Groosehound
As many homebrewers as there are on the web, there are still many gaps in the good content on offer. The groosehound, a race of canine humanoids, feels like a concept that would have been done long ago, at least by an earlier homebrewing group, if not by WotC. Somehow it never happened! Regardless, once we saw the opening, we couldn't help but throw our hat into the ring for standard dog race. Let us know how we did, and keep an eye open for new releases very soon!
To see all of our more recent, premium content, join our Patreon, where all our spiciest new brews are at your disposal. We’re slowly remastering the highlights of our backlog, and if you’re a patron, you can vote on what gets updated next! And, if you want to ask us about our homebrew, new or old, our Discord is public and full of all kinds of brewers and internet goblins. If you’re either of those, we’d love to hear from you!
Groosehound
Groosehounds have a hybrid appearance, looking to be as much canine as humanoid. All groosehounds possess tails, canine ears, fur covered forearms, shins ending in paws, and sharp carnivorous teeth. Some have more animalistic features as well, such as muzzles and fur covering more of their bodies, varied by breeding and wellness.
Groosehounds are highly social and will live in groups whenever possible, either congregating with other groosehounds or joining other households and communities.
Wild and Domesticated
Known throughout many lands as loyal companions and diligent workers, groosehounds fill a variety of niches in many societies, but also exist outside of it in tribal groups. Whether it be a short and chubby housemaid, a barrel chested lumberjack, or a wild-eyed hunter, there are few places one would be surprised to find a groosehound. Years of preferential breeding have led groosehounds to be a diverse and specialized species, taking many shapes and places wherever they reside.
In Tune With Others
All groosehounds, irrelevant of their breed or upbringing, are empathetic creatures with a natural inclination to pick up on the feelings and mood of those around them. This empathy manifests in a general perception of groosehounds as amicable companions - and surprisingly worrisome foes.
When a groosehound regards another creature as a friend, they often prefer to interact with it through physical displays of affection and the regular exchange of small gifts. In contrast, groosehounds will avoid or antagonize those that they dislike, but are not innately aggressive unless they feel threatened.
Groosehound Names
Groosehounds are adaptive to most cultures and will tend to adopt the names either given to them or used around them. Independent groosehound communities prefer short simplistic names that are easy to remember and say.
Male Names: Al, Harr, Kin, Lot, Pall, Sid, Yun, Zek
Female Names: Bell, Hane, Kay, Mel, Paan, Pep, Pon, Sue
Groosehound Traits
Your groosehound character has the following traits.
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma increases by 1.
Age. Groosehounds are short lived and mature quickly. A groosehound is considered an adult when it is 10 and an elder if it reaches its 30s. Groosehounds rarely live long past the age of 40.
Alignment. Groosehounds are easily motivated and highly social, tending to be lawful. Whether a groosehound is good or evil depends on its upbringing and life situation.
Size. Groosehounds are hugely varied in size, and can range from small and plucky to tall and broad. At their shortest, groosehounds can be 2’6”, and at their tallest they can be just about 6’0”, largely depending on subrace and diet. Your size is Small or Medium (your choice).
Speed. You have a base walking speed of 30 feet.
Claw and Bite. Your teeth and claws are natural weapons which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with your claws, you deal slashing damage, and if you hit with your teeth, you deal piercing damage. You can choose to use Strength or Dexterity when using either to make an attack. Both your teeth and your claws deal 1d4 damage on a hit.
You can grapple with your jaws. Doing so occupies your mouth, making you incapable of speech or using your bite attack against anyone other than the one you are grappling.
Sharp Senses. You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Speak with Small Beasts. You can communicate simple ideas to Small or smaller beasts using sounds and gestures.
Languages. You speak, read, and write Common and Groose. Groose is a simplistic language, defined by growls, barks, and yips largely concerned with conveying emotion.
Subrace. Groosehounds are represented by hundreds of different breeds, many with only subtle differences between them. Each breed can predominantly be sorted into one of five broad types that share notable traits. Choose house, labor, stray, watch, or wild as your subrace.
House Groosehound
Soft and sweet, house groosehounds are all of the breeds that are cherished as homely companions. Most often they serve as caregivers, servants, performers, and can occasionally be seen in civil service roles.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence increases by 2, and your Charisma increases by 1.
Adorable. As an action on your turn you inspire an urge to protect you in your allies. Until the end of your next turn, your allies gain advantage on attack rolls against enemies within 10 feet of you that can see you. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Pampered. You gain proficiency in the Performance skill and your choice of the Arcana, History, Nature, or Religion skills. Additionally you gain proficiency in one gaming set or musical instrument of your choice.
Puppy Dog Eyes. As an action you can choose one creature that can see and hear you and give yourself advantage on all ability checks to barter, haggle, beg, or otherwise request something from that creature for one minute. Once you use this feature you cannot do so again until you complete a short or long rest.
Labor Groosehound
Sturdy, often large, and hard workers, labor groosehounds are both cheap labor and loyal companions. Whether hauling cargo, chopping trees, or assisting with tools, labor hounds are regularly seen undertaking difficult tasks.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution increases by 2.
Hard Worker. You gain proficiency in the Athletics skill and your choice of one artisan’s tool.
Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Tenacious. If you miss with an attack roll or fail a saving throw or ability check, you can reroll the check with advantage. Refreshes at short or long rest.
Stray Groosehound
Stray groosehounds are slender and agile, tending to be scavengers and vagabonds. Just as at home bounding across urban rooftops or the trees in a rural forest, strays are great at avoiding and slipping away from threats.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity increases by 2.
Alley Skulker. You gain proficiency in two of your choice of the Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand, or Stealth skills, or with disguise kits or thieves’ tools.
Rooftop Scrambler. Your long jump is 30 feet and your base high jump is 15 feet, with or without a running start.
Sure Footing. You gain a climbing speed of 30 feet. You can’t use your climbing speed while you wear medium or heavy armor.
Watch Groosehound
Sprinters and catchers, watch groosehounds excel at the pursuit and control of prey. They are often companions of hunters, shepherds that herd over animals, or dutiful members of the city watch.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom increases by 2.
Shepherd. You gain proficiency in two of your choice of the Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, Perception, or Survival skills.
Sprinter. When you move on your turn in combat, you can double your speed until the end of the turn. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you move 0 feet on one of your turns.
Vigilant. You cannot be surprised and you add your Wisdom to initiative rolls.
Wild Groosehound
Chiefly defined by their more effective natural weapons, wild groosehounds tend to have violent upbringings and have learned what is necessary for them to survive, either from others close to them or personal experimentation.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength increases by 2.
Hunting Craft. As part of a short rest, you can harvest bone and hide from a slain beast, construct, dragon, monstrosity, or plant creature of size Small or larger to create one of the following items: a net, a club, a javelin, or 1d4 darts or blowgun needles. To use this trait, you need a blade, such as a dagger, or appropriate artisan's tools, such as leatherworker's tools.
Rugged. You gain proficiency in two of your choice of the Athletics, Nature, Perception, or Survival skills. You also gain proficiency with nets.
Swipe and Gnash. Your natural weapons granted by racial traits deal a d6 of damage instead of a d4 and have the light weapon property.