Doggo

by StrayChowChow

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Doggo

Doggo are a race of bipedal dogfolk. They share many similarities with their 4-legged brethren, physiologically and behaviorally, but no one is quite sure if doggo are descended from dogs or how exactly they are related. Doggo live in the moment and such history has been lost to time. Doggo maintain the diversity of their kin and they credit their successful society to the wide range of skill, talent, and ability that doggo possess. If there is a job that needs to be done, there is a dog who can do it. They form strong pack bonds, often among family, but dogs care not of their pack's origin and many choose their pack among other doggo or even other races.

Traits

Your doggo character has a number of traits in common with all other doggo.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.

Age. Doggo have a shorter lifespan than humans, rarely making it past 30 years old. However, they mature quickly within 1 or 2 years.

Alignment. Doggo are eager to please and so lean towards lawful and good alignments, but are vulnerable to chaotic and evil alignments if raised with abuse or neglect.

Size. Your size is determined by your breed subrace.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Bark. When you roll initiative, you can use your reaction to bark. Your bark warns allies of the presence of threats and negates surprise for any friendly creature that hears you. Once you use this feature, you can't bark again until you finish a long rest.

Bite. Your teeth are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. On a hit, the strike deals 1d6 + your Strength modifier piercing damage, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Keen Canine Senses. You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common, and you can speak Doggish, which is a verbal language.

Breed. Doggo are extremely genetically diverse and come in many different breeds. Choose one of these breed groups that your doggo belongs to.

Breeds and Breed Groups

The breed categories outlined are vague and many breeds can fit in to more than one category. For example, livestock guardian dogs could fit in the Guard category or the Shepherd category. Choose the category you feel best represents your individual doggo's heritage or strengths.

Don't forget, you can use Tasha's Cauldron of Everything (pg. 8) to customize your origin to suit your breed better by applying the Ability Score Increases to different ability scores. For instance, a Terrier with the Ability Score Increase changed to add Strength instead of Dexterity could be used for a very tough and hardy mastiff.

Guard Breed

Guard breeds are protective and vigilant, capable of noticing, deterring, and neutralizing threats. This leads them to be excel as sentries and soldiers. They are physically intimating, and often that is backed up by strength in combat. Guard dogs are some of the most loyal of doggo, but also sometimes the most rigid.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2.

Size. Your size is Medium.

Beware. You have proficiency in the Intimidation skill.

Watchdog. You have a +5 bonus to your passive Wisdom (Perception) score.

Hunting Breed

Hunting breeds are the most at home in the wild; tracking, hunting, and retrieving wild game. They are highly focused with keen senses and are very agile to keep up with game in rough terrain.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1 and your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Size. Your size is Medium.

Trackhound. When you make a Wisdom (Survival) check to track, you are considered proficient in the skill and add double your proficiency bonus, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.

Wild Agility. You can move across non-magical difficult terrain without expending extra movement.

Shepherd Breed

Shepherd breeds excel at protecting, guiding, and leading groups; most often livestock, though some take spiritual or governmental roles and consider their congregation their charge. They are wise and empathetic, sensitive to the needs of their flock or pack.

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2.

Size. Your size is Medium.

Herding Bark. When an ally hears your Bark, they can use their reaction to move up to half of their speed without provoking opportunity attacks towards a friendly creature. They must end this move closer to an ally than they started.

Terrier Breed

Terrier breeds are unusually scrappy and spirited, able to persevere despite threat of or actual, serious injury. This quality is often called "game" and benefits their instinct to pursue vermin and pests into dangerous burrows. They are risk-takers and tend towards more "underground" lifestyles.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1 and your Constitution score increases by 1.

Size. Your size is Medium or Small, depending on your specific breed. You choose the size when you gain this subrace.

Feisty. You have advantage on saving throws to avoid or end the frightened condition on yourself.

Gamebred. When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Toy Breed

Despite being the smallest doggo, toy breeds arguably have the largest personalities and are skilled politicians, entertainers, and merchants. Toy dogs have cute, juvenile features and this puppy-like visage tends to invoke a desire to nurture and protect the tiny and vulnerable toy doggo.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2.

Size. Your size is Small.

Puppy Dog Eyes. When you make a Charisma (Persuasion) check, you can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the ability check.

Underfoot Scamper. You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours.

Working Breed

Working breeds have bounds of energy and are often the laborers on which other dogs rely. They have strong drive and put their all into whatever work they do. They are also well suited to work in the field such as search and rescue, long distance couriering, cargo transport, messengers, and mercy or relief work in wartime. Instead of training animals, doggo will commonly have working breeds pull vehicles such as carts or sleds.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2.

Size. Your size is Medium.

Blue Collar. You have proficiency in the Athletics skill.

Boundless Energy. You have advantage on saving throws you make against the exhaustion condition. While you do not have the exhaustion condition, if you would gain a level of

exhaustion, you can shrug it off and are not exhausted instead. You can't do so again until you finish a long rest.

Land Rover. You have proficiency with land vehicles.

Mixed Breed

Mutts, mongrels, or mixed breeds are doggo whose breed is difficult to determine or define due to cross-breeding or other factors. Although doggo are genetically diverse, they can successfully breed with any other doggo, regardless of breed. In fact, mutts tend to be healthier than purebred dogs, living longer and suffering less often from disease. Historically, it was taboo to mix breeds due to a desire to maintain the presence of distinct breeds, but cross-breeding has become accepted in dog culture.

Ability Score Increase. Two different ability scores of your choice increase by 1.

Size. Your size is either Medium or Small. You choose the size when you gain this subrace.

Hybrid Vigor. You have advantage on saving throws against disease.

Mutt-Blood Aptitude. You have proficiency in two of the following skills of your choice: Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Athletics, Intimidation, Persuasion, or Survival.

Credits

Race by Stray Chow Chow (/u/thestray)

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