Gnorman
2012-01-26, 07:01 AM
The jotun is a race I've been working for a while (he's been around since Malamundus), but this new version is a little different. One of the concepts I've wanted to focus on in my E6 homebrew is internal modularity, and it's also one I don't think races have focused on very often (with a few exceptions here and there: Hellbred and the Dragonborn are the two I think of first). I thought that having sub-choices within a race could be fun, and add character or flavor. The jotun is sort of the test race for this, mainly due to the ease with which I came up with the different variations (as a downside, though, it also means he is the least complex, and may need improvement or alteration later on). I also wanted to make race relevant for more than just the first level, and so like with my Malamundus races I have included scaling abilities.
The jotun is the first race I have to offer for the new campaign setting I'm working on, and one I've definitely wanted to keep around despite using him before in a different setting. I'll admit up front that I have a distaste for PHB races, simply because they've been done to death. I plan to present my new "core" as it were - a baseline of human, but with something else, a little giant blood here, some infernal ancestry here, perhaps a touch of fey somewhere in your family tree. Jotuns are a blend of half-giants and genasi (given that giants typically had elemental themes, it seemed a perfect fit), and fit the role of the "bruiser" or "big guy" in my campaign world.
So with that, I present:
The Jotun
+2 Strength, -2 Intelligence - All jotun are descended from giants and possess a fraction of their strength, but often act before they think and rarely put much value in formal education or logical ability.
Medium size
30' movement.
Humanoid type.
Bloodline: All jotun select a bloodline from the list below, which offer them different bonuses and abilities. This choice is permanent.
Stability: Jotun are exceptionally stable on their feet. A jotun has a +4 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped when standing firmly on the ground.
Powerful Build: At 3rd level, the physical stature of jotun lets them function in many ways as if they were one size category larger. Whenever a jotun is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check, the jotun is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him. A jotun is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creatures special attacks based on size can affect him. A jotun 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 subjects size category.
Elemental Acclimation: Jotun possess a limited resistance to a particular elements based on their heritage, as noted in the bloodline entry. At 6th level, their resistance increases from 5 to 10, and their bonus to saves against elemental spells and effects increases to +4.
+2 racial bonus to Balance, Climb, and Swim checks.
Automatic Languages: Common. Bonus Languages: Aquan, Auran, Ignan, Giant, and Terran.
Favored Classes: Gladiator (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=217368) and red mage (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=215306)
Bloodlines
Flameheart
+2 Charisma - Flameheart jotun are confident and possessed of a strong sense of self, prideful even to the point of arrogance.
Resistance to fire 5.
+2 racial bonus on saves against all fire spells and effects.
Frostblood
+2 Wisdom - Frostblood jotun are keen, observant hunters and tend to be composed and well-controlled (at least, compared to other jotun).
Resistance to cold 5.
+2 racial bonus on saves against all cold spells and effects.
Stonebound
+2 Constitution - Stonebound jotun are hardy and hale, and shrug off blows that would fell lesser beings as if they were mere nuisances.
Resistance to earth* 5.
+2 racial bonus on saves against all earth spells and effects.
* Earth resistance refers to any damage caused by stone, dirt, mud, or sand, such as the Hail of Stones spell, a boulder thrown by a giant, a stone axe, or a falling rock trap.
Stormsoul
+2 Dexterity - Stormsoul jotun are quick and energetic, positively vibrating with activity.
Resistance to electricity 5.
+2 racial bonus on saves against all electricity spells and effects.
Soul of a Titan (Optional Epic Destiny)
Prerequisites: 6th-level character, twenty "epic" feats
Benefits: At the DM's discretion, a jotun character that has reached epic status may gain this ability. The jotun's size is increased to Large, his type changes to Giant, and he gains a +2 inherent bonus to two ability scores of his choice.
Personality: Jotun, being mostly human, tend to exhibit the range of personalities and types that humans possess. However, most of them tend to be boisterous and loud, reveling in the fact that they are descended from mighty warriors. They can be impatient and stubborn, even obnoxiously so, and their minds are difficult to change once made up. Jotun tend to be blunt and direct, unconcerned with social niceties or "proper" behavior, and even the most civilized jotun still feels a bit hemmed in by polite society. They rarely make for fine courtiers or nobles, and they certainly have little love for politics. They are much more at home in the wilds than trapped in a labyrinth of buildings, columns and walls - jotun are also particularly susceptible to claustrophobia. They are stronger and hardier than most people and they know it, and so tend to exhibit a certain pride and self-possession when feats of strength or athleticism are concerned. Jotun respect strength in any form, and so also give credit to the magical arts - jotun are particularly adept with spiritual and pragmatic magic, enjoying spells that mend their wounds or increase their physical capabilities. They can be arrogant and lord their strength over others, and a cruel jotun makes for a terrible taskmaster. Family, tribe, and heritage are extremely important to the jotun, and they tend to develop solid loyalties to friends and organizations they believe in. A jotun at your side is worth five lesser men, both in terms of their strength and their devotion. They tend to be slow to trust and wary of strangers and outsiders, but once a jotun is won over, he is a friend for life, short of abject betrayal or other egregious violations against him. By that same token, a jotun enemy is a difficult one to persuade otherwise, and they are legendary for their grudges and feuds. At their best, jotun are honorable, loyal, strong, brave, unpretentious, and forthright . At their worst, jotun are uncouth, cantankerous, overbearing, unyielding, brutish, and dull.
Physical Description: Jotun look mostly human, but with a few telltale signs that belie their heritage - jotun tend to be taller than most, rarely being shorter than six feet, and frequently approaching seven. They are muscular and broad, with powerful shoulders and upper bodies. Jotun men wear their hair long and somewhat shaggy, and typically remain clean-shaven until they have proven themselves in some way - a beard without a story behind it is usually considered no beard at all. Jotun women treat their hair in much the same manner - the longer and more elaborately braided the hair, the fiercer the warrior beneath it. Ritual tattoos are also popular, and display clan symbols or personal accomplishments, like a depiction of a particularly fierce beast the jotun has vanquished. Jotun dislike elaborate clothing, and prefer functional garments such as warm cloaks, sturdy boots, and heavy furs to silk robes or elegant finery. Fireheart jotun tend to have flaming red or orange hair and an ashen grey tint to their skin, and exude an unnatural warmth. Frostblood jotun tend to have pale blonde or white hair, fair alabaster skin, and are a few degrees cooler to the touch. Stonebound jotun usually have dark brown or black hair and their skin is ruddy brown or tinged with granite-grey, typically with a few rock-like protrusions about the shoulders or upper arms. Stormsoul jotun have striking blonde hair, rosy skin, and touching them often releases a small jolt of static electricity.
Relations: Jotun tend to get along well with most races, though they do occasionally dismiss races they see as weak, effete, or cowardly. Many jotun feel protective towards smaller races, and treat them as younger siblings to be watched over and guided in the proper direction, even if the littler one is much older and wiser than the jotun in question.
Alignment: Jotun display no overt attachment towards any alignment extreme, though due to their love of freedom and disdain for restrictions many of them have a slight chaotic bent.
Lands: Jotun tend towards environmental extremes, their resistance to the elements allowing them to eke out a living where other beings would not be able to - be that volcanic islands, frozen tundra, foreboding cliffs and mountains, or storm-battered coastlines. Jotun are also natural sailors, and many prefer the maritime life to that on dry land. Their societies tend to be clan-based, with a central patriarch or matriarch acting as the village or tribe's adviser. In large cities, where jotun of various clans may congregate together, they still hold clan loyalty to be of paramount importance. Many bar brawls and street fights have been caused by two jotun arguing the superiority of one clan or family over another.
Language: Jotun are not particularly adept with languages, and rarely go out of their way to learn new ones. Jotun typically speak the language of their home environment, which is most often the language of their clan. In larger cities and across most civilized lands, various jotun clans have synthesized their tribal dialects into a functional creole, which is what most non-jotun think of when they hear the term "the Jotun tongue."
Names: Jotun names tend to be short and to the point, rarely more than one or two syllables. Family names are usually patronymic or matronymic, depending on the exact nature of the clan they hail from, and jotun often take on a grandiose nickname that brags of their prowess or accomplishments (the more ridiculous and boisterous the better). Jotun are fiercely proud of clan names and reputations, and a jotun without a clan name is usually an exile, a traitor, or worse.
Adventurers: Jotun are natural adventurers - not only do they often succumb to wanderlust and curiosity, but going out and proving themselves is a rite of passage in many jotun societies. With their natural strength and predilection towards feats of martial prowess, many jotun make a fine living as sellswords and mercenaries.
The jotun is the first race I have to offer for the new campaign setting I'm working on, and one I've definitely wanted to keep around despite using him before in a different setting. I'll admit up front that I have a distaste for PHB races, simply because they've been done to death. I plan to present my new "core" as it were - a baseline of human, but with something else, a little giant blood here, some infernal ancestry here, perhaps a touch of fey somewhere in your family tree. Jotuns are a blend of half-giants and genasi (given that giants typically had elemental themes, it seemed a perfect fit), and fit the role of the "bruiser" or "big guy" in my campaign world.
So with that, I present:
The Jotun
+2 Strength, -2 Intelligence - All jotun are descended from giants and possess a fraction of their strength, but often act before they think and rarely put much value in formal education or logical ability.
Medium size
30' movement.
Humanoid type.
Bloodline: All jotun select a bloodline from the list below, which offer them different bonuses and abilities. This choice is permanent.
Stability: Jotun are exceptionally stable on their feet. A jotun has a +4 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped when standing firmly on the ground.
Powerful Build: At 3rd level, the physical stature of jotun lets them function in many ways as if they were one size category larger. Whenever a jotun is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check, the jotun is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him. A jotun is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creatures special attacks based on size can affect him. A jotun 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 subjects size category.
Elemental Acclimation: Jotun possess a limited resistance to a particular elements based on their heritage, as noted in the bloodline entry. At 6th level, their resistance increases from 5 to 10, and their bonus to saves against elemental spells and effects increases to +4.
+2 racial bonus to Balance, Climb, and Swim checks.
Automatic Languages: Common. Bonus Languages: Aquan, Auran, Ignan, Giant, and Terran.
Favored Classes: Gladiator (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=217368) and red mage (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=215306)
Bloodlines
Flameheart
+2 Charisma - Flameheart jotun are confident and possessed of a strong sense of self, prideful even to the point of arrogance.
Resistance to fire 5.
+2 racial bonus on saves against all fire spells and effects.
Frostblood
+2 Wisdom - Frostblood jotun are keen, observant hunters and tend to be composed and well-controlled (at least, compared to other jotun).
Resistance to cold 5.
+2 racial bonus on saves against all cold spells and effects.
Stonebound
+2 Constitution - Stonebound jotun are hardy and hale, and shrug off blows that would fell lesser beings as if they were mere nuisances.
Resistance to earth* 5.
+2 racial bonus on saves against all earth spells and effects.
* Earth resistance refers to any damage caused by stone, dirt, mud, or sand, such as the Hail of Stones spell, a boulder thrown by a giant, a stone axe, or a falling rock trap.
Stormsoul
+2 Dexterity - Stormsoul jotun are quick and energetic, positively vibrating with activity.
Resistance to electricity 5.
+2 racial bonus on saves against all electricity spells and effects.
Soul of a Titan (Optional Epic Destiny)
Prerequisites: 6th-level character, twenty "epic" feats
Benefits: At the DM's discretion, a jotun character that has reached epic status may gain this ability. The jotun's size is increased to Large, his type changes to Giant, and he gains a +2 inherent bonus to two ability scores of his choice.
Personality: Jotun, being mostly human, tend to exhibit the range of personalities and types that humans possess. However, most of them tend to be boisterous and loud, reveling in the fact that they are descended from mighty warriors. They can be impatient and stubborn, even obnoxiously so, and their minds are difficult to change once made up. Jotun tend to be blunt and direct, unconcerned with social niceties or "proper" behavior, and even the most civilized jotun still feels a bit hemmed in by polite society. They rarely make for fine courtiers or nobles, and they certainly have little love for politics. They are much more at home in the wilds than trapped in a labyrinth of buildings, columns and walls - jotun are also particularly susceptible to claustrophobia. They are stronger and hardier than most people and they know it, and so tend to exhibit a certain pride and self-possession when feats of strength or athleticism are concerned. Jotun respect strength in any form, and so also give credit to the magical arts - jotun are particularly adept with spiritual and pragmatic magic, enjoying spells that mend their wounds or increase their physical capabilities. They can be arrogant and lord their strength over others, and a cruel jotun makes for a terrible taskmaster. Family, tribe, and heritage are extremely important to the jotun, and they tend to develop solid loyalties to friends and organizations they believe in. A jotun at your side is worth five lesser men, both in terms of their strength and their devotion. They tend to be slow to trust and wary of strangers and outsiders, but once a jotun is won over, he is a friend for life, short of abject betrayal or other egregious violations against him. By that same token, a jotun enemy is a difficult one to persuade otherwise, and they are legendary for their grudges and feuds. At their best, jotun are honorable, loyal, strong, brave, unpretentious, and forthright . At their worst, jotun are uncouth, cantankerous, overbearing, unyielding, brutish, and dull.
Physical Description: Jotun look mostly human, but with a few telltale signs that belie their heritage - jotun tend to be taller than most, rarely being shorter than six feet, and frequently approaching seven. They are muscular and broad, with powerful shoulders and upper bodies. Jotun men wear their hair long and somewhat shaggy, and typically remain clean-shaven until they have proven themselves in some way - a beard without a story behind it is usually considered no beard at all. Jotun women treat their hair in much the same manner - the longer and more elaborately braided the hair, the fiercer the warrior beneath it. Ritual tattoos are also popular, and display clan symbols or personal accomplishments, like a depiction of a particularly fierce beast the jotun has vanquished. Jotun dislike elaborate clothing, and prefer functional garments such as warm cloaks, sturdy boots, and heavy furs to silk robes or elegant finery. Fireheart jotun tend to have flaming red or orange hair and an ashen grey tint to their skin, and exude an unnatural warmth. Frostblood jotun tend to have pale blonde or white hair, fair alabaster skin, and are a few degrees cooler to the touch. Stonebound jotun usually have dark brown or black hair and their skin is ruddy brown or tinged with granite-grey, typically with a few rock-like protrusions about the shoulders or upper arms. Stormsoul jotun have striking blonde hair, rosy skin, and touching them often releases a small jolt of static electricity.
Relations: Jotun tend to get along well with most races, though they do occasionally dismiss races they see as weak, effete, or cowardly. Many jotun feel protective towards smaller races, and treat them as younger siblings to be watched over and guided in the proper direction, even if the littler one is much older and wiser than the jotun in question.
Alignment: Jotun display no overt attachment towards any alignment extreme, though due to their love of freedom and disdain for restrictions many of them have a slight chaotic bent.
Lands: Jotun tend towards environmental extremes, their resistance to the elements allowing them to eke out a living where other beings would not be able to - be that volcanic islands, frozen tundra, foreboding cliffs and mountains, or storm-battered coastlines. Jotun are also natural sailors, and many prefer the maritime life to that on dry land. Their societies tend to be clan-based, with a central patriarch or matriarch acting as the village or tribe's adviser. In large cities, where jotun of various clans may congregate together, they still hold clan loyalty to be of paramount importance. Many bar brawls and street fights have been caused by two jotun arguing the superiority of one clan or family over another.
Language: Jotun are not particularly adept with languages, and rarely go out of their way to learn new ones. Jotun typically speak the language of their home environment, which is most often the language of their clan. In larger cities and across most civilized lands, various jotun clans have synthesized their tribal dialects into a functional creole, which is what most non-jotun think of when they hear the term "the Jotun tongue."
Names: Jotun names tend to be short and to the point, rarely more than one or two syllables. Family names are usually patronymic or matronymic, depending on the exact nature of the clan they hail from, and jotun often take on a grandiose nickname that brags of their prowess or accomplishments (the more ridiculous and boisterous the better). Jotun are fiercely proud of clan names and reputations, and a jotun without a clan name is usually an exile, a traitor, or worse.
Adventurers: Jotun are natural adventurers - not only do they often succumb to wanderlust and curiosity, but going out and proving themselves is a rite of passage in many jotun societies. With their natural strength and predilection towards feats of martial prowess, many jotun make a fine living as sellswords and mercenaries.