Giff, hipomen Mercenaries

Giff. It's easy to spot the giff in a room: a group of 7-foot-tall, hippopotamus-headed humanoids attired in gaudy military uniforms, with gleaming pistols and muskets on display. These spacefaring mercenaries are renowned for their martial training and their love of explosives.

Military Organization.

Every aspect of giff society is organized along military lines. From birth until death, every giff has a military rank. It must follow orders from those of superior rank, and it can give orders to those of lower rank. Promotions don't depend on age but are granted by a superior as a reward for valor. Giff are devoted to their children, even as most of their education is geared toward fighting and war.

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 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.

A Whiff of Gunpowder.

Muskets and grenades are the favorite weapons of every giff. The bigger the boom, the brighter the flash, and the thicker the smoke it produces, 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.

Giff Names

A giff has a given name, a family name, and a military rank. Giff society considers knowing your origin of utmost importance, and giff can trace their genealogical origins for many generations, and revere the great heroes and leaders among their ancestors.

Male Names: Horatio, Maxwell, etc...

Female Names: Beatrice, Ophelia, etc...

Family Names: British surnames here

Giff Traits

As a giff you gain the following traits.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength increases by 2 and Constitution increases by 1.

Age. Giff have lifespans comparable to humans. They enter adulthood in their late teens and usually live less than a century.

Size. Giff are between 7 and 8 feet tall and weigh between 280 and 340 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Giff, Common and one other language of your choice.

Headfirst Charge. As an action, if you move at least 20 feet in a straight line that ends within 5 feet of a large or smaller creature that creature must succeed on a Strength save (DC = 8 + proficiency bonus + strength modifier) or take 2d6 bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone.

Giff Firearms Training. You have proficiency with firearms. You also know how to create gun powder. If you have access to alchemist tools, you can replenish a horn worth of gun powder during a long rest.

Additionally once you reach 3rd level you can ignore the loading property of firearms.

Demolitions Expert. When using explosives, you can choose to make the item's DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier).

Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.