Homebrew Ettin Runt Species Details

The twin heads of an ettin are two individuals trapped in the same brutish body. Each head has its own mind, personality, and name, and possesses unique preferences and quirks. Bound from birth, both minds only rarely experience privacy or solitude. This familiarity breeds contempt, and an ettin bullies and argues with itself constantly, its two heads each taking constant offense at the other's slights.

When other creatures refer to an ettin, they combine its double names to form a single compound name that applies to the creature as a whole. If an ettin has one head named Hargle and another named Vargle, other creatures call the ettin Harglevargle.

As much as an ettin argues with itself, it is even less tolerant of other ettins, since a conversation between two ettins almost always amounts to a shouting match between a crowd of four belligerent heads. Most ettins are solitary creatures as a result, tolerating one another only to reproduce. An ettin's twin  eads are always the same gender, with a body to match. Females are the dominant gender among ettins, and they initiate the ettins' mating rituals. After finding a suitable den, a female ettin hunts and conquers a male, which cares for and feeds her during her six month pregnancy. Once the child is born, the male ettin is released from servitude. When the child is old enough to hunt for itself, the mother sends it away and abandons the den.

When focused on a mutually beneficial purpose or united by a common threat, an ettin can resolve its personality differences and dedicate itself fully to a task. An ettin fights with a weapon in each hand, making twin attacks directed by its respective heads. When an ettin sleeps, one of its heads remains ever alert, gaining its only moments of privacy and keeping  two eyes open for any creature that disturbs its precious solitude.

In ancient dialects of Common, the word "ettin" translates as "ugly giant." Legends tell of orcs that once stumbled upon a temple to Demogorgon, the magic of which transformed them  into giant mockeries of the twin-headed Prince of Demons. Driven to near madness, these creatures scattered into the wilderness to become the first ettins. Whatever the truth of the ettins' origin, orcs treat them as distant cousins, and orc tribes often entice ettins to serve as guards, scouts, and marauders. An ettin is n't particularly loyal to its ore handlers, but the orcs can win it over with the promise of food and loot. 

Ettin Runt Traits

Ettin runts are ostracized giant-kin, known for their propensity to smash things

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Age

Ettin runts mature quickly, reaching adulthood in around 10 years. They usually live to be somewhere between 60-70 years old.

Alignment

Most ettin runts trend toward the chaotic neutral or chaotic evil alignments.

Languages

You speak Common and your choice between Giant or Orcish.

Two Heads are better than One

Due to having two heads, you have the following bonuses:

• You are trained in the Perception skill.
• Each head has advantage on saving throws against being charmed, deafened, and stunned.
• While one head is sleeping, the other may choose to stay awake

Large and Powerful Build

Due to your strong and powerful frame, your size is considered large when grappling or determining carrying capacity.

Do it MY way, you moron!

During one head's turn, the other inactive head can use its reaction to impose disadvantage on an attack roll the active head makes this turn. If the inactive head does this, it has advantage on the next attack roll or saving throw it makes.

Two Souls in One Body

Each head of an Ettin Runt is its own unique individual, but they both share the same body.

Each player controls one head. Each head maintains its own separate class levels and HP. In battle, each head rolls its own initiative and takes turns like a normal player, gaining control of the body on its turn.

Spells and abilities that target the body affect both heads. If one head falls unconscious, the remaining head's speed is halved and has disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws. While one head is unconscious, it does not need to make death saving throws. Death saving throws are only made when both heads fall unconscious, and successes/failures are shared across both heads. 

Darkvision

Accustomed to life in caves and other subterranean climates, 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.

Size

Ettin runts stand between 7 and 8 feet tall, weighing somewhere between 400-500 pounds. Your size is medium.

Ability Score Increase

Your Strength and Constitution scores each increase by 2. Your Intelligence score decreases by 2.