Homebrew Hogliath Species Details

In the lowest swamps and marshes — far below the slopes where trees grow and where the air is thick with horrible stench — dwell the reclusive hogliaths. Few folk can claim to have seen a hogliath, and fewer still can claim friendship with them. hogliaths wander a bleak realm of swamp, mud, and muck. Their bodies look as if they are formed from mud and concrete and give them great physical power. Their spirits are thick and complacent, making them often farmers or dam builders or other jobs that only those who’ve embraced soil and filth can endure. Their hearts are infused with the warmest regard of their mucky realm, leaving each hogliath with the desire to protect it at all costs.

Pigging out

Hogliaths often are found splurging in food, beer or anything else that satisfies their hungry desires. Known hoarders and cheapskates, they will search everywhere for loot and will not pay any expenses unless deemed necessary to get rare stuff. A hogliath is more likely to be found sleeping in the horse stables eating dog food than spending an innate amount of gold or silver pieces on room and board at an inn. Anything that this creature finds will become theirs until he can either trade it for more stuff or sell it to buy more stuff. If any character tries to take something from it, it will attack them with all the power it can muster. Their bags tend to be 5 to 10x larger than the average adventurer.

Cast pearls before swine

For hogliaths, competition only exists when it is over resources. Competition measures the ability of stinginess and ability to collect. The greatest leaders in their home territory are those with the most stuff, an abundance of magic items, money, and other elements that display power and authority. Hogliaths happily rely on such benefits and are very careful to remember that such an advantage can always be lost. A hogliath relies on them and grows complacent, they won’t accept any amount of goods as enough.

This trait manifests most strongly when hogliaths interact with other folk. The existence of homeless and peasants puzzles hogliaths. If a peasant lacks money and resources, then clearly they should work harder to gain a substantial living. Hogliaths rarely keep such opinions to themselves, and mock folk that rely on nobility or other societal aid.

Hog wild

Among hogliaths, any person who is a waste of time, money, or resources is immediately a burden.. If a character does this consistently, hogliaths can and will attack you without a second thought . hogliaths have little pity for adults who can’t take care of themselves, though a sick or injured individual is treated, as a result of the hogliath concept of wasting a precious resource (a life).

A permanently injured hogliath is still expected to pull his or her weight at the farm. Typically, such a hogliath dies attempting to keep up, or the hogliath slips away in the night to meet the cold embrace of the marsh.

In some ways, the hogliath drive to hoard everything feeds into the grim inevitability of their decline and death. A hogliath would much rather die surrounded by riches and resources, at the peak of wealth and power, than endure the slow decay into poverty and, even worse, cleanliness. Few folk have ever met an elderly hogliath, and even those hogliaths who have left their people grapple with the urge to take everything for themselves..

Because of their greed, it is very difficult for a hogliath to relate with others in their communities or in the outside world. They generally focus on what they can get instead of how they can help others. Some may call this selfish, some unwise, but to them it’s a good living.

Hogliath Names

Every hogliath has three names: a birth name assigned by the piglet’s mother and father, a nickname assigned by the wealthiest of the community, and a family or clan name. A birth name is up to three syllables long. Clan names are 2 syllables or more and are pig latin.

Birth names are linked to gender. Hogliaths specialize females and males in jobs that fit pertaining to gender. To a hogliath, the only force that unites families is the desire to accumulate as much as possible.

A hogliath’s nickname is a description that can change on the whim of the Aïdes (the wealthiest hogliath). It refers to a quality that describes the hogliath. Hogliaths assign and use nicknames with their friends of other races, and change them to refer to an individual’s qualities.

Hogliaths present all three names when identifying themselves, in the order of birth name, nickname, and clan name. In casual conversation, they use their nickname.

Birth Names: Bacon, Frankfurter, Hamm, Hamhock, Hamlet, Jimmy Dean, Kosher, Porkchop, Porky, Sausage, Slim, Smokey, Chewbacon, Hammock, Swine-flu

Nicknames: Golding, Gilded, Capital, Cash-bag, Treasure, Greedy, Gold-digger, Alligator-arms

Clan Names: Ellsmay, Ilthfay, Arshmay, Wampsay, Ushmay, Tenchsay, Rossgay, Eekray, Tinksay

Hogliath Traits

Hogliaths 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 2.

Age

Hogliaths have lifespans in between a pigs and a humans. They enter adulthood in their early teens and usually live about 60 years.

Alignment

Hogliath society, with its selfishness and greed, are neutrally bent. The hogliath desire for everything and anything is a compulsiveness that many consider chaotic, but to them it's normal.

Size

Hogliaths are between 5 and 7 feet tall and weigh between 280 and 340 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Farmer/Swamper

Farm cultivation skill and ability to crawl through murky nasty environments. The intuitive sense of the land unlocks a hidden ability in all hogliaths. Every hogliath, despite class, is able to cast the spell plant growth once under the sun each day. This means not at night and not more than once each daytime.

Natural Athlete

You have proficiency in the Athletics skill.

Filth's Endurance

You can focus yourself to occasionally shrug off injury. When you take damage, you can use your reaction to roll a d12. Add your Constitution modifier to the number rolled, and reduce the damage by that total. After you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Powerful Build

You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

Languages

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