Hog Folk (5e Race)

Hog Folk

“	Giggling and snarling to herself, Pack Lord Gnara smiled, listening to the faint squealing and snorting she heard coming from the shield wall, she eagerly charged forward, trampling the smaller gnolls in her bloodlust, only to stop abruptly, as the shield wall parted to reveal a sea of shining tusks, with crossbows pointed at her and her kin, fear coursed through her for the first time, replacing her hot bloodlust with cold fear, as she felt scores of beady eyes lock on to her.	”
—Final Battle of Wolfroot Vale

The Hog folk are a race of beast folk, the cursed descendants of an entire country, transformed by their gods to save them from an even worse fate.

Physical Description

Hog Folk appear to be large humanoid pigs, with hair and skin tending towards darker shades of brown to shades of black and pink. Most have big bellies with swarthy, stout bodies and posses long stout arms, ending in hands with 3 cloven fingers and a thumb while standing on short but powerful legs. They have large, squat faces, small beady eyes, floppy ears, with pronounced snouts, men tend to have large tusks, which they ornately decorate or trim, while the women tend to have smaller, more petite snouts, and rounder bodies. Some few men even grow large mutton chop beards. Favoring both utility and style, the hog folk tend to wear heavy enduring clothing such as jackets, suits, and boots, favoring ornate and finely made pins and medals as a form of decoration. Women tend to wear some form of bonnet or hat, elaborately decorated with feathers or pins, and favor dresses and coats with careful and neat embroidery.

History

Once a proud and simple people, the ancestors of the Hog Folk were humans, farmers, merchants and herders who paid simple homage and prayers to their gods, with the odd animal sacrifice or two to appease some of their more aggressive deities. It wouldn't be until the arrival of a stranger, a woman bearing odd gifts of unique spices and unusual liqueurs, that their inevitable downfall would begin. After being passed out these gifts had an odd effect on the people, causing pragmatic farmers and meticulous merchants to become sloven berserkers and gluttons, eating and destroying everything they valued and cherished. Their gods, seeing their temples and shrines destroyed, their people turned to monstrous acts, decided to pool all of their power together to create the curse that would save them, ridding them of their previous curse, while changing them forever. The senses of the newly born Hog folk returned to them, finding themselves changed, yet sound of mind. Many were horrified, discovering their gods are gone and their bodies altered. A few despaired, but the more pragmatic gathered what the could from the wreckage of their homes and moved on, effectively migrating across Faerun, before finally settling down between Amn and Tethyr.

Society

The Hog Folk tend to claim the vales and foothills of Faerun for their communities, often bordering forests and grasslands. Hog folk communities or "Sounders" are often made up of several large families, each family sometimes consisting of almost half a hundred individuals. Each Sounder is lead by a small council of elders or experienced leaders, deciding everything from community defenses to where the herdsmen will send their flocks, or even when and where to farm. A quiet and often reserved people, the hog folk are renowned farmers, breeders, and very shockingly as mercenaries. The hog folk are surprisingly adept hunters, mastering the use of crossbows so well, that they have only one form of organized military, a famous mercenary group the called the "Iron Tusks" led by the famous Captain Augustus the IX. The mercenaries are comprised entirely of armored hog folk, all trained in the extensive use of crossbows and heavy shields. There is an unspoken community agreement that all hog folk, once they reach a certain age are required to enter the Iron Tusks, providing at least two years of service in the ranks before returning home. The Iron Tusks rent out their services to any country or group with the money and just cause, only denying a contract in order to protect their homeland.

The life of an adventurer appealed to many young hog folk and was something actively encouraged by their parents, many of whom thought a few years spent on the road would do the young blood well, burning the curiosity and restlessness out of their systems. Many would eventually return home for good, but other still would manage to settle down and establish businesses, or even Sounders in different parts of the world. Many famous Inns are hog folk owned and managed, and often catered almost exclusively to adventurers.

Hog Folk Names

Hog folk names all hereditary, passing down the family line for centuries. Sons and daughters take on the names of their parents, and pass them to their children, and so on. Examples of this might be Eckhart the 39th, or Maja the 85th. The higher the number indicated a family that was very well off, and had been around for a very long time.

Male: Anton, Armin, Bastian, Benedikt, Dieter, Eckhart, Gerhard, Horst, Joachim, Marwyn, Tork, Weiland

Female: Ada, Agatha, Bertha, Caroline, Franka, Heidi, Irma, Kiki, Lulu, Marta, Maja, Sofi, Thora

Hog Folk Traits

Pig-like beast-men, the descendants of an entire race cursed by their Gods.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2.
Age. Hog folk mature at the same rate as humans, yet live much longer, often two or three centuries.
Alignment. Possessed of a kind and generous nature, hog folk are often neutral good, taking care of those in need, yet never truly taking sides in most conflicts, choosing to remain uninvolved until absolutely necessary.
Size. Hog folk range from 5 to 6 feet in height, and are very heavy weighing an average of 200 to 350 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet.
Herdsmen. You are proficient with the Animal Handling skill.
Truffle Hunter. You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that involve your sense of smell.
Former Ranker. You are proficient with the light crossbow, heavy crossbow, and hand crossbow.
Thick Fat. You have resistance against poison damage, and have advantage on saving throws against poisoned.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write in Common, and Sylvan.
Subrace. There are three main subraces of hog folk, each believed to be descended from a prominent hero who helped their race migrate to their new home.

Pot-Belly

Slightly smaller and decidedly rounder than their more rustic cousins, Pot-bellies make up for their lack of physical abilities with a razor sharp mind, making wonderful tradesmen, and merchants, as well as brilliant strategists and magic users.

Ability Score Increase. You Intelligence score increases by 1.
Resilient Mind. You can use your Intelligence score for any saving throw against magic. You regain use of this trait once you complete a short rest.
Inquisitive Nature. You gain proficiency with the Investigation skill.

Boar

The largest subrace of hog folk, Boars are the herdsmen and farmers of their communities and make great use of their strength, doing anything from simple manual labor, to defending their Sounders from enemies.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.
Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Tusks. You can use your action to make an attack with your tusks. It is a melee weapon attack that deals 1d6 piercing damage and you are proficient with it.

Wart

Fondly nicknamed "Warties" by their cousins, Warts resembling squat humanoid warthogs. They are the outdoorsmen and hunters of their Sounders, often exploring the grasslands and forests near their community, sometimes going for weeks before finally returning to their sounder, often bearing news and information from distant parts of the world.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
Fleet of Feet. You base speed increases to 35 feet when outdoors.
Outdoorsmen. You gain proficiency with the Survival skill.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
5′ 0''	+2d12	250 lb.	× (1d6) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

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