Homebrew Giff Species Details

It's easy to spot the giff in a room: a group of 7-foot-tall, hippopotamus-headed humanoids attired in gaudy military uniforms, with gleaming pistols and muskets on display. These spacefaring mercenaries are renowned for their martial training and their love of explosives. Giff love to travel, love to fight, and love to find new and interesting weapons. As such, they make natural adventurers. On the other hand, many giff prefer to remain in the regimented and familiar company if their own kind.

Most giff adventurers hail from devastated platoons. Considering giff tactics, these orphans are a common occurrence. The giff who survive them find adventuring work comparatively easy. Other giff adventure under orders--giff platoons try their best regardless of the mission, and some missions send individual giff far from their platoons and others of their own kind.

Military Organiziation

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 almost 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 own 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 Wiff 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 Names

Giff use names in the common tongue, as their native names are either unpronounceable or forgotten. They generally deal directly with wealthy employers and have adopted upper-class common names to garner respect. Giff have somewhat unconventional tastes, and many of these names are uncommon even among the aristocratic and merchant classes.

Male Names: Algernon, Bertram, Cordell, Eustace, Horatio, Trenton

Female Names: Beatrice, Dora, Isabella, Louisa, Ophelia

Family Names: Cartwright, Galloway, Hadley, Kilburn, Upton

Giff Traits

Your giff character has the following racial traits.

Ability Score Increase

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

Age

Giff reach physically maturity at age 14 and can live up to 75 years, but their violent lives mean that they rarely do so.

Alignment

Most giff are lawful, despite their love of explosive weaponry. Few giff are either good or evil--they just follow orders.

Size

Giff stand between 7 and 8 feet tall. Their massive bodies weigh between 300 and 400 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Powerful Build

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

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Giff Mettle

You have advantage on saving throws against being stunned or frightened.

Natural Armor

You have thick, leathery skin. When you aren’t wearing armor, your AC is 12 + your Constitution modifier. You can use your natural armor to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC. A shield’s benefits apply as normal while you use your natural armor.

Headfirst Charge

Once per combat, as a bonus action, you can try to knock a creature over; if you move 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 Strength saving throw. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Strength modifier + your proficiency bonus. A creature takes 1d6 + your Strength modifier bludgeoning damage and is knocked prone on a failed save.

Firearms Knowledge

You have proficiency with firearms. In addition, the mastery of your weapons enables you to ignore the loading property of muskets and pistols.

Languages

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