Homebrew Gerudo Species Details

Born under the blazing sun, this all female race exudes strength and ferocity. The Gerudo are a proud people, often feared or mistrusted by other races due to their spotted past. 

Strong Independent Woman

Gerudo can be recognised by their tall stature, flaming red hair and prominent noses. They typically have dark or heavily tanned skin from living under a hot desert sun. Sometimes they may have lighter skin, although this is very rare. Gerudo have an impressive and muscly build, standing between 7 and 8 feet tall and usually weighing between 190 and 250 pounds. Every Gerudo is born female, except in extremely rare circumstances where they might be male. There is only one recorded case of a male Gerudo.

The Inescapable Past

Thousands of years ago, the Gerudo lived on the edge of the desert and were known well by Hylians for their thieving - coming into town in the dead of night and stealing suppiles, or a kiss from a married man. They were lead by the infamous Ganondorf, the only male Gerudo in recorded history, who was jealous of the bountiful resources enjoyed by the Hylians, while the Gerudo were left to suffer and starve in the desert. The Gerudo followed their leader obediently, and many were brainwashed to be kept in line. It was a dark age for the Gerudo, and they have never fully recovered, constantly living in the shadow of their mistakes.

Although relations have significantly improved over the years, Hylians are still suspicious of the Gerudo, calling them husband-stealers and sneaks. Gerudo are taught how to handle outsiders from a young age, to equip them with knowledge on others customs and ways of life in order to gain others' trust.

The Desert Oasis

Gerudo are most commonly brought up in Gerudo Town with their mothers. They can sometimes be quite estranged from their Hylian fathers. Gerudo Town has a long standing tradition of only allowing women inside, so this can be complicating for families. Although this restriction has been long debated among the people of Gerudo Town, the prevailing argument is that it encourages young adult Gerudo to go out and explore the rest of Hyrule, to gain new experiences and learn about different kinds of people (as well as preventing the less civilized men from causing trouble for residents). It is a coming-of-age tradition for young Gerudo women to leave the desert to find their calling in life, whether it be treasure, a new skill, a career or a family. Many Gerudo can be seen wandering Hyrule plying their trade or making new friends.

Gerudo Traits

Your Gerudo character has traits befitting their proud desert heratige.

Cantrip

You know the cantrip Shocking Grasp.

Resistance

You have a resistance to lighting damage.

Dune Wanderer

You are particularly familiar with the Desert natural environment and are adept at traveling and surviving in such regions. When you make an Intelligence or Wisdom check related to your favored terrain, your proficiency bonus is doubled if you are using a skill that you’re proficient in.

While traveling for an hour or more in your favored terrain, you gain the following benefits:

• Difficult terrain doesn’t slow your group’s travel.
• Your group can’t become lost except by magical means.
• Even when you are engaged in another activity while traveling (such as foraging, navigating, or tracking), you remain alert to danger.
• If you are traveling alone, you can move stealthily at a normal pace.
• When you forage, you find twice as much food as you normally would.
• While tracking other creatures, you also learn their exact number, their sizes, and how long ago they passed through the area.

Ability Score Increase

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

Age

Gerudo mature at the same rate as Hylians, reaching adulthood around age 18. They usually live for 80 - 90 years.

Alignment

Gerudo are commonly neutral and are not strongly inclined one way or the other. Gerudo soldiers are usually very strict, disciplined and lawful.

Size

Gerudo are much larger and bulkier than Hylians, and they range from 7 to well over 8 feet tall. Your size is Large.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Menacing

You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill.

Savage Attacks

When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, you can roll one of the weapon’s damage dice one additional time and add it to the extra damage of the critical hit.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Gerudo (Orc). Gerudo is a unique language with a graceful curving script. Women are 'vai' and men are 'voe'. Men are often talked about in this language as if they are an entire race themselves.