Another_Poet
2008-10-16, 10:31 AM
Hi everyone. This race was originally meant as a player race for the Giants in the Earth setting being homebrewed on this very forum. It is a race of fallen giants, technically size Huge but hunched over to size Large. I've tried to make their normal ability scores and their special Stand Straight ability as balanced as possible. All feedback is welcome!
The Crushed Men
These are the descendants of the ancient giants. They are much bigger than humans, but they walk hunched over as if they fear their height. They are nowhere near the size of their ancestors, as anyone who has seen the ruins can tell. They have shrunk considerably over the generations, and are often pitied rather than feared.
The Crushed Men are not very common, but common enough that at least one or two can be found near any village or town. Many of them live in the wilderness or camp out in the remains of their ancestors' empire. These feral Crushed Men generally keep to themselves, but can be extremely hostile and dangerous if spooked or provoked by travelers. They are sombre and morose by nature. Many won't even speak; they simply hide out and bide their time, and attack without warning if angered. Diplomacy is only as successful as the Crushed Man's mood that day.
Some few Crushed Men take kindly to humans, and become trusted guardians of the townland. They stay away from crowds and large cities, but are careful about their strength and can even be trusted to watch children. Their soft heart is evidenced by their tendency to adopt pets or nurse wounded wildlife back to health.
The most peculiar thing about the Crushed Men is that they are all male. No female has ever been spotted. Some people wonder if this was the cause of the fall of the ancient giants, but the Crushed Men accept it as a matter of course. They have long life-spans like elves, and how they were brought into being at all without females is a mystery.
The typical Crushed Man should be size Huge but counts as size Large in all respects. Their stooped posture limits their physical prowess, so their speed, strength, constitution and weapon size are all those of a Large creature. Crushed Men have oily grey manes of hair, grey-white skin and the salt stains of tears in their beards. They care little for life or their own wellbeing. Although sad by nature, their loyalty is great to those who bring them even brief moments of joy.
Crushed Men Racial Traits
* Type: Giant
* +2 Str, -2 Dex, +2 Con, -2 Wis
* Huge size, but treated as Large from being hunched over. -1 penalty to Armor Class, -1 penalty on attack rolls, -4 penalty on Hide checks, +4 bonus on grapple checks, lifting and carrying limits double those of Medium characters. A Crushed Man requires four times the amount of food and water that a human does (so rations for one day cost 2 gp rather than 5 sp).
* Space/Reach: 10 feet/10 feet. Special: A Crushed Man cannot enter passages that are only 1 square wide (or narrower), and is treated as Squeezed (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/movementPositionAndDistance.htm) in passages that are only 2 squares wide.
* A Crushed Man’s base land speed is 40 feet.
* Low-light vision.
* +2 racial bonus on Climb, which is always a class skill for Crushed Men.
* Special Qualities: Slow Reflexes (-2 on Reflex Saves), Stand Straight (see below)
* Weapon Use: Crushed Men can wield Large-sized version of any weapons with which they are proficient with no penalty. While Standing Straight they can also wield Huge-sized weapons without penalty. This does not grant any automatic proficiency.
* Automatic Languages: (special for setting)
* Favoured Class: Ranger
* Level Adjustment: +1
Slow Reflexes (Ex): Crushed Men have severe muscle aches and cramp up if they move too suddenly, giving them -2 on all reflex saves.
Stand Straight (Ex): Once per day as a swift action a Crushed Man can force himself out of his stooped, cloistered posture and assume his true height. When he does so, his spine and joints pop like woodpeckers and he lets out a roar of pain and anguish (the Crushed Man cannot make Move Silently checks while using this ability).
While Standing Straight, the Crushed Man is able to use his full power as a Huge creature. He gains an additional +4 to Str and +2 to Con, –1 penalty to attack rolls and armour class, -4 penalty to Hide checks, +4 bonus to grapple checks and +10 feet to speed. Additionally, his space and reach both grow to 15 feet. (If the Crushed Man is standing somewhere that will not allow his space to enlarge to 15 feet he cannot use this ability.)
A Crushed Man can remain Standing Straight for as many rounds as he likes, but each round he takes 3 points of non-lethal damage from the intense pain. This damage cannot be healed by any means until he resumes his normal posture (a free action). If he resumes his posture willingly he loses all bonuses and penalties from Stand Straight and returns to normal. If he is knocked unconscious while Standing Straight, however, he is distended for the rest of the day, resuming his normal size and losing all bonuses but keeping all penalties until he can rest.
It should be noted that, since a Crushed Man is technically Huge at all times, his Stand Straight ability stacks with any effect that enlarges his size (as a giant, Enlarge Person won't do it, however). Wen he is enlarged, he remains stooped to one size category smaller than his new size and must Stand Straight to use his full new size. Additionally, any time a Crushed Man's Stand Straight ability would let him act as a creature larger than Huge, he must make a will save (DC 15 + 4 per size category over Huge) or go berserk. A berserk Crushed Man attacks the nearest creature (friend or foe alike) or smashes some object smaller than itself if no creature is within reach, then moves on to the next nearest creature or object. The Crushed Man cannot end this berserk frenzy voluntarily; it lasts until he passes out or is knocked out.
The Crushed Men
These are the descendants of the ancient giants. They are much bigger than humans, but they walk hunched over as if they fear their height. They are nowhere near the size of their ancestors, as anyone who has seen the ruins can tell. They have shrunk considerably over the generations, and are often pitied rather than feared.
The Crushed Men are not very common, but common enough that at least one or two can be found near any village or town. Many of them live in the wilderness or camp out in the remains of their ancestors' empire. These feral Crushed Men generally keep to themselves, but can be extremely hostile and dangerous if spooked or provoked by travelers. They are sombre and morose by nature. Many won't even speak; they simply hide out and bide their time, and attack without warning if angered. Diplomacy is only as successful as the Crushed Man's mood that day.
Some few Crushed Men take kindly to humans, and become trusted guardians of the townland. They stay away from crowds and large cities, but are careful about their strength and can even be trusted to watch children. Their soft heart is evidenced by their tendency to adopt pets or nurse wounded wildlife back to health.
The most peculiar thing about the Crushed Men is that they are all male. No female has ever been spotted. Some people wonder if this was the cause of the fall of the ancient giants, but the Crushed Men accept it as a matter of course. They have long life-spans like elves, and how they were brought into being at all without females is a mystery.
The typical Crushed Man should be size Huge but counts as size Large in all respects. Their stooped posture limits their physical prowess, so their speed, strength, constitution and weapon size are all those of a Large creature. Crushed Men have oily grey manes of hair, grey-white skin and the salt stains of tears in their beards. They care little for life or their own wellbeing. Although sad by nature, their loyalty is great to those who bring them even brief moments of joy.
Crushed Men Racial Traits
* Type: Giant
* +2 Str, -2 Dex, +2 Con, -2 Wis
* Huge size, but treated as Large from being hunched over. -1 penalty to Armor Class, -1 penalty on attack rolls, -4 penalty on Hide checks, +4 bonus on grapple checks, lifting and carrying limits double those of Medium characters. A Crushed Man requires four times the amount of food and water that a human does (so rations for one day cost 2 gp rather than 5 sp).
* Space/Reach: 10 feet/10 feet. Special: A Crushed Man cannot enter passages that are only 1 square wide (or narrower), and is treated as Squeezed (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/movementPositionAndDistance.htm) in passages that are only 2 squares wide.
* A Crushed Man’s base land speed is 40 feet.
* Low-light vision.
* +2 racial bonus on Climb, which is always a class skill for Crushed Men.
* Special Qualities: Slow Reflexes (-2 on Reflex Saves), Stand Straight (see below)
* Weapon Use: Crushed Men can wield Large-sized version of any weapons with which they are proficient with no penalty. While Standing Straight they can also wield Huge-sized weapons without penalty. This does not grant any automatic proficiency.
* Automatic Languages: (special for setting)
* Favoured Class: Ranger
* Level Adjustment: +1
Slow Reflexes (Ex): Crushed Men have severe muscle aches and cramp up if they move too suddenly, giving them -2 on all reflex saves.
Stand Straight (Ex): Once per day as a swift action a Crushed Man can force himself out of his stooped, cloistered posture and assume his true height. When he does so, his spine and joints pop like woodpeckers and he lets out a roar of pain and anguish (the Crushed Man cannot make Move Silently checks while using this ability).
While Standing Straight, the Crushed Man is able to use his full power as a Huge creature. He gains an additional +4 to Str and +2 to Con, –1 penalty to attack rolls and armour class, -4 penalty to Hide checks, +4 bonus to grapple checks and +10 feet to speed. Additionally, his space and reach both grow to 15 feet. (If the Crushed Man is standing somewhere that will not allow his space to enlarge to 15 feet he cannot use this ability.)
A Crushed Man can remain Standing Straight for as many rounds as he likes, but each round he takes 3 points of non-lethal damage from the intense pain. This damage cannot be healed by any means until he resumes his normal posture (a free action). If he resumes his posture willingly he loses all bonuses and penalties from Stand Straight and returns to normal. If he is knocked unconscious while Standing Straight, however, he is distended for the rest of the day, resuming his normal size and losing all bonuses but keeping all penalties until he can rest.
It should be noted that, since a Crushed Man is technically Huge at all times, his Stand Straight ability stacks with any effect that enlarges his size (as a giant, Enlarge Person won't do it, however). Wen he is enlarged, he remains stooped to one size category smaller than his new size and must Stand Straight to use his full new size. Additionally, any time a Crushed Man's Stand Straight ability would let him act as a creature larger than Huge, he must make a will save (DC 15 + 4 per size category over Huge) or go berserk. A berserk Crushed Man attacks the nearest creature (friend or foe alike) or smashes some object smaller than itself if no creature is within reach, then moves on to the next nearest creature or object. The Crushed Man cannot end this berserk frenzy voluntarily; it lasts until he passes out or is knocked out.