Giff
Giff are tall, broad-shouldered folk with hippo-like features. Some have smooth skin, while others have short bristles on their faces and the tops of their heads. As beings of impressive size and unforgettable appearance, giff are noticed wherever they go. The divine beings who created giff have been forgotten. Their titanic petrified bodies drift on the Astral Sea, isolated and unrecognizable in their current form. Although they don't realize it, giff are drawn to the Astral Plane because, on a deep psychic level, they remain connected to their creator gods, who have just enough divine spark left in them to imbue giff with sparks of their own, which giff have learned to channel through their weapons. Most giff have no idea where this so-called astral spark comes from, but they feel its presence most strongly when they are in Wildspace or the Astral Sea. Giff are split into two camps concerning how their name is pronounced. Half of them say it with a hard g, half with a soft g. Disagreements over the correct pronunciation often blossom into hard feelings, loud arguments, and head-butting contests, but they rarely escalate beyond that.
Giff Traits
- Ability Score Increase. Increase one ability score by 2, and increase a different one by 1, or increase three different scores by 1.
- Creature Type. You are a Humanoid.
- Size. You are Medium.
- Speed. Your walking speed is 30 feet, and you have a swimming speed equal to your walking speed.
- Astral Spark. Your psychic connection to the Astral Plane enables you to mystically access a spark of divine power, which you can channel through your weapons. When you hit a target with a simple or martial weapon, you can cause the target to take extra force damage equal to your proficiency bonus. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, but you can use it no more than once per turn. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
- Firearms Mastery. You have a mystical connection to firearms that traces back to the gods of the giff, who delighted in such weapons. You have proficiency with all firearms and ignore the loading property of any firearm. In addition, attacking at long range with a firearm doesn't impose disadvantage on your attack roll.
- Hippo Build. You have advantage on Strength-based ability checks and Strength saving throws. In addition, you count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
- Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language.
Basic Information
Anatomy
The giff resemble large hippo like people with smooth skin. Giff can grow short hair like bristles they often style this into short chin scruff or short spikey hair resembling that of a buzz cut. Giff bristles can only be black or brown. Giff eyes come in all natural colors with the addition of purple. The giff are often seen as a portly sized race. Usually weighing between 300 and 500 pounds and standing between 5 and 8 foot tall. Like the Loxodon and the Rhox, the Giff have flat bottom feet like an elephant, and have three fingers and a thumb.
Genetics and Reproduction
They can only reproduce with other Rhox, Loxodon, or Giff with the offspring always favoring the mother's race.
Growth Rate & Stages
Giff grow and mature at the same rate as humans. They hit maturity at 18 and live roughly 100 years.
Ecology and Habitats
The Giff often live in swamps, plateaus, and wetlands. They enjoy hanging around rivers and swamps. The giff strive to return to the days of exploring the astral sea pushing the technology trying to reconnect with this forgotten technology.
Civilization and Culture
Major Language Groups and Dialects
All giff learn common and another language. Often that language is Anakin. Unfortunately their mother tongue was lost during the sleep.
History
Long ago the giff traversed the Astral Sea and Wildspace they were known for their technical ability and navigation style amongst the stars. During the sleep it seems that the ability to travel the stars, their creator, and the technology to get to the Astral Sea & Wildspace has long been lost. Many believe the Giff that were put under while out in the Blind Nothing were lost out there. They woke up on a ship, in a hostile environment with no way of leaving or moving on. Some believe they have adapted but that is all but a fairy tale. This split up has made it seem that the giff are going extinct with less than 1,000 giff known on the material plane they feel a sense of dread.
Common Myths and Legends
Many believe the giff used to be a major world power. They used to lead the exploration of the Astral Sea & Wildspace. It is enshrouded in myth that their creator god gifted them with the intellegence to create powerful technologies like the Spelljammers and Guns. It is unclear which race is truly known to have made it. Only the Vedalken truly know.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
The giff get along well with the Loxodon and Rhox seeing kinship in them and often taking refugee together. Most races see the giff as a dying species lost to time and lost to space. The giff seemingly have a rivalry with the vedalken both being known as great inventors in their time.
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