Homebrew Behemoth Species Details

The Kingdom in the Clouds of the everlasting Behemoths is unmoving and unreachable. Their war with the Cloud Giants has lasted for well over a thousand years, and yet their society thrives. Seldom, a lost adventurer will wander into the Kingdom in the Clouds, and even more rarely, they will come back alive to tell their tales.

From these tails we know of the race of isolated Behemoths, or so they are called. A mighty people of warriors and warlords who fight to keep the order of their everlasting dynasties. Their numbers are said to form the ranks of the armies of the gods, for they are obedient as much as they are strong.

At the beginning, Behemoths were incredibly powerful, they called themselves "Titans" and they sought to kill the gods and rule over the earth. Their hubris, however, led to their downfall. The Titan Traitor, Valkur, sided with the gods and condemned the atrocities of the Titans. Because of this he was promoted into the pantheon of the Gods. The rest of the so called Titans were cursed by Valkur, losing their aptitude towards magic. Later they were banished into the Realm of the Clouds, where they stay isolated to this day.

The weakened and lost Titans started revering Bahamut and Called themselves Behemoths. They soon found their own identity as a mighty and warring people who would defend their new found Kingdom for eternity. Incursions from the Cloud Giants were not uncommon, and so their Kingdom in the Clouds became like an rare isolated fortress in the Realm of the Clouds.

Might and size

Average humanoids often cower at the sight of giants, as their size poses a terrifying threat to their livelihood. Behemoths are Huge characters and their place in the world is shaped by that fact. Does your character live among the ranks of the Kingdom in the Clouds, defending it from Cloud Giant incursions? Have they found their way to the main land and been exposed to civilization? If that's the case, are they revered as a god? or feared as a destructive force of nature? Are differently-sized characters actually common and in harmony in your setting? How does that affect your Behemoth's personal story?

Mechanically, Huge characters pose an entirely different set of questions. Huge weapons deal three times the damage dice as Medium-sized ones. a Longsword might look like a dagger in your hands. A dagger, like a toothpick. Most gear in the game is suited for Medium or Small characters, so finding gear that suits you will be extremely hard (or extremely expensive). A rule of thumb for calculating prices and weights for Huge gear is the following. Huge price = 3x Medium price. Huge weight = 6x Medium weight.

Huge characters present tactical issues as well. Their base occupies 15x15ft, if played on a square grid, that's 3x3 squares. You won't fit in most corridors, and you will be able to block most entrances. Additionally, spell area of effects that are worded "within __ft of you" occupy an even larger surface area, cause it starts counting at the edges of the character's base.

Because of these complications, I encourage that you are very clear with your DM about these limitations and overpowered aspects if you wish to use this as a playable race.

Behemoth Traits

Behemoths share a number of traits in common with each other.

Ability Score Modifier

Your Constitution score increases by 4, your Strength score increases by 2, and your Dexterity score is reduced by 3.

Age

Behemoths have lifespans greater than humans. They enter adulthood in their 30's and live for about five centuries.

Alignment

Behemoth society has very clear-cut hierarchies and deeply rooted societal rules. Their aged population fights to maintain the status quo, and so Behemoths often tend towards lawful alignments.

Size

Behemoths are between 14 and 16 feet tall and weigh between 1500 and 2000 pounds. Your size is Huge.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 40 feet.

Massive Blows

Your fists and weapons are heavier than regular humanoids'. Your fists are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you can deal bludgeoning damage equal to 3 + your Strength modifier, instead of the normal damage for an unarmed strike. You can use Huge weapons, which deal 3 times the damage dice Medium ones do.

The sheer weight makes your blows more devastating, but slower. Your total amount of weapon attacks per turn is halved (rounded up, to a minimum of one). This is including Actions and Bonus actions. Reaction attacks are unaffected.

Fortitude of Giants

Your might is greater than smaller races. Your Strength and Constitution scores can go up to 22.

Your creature type is Giant instead of Humanoid.

Magic Ineptitude

The curse laid upon Behemoths in olden times inhibits them from carrying out magic endeavours. A few notable Behemoths have tried to learn magic in the past with slim success, and their attempts were heavily frowned upon by Behemoth society.

You don't add your proficiency bonus to neither your Spell Attack Bonus or Spell Save DC until your Spell Caster Class reaches level 10.

Born of the Clouds

You have resistance to cold damage. You’re also acclimated to high altitude, including elevations above 30,000 feet.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write only Giant.