Goliath, Variant (5e Race Variant)
Goliath
Goliaths are massive creatures who are unafraid of throwing their weight around in a fight. They are highly competitive, these strong nomadic people can prove to be powerful allies and welcome additions to any adventuring party. (Wizards of the Coast - Races of Stone 2004)
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Personality
Goliaths are known for their almost foolhardy daring. In their mountain homes, they leap from precipice to precipice, heedless of the fatal consequences of a misstep. They place great stock in clan and family; life in the mountains teaches even the youngest goliath to rely completely on his fellows for a hand across a crevasse. Because most goliaths are hunter-gatherers, they tend to be inquisitive, always curious about whether better hunting lies over the next ridge or a good water source can be found in the next canyon. Goliaths are completely unsympathetic toward tribe members who can’t contribute to the well-being of the tribe anymore—an attitude reinforced by social structures. Old, sick, and otherwise infirm goliaths are exiled from their clans, never to return. (Wizards of the Coast - Races of Stone 2004)
Physical Description
A typical goliath is larger than the largest half-orc. Most stand between 7 and 8 feet tall and weigh between 280 and 340 pounds. Unlike with most other races, there is no appreciable difference in height or weight between male and female goliaths. Goliaths have gray skin, mottled with dark and light patches that goliath shamans say hint at a particular goliath’s fate. Lithoderms—coin-sized bone-and-skin growths as hard as pebbles—speckle their arms, shoulders, and torso. Their skulls have a jutting eyebrow ridge, wide jaw, and occasional lithoderms as well. Female goliaths have dark hair on their heads, grown to great length and always kept braided. Male goliaths generally have hair only on their limbs. Goliaths’ eyes are a brilliant blue or green, and they often seem to glow a little from underneath their furrowed brows. Because their skin mottling has cultural significance, goliaths generally dress as lightly as possible, displaying their skin patterns for all to see. For the same reason, few goliaths would willingly get a tattoo; to draw on one’s skin is tantamount to trying to rewrite one’s fate. Goliaths instead decorate themselves with jewelry, often sporting ear, nose, or brow rings. A goliath’s lithoderms are also common places to embed a gem or two, since they have few nerve endings and stand out on the goliath’s body already. (Wizards of the Coast - Races of Stone 2004)
Language
For millennia, the goliaths have had only a spoken tongue, Gol-Kaa, which has only thirteen phonetic elements: a, e, g, i, k, l, m, n, o, p, u, th, and v. Recently, the goliaths have picked up the alphabet of the Dwarven language, though the concept of a written language hasn’t spread to all the tribes yet. Those tribes that have learned the Dwarven alphabet are busily transcribing the goliaths’ vast oral tradition into carvings, cave paintings, and even books. (Wizards of the Coast - Races of Stone 2004)
Goliath Names
Male: Adham, Aukan, Eglath, Gauthak, Ilikan, Keothi, Lo-Kag, Maveith, Meavoi, Thotham, Vimak, Gorath
Female: Gae-Al, Kuori, Manneo, Nalla, Orilo, Paavu, Pethani, Thalai, Uthal, Vaunea.
Goliath Traits
Goliaths are massively muscled, but their bulk sometimes gets in the way when they’re trying to be nimble.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2 and your Constitution by 1.
Age. Goliaths reach adulthood in their mid-teens, and can live to be just over 80 years old.
Alignment. Goliaths have a slight tendency toward chaotic alignments, which is reflected in their wanderlust and the small, mobile communities in which they live. Still, each goliath tribe has one or more adjudicators that settle disputes within the clan, and such goliaths are generally lawful. Goliaths have a slight preference for good over evil, since among the high mountain peaks, survival becomes much easier when one aids a fellow goliath without insisting on recompense.
Size. Most goliaths stand between 7 and 8 feet tall and weigh between 280 and 340 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Acclimated. You’re acclimated to high altitude, as described in chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Unlike other denizens of the mountains, goliaths don’t lose their acclimation to high altitude even if they spend a long time at a lower elevation.
Mountain Movement. As goliaths practically live on the ledges and cliffs of the most forbidding mountains, they are particularly adept at negotiating mountain hazards. You are proficient in Athletics skill and can make standing long jumps and high jumps as if they were running long jumps and high jumps. In addition, you have a climbing speed equal to your walking speed.
Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Intuit Nature. When speaking to one another, goliaths tend to augment their verbal communication with subtle body language. They are likewise able to “read” the unintentional body language of others. You are proficient in the Insight skill.
Stone's Endurance. You can focus yourself to occasionally shrug off damage. When you take damage, you can use your reaction to roll a d12. Subtract the number rolled from the damage. You must finish a long rest before you can use this trait again.
Languages. You can speak, read and write Common, Giant and Gol-Kaa. Sometimes goliaths will learn the Dwarven, Gnoll, Terran languages if they have the chance.
Random Height and Weight
| Base Height | Height Modifier | Base Weight | Weight Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft ′ 2″ | + 2d10 in | 274 lbs. | +2d6 lbs. |
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