GIFF – 5e stats

Medium humanoid, lawful neutral

Armor Class 16 (breastplate)
Hit Points 60 (8d8 + 24)
Speed 30 ft.

Proficiency Bonus +2
Proficiency Bonus +4 (5th Edition Advanced Mode)

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
18 (+4)	14 (+2)	17 (+3)	11 (+0)	12 (+1)	12 (+1)

Saving Throws (suggested) Str +4
Senses passive Perception 11
Languages Common
Challenge 3 (700 XP)

Headfirst Charge. The giff can try to knock a creature over; if the giff moves at least 20 feet in a straight line that ends with in 5 feet of a Large or smaller creature, that creature must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or take 7 (2d6) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone.

Firearms Knowledge. The giff’s mastery of its weapons enables it to ignore the loading property of muskets and pistols.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The giff makes two pistol attacks.
• Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit : 8 (1d8 + 4) slashing damage, or 9 (1d10 + 4) slashing damage if used with two hands.
• Musket. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 40/120 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d12 + 2) piercing damage.
• Pistol. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 30/90 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d10 + 2) piercing damage.
• Fragmentation Grenade (1/day). The giff throws a grenade up to 60 feet. Each creature within 20 feet of the grenade’s detonation must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 17 (5d6) piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

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DESCRIPTION

Giff are a race of humanoid hippopotami that travel across the multiverse as mercenaries and adventurers. They are known for their martial prowess, their love of firearms and explosives, and their flamboyant military uniforms. Giff are proud of their heritage and culture, and often seek to impress others with their achievements and skills. Giff are also loyal to their comrades and employers, and will fight to the death to defend them.

Giff have powerful muscles over their stocky and broad frames. They stand about 7 feet tall and weigh around 400 pounds. Their skin is gray or brown, and their eyes are small and dark. Their heads resemble those of hippopotami, with large mouths, tusks, and nostrils. Giff have no hair on their bodies, except for some males who grow thick mustaches. Giff wear colorful and elaborate uniforms that reflect their rank and role in their military units. They also adorn themselves with medals, badges, ribbons, and other symbols of honor.

Giff speak their own language, which is a mixture of grunts, snorts, clicks, and whistles. They also learn other languages to communicate with their employers and allies. Giff are fond of using military jargon and slang in their speech, as well as boasting about their exploits. Giff have a strong sense of humor, and enjoy telling jokes and stories. They also like to gamble, drink, and smoke cigars.

Giff have a natural affinity for gunpowder, which they call “the gift of the giff”. They can create and use various types of explosives with ease and expertise. They also have a keen sense of smell that allows them to detect gunpowder and other chemicals. Giff are immune to the effects of smoke and fire, and can breathe underwater for short periods of time.

Giff have a code of honor that guides their actions in combat. They respect their enemies as worthy opponents, and will not attack unarmed or helpless foes. They will also not betray or abandon their employers or allies, unless they are treated unfairly or dishonorably. Giff value courage and glory above all else, and will seek to prove themselves in every battle.

COMBAT

Giff are formidable warriors who prefer to use firearms and explosives in combat. They are proficient with pistols, muskets, blunderbusses, cannons, grenades, rockets, and bombs. They also carry swords, daggers, clubs, or axes as backup weapons. Giff are fearless in battle, and will charge into the fray without hesitation. They are also tactically savvy, and can coordinate their attacks with their allies.

Giff are happiest among their own race — they consider larger races such as giants threatening and complain about the fragility of the smaller races. Unlike the dracons, they suffer no penalties for being apart from their fellows, but merely prefer the company of their own species. Outside their own platoons, the giff are happiest among military organizations with a strong chain of command.

Every giff, male, female, and giffling, has a rank within society, which can only be changed by someone of higher rank. Within this rank are subranks and within those subranks are color markings and badges. The highest-ranking giff gives the orders, the others obey. It does not matter if the orders are foolish or even suicidal — following them is the purpose of the giff in the universe. A quasi-mystical faith among the giff mercenaries confirm that all things have their place, and the giff’s is to follow orders. This makes the giff very happy.

Giff platoons can be hired by those looking for their muscle. The arcane do a small business in giff mercenaries, but usually local contractors perform the task. These contractors review prospective employers according to ability to pay, then make a recommendation to the giff leaders. The leaders, in turn, consider the danger of the job, and whether taking it will enhance their giffdom.

Giff jobs are usually paid in smoke powder, though they often will accept other weapons and armor. It is purely a barter system, but to hire one giff for one standard week requires seven charges of smoke powder (one/day). In areas where smoke powder is more common, the price will rise.

On board ship, the giff have their own quarters, and will often request to bring on their own large weapons. They favor greek fire projectors and bombards for ground work, and will happily blaze away at opponents, regardless of the tactical situation.

The giff require the ships of others because they have no spellcasting abilities among them — they are magically inert in such a way that even the serial helms of the mind flayers have no effect on them. Lifejammers are considered to be a “wizard’s way to die” (a giff insult). Giff trade their services for transport and for weapons — especially smoke powder.

Giff are fierce fighters, despite their somewhat comical appearance and mania for weapons. They will not, however, willingly fight other giff. If forced into such a situation on a battlefield, both groups will retire for at least a day of drinking and sorting out ranks. There is a 10% chance that one platoon will join another in this case, but most likely both will quit their current hirings and look for work elsewhere.

HABITAT / SOCIETY

Giff originate from another crystal sphere, where they had a large empire that spanned several worlds. However, due to a series of wars and disasters, their empire collapsed and their worlds were devastated. Some giff managed to escape the destruction by boarding spelljamming ships and fleeing into the void. Since then, giff have become wanderers and explorers of the multiverse.

Giff travel in groups called companies, which are composed of several squads of giff soldiers led by a captain. Each company has its own name, banner, motto, and history. Companies often compete with each other for contracts and prestige, but will also cooperate when facing a common enemy or threat. Companies usually hire themselves out as mercenaries or guards to various factions and realms across the planes. Giff are loyal to their contracts, but will also demand fair payment and treatment for their services.

Giff have a hierarchical society based on military ranks and roles. The highest rank is that of the general, who commands all the giff companies in a given region or sphere. Below the general are the colonels, who lead individual companies. Below the colonels are the captains, who lead squads of giff soldiers. Below the captains are the lieutenants, who assist the captains and act as second-in-command. Below the lieutenants are the sergeants, who train and discipline the soldiers. Below the sergeants are the corporals, who act as squad leaders. Below the corporals are the privates, who make up the bulk of the giff soldiers.

Giff have a strong sense of tradition and culture that they preserve through oral history and rituals. They celebrate various holidays and festivals that commemorate important events or figures in their past. They also honor their ancestors and heroes by erecting statues or monuments in their memory. Giff have a patron deity called Giftenaeris (or simply Gif), who is said to be the creator and protector of their race.

Giff of both sexes serve in their platoons, and both fight equally well. Giff young are raised tenderly until they are old enough to survive an exploding arquebus, then are inducted fully into the platoon.

ECOLOGY

Giff are omnivorous creatures that can eat almost anything edible. They prefer meat over vegetables, especially pork and beef. They also enjoy spicy foods, such as peppers and curry. Giff drink large amounts of alcohol, especially rum and ale. They also smoke cigars made from tobacco or other herbs.

Giff are not native to any particular environment, and can adapt to various climates and terrains. They prefer warm and humid places, such as jungles and swamps. They also like to be near water, as they enjoy swimming and bathing. Giff avoid cold and dry places, such as deserts and mountains.

Giff have few natural enemies, as they are formidable fighters and well-armed. However, they may encounter hostility from other races or factions that view them as rivals or threats. Giff also have a long-standing feud with the neogi, a race of spider-like slavers that prey on giff and other races. Giff despise the neogi, and will attack them on sight.