Grimlock (5e Race)

Grimlock

Physical Description

A roaring grimlock, source

Grimlocks are a branch of humanity who, much life the gnomish svirfneblin, have adapted to life in the Underdark. Beyond their massive build, grimlocks have two major differences from humans. First is their rough, gray skin, which in many cases allows them to blend in with the stony surfaces of their home, allowing an otherwise clumsy race to ambush unsuspecting intruders. More impactful, however, is their eyesight, or rather their lack of eyesight. Having spent generations in total darkness, grimlocks lack eyes, instead navigating their surroundings through a combination of echolocation and smell.

While grimlocks are capable of consuming plants to some degree, most grimlock diets primarily consist of raw meat.

History

At the height of the Illithid Empire, many human tribes were shaped into mind flayer cults, either through awe, fear, or psionics. When the empire fell, its enemies descended upon the cults, who fled into the Underdark in search of the protection of their masters, and while some succeeded, many more wander the depths.

Society

In the presence of an illithid, grimlock mind flayer cults act as the lesser tools of their masters, raiding nearby groups for humanoids to sacrifice to their masters. To these cults, the act of a mind flayer consuming a brain is not a matter of biological necessity, but a holy sacrament and a matter of honor for the one who retrieved the victim. Following the extraction, the victim's lifeless body is thrown to the mind flayer's grimlock hounds to feast upon.

In forlorn grimlock tribes, age equates to authority, with the oldest grimlock acting as the tribe's leader. However, should a grimlock reach an age that their body begins to give way, their followers descend upon them, consuming their flesh in hopes of obtaining their power. Without veneration to occupy their time, these grimlock tribes bitterly mull over the empire's fall and plot the destruction of their masters.

Few grimlock reject either of these societies. The brutality within creates a shackle on the mind, making a grimlock unable to envision a life without it, while the brutality without creates an almost universal hatred of grimlocks. That being said, it's entirely possible for a grimlock to forsake their culture and find a place in a new one, with their heightened senses potentially making them keen investigators, negotiators, and adventurers.

Grimlock Names

Grimlocks typically have two names, a pack name that denotes the group they came from and a personal name that was typically derived from a bastardized human name or aspect of the Underdark.

Male: Timofy, Uhleg, Owmah, Saamr, Ch'em

Female: Isobeh, Livy, Ysha, Yaha, Jong

Neutral: Crag, Orock, Rubble, Gravel

Pack: Runners, Singers, Leapers, Scalers, Climbers

Grimlock Traits

The hulking result of humans trapped in the Underdark for millennia.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2 and your Constitution score increases by 1.
Age. Grimlocks mature similarly to humans, reaching adulthood at 18, and while they could feasibly live to the 70-odd years of their topside brethren, most don't live to 50.
Alignment. Grimlock cultists are typically lawful evil, following the commands of their tentacles overlord, while grimlock packfolk are typically chaotic evil, lacking such influence.
Size. Grimlock vary widely in height and build, from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Blind Senses. Grimlock lost their eyesight within generations of inhabiting the Underdark. You are blinded, but you have a blindsight range of 30 feet. While you are deafened, this range is reduced to 10 feet, and while you are deafened and unable to smell you can not use your blindsight.
Keen Hearing and Smell. you have has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Stone Camouflage. You have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth checks made to hide in rocky terrain.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Undercommon and one other language of your choice.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
4′ 6''	+2d12	125 lb.	× (2d8) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

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