Girran (16 RP)

Girrans, or swamp oni as they are known by some, are a burly and remarkably resilient race of ogre-like humanoids, possessed of monstrous strength and girth. Many who stumble upon them, however, are surprised by their tendency to be unhurried and extremely affable. Taking their name from the swamplands they call home, girrans spend most of their lives hunting and gathering food and supplies for their village as part of an elaborate, generations-long ritual, which permeates their day to day lives. Their physical appearance, lack of hygiene, and their tendency to stick anything they find into their mouths, results in what first looks like a brutish race of dullards, but bellies a surprising amount of depth, and civility.

Appearance

Large for humanoids, but small for giants, girrans typically stand between 6 and 8 feet tall. Their girth, however, exceeds most humanoids by a wide margin. In addition to sizable guts, they also have large, wide heads, with massive mouths, filled with innumerably varied teeth, which continually regrow their entire lives. Their tough, thick skins vary between mottled shades of brown and gray with splashes of brighter colors. Those with a pure, single shade do exist, however, with pure blue being considered particularly auspicious. Girrans are hairless, but sport a pair of bovine horns, with size, color, and curvature varying between individuals. These horns are the easiest way for outsiders to differentiate between girran genders, which are entirely indistinguishable to non-girrans. Male horns are mostly straight, whereas female horns possess a curly organic nature. They have powerful limbs, thick digits, and a very upright posture, along with stubby, tapering tails, which often go unnoticed.

Society

Being swamp dwellers, girrans have limited options for agriculture. Instead, adults regularly visit their priests to receive marker tokens. These compass-like devices guide them on a long, curving trek through the swamps where they hunt or gather anything remotely edible, before eventually going back to their village to put their collections into the tribe’s larders. This ritual is called stirring the pot (or a stir) and is central to much of their culture. Girran birth rates are very low, and as a result they are extremely protective of their children, keeping them in communal nursing pens which form the center of their villages. Once they are of age, they spend most of their lives out on a stir. Most girrans are conceived and delivered during a stir, and when their time comes to die, they will often leave on one last journey, with the express intention of returning themselves to the swamp.

Relations

When girrans began to populate more frequented swamps, they often captured and ate travelers who passed through, treating them as they did any other animal they found in the swamp. This led to them being labeled as dangerous monsters, and between their low birth rates, and the regular flow of adventurers eager to hunt them down, their numbers quickly dwindled. Rather than die out, the survivors established a policy of “Never Eat Those You Know.” This, combined with diplomatic efforts resulted in their recognition as a civilized race, and they now regularly find work as guides through the swamp lands. When dealing with other races, girrans often refer to that race’s “flavor.” For example, human-flavor is robust and varied, while dwarves might be called bitter and earthy. With few exceptions, girrans, tend to view other races in a decidedly patronizing manner, seeing most races as childlike due to their smaller size, fragile constitutions, tendency to bear grudges, and “pickiness” over things like comfort and food.

Alignment & Religion

While they are often satirized as gluttonous monsters, girrans have a strong sense of family and tradition. Those who win their trust understand that, while their ways are strange, they are remarkably civil. Girran culture holds stoicism as a great virtue, often instructing your children to simply endure their problems without complaint, or as it is often said, “put their problems in their stomach.” Grudges are almost utterly anathema to them. This emphasis on enduring trials and accepting the nature of their homeland means that the majority of girrans are neutral in alignment. Their culture is widely driven by food and song, and because of this, they prefer to worship deities of feasting. The act of eating, preparing, and offering food holds many subtleties and great significance among girrans.

Adventurers

Although rare, girrans will venture out of their swamps on holy pilgrimages. It’s also not unheard of for a girran to leave their swamp to seek out new cultures, and foods. Such ventures are known as Swells; so called due to the intended increase in the girran’s girth and palate. Girran combat is used for hunting and trapping beasts of the swamp, so rangers are common among them. Their strength and resilience also make them great fighters, monks, or barbarians, favoring spears or javelins. Girran spellcasters, are often clerics or druids, although some take up witchcraft, and become hermits. Fewer still become gourmands chosen by their gods.

Names

Two Vultures Circling Slowly, Thirteen Fearless Centipedes Under A Stone, Four Bright Frogs Sharing A Footprint, Mist Leaving A Hollow Tree

Girran Racial Traits (16 RP)

  • Ability Score Modifiers (+4 Strength, +4 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma8 RP): Girrans are incredibly tough and powerful, but struggle with concepts like formal schooling, or personal hygiene.
  • Type (0 RP): Girrans are humanoids with the giant subtype.
  • Size (Medium; 0 RP): Girrans are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to size.
  • Speed (Slow and Steady; -1 RP): Girrans have a base speed of 20ft, but their speed is never modified by armor or encumbrance.
  • Languages (0 RP): Girrans begin play speaking Common and Giant. Girrans with high intelligence scores can choose from the following: Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Gnomish, Goblin, Halfling, Orc, and Bog Beast.
  • Low-Light Vision (1 RP): Girrans can see twice as far a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of dim light.
  • Natural Armor (3 RP): Girrans have a natural armor bonus of +2.
  • Sophisticated Senses (2 RP): Girrans receive a +2 racial bonus on crafting skill checks where taste or smell plays a significant role, such as cooking or alchemy.
  • Oversized Maw (1 RP): Girrans have a natural bite attack which deals 1d4 points of damage.
  • Massive Girth (-1 RP): Girrans are treated as one size category larger when attempting Stealth checks.
  • Healthy (2 RP): Girrans gain a -4 racial bonus to the DC on all Fortitude saves against poison and disease.
  • Weapon Familiarity (1 RP): Girrans are proficient with spears, tridents, and warhammers, and treat any weapon with the word “girran” in its name as a martial weapon.

Alternate Racial Traits

  • True Ogre: Some girrans grow to be the size of their giant counter parts, reaching heights and weights that double that of their girran brothers. However, this additional mass is usually coupled with unhealthy girth and deteriorated immune systems. A girran with this trait becomes Large, receiving a +2 bonus to Strength, a -2 penalty to Dexterity, a 10 foot reach, as well as appropriate changes to all size based combat modifiers. This trait replaces healthy, and sophisticated Senses.
  • Smooth Skinned: Most girrans have a thick, tough outer hide that protects them from harm. A few, however, do not develop this protective outer layer and instead have smooth, froglike skin. Although this mutation leaves them more vulnerable, it also exposes the remarkably strong and pointed fingertips that are normally buried beneath layers of hide. A Girran with this trait gains a natural claw attack appropriate to their size. This trait replaces natural armor.
  • Fearsome Horns: Though usually too short to be used as a weapon, some giran’s horns can be fearsome in size. Girrans whose horns grow to such lengths make practice of using them in combat, forgoing the use of even girran made weapons. A girran with this trait gains a gore attack that deals 1d6 points of piercing damage. This ability replaces weapon familiarity. 

Favored Class Options

Instead of receiving an additional skill rank or hit point whenever she gains a level in a favored class, girrans have the option of choosing from a number of other bonuses, depending upon their favored class. The following options are available to all girrans who have the listed favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the listed favored class reward.

  • Alchemist: Add + 1/2 to bomb damage.
  • Bard: Add +1 to the girran’s total number of bardic performance rounds per day.
  • Bloodrager: Add 1 to the girran’s total number of rage rounds per day
  • Fighter: Add +1 to the fighter’s CMD when resisting a disarm or overrun.
  • Gourmand: Add +1 bonus to the damage dealt by the gourmand’s stomach acid every time they take this option, so long as gourmand is their favored class.
  • Monk: Add +1 to the monk’s CMD when resisting a grapple and +1/2 to the number of stunning attacks he can attempt per day.
  • Witch: Add one spell from the witch spell list to the witch’s familiar. This spell must be at least one level below the highest spell level she can cast. If the witch ever replaces her familiar, the new familiar knows these bonus spells.
Section 15: Copyright Notice

Racial Profiles Expanded: Hungry Souls © 2018, d20pfsrd.com Publishing; Author: David Clingerman, Kyle Nielson.

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