with this mistrust throughout youth, a tanarukk often develops the ability to overcome prejudice through avoidance or intimidation.

Tanarukk Traits

Tanarukk share certain racial traits as a result of their demonic descent.

Ability Score Increase

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

Age

Tanarukks mature at the same rate as orcs but live a few years longer.

Alignment

Tanarukks have an innate tendency toward evil, but those raised without a demonic influence have a chance to be a rare departure from the mold. Evil or not, an unpredictable nature inclines many tanarukks toward a chaotic alignment.

Size

Tanarukks are larger and bulkier than many humans but somewhat smaller than full-blood orcs. They range from 5 and a half to 6 and a half feet tall and weigh 200-250 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision

Thanks to your abyssal heritage, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. 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.

Aggressive

As a bonus action, you can move up to your speed toward an enemy of your choice that you can see or hear. You must end this move closer to the enemy than you started.

Menacing

You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill.

Demonic Resistance

You have resistance to fire damage.

Natural Armor

Tanarukks have unnaturally tough, thick skin and hard bony ridges and protrusions near their knees, elbows, and shoulders. Due to the horns and ridges on their heads, tanarukks can never wear helms. A tanarukk's natural AC is 13 + it's Dexterity modifier. The Unarmored Defense feature of Barbarians or Monks to not stack with this natural AC. While some forms of armor can be made to fit a tanarukk, customization costs three times the value of the armor to make, and tanarukks may never wear full plate.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, Orcish and Abyssal.