Homebrew Giff Species Details

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.

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

Here are the racial traits for the Giff

Language Proficency

The Giff can read, write and speak common.

Ability Score Increase

The Giff has a +4 to Strength, + 3 to Constitution, +2 to Dexterity, and a +1 to Wisdom and Charisma.

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 DC 14 Strength saving throw or take 2d6 bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone.

Firearms Knowledge

The giff’s mastery of its weapons enables it to ignore the loading property of muskets and pistols.

Fragmentation Gernade

The giff 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 5d6 piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. This can be used once per long rest.

Age

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

Alignment

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

Size

Giff are big, bulky and can be as tall as 8 feet. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.