Giff | Monster Guide for Dungeon & Dragon 5th Edition

It’s easy to spot giff in a room: these burly folk are 7-foot-tall, hippopotamus-headed people. In Wild space and the associated ports, giff are most often encountered as spacefaring mercenaries. These troops are renowned for their martial training and love of explosives and are typically armed with gleaming pistols and muskets. The stat block here represents one of those mercenaries.

Every aspect of these spacefaring giff’s society is organized along military lines. From birth until death, each has a military rank. Promotions don’t depend on age but are granted by a superior as a reward for valor.

Muskets and grenades are the specialties of many giff regiments. The bigger the boom, the brighter the flash, and the thicker the smoke it produces, the greater the glory for the one wielding the weapon. Giff mercenaries have been known to accept payment in kegs of gun powder in preference to gold, gems, or other currency.

Medium Humanoid, Any Alignment
Armor Class: 16 (breastplate)
Hit Points: 60 (8d8 + 24)
Speed: 30 ft.

    STR – 18 (+4)
    DEX – 14 (+2)
    CON – 17 (+3)
    INT – 11 (+0)
    WIS – 12 (+1)
    CHA – 12 (+1)

Senses: passive Perception 11

Languages: Common

Challenge: 3 (700 XP)

Proficiency Bonus: +2

Firearms Knowledge. The giff’s mastery of its weapons enables it to ignore the loading property of muskets and pistols.

Headfirst Charge. The giff can try to knock a creature over; if the giff moves at least 20 feet in a straight line and ends within 5 feet of a Large or smaller creature, that creature must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or take 7 (2d6) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone.

ACTIONS

Multiattack. The giff makes two Longsword, Musket, or Pistol attacks.

Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) slashing damage, or 9 (1d10 + 4) slashing damage if used with two hands.

Musket. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 40/120 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d12 + 2) piercing damage.

Pistol. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 30/90 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d10 + 2) piercing damage.

Fragmentation Grenade (1/Day). The giff throws a grenade up to 60 feet, and the grenade explodes in a 20-foot-radius sphere. Each creature in that area must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 17 (Sd6) piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.