[d20r, Race] Half-Giant

[Fax Celestis]

http://images.elfwood.com/art/n/a/navarro/ormos_bw.jpg.rZd.144546.jpg
Half-giants typically stand from 7 feet to nearly 8 feet tall and weigh from 250 to 400 pounds, with men noticeably taller and heavier than women.

Half-giants speak Common. Many also learn Giant.

+2 Strength, -2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma
Medium size: Half-giants, being medium, receive no adjustments based on size (but see the Powerful Build ability below).
Giant: Half-giants are humanoids with the (Giant) subtype.
Speed: A half-giant's base land speed is 30 feet.
Low-Light Vision
Powerful Build: The physical stature of half-giants lets them function in many ways as if they were one size category larger.
Whenever a half-giant is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts), the half-giant is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him.
A half-giant is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature’s special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect him. A half-giant can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. However, his space and reach remain those of a creature of his actual size. The benefits of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject’s size category.
Resilient: Half-giants receive one additional Hit Point per Hit Die. They also receive a +4 bonus on saves to resist massive damage or death effects.
Natural Talent: A half-giant has a small pool of reserve energy from their giant heritage they may tap into daily. A half-giant has one charge per three class levels, minimum one. A charge may be spent as an immediate action gain a +2 competence bonus to Strength or Constitution for one round or to power a feat with the [Half-Giant] descriptor.
Automatic Languages: Common. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Giant, Gnoll, Ignan.
Favored Class: Dreadnaught.

[Frog Dragon]

Looks good. It's actually quite a feat to make a Half-Giant that fits LA +0, but doesn't feel artificially weakened.

Thumbs up from me:smallsmile:

[DrakebloodIV]

Seems a little bit like its asking to be munchkined to me....

[MammonAzrael]

Not much fluff for this one, makes it a bit more difficult to judge, except purely on the mechanics.

Any particular reason they take a hit to Charisma?
Size, type, speed, and vision look good.
Powerful Build is good.
I get the idea behind Resilient, but was there any specific reason you went with this instead of the simpler +2 Constitution?
I like Born of Giants. I'm guessing there will be feats to increase both the amount of the bonus and the duration? Also, I think having it be a racial bonus instead of a competence bonus would fit better. Really helps stress they're getting that extra power from their giant heritage.
Languages are good.
Why Dreadnaught? My first instinct would be barbarian, both from a mental image standpoint, and it's what their racial features (especially their stats) point to. With Dreadnaught focusing on Con as it's primary stat, it seems odd to me for a race that gets a +4 to a different stat and no bonus to Con would have it as a favored class. Of course, There could be a fluff reason for it, and we have yet to see your d20r Barbarian, so I could be speaking too soon. But that's my initial reaction.

[Fax Celestis]

Any particular reason they take a hit to Charisma?Inbreeding? Balance?

I get the idea behind Resilient, but was there any specific reason you went with this instead of the simpler +2 Constitution? Resilient doesn't give bonuses on fort saves, endurance checks, or other Con-based things which Resilient shouldn't apply to.

I like Born of Giants. I'm guessing there will be feats to increase both the amount of the bonus and the duration? Also, I think having it be a racial bonus instead of a competence bonus would fit better. Really helps stress they're getting that extra power from their giant heritage. Yeah. I didn't go with racial bonus because I didn't want to get into stacking arguments.

Why Dreadnaught? My first instinct would be barbarian, both from a mental image standpoint, and it's what their racial features (especially their stats) point to. With Dreadnaught focusing on Con as it's primary stat, it seems odd to me for a race that gets a +4 to a different stat and no bonus to Con would have it as a favored class. Of course, There could be a fluff reason for it, and we have yet to see your d20r Barbarian, so I could be speaking too soon. But that's my initial reaction.
I went with Dreadnaught mostly because it's already done. Barbarian isn't, but I may change it when it is done.

[MammonAzrael]

Inbreeding? Balance?

Inbreeding? In a Half-X race? Is that even possible? Unless your half-X races breed true, and don't have to literally have one human parent and one X parent. Which I guess should be a requirement for a Half-X being to count as a race instead of a template.


Resilient doesn't give bonuses on fort saves, endurance checks, or other Con-based things which Resilient shouldn't apply to.

I can understand this. They can just take a hit a little better, but they don't really have a superior physical resistance.


Yeah. I didn't go with racial bonus because I didn't want to get into stacking arguments.

Ahh, yes. Evil stacking arguments. Though I'm not sure what argument could be made, I'm sure there is one waiting in the shadows somewhere.


I went with Dreadnaught mostly because it's already done. Barbarian isn't, but I may change it when it is done.
That works.

[keilyn]

Okay - I like it. it seems to remind me of something..... oh yeah. Some guy named Ronnie Coleman.

Were you watching videos of this guy while designing this race Fax? If not, I'm surprised.

[Magnor Criol]

I like it overall. I still think a Con bonus would be appropriate, if only because these guys are supposed to be larger than most other Medium creatures, and larger generally equals more Con. It makes sense from a giant-heritage point of view, too, since Con is generally a prime state for giants. But that may unbalance them, I've not a feel for that sort of thing. The Cha penalty makes sense to me.

I like Resilient and Born of Giants.

The languages all look good to me...except for Ignan, which doesn't make sense to me. Why can a half-giant randomly speak the language of elemental fire?

[Lappy9000]

The languages all look good to me...except for Ignan, which doesn't make sense to me. Why can a half-giant randomly speak the language of elemental fire?Well, the original half-giants had fire resistance for some reason, so I guess that was the logic behind that.

(Prays that giantitp's server doesn't die so this won't be the fourth time I've attempted to critique this)

You've done a great thing, to make this work without a Level Adjustment. Looks excellent overall. Highlights include Resilient, Born of Giants, and Giant as a subtype. Seriously, it makes so much more sense this way.

[Magnor Criol]

The "original" half-giants were also a psionic race...for some reason completely beyond my ken. On that note, Fax, thank you for not making this half-giant randomly psionic as well.

Don't worry, the forum problems are biting me too, you're certainly not alone.

[Lappy9000]

The "original" half-giants were also a psionic race...for some reason completely beyond my ken. On that note, Fax, thank you for not making this half-giant randomly psionic as well.Eberron fleshes that out very well here (http://www.coveworld.net/eberron/conversions-xph.html). Although I never have discovered exactly why half-giants possessed psionics in the first place :smallconfused:

[Tingel]

His feet are at least four times the size of his head! A creature with such a small mouth compared to its body mass must spend a lot of time eating.

[Lappy9000]

His feet are at least four times the size of his head! A creature with such a small mouth compared to its body mass must spend a lot of time eating.But it looks awesome. And this is for D&D. Rule of Cool, my friend, Rule of Cool....:smalltongue:

[Morty]

But it looks awesome. And this is for D&D. Rule of Cool, my friend, Rule of Cool....

Nope. Rule of Cool applies only when something is cool enough to be handwaved that way, it's not a convenient excuse for everything. Screwed-up proportions aren't cool, so they can't be justified that way. Not that it matters of course, because nobody cares about an illustration. But it doesn't go under the RoC.
Sorry, I just get jumpy when the Rule of Cool is mentioned. Carry on.

[MammonAzrael]

His feet are at least four times the size of his head! A creature with such a small mouth compared to its body mass must spend a lot of time eating.

Nah, he just had a fight with a witch doctor and had his head shrunk. :smallsmile:

[Draz74]

Half-Giant originally came from Dark Sun, and have a lot of lingering Dark Sun influence that explains the psionics, the fire affinity, and the Ignan alike.

Fax: Modifying ability scores temporarily is one of the more complicated and time-consuming parts of the system, and you want to make it as easily accessible as this? A racial power?

Also, as long as you're rewriting things, I've seen Powerful Build's open-ended "anytime it's beneficial" language act as the basis for some terrible rules debates. Maybe you should spell out explicitly all the checks and other things that it affects.

[Fax Celestis]

Also, as long as you're rewriting things, I've seen Powerful Build's open-ended "anytime it's beneficial" language act as the basis for some terrible rules debates. Maybe you should spell out explicitly all the checks and other things that it affects.


Whenever a half-giant is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check..., the half-giant is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him.

I think that's rather clear: it's size modifiers on opposed checks only. So, bull-rush, trip, overrun, grapple, Intimidate, and determining the effects of Swallow Whole.

[Lappy9000]

Nope. Rule of Cool applies only when something is cool enough to be handwaved that way, it's not a convenient excuse for everything. Screwed-up proportions aren't cool, so they can't be justified that way. Not that it matters of course, because nobody cares about an illustration. But it doesn't go under the RoC.
Sorry, I just get jumpy when the Rule of Cool is mentioned. Carry on.Joke/dʒoʊk/-(noun): Something said or done to provoke laughter or cause amusement, as a witticism, a short and amusing anecdote, or a prankish act: Lappy9000 intentionally misused the Rule of Cool as a joke for his fellow playgrounders.

[Morty]

Joke/dʒoʊk/-(noun): Something said or done to provoke laughter or cause amusement, as a witticism, a short and amusing anecdote, or a prankish act: Lappy9000 intentionally misused the Rule of Cool as a joke for his fellow playgrounders.

Oh. Right. Did I mention getting jumpy? Well, I meant it.

[Lappy9000]

Oh. Right. Did I mention getting jumpy? Well, I meant it.Sorry, I'll be sure to make maximum use of smilies in the future, just to avoid any confusion :smallbiggrin: :smalltongue: :smallwink:

[Fax Celestis]

Small update to charge ability, alteration of stats to +2 Str, -2 Dex, +2 Con, -2 Cha.

[gallagher]

is there any reason why half-giants dont also get to interchange charisma for strength on an intimidation check? they both have powerful build, and flexing for them would probably be a pretty effective means of intimidation!