Homebrew Giff Species Details

Ungentle Giants
Even in crowded places, a giff stands out. Giff stand between 6 and 7 feet tall and weigh over 300 pounds. If that wasn’t enough to attract attention, and it usually is, they are rarely seen outside of garish military regalia. If the giff is particularly wealthy, it will also smell of gunpowder which serves as both a currency and an aphrodisiac for the giff. Asking a giff about their outfit, particularly a military medal, is likely to lead to a long monologue about the rarity of the award and the courage the giff displayed in earning it. Making them even more conspicuous than being just a towering formally dressed hippopotamus- headed soldier, pipe smoking and eye wear, such as glasses or monocles, are popular accessories among giff.

Weapons of War
The only thing that giff love more than military hierarchy and their place in it is gunpowder and gunpowder weapons. Young giff are taught to use pistols shortly after they learn to walk and muskets when they are capable of firing one without falling down from the recoil. It is tradition for a giff to be welcomed to adulthood by getting a grenade from all close personal and professional associates. The giff is expected to use these gifts as soon as possible. Despite their love of loud bangs and bright flashes of light, giff are ambivalent about magic. Exact attitudes vary depending on the giff, but it is very rare for giff to become spellcasters. Those giff that do learn to cast spells are assigned ranks that prevent them from rising too high in the chain of command. Spellcasters may also endure prejudice from other giff who accuse magic- users of being too cowardly to “fight fair”.

Adventurers By Birth
Giff are born adventurers but the structure of their society, and their fondness for that structure, means few giff are interested in adventuring with non-giff. Instead, giff move from one mercenary adventure to the next with as many other giff as required to successfully complete the mission. Although giff are a proud people, they are not shy about ensuring they have all the reinforcements necessary to accomplish a job. When giff do adventure with others it may be because they have been exiled. Giff spellcasters aren’t made to feel welcome by other giff so they might join others who show more respect for their craft. Cowardice among giff is usually rewarded with a demotion but if an act of cowardice caused sufficient loss of giff life the offender could be exiled. Very rarely a giff simply chaffes against the structure of its society or prefers the company of other peoples.

Giff Names
Every giff has a personal name and a military rank and they insist, in almost all situations, to be called by this full title and name. Military rank titles are very specific, often including variations to identify particular honors the giff has earned. Personal names are typically short and simple. Giff take too much pride in their titles to be overly concerned with impressive names.

Female Names: Beluarr, Drena, Hrusta, Jala, Pomo, Sirla, Ulyrn, Undra, Weelso, Yuralsha
Male Names: Brost, Dromb, Hurst, Lewmur, Krak, Pomj, Romd, Tug, Ularn, Undar
Military Titles: Cadet, Officer Cadet, Officer, Third Lieutenant, Second Lieutenant, Lieutenant, Captain, Lieutenant-Major, Major

Giff Traits

Firearms knowledge and weapon training

Age

Giff reach adulthood in their early teens and can live to be 80 years old. Giff who survive past their 50th birthday are often looked down upon by other giff as being insufficiently adventurous.

Ability Score Increase

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

Alignment

Giff live in a highly structured society that emphasizes the value of hierarchy but places no special importance on issues of moral consideration. Most giff are lawful neutral.

Size

Giff typically stand about 7 feet tall and weigh in excess of 300 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30.

Firearms Knowledge

You ignore the loading property of muskets and pistols.

Giff Weapon Training

You have proficiency with the grenade, musket, and pistol.

Headfirst Charge

When you take the Dash action, you can choose to make one melee weapon attack as part of the same action. If you deal damage with this attack, that creature must succeed on a Strength saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier) or be knocked prone. You can use this trait again after you finish a short or long rest.

Intimidating Size

When you make an Intimidation ability check against a creature your size or smaller you gain advantage.

Tools

You are proficient with alchemist’s supplies and tinker’s tools

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra language of your choice. Giff often pick up the languages of their long term employers.

Optional Giff Feats

Headstrong
Prerequisite: Giff
Your head is particularly hard, something you have learned to rely on in a fight. You gain the following benefits:
• Your head is a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d8 + your Strength modifier, instead of the damage normal for an unarmed strike.
• You regain the use of your Headfirst Charge racial trait whenever you end a turn without using it.

Spell Suppression
Prerequisite: Giff
The giff despise magic because they have no natural aptitude for it and it so frequently goes awry in their presence. You gain the following benefits:
• When you take damage from a spell you can use your reaction to gain resistance against the damage of the triggering spell. Once you use this ability, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
• You add your proficiency bonus to any saving throw against a spell you make that doesn’t already include your proficiency bonus.

Special Weapons

Grenade. When you hit a creature with a grenade, each creature within 5 feet of the target must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC 12). A creature takes 2d6 piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.