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View Full Version : [3.5e] Goliath vs Half-Giant



Uin
2009-03-08, 04:10 AM
I've got a game coming up in a couple of weeks where myself and 2 others (half the players) decided to make a themed team, Defenders of the Earth!

Whisper Gnome Swordsage
Dwarf Crusader
Something Warblade (myself)

Now the race I should choose needs to be earth based or around that theme (Titan -> Giant -> Dwarf -> Gnome works too). Any other suggestions are more than welcome since I would prefer not having an LA at all. The 2 choices that came to mind straight away were Goliath, since they also inhabit Races of Stone and then Half-Giant.

While Goliaths seem superior, the Half-Giant concept seems cooler to me. Are there any tricks you can pull off with a Half-Giant that can't be done with a Goliath? Maybe due to the Giant type?

Zincorium
2009-03-08, 04:25 AM
Half giants really do work best in a psionic build, as otherwise you're paying for some racial features you don't intend to use. Goliaths are much more general as far as applications go, with ToB you're really better off sticking to that then dithering around with a psychic power or two.

As far as racial differences go... really, since you're a player character and thus templates aren't usually something you'll be messing with, as long as you aren't humanoid it's mostly all the same. Neither is affected by enlarge, or charm, etc. The exception would be if you're going to ask for something like the Feral template (only goliath can take that) or being a lycanthrope (which requires giant or humanoid, thus half-giant).

paddyfool
2009-03-08, 05:49 AM
Goliath also seems better fluffwise, imho.

jcsw
2009-03-08, 06:45 AM
Goliath also seems better fluffwise, imho.

Yeah, half giants seem to inexplicably have a fire theme.

Assassin89
2009-03-08, 10:21 AM
Goliaths are better as far as strength is concerned because they get a +4 racial modifier while half-giants get a +2

Draz74
2009-03-08, 11:14 AM
Yeah, go with Goliath unless you're planning to take Psionic feats. For example, if you wanted to be an awesome party face (Warblades do get Diplomacy and Intimidate), Shape Soulmeld and Psycarnum Infusion could get you great social skill bonuses based on expending your psionic focus at later levels. But if you don't want to do anything "tricky" like this, stick with Goliath.


Yeah, half giants seem to inexplicably have a fire theme.

It's because of their Dark Sun origins. Not terribly inexplicable. True, though, that if the OP wants to continue an Earth theme I'm not sure Half-Giant really fits the bill at all.

Froogleyboy
2009-03-08, 04:12 PM
If strength is what you want an Anthropomorphic Baleen Whale they get +8 to strength

Person_Man
2009-03-09, 09:55 AM
The only reason to take either race is for access to Knockback for a Dungeoncrasher build. Goliath has superior stats. Half Giant is innately psionic, which is useful if you want to go into War Mind or something similar for a Flaming Homer (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5819018&postcount=11) build.