Half-Giant (5e Race)
Half-Giants
"Simple, deliberate, stubborn, and hulking."
Half-giants are widely known for their physical abilities, and for their ability to deal heavy damage to foes during combat, but they are typically shunned by many people for their hulking figures and often simplistic views on life and goals. This is not to say that half-giants are stupid, as many of them, especially storm half-giants can have great intellect, but because of their ability to muscle through problems, they typically do not worry too much about details, and feel they can just plow right on to their goals.
The main thing a half-giant wants in life is acceptance from giants, humans, or both. Some Half-Giants attempt to gain acceptance by accomplishing heroic deeds. Half-giants who are raised among the giant culture will attempt to gain acceptance by honing their combat skills to perfection. Adventuring typically allows them to hone their combat skills and accomplish heroic deeds at the same time, so most Half-Giants who get the chance to will gladly join an adventuring party.
Physical Description
Half-giants are very tall and well-muscled.they stand 8-13 feet tall and weigh 450-1000 pounds. They typically will look like humans, but at times they are also known to look like the giant of which they are kin. Many, however, are known to look slightly more primal or have skin more closely colored to stone than actual flesh.
Half-Giant Names
Typically has human names.
History
In the beginning, the world was populated by many creatures and they lived together in relative harmony. Infinitely varied they were; contrived of all the gods' imaginations. Each was beautiful and special in its own way. And the gods walked among them, blessing all the creatures of the Earth.
One the most impressive of these creatures was the race known as, the Giants.
Of god-like stature and possessing great power, the Giants were unmatched save perhaps, for the Dragons. They were so powerful, in fact, that they became arrogant and dismissive, even treating the gods with disdain. Weary of the constant annoyance, the gods withdrew their favour from the Giants and left them to admire themselves in solitude.
As the years went by, however, the Giants began to die out. Less and fewer children were born to them and those that survived were struck down by a mysterious illness. Desperate for salvation the Giants pleaded with the gods for help.
But the gods would not help.
Angered by the Giants bloated self-importance the gods ignored the Giants plea for help and proclaimed that they could rot for all they cared.
But one god took pity on the Giants. Kord; bringer of storms and violence. It had been Kord more than anyone who had shaped the Giants into what they had become; investing them with great physical strength and voices like thunder. As such he searched the Giant race for one, just one, being who was willing to be humble; possible proof that the Giant race could be better than they were. He found it in the shape of a runt; a giant who was almost half as small as any other giant. The runt proved himself to Kord and earned the redemption of his race. But the rest of his people refused help and cast him out, along with a handful of others who sided with him. Gradually the disease continued to wreak havoc upon the Giants and grew progressively worse; dead giants began coming back to life as vicious, dull-witted beasts. Eventually, they had to be eradicated by the gods. It is thought that none survived.
The runt and his followers survived, however, untouched by the disease. Urged on by Kord they bred with other races to ensure that they did not die out. The interbreeding led to smaller Giants but prolonged the survival of the Giant race. These new 'Giants' became powerful, possessing new inherent traits from their secondary parents. Eventually, the Giants split into tribes that scattered all over the world, each of the lineages of the Giants of old. They eventually became known as Giants, not 'half-breed' or 'New Giant', as knowledge of the first Giants passed away.
Half-Giant Traits
Simple, deliberate, stubborn, and hulking. Not very nimble.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength and Constitution scores each increase by 1.
Age. Half-giants age slightly slower than humans, reaching adulthood at around age 20. They tend to live a decent bit longer than humans as well, usually living to be no older than 200.
Alignment. Half-giants don't tend toward any alignment in particular.
Size. The smallest half-giant is larger than all but the largest of humans. Your size is Large.
Speed. You have a base walking speed of 30 feet.
Athletic. You have proficiency with the Athletics skill.
Giantkin. Your creature type is considered to be both giant and humanoid.
Stone Toss. When you make a ranged attack with an improvised weapon made of stone, you are considered proficient with that improvised weapon, and its damage die increases to 1d6.
Languages. You speak, read, and write Common and Giant.
Subrace. One of your parents was a cloud giant, fire giant, frost giant, hill giant, stone giant or storm giant. Choose one of these subraces.
Cloud Giant
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1.
Keen Senses. You have proficiency with the Perception skill.
Cloud Giant Magic. You know the gust[1] cantrip and can cast it at will. Starting from 3rd level, you know the spell feather fall and can cast it once. Starting from 5th level, you know the spell fog cloud and can cast it once as a 2nd-level spell. You regain expended uses of this trait when you complete a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Fire Giant
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.
Fireborn. You have resistance to fire damage. Additionally, when you score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, your weapon ignites in flame and you can roll one of the weapon’s damage dice one additional time and add it to the extra damage of the critical hit. This extra damage is fire damage regardless of the weapon damage type.
Metalworker. You have proficiency with smith's tools.
Frost Giant
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Frostborn. You have resistance to cold damage. Additionally, you know the frostbite[2] cantrip and can cast it at will. Starting from 3rd level, you know the spell ice knife[1] and can cast it once, regaining the ability to cast it when you complete a long rest. Constitution is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Glacial Native. While you are traveling through arctic terrain, you add twice your proficiency bonus to Intelligence (Nature) and Wisdom (Perception and Survival) checks related to your immediate surroundings, instead of any proficiency bonus that you would normally apply. Additionally, you ignore difficult terrain while in arctic terrain.
Hill Giant
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.
Barrel Through. When you move, you can attempt to enter the space of a creature of Medium size or smaller. When you do so, that creature must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be knocked prone as you enter their space. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Strength modifier + your proficiency bonus. You can't force a creature to make this saving throw more than once per turn.
Thick-Skinned. While you are not wearing armor, your Armor Class equals 10 + your Constitution modifier.
Stone Giant
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Deflect Missile. When you are targeted by a ranged weapon attack, you can use your reaction to deflect or catch the missile. When you do so, the damage from the attack is reduced by 1d4 + your Dexterity modifier.
If you reduce the damage to 0, you can catch the missile if you have a hand free and the missile is small enough to be held in one hand. When you catch a missile in this way, you can choose to make a ranged attack with the missile as part of the same reaction. You are considered proficient with the missile if you aren't already, the damage die of the missile increases to 1d4 if it wasn't already higher, and the attack has a normal range of 20 feet and a long range of 60 feet. Once you attack in such a manner, you can't do so again until after you next roll initiative.
Stone Camouflage. When you make a Dexterity (Stealth) check to hide in rocky terrain, you are considered proficient in the Stealth skill if you aren't already, and add double your proficiency bonus to the roll, instead of any proficiency bonus you would normally apply.
Storm Giant
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1.
Storm Resistance. You have resistance to lightning and thunder damage.
Storm Bolt. You can generate a bolt of lightning in your hand, which you can use to make attacks in combat. This is a ranged spell attack that you can use with the Attack action. The attack has a range of 60 feet, an attack bonus equal to your Intelligence modifier + your proficiency bonus, and deals lightning damage on a hit equal to 1d6 + your Intelligence modifier.
Random Height and Weight
| Base Height | Height Modifier | Base Weight | Weight Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7' 0" | +6d12" | 400 lbs. | 6d10 × 10 lb. |
References
- Elemental Evil Player's Companion pp.19
- Elemental Evil Player's Companion pp.18
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