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Wyvernblooded
2017-08-24, 11:13 AM
So I'm trying to redesign Half-Giant for a non-psionic Pathfinder game. Any thoughts and suggestions are welcome.

Half-Giant (Non-psionic) 16 RP
+4 Strength, -2 Dexterity, -2 Intelligence (2RP): Half-Giants inherit the physical might of their giant heritage, but also inherit their clumsiness and slow-wit.

Giant Blood: Half-giants count as both human and humanoid (giant) for any effect related to race.

Medium: Half-giants are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.

Normal Speed: Half-giants have a base speed of 30 feet.

Low-Light Vision (1 RP): Half-giants can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.

Rock Throwing (3 RP): Half-giants are accomplished rock throwers and gain a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls with thrown rocks. A member of this race can hurl rocks up to two categories smaller than its size. A "rock" is any large, bulky, and relatively regularly shaped object made of any material with a hardness of at least 5. A thrown rock has a range increment of 120 feet. The creature can hurl the rock up to five range increments. Damage from a thrown rock is 2d6 plus 1-1/2 times the throwing creature's Strength bonus.

Rock Catching (2 RP): Members of this race can catch Small, Medium, or Large rocks (or projectiles of similar shape). Once per round, a member of this race that would normally be hit by a rock can make a Reflex saving throw to catch it as a free action. The DC is 15 for a Small rock, 20 for a Medium rock, and 25 for a Large rock (if the projectile provides a magical bonus on attack rolls, the DC increases by that amount). The member of this race must be aware of the attack in order to make a rock catching attempt.

Powerful Build (8 RP): 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 a Combat Maneuver Bonus or Combat Maneuver Defense (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 grab or swallow whole) can affect him. A half-giant can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. A half-giant is considered one size larger for abilities requiring Large size, such rock throwing and catching, as well as for abilities pertaining to the size of their body such as unarmed damage. 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.

Languages: Half-giants begin play speaking Common. Half-giants with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Draconic, Giant, Gnoll, and Ignan.

rferries
2017-08-24, 01:16 PM
Perhaps edit the text so that it's not just one block (makes it easier to read).

Racial bonus on skills: Climb, Intimidate (most "True" giants have ranks in these, as well as Spot); or these skills are always class skills.

Give them a natural attack (slam).

Give them access to racial [Half-Giant] feats that grant them the powers of various giants (e.g. Troll Blood feat or feat chain that grants natural armour/natural attacks(slam becomes claws + bite)/fast healing/regeneration, "Frost Giant Heritage" that grants cold resistance/cold subtype, "Stone Giant Heritage" that grants racial bonus to hide in rocky areas/access to stone giant elder powers, etc., "Ettin Heritage" where they gain another head, etc., "Ogre Mage/Storm Giant Heritage" where they gain various supernatural powers etc).

Access to racial feat that allows them to increase in size, like so:


Growth [Draconic] [Half-Giant] [Treefolk]
As you have adventured, your stature has grown to match your skill.

Prerequisite: Character level 12th, non-humanoid.

Benefit: You grow to the next size category. Use the rules for advancing monsters (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/improvingMonsters.htm#sizeIncreases) for determining your new ability scores, natural armor, slam attack damage, and size bonuses and penalties.

Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Each time you do, increase your size to the next largest category. This may allow you to qualify for other feats with size prerequisites.

I love this conversion, never understood why psionic DnD should get a half-giant but not magical DnD. :)

Knitifine
2017-08-24, 02:09 PM
I love this conversion, never understood why psionic DnD should get a half-giant but not magical DnD. :)Because half-giants are a race engineered by the psion-defiler hybrid monarchs of the Dark Sun setting which depends heavily on psionics but was never officially converted. Therefore their name is a misnomer as they're not supposed to be based on the general fantasy idea of a human/hill-giant hybrid, but more of the idea of a genetically engineered slave-race.

Not that any of this is a bad idea, it all looks like it's shaping up well (though I disagree with most of your suggestions rferries as I believe that will make them less appealing to play.). I just thought this might be informative.

rferries
2017-08-24, 04:32 PM
Because half-giants are a race engineered by the psion-defiler hybrid monarchs of the Dark Sun setting which depends heavily on psionics but was never officially converted. Therefore their name is a misnomer as they're not supposed to be based on the general fantasy idea of a human/hill-giant hybrid, but more of the idea of a genetically engineered slave-race.

Not that any of this is a bad idea, it all looks like it's shaping up well (though I disagree with most of your suggestions rferries as I believe that will make them less appealing to play.). I just thought this might be informative.

Ha yes, I'm aware of their fluff for Dark Sun. What I meant was, why does standard DnD not have a half-giant race (other than half-ogre) when there are half-elves (even half-drow!), half-orcs, half-celestials, etc.?:D

I admit I'm addicted to churning out racial feats, but I like them because a) they can let you mimic a particular monster without getting the abilities for "free" (have to invest feats), and b) they're optional, a player doesn't have to select them if they don't appeal.

Wyvernblooded
2017-08-24, 08:37 PM
Perhaps edit the text so that it's not just one block (makes it easier to read).

Racial bonus on skills: Climb, Intimidate (most "True" giants have ranks in these, as well as Spot); or these skills are always class skills.

Give them a natural attack (slam).

Give them access to racial [Half-Giant] feats that grant them the powers of various giants (e.g. Troll Blood feat or feat chain that grants natural armour/natural attacks(slam becomes claws + bite)/fast healing/regeneration, "Frost Giant Heritage" that grants cold resistance/cold subtype, "Stone Giant Heritage" that grants racial bonus to hide in rocky areas/access to stone giant elder powers, etc., "Ettin Heritage" where they gain another head, etc., "Ogre Mage/Storm Giant Heritage" where they gain various supernatural powers etc).

Access to racial feat that allows them to increase in size, like so:



I love this conversion, never understood why psionic DnD should get a half-giant but not magical DnD. :)

Noted. The formatting on that got messed up when I copy-pasted it and looking back that was kinda hard to read.

Funny that you mentioned the Natural Armor because that was in my original idea for the race, but I left that out for wanting to see how it looked without it.

In regards to the natural attack, I was thinking of including a slam and having the alternate heritages trade the slam out for a different special ability, but I feel like it would slowly get to the point where martial characters would go "Why wouldn't I pick Half-Giant?" (If that makes sense)

As for special race feats and options, I was considering it the way Aasimar or Tieflings do their Variant Heritages (whether or not to make it feat required like a Tiefling or a free option like the Aasimar is subject for debate)

For example:
Variant Heritage: Emberbrood (18/19 RP)
Heat Rock: Emberbrood's may lack the size and stature of other Fire Giants, but their hearts still burn with the
same power as their full-blooded kin. They gain the Heat Rock special attack and can choose to apply the same
effect to a different weapon a number of times per day equal to their Constitution modifier. This replaces the
standard natural attack ( or Rock Catching if the Natural attack thing is removed entirely)

However if that seems too out of proportion then perhaps it should change. Feel free to let me know. :smallsmile:

rferries
2017-08-25, 12:39 AM
Noted. The formatting on that got messed up when I copy-pasted it and looking back that was kinda hard to read.

Funny that you mentioned the Natural Armor because that was in my original idea for the race, but I left that out for wanting to see how it looked without it.

In regards to the natural attack, I was thinking of including a slam and having the alternate heritages trade the slam out for a different special ability, but I feel like it would slowly get to the point where martial characters would go "Why wouldn't I pick Half-Giant?" (If that makes sense)

As for special race feats and options, I was considering it the way Aasimar or Tieflings do their Variant Heritages (whether or not to make it feat required like a Tiefling or a free option like the Aasimar is subject for debate)

For example:
Variant Heritage: Emberbrood (18/19 RP)
Heat Rock: Emberbrood's may lack the size and stature of other Fire Giants, but their hearts still burn with the
same power as their full-blooded kin. They gain the Heat Rock special attack and can choose to apply the same
effect to a different weapon a number of times per day equal to their Constitution modifier. This replaces the
standard natural attack ( or Rock Catching if the Natural attack thing is removed entirely)

However if that seems too out of proportion then perhaps it should change. Feel free to let me know. :smallsmile:

Ah yes, I forgot that was how Pathfinder handled things. Yep, variant heritages sounds good!

AOKost
2017-08-25, 05:12 AM
Maybe give them something like the Dwarves Slow but Steady ability because they are 'small' for large creatures, but still physically powerful, so shouldn't take any speed penalties in armor, but don't make them any slower than 30 ft.

AOKost
2017-08-25, 05:13 AM
Because half-giants are a race engineered by the psion-defiler hybrid monarchs of the Dark Sun setting which depends heavily on psionics but was never officially converted. Therefore their name is a misnomer as they're not supposed to be based on the general fantasy idea of a human/hill-giant hybrid, but more of the idea of a genetically engineered slave-race.

Not that any of this is a bad idea, it all looks like it's shaping up well (though I disagree with most of your suggestions rferries as I believe that will make them less appealing to play.). I just thought this might be informative.

I didn't remember this tidbit... Thank you very much! :smallbiggrin: