Homebrew Giff Species Details

It was easy to spot the strangers in the room: a group of 7-foot tall, hippopotamus-headed humanoids attired in gaudy uniforms, with gleaming bits of metal they called weapons on their hips. The man who has hired shook his head, not understanding this strange group he hired. However, they were eager to travel and didn't ask too many questions, and that's what he liked.

Militaristic Beyond Nature

Almost every aspect of giff society is organized along military lines. From birth until death, every giff is expect to contribute to the success of their species, and to take up arms for their fellow giff. Training begins as soon as a child can walk, and continues as long as the live amongst their own. However, this does not mean they are naturally aggressive. They do not seek battle from their neighbors, but merely constantly prepare for it. Few giff see issue with this lifestyle, but there have been the odd giff out that chooses to leave their home and find their own path in life.

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 nearly 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.

Firepower-houses

In their endeavors to always be at the forefront of warfare, the giff have revel in the unique strength of firearms. The bigger the boom, the brighter the flash, and the thicker the smoke, 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. However, they know the danger of these weapons should they fall into the hands of others, and hoard them jealously. All know of the might a giff army possess, but rarely know from where its strength is drawn. 

No Honor in Magic

Some giff become wizards, clerics, and other kinds of spellcasters, but they're so infrequent that most belive that giff 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 are given up to three surnames, most of which are gained in life through note worthy actions or great ancestors. They inherit their family name from their parents, and tend to given children important and pompous sounding names in the hopes of impressing others.

Male Names: Ambrose, Arnold, Bernard, Clement, Daniel, Edmund, Horace, Rueben

Female Names: Amelia, Bethany, Candice, Georgiana, Helena, Henrietta, Isabella, Phoebe

Surnames: Thunderbottom, Ironhead, Steelbones, Powderkeg, Sharpshot, 

Family Names: Andrews, Berd, Campbell, Charlton, Gordon, Hunter, James, Knowles, Marsh, Perkins, Smith, Roberts, Tucker, Wells

 

Giff Traits

Your giff character has the following traits.

Ability Score Increase

Your Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores increases by 1.

Age

Giff mature around 14 and most often live until their 70s.

Alignment

Born into military casts, giff tend towards lawful alignments. Beyond that, it depends on the giff.

Size

Giff average around 7 feet tall and 250 pounds in weight. Your size is Medium.

Speed

You base walking speed is 30 feet, and you have a swimming speed of 15 feet.

Headlong Charge

Immediately after you use the Dash action on your turn, you can use a bonus action to attempt to charge into a creature. The target must be no more than one size larger than you and within 5 feet of you. Unless it succeeds on a Strength saving throw against a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier, you do 1d6 bludgeoning damage and knock it prone.

Crackerjack Fusilier

You have proficiency in firearms

Crack Shot

When you roll a critical hit against a creature with a ranged weapon, you can use use your bonus action to hit them again for half the total damage of your critical hit.