Krogan (5e Race)

Krogan

Physical Description

[Source]

Due to the brutality of their surroundings, natural selection has played a significant role in the evolution of the krogan. Unlike most sentient species, krogan eyes are wide-set, this is common among prey animals, and in this case it gives the krogan 240-degree vision, giving them greater visual acuity and awareness of approaching predators. Krogan eyes have narrow pupils. Their irises may be red, green, amber, or blue in color.

Their large shoulder humps store fluids and nutrients, enabling them to survive extended periods without food or water. A bigger shoulder hump is seen as a sign of high status, showing how successful an individual krogan is at hunting. Their thick hides are virtually impervious to cuts, scrapes or contusions, and they are highly resistant to environmental hazards, including toxins, radiation, and extreme heat and cold. Consequently their diets can include food and drink which would prove very dangerous to other species—a fact reflected in the krogan liquor of choice, ryncol, which is said to "hit other humanoids like ground glass". Younger krogan have yellow or green markings on their hides. These markings darken to brown or tan over time, showing their age.

Krogan typically stand over 7 feet. Heavy creatures, krogan have been known to weigh at least 330 pounds, upwards of nearly 440 pounds for above-average specimens, and counting guesses by non-krogan observers even estimates of 800 pounds are made.

The most amazing physiological feature of krogan biology is the multiple instances of major organs. These secondary (and where applicable, tertiary) systems are capable of serving as back-ups in the event of damage to the primary biological structures. They have, for example, two hearts, four lungs, and four testicles. This reflects in their slang, where they often speak about a "quad" where a human would use the words "balls" or "pair". Krogan also have a secondary nervous system using a neuroconductive fluid, meaning they are almost impossible to paralyze. Krogan bleed a yellow or orange fluid when cut, which may be this fluid or actual blood.

Aside from redundant systems, the legendary krogan "blood rage" adds to the race's reputation for being notoriously difficult to kill or incapacitate in normal combat scenarios. In this state, krogan become totally unresponsive to pain and will fight to the death regardless of injury level, with the side effect of reducing their capacity for logic and self-control.

Sheer physical hardiness means an individual krogan can expect to live for centuries. Krogan can live for well over a thousand years, as evidenced by Warlord Okeer, a veteran of the Krogan Rebellions who died (of decidedly unnatural causes) well over a thousand years after the Rebellions ended.

Despite their natural propensity for toughness, krogan do have physical weaknesses. According to legend, if one lodges a knife at a certain spot near the frontal plate on a krogan's head, the plate can be ripped off. It is apparently the one thing Krogan do fear.

History

The krogan are a species of large reptilian bipeds native to the planet Tuchanka, a world known for its harsh environments, scarce resources, and overabundance of vicious predators. The krogan managed to not only survive on their unforgiving homeworld, but actually thrived in the extreme conditions. Unfortunately, as krogan society became more technologically advanced, so did their weaponry. The end result is that they destroyed their homeworld in a nuclear war that reduced their race into primitive warring tribes.

Society

The harsh krogan homeworld conditioned the krogan psychology for toughness just as it did the body. Krogan have always had a tendency to be selfish, unsympathetic, and blunt. Sometimes, when krogan disagree, one of them will head-butt the other to show dominance. They respect strength and self-reliance and are neither surprised nor offended by treachery. Their worst insult is to call someone "not worth killing". The weak and selfless do not live long. In their culture, "looking out for number one" is simply a matter of course. Krogan have powerful territorial instincts which serve them well in combat, but can create problems; when traveling in caravans, for example, krogan find sharing quarters nearly impossible.

Marks of the krogan psyche past and present can be observed in their architecture and infrastructure. Ancient krogan built towering pyramidal edifices, gigantic monuments and cities, complete with interior paintings of what could be called art. Millennia later, the ruins haven't yet lost to the ravages of time and survived to remind the latter-day krogan of their glory days, although places like the "city of the ancients" were long-abandoned by then. Every krogan building is built huge and to last. At the present day, even hospitals are built strong enough to withstand a bunch of krogan undergoing blood rage.

Krogan are not shown to have strong religious beliefs. The closest they come is to establish ritualistic burial grounds called the Hollows, where the skulls of their ancestors are displayed to remind them of "where we all come from, and where we all go." The Hollows are as sacred as any krogan place can be, and violence there is forbidden.

Krogan Names

Krogan names are composed of two parts, a clan name followed by a given name. At birth, krogan are identified by their given name only. A clan name is bestowed after krogan complete the rite of passage of the clan they wish to join.

Male: Charr, Droyas, Brood, Fortack, Uvenk, Grunt, Nax, Okeer, Skarr, Wreav, Wrex, Guld

Female: Bakara, Kakra, Vikik, Nuyo, Zetok, Itras, Faru, Rerri, Seraka, Monda, Turga, Darru

Krogan Traits

As per Mass Effect games.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength and Constitution scores increase by 2.
Age. Krogan are considered to be of old age when they reach 300 years old, but will not die of old age.
Alignment. Most krogan trust and serve no one but themselves leading to a mostly chaotic leaning. This solitary attitude stems in part from a deep sense of fatalism and futility, a profound social effect of the genophage that caused krogan numbers to dwindle to a relative handful. Not only are they angry that the entire world seems out to get them, the krogan are also generally pessimistic about their race's chances of survival. The surviving krogan see no point to building for the future; there will be no future. The krogan live with a generally violent and short-sighted attitude of personal gain.
Size. Krogan live on the high end of humanoids, standing at a little over 7 feet tall and weighing between 330 to 440 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet.
Krogan Toughness. Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level.
Secondary Nervous System. Krogan have secondary and in some cases, tertiary organs as well as a second nervous system, allowing them to fight even after taking grievous injury. 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.
Natural Armor. At an early age, the inch thick leathery skin and bony plates covering a Krogans body become tough enough to resist many injuries. When you aren't wearing armor, your Armor Class is 12 + your Constitution modifier. You can use your natural armor to determine your Armor Class if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower Armor Class. A shield's benefits apply as normal while you use your natural armor.
Languages. You can read, write, and speak Common.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
7′ 0''	+1d12	330 lb.	× (1d6) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

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