Ulfhednar (5e Race)

Ulfhednar

“	For the glory of the gods, we charge to glory!	”
—Ulfhednar war cry

Physical Description

Woodcut image from the Torslunda Plates

Ulfhednar are a warrior race designated to be berserking guardians by gods. Their heads are their most notable feature, being that of a wolf atop the body of a man. Ulfhednar bodies are incredibly muscular and bulky, yet amazingly maneuverable in battle. Their wolf head usually grows fur that trails down their backs and past their shoulders, as a kind of cape almost. The rest of the ulfhednar body is rather hairy. Ulfhednar are solely male.

History

It is said that no mortal ever traversed the realm of mists that covered the peaks of the Spine of the World. Beyond it was rumored to be the realm of the gods, and those who trespassed would be punished. There are tales told by the barbaric tribes that made their homes in the Spine that detail men who ventured forth with a stout heart only to never return. But one day, they had. They were no longer simple men, instead bearing on them a mark of the gods and a pelt of wolven fur unlike that of the worgs in the Material Realm. With savagery, they destroyed those who blasphemed against them, even kin.

The ulfhednar are a people touched by divine power, believed to have been achieved by ascending to the realm of the gods. However, they were also viewed as dangerous, and so made servile to the forces which lay beyond. Their humanoid bodies were changed to bear the strength and grace of lupines, making them dangerous foes in battle. To this day, they roam. They have thus left the Spine for lower parts of the world. It is said that as long as races continue to live near the Spine, the ulfhednar will continue to spawn.

Society

The ulfhednar are proud warriors who favor battle above words and action over sentiment. They are a loosely governed group on the move, and sometimes split for long periods to pursue conquests and exploits. What drives and unites them is believed to be the god's voice, the one which changed them in the first place. They thus need no leader among themselves. After winning battles, ulfhednar revel in hedonistic acts with women, feasts and drink, usually pillaged, and sacrifice large portions of prisoners to their gods in a gruesome festival. Despite this debauchery, they are actually inured to most psychological effects of pleasure and fear. True to their title as god's berserkers, they find that dying whilst blazing in battle is more honorable than rotting behind trenches in cowardice. Those who display a weak spine are promptly dealt with via either execution or exile.

Ulfhednar Names

Ulfhednar names have Giant influence and usually derive their last name from a godly word.

Male: Gunnhautr Orestsson, Vegeir Odinkarsson, Grimolf Åsmundsson, Gæira Vebrandsson, Agnar Ornolfsson

Female: Frida Sigguatrdottir, Alof Thorfinndottir, Æsa Sigewinedottir, Bera Gautidottir, Gunnhild Tumidottir

Ulfhednar Traits

Powerful lupine strengthened humanoids
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2, and one of the following scores of your choice increases by 1: Wisdom, Constitution or Dexterity.
Age. Ulfhednar are spawned changed and fully mature from the clouds. They can live to almost 200 years old, but often die earlier in battle.
Alignment. Due to their berserker nature, ulfhednar tend to be chaotic. While there are few, they do have strict tenets about battle conduct.
Size. Ulfhednar usually can be seen as a larger human in frame. Some stand at 5ft to well over 7ft. Due to their absurdly dense bone structure, they can also weigh at about 300lbs to 500lbs. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. Due to your rugged nature and mountainous descent, you have a climbing speed of 20 feet.
Natural Athlete. You have proficiency in the Athletics skill.
Dense Muscle Frame. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Northern Born. Due to the ulfhednar's way of life in the far north, you are adapted to the bite of the cold. You are resistant against cold damage.
Savage Attacks. When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, you can roll one of the weapon’s damage dice one additional time and add it to the extra damage of the critical hit.
Relentless Brawler. You never forgive or forget those who run in battle. You have advantage in Wisdom (Survival) skills to track creatures you have seen before.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Giant.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
5′ 0''	+2d12	250 lb.	× (2d10) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

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