Barghest (5e Race)

Barghest

“	Children of the General, they have a single quest: our complete and total destruction.	”
—Gorek, Hobgoblin General.

Physical Description

By Protofactor, Inc.

The barghest are a race of fiends resembling big goblin-wolves. They are covered in rough fur that ranges from grey to black to sandy colored at young ages. A barghest sports wicked claws and a mouth filled with curving fangs, along with fiery eyes. These eyes glow with their excitement, particularly during a hunt. They are power eaters, growing only by consuming the powers of those it kills. Born to ordinary goblin parents, barghest whelps resemble ordinary wolves. Their home plane is Gehenna, but they are sent to Prime to mature by devouring its denizens. As a barghest eats and grows, it will shed its skin. Once it reaches maturity, it grows ever larger and stronger. Mature barghests have blue or dark blue fur. There is also evidence that barghest are shapechangers, capable of changing form between their default wolf and a goblinoid shape. Their goblinoid shape is used often to blend in among regular goblins.

History

Barghest are the exemplary creatures of animals which leave their young to fend for themselves. Unlike the myth of lions throwing their cubs off cliffs, a barghests tough upbringing is grounded in reality. Barghest parents would throw their whelps from Gehenna into portals designated to Prime. Once there, the whelps were forced to savagery to feed and grow. They are an utterly foreign menace to the world and intent on wreaking havoc and evil. Because their growth was directly positively correlated to the power they consumed, they actively searched for larger and stronger prey. It was rumored that barghest particularly loved to feast on heroes and warriors due to their stalwart magics and strength. In fact, barghest had to consume many mortal heroes before they were considered mature and worthy for return to Gehenna. Despite their legendary savagery which has made them even a god among goblins, few barghest ever make it back to their home plane. Most roam the Primal Material Plane for eternity, terrorizing its people and heroes.

In a legendary ode to the drow ranger Drizzt Do'Urden, bards tell of a horrid barghest named Ulgulu, who was nearly matured to return to Gehenna. He and his brother killed a hill giant and took over its cave. As they grew in power from whelps, they amassed a following among goblins and gnolls alike and sent them out as footmen heralding slaughter. One night, their raiding minions did not return. The barghest were enraged to hear that the hero of the north, a newly arrived drow in town, had taken care of their gnolls. Employing the service of a quickling, the two brothers slaughtered a nearby human family and pinned the murder on Drizzt. Drizzt gave fair chase to the brothers and slaughtered them in revenge. It is said the barghests body was partially lupine and goblin, like it was in the middle of a transformation, thus affirming the barghests' ability.

Society

Barghest live sparsely in Gehenna, as most whelps just go and stay in Prime. Being at a competition for growth and feeding, they are usually solitary creatures. However, they may band together in duos or trios to take down threats to themselves, like a particularly powerful hero maybe. Barghest are idols of worship to goblins, who feel an affinity for the lupine creatures. Many worship barghests as gods from another realm and greedily do their bidding. Other evil creatures like gnolls and quicklings are also drawn to barghests, making them often barons with small armies beyond the reaches of laws. Barghest whelps usually take refuge within houses they claim as spoils after having killed the inhabitants. Their shape changing skills also make it easy for them to blend into many societies.

In Gehenna, barghests are at their most ferocious, being at constant odds with one another for dominance. Gehenna's four layers are very volatile and sustain less life for barghests to feast on. They thus are always vying for dominance. Barghests which have returned from Prime are usually large, greater barghests, who gain respect. Whelps which have not eaten enough heroes are derided and not allowed to the packs, even less return to Gehenna. To survive and dominate in Prime is a mere test of one's survival skills for when they are allowed to return to their home plane.

Barghest Names

Barghest names are commonly in Infernal or Abyssal. They also speak Goblin and are often given titles of grandeur by their worshipers in the language.

Male: Ulgulu, Kempfana, Lorghulo

Female: Brashna, Porugula, Igreili

Barghest Traits

Fiendish lupine goblins
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.
Age. Barghest live for a good deal of years before even maturing, usually never before 100 years of age. They age slowly, only growing stronger. It can be nearly 1,000 years before they show any signs of fatigue or age. No one knows exactly how long they live because they are usually hunted and killed before it is realized.
Alignment. Barghest are predisposed to be extremely chaotic and evil, originating from Gehenna.
Size. Barghest are usually about six feet tall on all fours alone. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Hellvision. Barghest are born naturally able to see in the dark. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. At 5th level, you gain 60 feet of blindsight.
Shapechanger. As an action, you may polymorph into a goblin as per the polymorph spell and back into your true form as a bonus action. If you are reduced to 0 hit points in this form you revert back into your true form. Any additional damage you take is transferred over.
Extraplanar Resident. A barghest's home plane is Gehenna.
Keen Smell. Like wolves, barghests have great senses of smell. You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks relying on smell.
Hellish Glare. Your eyes can glow and scare even the bravest. You are proficient in the Intimidation skill.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common, Abyssal, and Infernal.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
6′ 0''	+1d8	180 lb.	× (1d4) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

Suggested Characteristics

When creating a barghest character, you can use the following table of traits, ideals, bonds and flaws to help flesh out your character. Use these tables in addition to or in place of your background's characteristics.
Barghest typically are vile creatures with violent thoughts. Being chaotic, however, makes them stray in many facets and they are capable of intelligence able to skirt larger threats to themselves.

d8	Personality Trait
1	I never seem to be full, always hungry.
2	People think I'm cynical. I'm practical.
3	There is no end to pet peeves with me.
4	When I get angry, there's no calming down.
5	I love to one-up people.
6	Dark humor is best humor.
7	I can't shut up about the last guy I killed.
8	Rather than have other emotions, I prefer anger. It's much simpler.

d6	Ideal
1	Destruction. Let my name ring and bring fear!
2	Return. I will find my way back home.
3	Prestige. All who looked down upon me will revel in my greatness.
4	Head Hunt. I only want to kill strong people.
5	Satiation. Never stop eating. Never stop growing.
6	Revelry. I will amass myself a loyal following to carry out my every command.

d6	Bond
1	I do have one sibling that came with me here. Let's grow up together.
2	There was one particular hero who wounded me... And I will have their head.
3	All creatures on this inferior Plane are my food.
4	I want my pack to acknowledge me once I return.
5	Things like followers are just pawns for me to use.
6	There is no such thing like love. Only power, those who have it, and those who do not...

d6	Flaw
1	I am arrogant and leave many openings because of it.
2	My anger gets the best of me so I can never think straight.
3	There is nothing I won't do for a good meal. Nothing.
4	I don't know my limits and often overexert and wear myself down.
5	I'm horrible at keeping time.
6	Killing gets me in a frenzy and distracts me from other things I might need to do.

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