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Admiral Squish
2014-06-05, 05:33 PM
Giant-Kin

http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs16/f/2007/184/f/b/Inuit_Series_16_by_JerMohler.jpg

”Suddenly a native of the lands emerged from the blizzard, clad in furs and leather. He was a giant in stature, so tall we only reached his waist, and was well proportioned, bearing an enormous walrus over a shoulder as though it weighed no more than a sack of grain. He seemed uncaring of the weather, his hood lowered against the bitter wind.” -Pierre Lareux, leader of the first French expedition into Tuniitaq.

Giantkin are the descendants of giants, or rather, those who inherited giant traits. Giantkin emerge from the union of human and giant, but they also can arise seemingly spontaneously from couples who are both of normal size, but a careful look will reveal each has a giantkin somewhere among their ancestors. How close the giantkin is to their ancestor giant will shape how many nonhuman traits they possess.
Personality: Giantkin vary in personality as much as humans do. Being as large as they are, they are often used to being a center of attention, to a certain degree, and some will simply dominate a room as they enter, while others will do their best not to attract any more attention than normal. Those who spend a lot of time among normal-sized humans will learn to be extra cautious, knowing a missed step or a careless bump could easily cause great harm or damage.
Physical Description: Giantkin usually look like humans, simply of exceptional size. The exact height depends on their ancestry and just how far they are from their giant progenitor, usually between 8 and 10 feet, sometimes up to 12 feet in direct descendants of extremely large giants. Some varieties will have inhuman features or very unusual features, but these are generally relatively low-key, with a few exceptions. Some giantkin have their heritage sealed as a baby or very young child, allowing them to reduce their size to that of a normal human, in order to more easily live among normal sized humans, though this doesn’t disguise any other traits they may have gained from their giant parent.
Relations: Giantkin typically live among humans, as rare occurrences or in disguise while sealed. Some are outcasts, cast out of their human societies for their differences. Others live among their giant parents. And in some places, being a giantkin is more common than being human. Most humanoids either fear or envy the giantkin’s size and strength, but many giantkin find themselves frustrated by their size and envious of the fine detail smaller hands are capable of.
Alignment: Giantkin vary in alignment as widely as humans and their giant parentage.



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Giantkin Lands: Giantkin aren’t a distinct cultural entity and don’t have their own lands or villages. However, in some areas of Tuniitaq and Patagonia, the giantkin outnumber the normal-sized humans by a significant margin, and they have structures and tools designed accordingly. Some places with relatively high giantkin populations will have accommodations designed for the larger beings, but in many places, giantkin are forced to build or create whatever they need for themselves.
Religion: Giantkin aren’t more common in any one religion over another, and giantkin are found among the faithful of any major religion one looks to. They are somewhat drawn to religions that emphasize equality for the faithful, as their unusual forms make them somewhat segregated from the rest of their societies.
Language: Giantkin speak the language of the culture they were raised into, wherever that may be.
Names: Giantkin names are usually the same as normal names for their culture, though those with descriptive names will often reference their unusual size or strength.
Adventurers: Giantkin are somewhat more likely to become adventurers in some regard than normal humans. Their slight disconnect from the rest of the population drives them to prove their value in one way or another, many becoming hunters or brutes.

Giantkin Racial Abilities
+4 strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Dexterity Giantkin are extremely strong and rather tough, but their large frames and hands can be clumsy compared to humans.
Humanoid Type Giantkin are humanoid creatures with the giant subtype.
Large Size Giantkin are large creatures. They take a -1 size penalty to AC and a -1 penalty to attack rolls, gain a +1 bonus on combat maneuver checks and CMD, and a -4 size penalty to stealth checks. A giantkin takes up a space that’s 10 feet by 10 feet, and has a reach of 10 feet.
Normal Speed Giantkin have a base speed of 30 feet.
Skillful Giantkin inherit some of their human parent’s adaptability. A giantkin gains one additional skill point at first level and each level thereafter.
Giant Heritage: Giantkin can trace their ancestry back to many different varieties of giant, many wildly different from one another. A giantkin selects three of the following inheritances at character creation. their selections cannot be changed once selected.
Amphibious: The giantkin possesses gills, or a mystical connection to water. They can breathe both water and air with equal ease.

Arctic Home: The giantkin is instinctively skillful at traveling through snow and ice, or they supernaturally move over it. They can move normally over naturally-occurring difficult terrain in arctic areas, including deep snow or ice. Magically altered terrain effects them normally. In addition, they can see normally though snow or even blizzards, and do not become fatigued when they take nonlethal damage from cold weather.

Bite: The giantkin has sharp teeth or fangs, possibly even small tusks. They possess a primary bite attack that deals 1d6 points of damage.

Burning Assault: The giantkin’s fiery heritage infuses their attacks with fire damage. When they make a successful melee attack or melee touch attack, they deal one point of fire damage in addition to any normal damage or effects. The giantkin can suppress or resume this ability at will. Once the giantkin selects this trait, they cannot select the Cold Resistance, Frozen Assault, or Cold Magic inheritance.

Camouflage: The giantkin’s skin is an unusual coloration, usually to match their native environment. The giantkin gains a +4 racial bonus to stealth checks in one of the following terrain types: Cold, Desert, Forest, Jungle, Mountain, Swamp, Underground, or Water.

Cold Magic: The giantkin has a mystical connection to cold and ice. They are treated as one level higher when casting spells with the cold descriptor or using water domain abilities. This trait does not give them early access to level-based powers; it only affects powers they could already use without this trait. Once the giantkin selects this trait, they cannot select the Fire Resistance, Burning Assault, or Fire Magic inheritance.

b]Cold Resistance:[/b] The giantkin is inured to cold and ice. The giantkin reduces any cold damage taken by 5. Once the giantkin selects this trait, they cannot select the Fire Resistance, Burning Assault, or Fire Magic inheritance.

Craftsman: The giantkin has a hidden talent for building and forging. They gain a +2 racial bonus to craft and profession checks to create items from metal or stone, and craft is always a class skill for them.

Darkvision: The giantkin’s heritage lies with giants who were strictly nocturnal. They can see normally in darkness, even magical darkness. However, abrupt exposure to bright light blinds them for one round, and they remain dazzled as long as they are in an area of bright light.

Desert Home: The giantkin is at home in desert environments. They can move normally through natural difficult terrain in desert areas, including loose sand or cracked earth. Magically-altered terrain affects them normally. In addition, the giantkin is immune to damage from sand or dust storms, gains a +4 bonus to fortitude saves to resist the effects of starvation and thirst, and does not become fatigued when they take nonlethal damage from hot weather.

Earth-shaker: The giantkin’s monstrous parent was known to shake the earth with their stride. They can perform a special trip attempt by stomping the ground as a standard action. This provokes an attack of opportunity as a normal trip attempt, unless the giantkin possesses the Improved Trip feat. The giantkin makes a single Combat Maneuver check against the CMD of all creatures within 15 feet. If the attempt is successful, that creature is tripped. The giantkin does not fall prone due to failing this check by 10 or more.

Extra Large: The giantkin was born to an exceptionally large giant, and may be exceptionally tall, or have a broad build, or bear a large, round belly. The giantkin gains an additional +1 size bonus to CMB checks and CMD.

Fearful Cry: The giantkin can let loose a terrifying scream, howl, or roar to frighten enemies. The giantkin can make an intimidate check to attempt to demoralize all enemies within 20 feet as a standard action.

Fearsome Visage: The giantkin is descended from a giant with a fearsome and frightening appearance, perhaps with snarling tusks, a crimson face, or a wild mane of hair. They gain a +4 racial bonus to intimidate checks as long as the target can see them clearly.

Feral Strength: The giantkin’s parents were incredibly strong, but not particularly bright. They gain an additional +2 bonus to strength, but take a -2 penalty to intelligence and charisma.

Fire Magic: The giantkin has a mystical connection to fire and heat. They are treated as a one level higher when casting spells with the fire descriptor, or when using fire domain powers. This trait does not give them early access to level-based powers; it only affects powers they could already use without this trait. Once the giantkin selects this trait, they cannot select the Cold Resistance, Frozen Assault, or Cold Magic inheritance.

Fire Resistance: the giantkin is inured to fire and heat. they reduce any fire damage taken by 5.Once the giantkin selects this trait, they cannot select the Cold Resistance, Frozen Assault, or Cold Magic inheritance.

Frozen Assault: The giantkin’s arctic heritage infuses their attacks with cold damage. When they make a successful melee attack or melee touch attack, they deal one point of cold damage in addition to any normal damage or effects. The giantkin can suppress or resume this ability at will. Once the giantkin selects this trait, they cannot select the Fire Resistance, Burning Assault, or Fire Magic inheritance.

Grab: The giantkin has strong hands, good for grabbing and holding. They gain the Improved Grapple feat as a bonus feat, even if they don’t meet the prerequisites.

Human Shape The giantkin’s parent had magic to disguise themselves as a human. The giantkin can change size as a standard action, between their natural form and a human form. In human form, the giantkin takes a -2 penalty to strength. Any equipment worn or carried when they change changes to match the new shape as well, though it will return to its natural size when the giantkin takes it off or removes it. Medium-sized items or equipment put on in human form do not grow with the giantkin when returning to their natural form, unless they would magically do so normally. When in human form, all of the giantkin’s other heritage abilities are suppressed, as the magic somewhat normalizes their appearance and abilities. They gain a +10 racial bonus to disguise checks to appear as a human, though a true seeing spell reveals their true form. The human form is static, the giantkin assuming the same form each time they use the ability, and based on their human heritage’s normal appearance. They cannot choose to appear as a different gender or a different ethnicity than their human parent, for example.

Manhunter: The giantkin has a talent for fighting, dealing with, and hunting humans. They gain a +1 bonus to bluff, knowledge, perception, sense motive, and survival checks relating to humans. They also gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls against humans.

Mountain-Home: The giantkin is at home in the mountains. They can move normally through natural difficult terrain in mountainous areas, including loose stone or uneven rocks. Magically-altered terrain affects them normally. They are also immune to altitude sickness, and do not lose their dexterity bonus to AC when making climb or acrobatics checks to cross narrow or slippery ledges.

Natural Armor: The giantkin has tough skin. They again a +1 natural armor bonus to AC. The giantkin can take this trait more than once, each time after the first increasing he natural armor bonus by 2.

Slam: The giantkin’s body alone makes a powerful weapon. They gain two slam attacks that deal 1d4 points of damage each. These slam attacks are primary attacks, or secondary attacks if the giantkin is wielding manufactured weapons. If the giantkin has the improved unarmed strike feat, their unarmed strikes deals damage as though they were one size larger, but they cannot use their slam attacks as part of an attack with unarmed strikes.

Spare Hand: The giantkin has a small, relatively weak arm growing on their body. This arm isn't strong enough to wield weapons, but it can carry items, or retrieve a small item stowed on their person as a swift action.

Stability: The giantkin has strong legs or a heavy build. They gain a +4 bonus to their CMD against bull rush or trip attempts while standing firmly on the ground.

Stalker: The giantkin is a skillful hunter. Perception and Stealth are always class skills for them.

Stonecunning: The giantkin has an eye for stone and rock, particularly unusual stonework. They gain a +2 racial bonus to perception checks to notice unusual stonework or formations, such as traps, hidden doors in stone walls, or a magically-formed overhang. They receive a check to notice such features when they come within 10 feet of them, whether or not they are actively looking.

Swimmer: The giantkin has webbed fingers and toes, or simply glides through the water. They have a swim speed of 30 feet, and gain a +8 racial bonus to swim checks.

Two-Minded: The giantkin has a divided mind, and may have a large head or a head that looks split. When targeted by a mind-affecting spell or ability, they can roll their will save twice, taking the higher result. Additionally, they reduce the penalty to attack rolls from fighting with more than one weapon by 2.

Admiral Squish
2014-06-05, 05:35 PM
Feats:
Rock Throwing
You’ve learned the giant technique of rock throwing, allowing you to lob great hunks of stone at your foes.
Prerequisites: Giantkin
Benefit: You can hurl rocks as ranged weapons. A ‘rock’ can be any large, bulky, regularly shaped object at least two size categories smaller than the giantkin, composed of a material with a hardness of at least 5. A thrown rock has a range increment of 120 feet, and can be hurled up to five range increments. A small-sized rock deals 2d6 base damage, and thrown rocks add 1 ½ times the giant kin’s strength modifier to damage.

Rock Catching
You’ve learned to defend yourself against rocks much the same way your giant ancestors do.
Prerequisites: Giantkin, Rock Throwing
Benefit: You can catch an incoming rock. Once per round, when you would normally be hit by a rock of your size or smaller, or projectile of similar shape, you can make a reflex save to try and catch it. The DC is 15 for a rock two sizes smaller than you, 20 for a rock one size smaller than you, or 25 for a rock of your size. If successful, you’re now holding the rock, and if it’s of the appropriate size, you can throw it back, or simply drop it as a fee action. You must be aware of the incoming rock in order to attempt to catch it.


[Giant] feats that enhance aspects of the giantkin's specific heritage.

Admiral Squish
2014-06-05, 05:43 PM
I've been working on these guys for quite some time, trying to make them into something that's truly worthy of replacing the Trollkin (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?295083-Trollkin-PF-Race-Crossroads) and Tuniit (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?285312-Tuniit-Race-Vespuccia) races. I think i did a pretty good job, honestly, and I like that I've successfully made a half-giant that lets you actually select the variety of giant you've descended from.

Here are a few things I'm considering adding in or changing:
Dropping the set heritage types and letting you pick abilities out of a list, to somewhat more accurately represent the kind of grab-bag one would be reaching into with more distant genetic sources. There would have to be some selections that block other selections, though, like you can't pick up clod resistance and fire resistance.
Adding a prestige class to allow you to unlock more of your giant blood as you level, becoming larger and more primal as time goes on.
A giant culture of some sort, though I'm not sure how it would work considering the varied nature of giants.

Anyways, let me know what you think!

Amechra
2014-06-05, 08:13 PM
Aww... I liked the Trollkin.

But still, good work.

Admiral Squish
2014-06-05, 09:16 PM
Aww... I liked the Trollkin.

But still, good work.

I know, I know. I liked 'em too, it's just that they were very specific in focus, and we needed something that could do a lot of different kinds of giant humanoids, not just trolls. Plus, the whole 'beautiful ladies/ugly dudes' dichotomy was kind of forced into a lot of the varieties. You can still do a lot of trollkin concepts with the ogrekin.

Amechra
2014-06-05, 10:05 PM
Can't we just have both? Pretty please?

Admiral Squish
2014-06-05, 10:23 PM
Can't we just have both? Pretty please?

Sorry, I just really can't see enough difference between them to warrant two distinct races.

Pokonic
2014-06-05, 10:43 PM
Fluff-wise, these guys wouldn't be too different than the troll-kin, except it would be less about hiding from humans and more of hiding around in the outskirts of civilization and occasionally passing oneself off as just a big human, unless one of the parents happened to be more magical than usual and the PC starts with the Sealed Giant feat.

I think that approach done with the Little Folk would be good here, with a few examples of the possible giant/troll/ogre/ect non-human ancestor under each category. Some distinct clarifications about how they are felt about by the different peoples of the world would help a bit, and perhaps even result in some carry-over from the troll-kin's refugee culture.

I would drop the extra arm on the mongrelkin and give them some sort of bonus to Intimidate (+4? Or perhaps to +2 to both Sense Motive and Intimidate), because even if they are played as full Quasimodo-like figures they would still be a pretty unnerving sight.

Admiral Squish
2014-06-06, 01:10 AM
I can't imagine these guys would be able to pass themselves off as big humans very easily. I mean, even if there are NBA players of that height, in a world such as this, they could likely be believed to be giantkin. And the parents don't have to have magical talent or ability to get a child sealed, it could be something you could just get by visiting the nearest priest or wizard.

I had thought of a little-folk-esque naming of specific giants, but I figured that you're not actually playing the giants, so the place to put such descriptions would be under the monsters. But now that I think about it, if the main point of the race is you being descended from a specific variety of giant, it would probably be wise to place some more specific information in there.

The idea with mongrelkin was to give them an option somewhere (feat or PRC) to upgrade the arm into a full weapon-wielding limb, and even add more limbs. I suppose I could just make getting the extra arm itself a feat/feature. Intimidate would probably be more useful to players, at least without specialization.

Mith
2014-06-06, 12:10 PM
Would the lvl. 20 aspect be that one becomes a full giant (ie, Frost giant, Fire giant, etc.)? If so, the Mongrelkin could gain extra arms in the fashion of gain a arm that carries on one level, than the next level, that arm can be used to fight. This way , they can become like a Hekatonkheires.

Admiral Squish
2014-06-06, 01:15 PM
Would the lvl. 20 aspect be that one becomes a full giant (ie, Frost giant, Fire giant, etc.)? If so, the Mongrelkin could gain extra arms in the fashion of gain a arm that carries on one level, than the next level, that arm can be used to fight. This way , they can become like a Hekatonkheires.

You don't become more giant as you grow up, you don't just turn into a giant at 20th level. If you take levels in the possible PRC or take some of the possible feats, you can become more giant-like, but you never actually turn into a full giant.
I am definitely planning ways to make the mongrelkin get more useful limbs, not sure how yet, but I'm workin' on it.

Pokonic
2014-06-06, 02:11 PM
You don't become more giant as you grow up, you don't just turn into a giant at 20th level. If you take levels in the possible PRC or take some of the possible feats, you can become more giant-like, but you never actually turn into a full giant.
I am definitely planning ways to make the mongrelkin get more useful limbs, not sure how yet, but I'm workin' on it.

Not just limbs, but heads too.

Also, my biggest argument for the breaking-down of the different types of giants based on theme is that, for instance, while both Tuniit and those who same some Scandinavian troll blood in their veins might mechanically both be Frost-kin, both would have very different in-game fluff and physical appearances. Considering how many man-eating giants are running around in central America it might be good to go into detail about that, because I have literally lost track about how many giant monsters have been statted up in the Call to Brew thread and I would think now's the time to address that.

As for feats, I could see some varied stuff. Looking into claws/bites/tusks as alternative physical weapons could be a thing. Some sort of weak regeneration would fit too, because, well, trolls are giants too, for the most part.

Admiral Squish
2014-06-06, 03:26 PM
You know, as I look into more detailed myths and try to sort parentages, the more convinced I become that it would be better to have a list of inheritances you can get, rather than breaking giants up into types. There's a lot of overlap, and some giants don't neatly fit into one column or the other. I will likely have a list of example parents and traits they can pass down to reference.

EDIT: Changed the heritage thing to a list of the existing abilities. I'll probably be adding a bunch more.

EdroGrimshell
2014-06-06, 05:00 PM
Hm, there need to be things for the Sand, Eldritch, and Death Giants in Monster Manual 3, IMO.

Admiral Squish
2014-06-06, 05:48 PM
Sorry, but no eldritch or death giants, these guys are based off real myths regarding giants, ogres, trolls, and such.

Here's some new abilities I cooked up. I went a little off-script with these ones, though. I think most of them are pretty balanced, but they do unusual things. What do you guys think?

Fearful Cry: The giantkin can let loose a terrifying scream, howl, or roar to frighten enemies. The giantkin can make an intimidate check to attempt to demoralize all enemies within 20 feet as a standard action.

Grab: The giantkin has strong hands, good for grabbing and holding. They gain the Improved Grapple feat as a bonus feat, even if they don’t meet the prerequisites.

Slam: The giantkin’s body alone makes a powerful weapon. They gain two slam attacks that deal 1d4 points of damage each. These slam attacks are primary attacks, or secondary attacks if the giantkin is wielding manufactured weapons. If the giantkin has the improved unarmed strike feat, their unarmed strikes deals damage as though they were one size larger, but they cannot use their slam attacks as part of an attack with unarmed strikes.

Extra Large: The giantkin was born to an exceptionally large giant, and may be exceptionally tall, or have a broad build, or bear a large, round belly. The giantkin gains an additional +1 size bonus to CMB checks and CMD.

Earth-shaker: The giantkin’s monstrous parent was known to shake the earth with their stride. They can perform a special trip attempt by stomping the ground as a standard action. This provokes an attack of opportunity as a normal trip attempt, unless the giantkin possesses the Improved Trip feat. The giantkin makes a single Combat Maneuver check against the CMD of all creatures within 15 feet. If the attempt is successful, that creature is tripped. The giantkin does not fall prone due to failing this check by 10 or more.

Human Shape The giantkin’s parent had magic to disguise themselves as a human. The giantkin can change size as a standard action, between their natural form and a human form. In human form, the giantkin takes a -2 penalty to strength. Any equipment worn or carried when they change changes to match the new shape as well, though it will return to its natural size when the giantkin takes it off or removes it. Medium-sized items or equipment put on in human form do not grow with the giantkin when returning to their natural form, unless they would magically do so normally. When in human form, all of the giantkin’s other heritage abilities are suppressed, as the magic somewhat normalizes their appearance and abilities. They gain a +10 racial bonus to disguise checks to appear as a human, though a true seeing spell reveals their true form. The human form is static, the giantkin assuming the same form each time they use the ability, and based on their human heritage’s normal appearance. They cannot choose to appear as a different gender or a different ethnicity than their human parent, for example.

Camouflage: The giantkin’s skin is an unusual coloration, usually to match their native environment. The giantkin gains a +4 racial bonus to stealth checks in one of the following terrain types: Cold, Desert, Forest, Jungle, Mountain, Swamp, Underground, or Water.

Desert Home: The giantkin is at home in desert environments. They can move normally through natural difficult terrain in desert areas, including loose sand or cracked earth. Magically-altered terrain affects them normally. In addition, the giantkin is immune to damage from sand or dust storms, gains a +4 bonus to fortitude saves to resist the effects of starvation and thirst, and does not become fatigued when they take nonlethal damage from hot weather.

Darkvision: The giantkin’s heritage lies with giants who were strictly nocturnal. They can see normally in darkness, even magical darkness. However, abrupt exposure to bright light blinds them for one round, and they remain dazzled as long as they are in an area of bright light.

Feral Strength: The giantkin’s parents were incredibly strong, but not particularly bright. They gain an additional +2 bonus to strength, but take a -2 penalty to intelligence and charisma.

Fearsome Visage: The giantkin is descended from a giant with a fearsome and frightening appearance, perhaps with snarling tusks, a crimson face, or a wild mane of hair. They gain a +4 racial bonus to intimidate checks as long as the target can see them clearly.

AtlanteanTroll
2014-06-09, 10:31 AM
I like the grab bag approach, but it kind of kills the original ideas for troll-kin and tuniit. Perhaps you could make it so you have different heritages and within those there are more limited grab bags for abilities?

Admiral Squish
2014-06-09, 12:50 PM
I was actually planning to add a list of some ancestors (not all possible ancestors, but some), with a list of abilities that they could possibly pass on and some description of what they and their giantkin inheritors might resemble/act like.

Mith
2014-06-09, 12:54 PM
When I was thinking about leveling up in the sense that it reflects age in a way. Also, I was thinking that Giant heritage worked more like a bloodline where the more you rely on the blood line abilities, the more that it changes you.

Admiral Squish
2014-06-09, 07:02 PM
Speaking technically, age does correlate to level, although in extremely loose, almost-nonexistant way. By definition of time, by the time you reach level 20 you will be older than you were at level 1. Unless there's time travel, which screws everything up.

But yes, I will be creating methods that allow you enhance your giant abilities as you increase in level and power.


Well, if nobody has any commentary on the new abilities proposed, I'm gonna get into that list of giants and their possible traits.

1pwny
2014-06-09, 07:37 PM
Nice! Cool! I like it!

Is this a bug, or am I missing something? If I take Sealed Giant at level 1, and then Rock Catching at some other level, I would be able to catch a Large rock as if I were a regular giantkin, while I am in a sealed state.

Maybe you should change it to "You can catch an incoming rock. Once per round, when you would normally be hit by a rock of your size category or smaller,".

Or something. :smallsmile:

Admiral Squish
2014-06-09, 08:03 PM
Oooh, good catch there! I also forgot to remove the sealed giant thing now that I made it a heritage. I think I've fixed the wording of the rock-throwing now.

I'm glad you like it!

SuperDave
2014-06-11, 07:28 PM
Hmm. I gotta say, I really liked both the Tuniit and the Trollkin, and I'm sad to see 'em go. I feel like the Giantkin just aren't as flavorful; because they have to cover so many bases, we can't have detailled culture entries for them like we did for the originals. Trollkin especially are defined by their relations with the humans around them. Maybe we can recycle their culture entries for the final book?

Big question: do all descendants of a given giant species have the same abilities? 'Cause it would be kind of weird if some Tuniit had certain abilities and others didn't, since they're a stable population that breeds true.

Admiral Squish
2014-06-11, 08:53 PM
Well, if you think about it, we only gave the trollkin one culture entry that didn't actually describe the lifestyle of any of the other varieties, and it no longer applied anyways since proper trolls are nearly extinct.

To answer your question: I don't think the giantkin of a specific giant should automatically have the same abilities. Just like there are a selection of traits among a human population, there are a few different traits that surface and submerge in the giantkin populations.

Here's the heritage writeup I drew up for the inupasugjuk:

Inupasugjuk:
Inupasugjuk are enormous frost giants that dwell on the northernmost islands of north america and the arctic sea ice. During the summer they remain in these distant northern areas, hunting whales that come too close to the shores. In the depths of winter, when the ice is thick enough to support their immense weight, they travel south and visit the mainland, hunting mammut and other large animals to bring back to their homes. Inupasugjuk look very much like normal humans, but they tower over the tallest trees, their fingers alone larger than men. They are known to be quite interested in humans, particularly the females, and are generally benevolent, though their curiosity may cause troubles for the humans they take interest in.

Long ago in the ice age, the inupasugjuk often made their way south to the mainland, though their visits come less often now, and they made extensive contact with the human culture known as the tuniit. The people were glad to see the giants, who brought gifts of whale meat to their little friends. Over time, the tuniit began to be born as giantkin more and more often. These gantkin were more successful than their human neighbors, being stronger and all but immune to the chill of the weather, and soon the giantkin genes spread throughout the population, until all but a few babes became giants. Tuniitaq still holds the largest north american population of giantkin. These giantkin usually look normal apart from their great size.

Heritage Options: Arctic Home, Cold Magic, Cold Resistance, Extra Large, Grab, Natural Armor.

Mith
2014-06-12, 12:16 PM
To answer your question: I don't think the giantkin of a specific giant should automatically have the same abilities. Just like there are a selection of traits among a human population, there are a few different traits that surface and submerge in the giantkin populations.


While that is true, how isolated are the populations? If they have no contact with outside populations for centuries, then some traits just will not appear. The Nordic part of my family until ~150 years ago was likely in Norway since sometime in the early Iron Age, and they did not move about. That isolation means that eventually, certain traits just disappear. That would lend itself to having a smaller pool of options. There are cases of call back, but my understanding of those is that call backs usually happen when there has been a recent reintroduction of different genetic traits. I am not all that sure about thinking that such events are common enough to do a more or less anything goes approach.

Pokonic
2014-06-12, 12:33 PM
I agree that the flavor for the Trollkin should be used in here, in some fashion, if only because it was appropriate, given the setting. I would keep it in as some sort of option, perhaps nestled in some sidebar or another describing european giantkin in general broad strokes. After all, while the Tuniit are a established sight, most giantkin are not nearly as accepted in human society as they are and are more likely to be one-off individuals only a generation or two away from their giant ancestor.

Overall, though, I like the approach taken with the heritage.

Amechra
2014-06-12, 03:49 PM
You know, come to think of it, I don't really see the Trollkin and Giantkin as being much closer to each-other fluff-wise than, say, the Spirit-Born and the Witch-Bloods.

Trollkin were all "secret fairies with a heritage that forced us into hiding" and Giantkin are all "my grand-daddy was a Fire Giant."

Trollkin have their niche, both mechanically and fluffwise, and I don't personally like to see them get replaced by a more generic race.

(Plus, I wrote that thing (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?332550-Crossroads-Ritual-PEACH-Ritual-of-Heritage-Returned). I'll get around to fixing those tables eventually.)

Admiral Squish
2014-06-14, 07:40 PM
Variance
True, some traits would likely disappear in isolation, but the tuniit have a large population and plenty of variance within it. Plus, honestly, it might be getting a bit too detailed to work out populations of giantkin that may or may not have lost some traits through the generations.
I am considering adding an 'always' heritage to the write-ups, though, so all inupasugjuk giantkin would have cold resistance.

Trollkin
I am definitely going to be reusing a great deal of the trollkin material when I write up the troll heritage option. I'm even planning to keep the whole 'race driven into hiding by humans' bit, and put the 'human shape' option in all the European giantkin heritages.

Funny you should mention spirit-born and witch-blood, they're actually next on my list, I'm fusing them into one big, expanded race called Touched, which combines all inhuman and otherworldly influences into one.

It's possible that the base trollkin and the giantkin might be distinct enough to co-exist, but these guys certainly would eliminate all the different subtypes from the feats, which would mean rewriting the PRC and your (super-cool) thing. Honestly, when I was creating the trollkin, I made a lot of mistakes that are problematic. I laser-focused in on one specific interpretation of them and ignored all other possibilities, I shoehorned in options that didn't fit the theme... The trollkin are only distantly related to the actual myths surrounding trolls. Mechanically speaking, if I kept the trollkin we would now have three distinct races competing for the same role in combat, the big bruiser guy, a role that's not even all that common in the crossroads world. The ladies, maybe, but the dudes wouldn't have a distinct role, mechanically speaking. Fluff-wise, many of the giantkin varieties will have much of the same fluff the trollkin did, many hiding their nature for fear of social rejection or even persecution. That's why I made the human form heritage in the first place.
I can understand you not being happy about replacing them with the more generic giantkin, but I'm trying very hard to be able to cover all the different kinds of larger humanoids AND provide the kind of detailed, interesting fluff that players love. That's what the heritage options are for, so you can get specific if you want, or just build freeform.

SuperDave
2014-06-16, 07:46 PM
Mechanically speaking, if I kept the trollkin we would now have three distinct races competing for the same role in combat, the big bruiser guy, a role that's not even all that common in the crossroads world. [...] I can understand you not being happy about replacing them with the more generic giantkin, but I'm trying very hard to be able to cover all the different kinds of larger humanoids AND provide the kind of detailed, interesting fluff that players love. That's what the heritage options are for, so you can get specific if you want, or just build freeform.
Well, I guess your arguments make sense. I'm still sad to see 'em go, but I can kind of understand your logic now.

We definitely need to find a way to integrate Trollkin into classic D&D settings, though. :smallbiggrin: They're just too cool to be forgotten.

Admiral Squish
2014-06-19, 05:47 PM
Well, I guess your arguments make sense. I'm still sad to see 'em go, but I can kind of understand your logic now.

We definitely need to find a way to integrate Trollkin into classic D&D settings, though. :smallbiggrin: They're just too cool to be forgotten.

I think I can definitely make the trollkin into something 3.5 friendly.

Admiral Squish
2014-08-06, 08:12 PM
Making myself a work-space post here to hold onto my work until my computer is all fixed and such.


Name
Giant Description:
Giant Culture:

Kin Description:
Kin Culture:

Lands:

Inheritance:
Dominant:

Recessive:




Eldjotnar
Giant Description: Eldjotnar are large, powerful giants associated with fire, volcanoes, and war. Eldjotnar stand about 20 feet tall on average, with dark gray or coal black skin, and copper- or fire- red hair. Males wear long, thick beards, and both genders are powerfully built. They have proportions very much like humans, despite their much larger size. Eldjotnar wear little clothing in their home villages, but outside them, they are almost always covered in iron armor and wearing a large weapon somewhere on their body. Eldjotnar live long lives, up to 200 years, but they often die in violence long before they reach such advanced age. Eldjotunar reproduce slowly, females ovulating only four times a year and pregnancy lasting a year and a half.
Giant Culture: Eldjotnar are a violent, warlike people, and most of their contact with other peoples is at one end of a blade or the other. When first encountered by humans they were hunter gatherers, but the arrival of small, agriculture-oriented humanoids prompted a shift, first to raiding their food stores and farms, then to slavery. In modern times, a handful of eldjotnar will dominate one or a handful of farming villages, demanding regular tribute of food and goods to stave off their anger. Those villages that fail to keep up with demands are destroyed and the survivors are captured, taken to the eldjotnar settlements, and forced to work on slave plantations or in slave mines. Eldjotnar view their practices as the natural order of things, claiming that were it not so, humans would not be so perfectly suited to be enslaved. Eldjotnar are master metalworkers, and they create incredible armor and weapons, ore smelted and forged in their volcanic homes.

Kin Description: Eldjotunar kin are typically darker-skinned then their human ancestors, a shade of gray layered over whatever their normal skin color would be.
Kin Culture:

Lands:

Inheritance:
Dominant:

Recessive: