Bomok
"THEY SAY YOU CAN'T TEACH AN OLD Bomok new tricks, but I've never met one who'd need it."
These canine humanoids create close, familial bonds with those who prove themselves worthy of loyalty. They will unflinchingly protect those with which they have pledged loyalty, putting the lives of their family over their own. Any bomok who forsakes a bond is cast out by others of their kind and considered a traitor to the very race. Blessed with sturdy builds and finely-honed senses, these canines are well-suited to becoming guards, sentries, or any number of other protective professions.
Bonds of the Bomok
Loyalty is perhaps the most important thing to a bomok, and their culture heavily revolves around that ideal. Bomok form tight bonds of loyalty to those they grow closest to, whether that be their family, ruler, or even members of their own adventuring party. It is a rare and almost unheard of phenomenon for any bomok to be deceitful and unfaithful in practically any way. As much as they stay true to their friends, they also stay true to their enemies. There is never a question as to when you have invoked the ire of a bomok. They will let you know.
Earning the trust of a bomok is a rare and challenging thing to do. It is an immense honor and it signals one's own valor and worth to those around you. Once you have one on your side, they become an ally for life, going so far as to put your own safety over their own, and as such are almost infallibly reliable in a tight spot.
Loyalty has such a huge influence on bomok culture that it is even used to convey social status among other members of the species. The most well-respected Bomok are the ones that have formed the strongest bonds, some of which can even last generations. Conversely, bomok deplore any and all acts of betrayal and treachery, viewing them as opposing their very way of life. Any bomok found committing such heinous deeds are forever cast out in the eyes of others, and such exile is usually accompanied by the cropping of the traitor's right ear.
Fierce Guardians
The bomok have been blessed with astounding senses and awareness. Their highly tuned ears and noses make them very capable at sensing danger, tracking prey, or finding things that have been lost. Bomok will often put these talents to use as guards or sentries, protecting others and keeping watch over important locations and people. If their charge ever comes under threat, there can be no doubt that a bomok will defend it to their last breath.
On constant vigil, a bomok is rarely, if ever, caught off-guard, even in casual settings. They have their heads ever on a swivel, searching for signs of danger or threat. They have uncanny awareness of their surroundings, and even older bomok, whose hearing may be fraying, still retain their astounding sense of smell. Hardly anything can escape the notice of a watchful bomok.
Aptitude for Learning
One of the most endearing but lesser known things about the bomok is their aptitude for learning. Most people view bomok as a harsh and standoffish race, but they are as eager and curious as any, perhaps more so than most. They take to new skills very swiftly, and have been known to master trades and skills in half the time it normally takes others. Because of this, bomok are able to excel in a wide variety of things, and can often be found with multiple skills or talents honed to excellence.
Some bomok will even take to following around an individual who possesses a skill they are interested in and will begin to learn the skill simply by watching the other perform it. Such tendencies make bomok exceptional apprentices and pupils in all sorts of areas, from blacksmithing to wizardry, and everything in between. As artisans, this aptitude allows them to excel in a wide variety of crafts, rather than focus on just one, and many a bomok trader can be expected to know half a dozen languages or more.
Bomok Names
Bomok naming convention typically follow that of the local culture a group of bomok have chosen to live in (such as humans, dwarves, and even elves), but can be expected to have short syllables and deep, basal sounds, akin to the barking and growling of their ancestors. In the rare case of a strictly bomok society, they will choose names that, when pronounced aloud, are almost indistinguishable from those growls and barks.
Male Names: Aaron, Alf, Arno, Boris, Cain, Duran, Edd, Fargo, Klaus, Mortimer, Paul, Rolen, Rolf, Rudy, Sid, Winston
Female Names: Amber, Anne, Barb, Bella, Cheska, Diana, Elwyr, Gertrude, Hadda, Nenna, Ora, Rhea, Sam, Zelda
Family Names: Arbast, Austmor, Bonested, Casdenor, Dendor, Farden, Grufpaw, Lowbrow, Noric, Pawfur, Strickrun
Bomok Traits
Your bomok character has the following traits, exemplifying their fierce loyalty and daunting physique.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Dexterity score increases by 1.
Age. Bomok mature at a faster rate than humans, reaching adulthood around age 12. They age faster, and tend not to live past the age of 75.
Alignment. Most bomok tend towards either good or lawful alignments, but may shift towards the alignments of those they give their loyalty to.
Size. Bomok are typically 6 to 7 feet tall and average around 200 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Fast Learner. The time it takes you to learn a new language, tool, weapon, or skill proficiency is halved.
Bite. Because of your fierce bite, your teeth are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Heightened Senses. You have proficiency in the Perception skill.
Hound's Vigil. Before you roll initiative, you can give yourself advantage on the roll. Once you use this trait, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.
Fierce Loyalty. When a creature you can see attacks a friendly creature within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll.
If the attack misses, the attacker must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of you until the end of its next turn. The DC for this saving throw is 8 + your proficiency bonus = your Charisma modifier.
Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice. Bomok typically learn the languages of other peoples they deal with, including obscure dialects, reflecting the tendency of bomok to adopt the cultural trends of the places they choose to live, such as dress and eating habits.
Created By Walaby
Artist Credit:
Doberman by Nikita Orlov
Duke Olivares by Adrian Laie
Frame free for use through public domain
City Gates by Andreas Rocha