Orc/Goblinoid Resources

[Bhu]

DESERT GIANT



"We have been abandoned even by the Gods. Why should your needs matter to us, you who still have their blessings?

Desert Giants are nomadic herders following the rains in Al-Qadim. They are weathered and craggy, with even their children looking aged. Their eyes are a piercing blue, turning brown when their impending fossilization arrives.

DESERT GIANT RACIAL TRAITS
· +20 Strength, +10 Constitution, +4 Wisdom.
· Size Class: Huge size. -2 penalty to Armor Class, -2 penalty on attack rolls, -8 penalty on Hide checks, +8 bonus on grapple checks, lifting and carrying limits quadruple those of Medium characters. Space is 15', Reach is 15'.
· Giant, giving them Low Light Vision
· Base land speed 40 ft.
· +11 Natural Armor Bonus.
· Desert Camouflage (Ex): A Desert Giant who is unobserved in Desert Terrain and who makes a Hide Check as a Full Round Action he gets a +8 Bonus on the Hide Check.
· Curse (Ex): Whenever a Desert Giant goes up an age category (from Middle Age to Old for example) they must make a Fortitude Save. Save DC is 25 at Middle Age, DC 30 at Old, and Giants reaching Venerable automatically fail. The first time the Giant fails it begins to fossilize, and is Slowed as per the spell. The second time the penalties from being slowed increase to -2. At Venerable they permanently turn to Stone.
· Racial Hit Dice: A Desert Giant begins with thirteen levels of Giant, which provide 13d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +9, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +8, Ref +4, and Will +4. A Desert Giants Giant levels give it skill points equal to 16 × (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1) and 5 Feats. Its class skills are Craft (Weaponsmithing), Handle Animal, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Ride, Speak Language and Spot.
· Plains Giants have a Primary Slam attack doing 1d6 plus Strength Bonus. They get 2 Slam attacks with a Full Attack.
· Automatic Languages: Giant. Bonus Languages: Common.
· Level Adjustment: +5
· Favored Class: Ranger


STARTING AGE
Adulthood: 110
Barbarian, Rogue, Sorcerer: +4d6
Bard, Fighter, Paladin, Ranger: +6d6
Cleric, Druid, Monk, Wizard: +10d6

AGING EFFECTS
Middle Age: 175
Old: 263
Venerable: 400

HEIGHT AND WEIGHT
Base Height: Male: 15 ft. Female: 13 ft.
Height Modifier: +2d4 ft.
Base Weight: Male: 5000 lbs. Female: 4000 lbs.
Weight Modifier: 100 lbs.


DESERT GIANT CHARACTERS
Desert Giants make decent mounted combat fighters. They aren't very prone to worship, so few would be divine casters.
Adventuring Race: Most Desert Giants who adventure do so for very personal reasons or to aid their tribe. They try to avoid entanglements of any kind, and their aloofness doesn't endear them to many.
Character Development: You won't likely be a caster of any kind, so worries about Racial HD are mollified somewhat. You still don't really greak the traditional Giant role of terrifying beatstick though.
Character Names:

ROLEPLAYING A DESERT GIANT
You are dour to a fault, often being referred to as a walking cloud of despair. You would do anything to end your races curse, but you have long since lost hope.
Personality: The Desert Giants have long felt ignored and forgotten by all, and in return see no reason to take into account the feelings, laws and needs of anyone who doesn't care about them (i.e. just about every other living thing). They aren't quite sociopaths, but they can be very self-centered.
Behaviors: Due to their depression, most Desert Giants just concentrate on survival. Most have quietly accepted their lot, and do nothing to better life or improve their situation. The few who have not accepted their curse are generally filled with apoplectic rage.
Language: Desert Giants speak the Giant and Common tongues, and often speak several other languages due to their travels.

DESERT GIANT SOCIETY
The Desert Giants are nomadic shepherds, following the rains from place to place. Their herds will strip farmlands bare, and the Giants care not as their curse has created in them apathy and despair. Many towns actually give them tribute to make them go away.
Alignment : Most Desert Giants are truly Neutral, caring only about themselves and their own kind.
Lands : Desert Giants prefer the scrub plains and deserts of Zakhara.
Settlements : But being nomads never settle in any place for long.
Beliefs : Desert Giants have a curse laid upon them by the Gods, which makes most of them fairly antitheist. Others take the opposite tack, and are more devout than most in hopes of finding relief for their people.
Relations: Desert Giants are willing to trade for necessities, and often work as mercenaries in lean times. However their curse makes them standoffish, and uncaring of the rights of others at times.

DESERT GIANT ADVENTURES
· Rumors have reached you of a set of texts discovered in remote ruins that explain the fate of your people. Moreover, it also states how their curse can be removed. You will stop at nothing to possess it.
· The Ancestors your people summon when defense is needed are no longer returning to their graves in the sand, instead making lonely treks into the desert. They do not communicate or give explanation. You have been tasked with discovering why.
· The rains now bring Black Clouds of Vengeance that seem to pursue your people. Many blame your eternal rivals the Genies, but you suspect otherwise. You intend to see if your suspicions are correct.


Desert Giant Racial Substitution Levels

Ranger
Levels 1, 6, 11: New options for Combat Mastery.
Combat Mastery (Ex):
Level 3: Replace Endurance with Heat Endurance
Heat Endurance: You gain Heat Endurance as a Bonus Feat.
Level 4: Replace Animal Companion with one from Sandstorm list.
Level 4: Replace Woodland Stride with Sandskimmer
Sandskimmer: You gain Sandskimmer as a Bonus Feat.

Scout
Levels 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19: Replace Skirmish with Ambush
Ambush (Ex): In any round in which the Scout makes an attack against an opponent who is Flat-Footed or unaware of his presence he does +1d6 damage. He also gets this bonus to ranged attacks performed on any round in which he does not move. This extra damage increases by 1d6 for every four levels gained above 1st (2d6 at 5th, 3d6 at 9th, 4d6 at 13th, and 5d6 at 17th level).

The extra damage only applies against living creatures that have a discernible anatomy. Undead, constructs, oozes, plants, incorporeal creatures, and creatures immune to extra damage from critical hits are not vulnerable to this additional damage. The scout must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. Scouts can apply this extra damage to ranged attacks made while skirmishing, but only if the target is within 30 feet.

At 3rd level, the applicable range for your Ambush attack increases by +20'. This bonus improves by and additional 20' for every four levels gained above 3rd (+40' at 7th, +60' at 11th, +80' at 15th, and +120' at 19th level).

A scout loses this ability when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load. If she gains the skirmish ability from another class, the bonuses stack.
Levels 3, 11: Replace Fast Movement with a Bonus Feat at each Level.
Level 10: Replace Blindsense with Tremor Sense 15'.
Level 20: Replace Blindsight with Tremor Sense 30'.

Barbarian
Level 1: Replace Rage with Hurling Rage
Hurling Rage (Ex): At Level 1 the Desert Giant gains Hurling Rage. This has all the drawbacks of Rage but different benefits. The Giant gains the Throw Anything feat as a bonus feat. However, since he depends on brute strength more than skill, he can throw anything (not just weapons) he can lift as a light load. If the item is an improvised weapon, he takes a -2 penalty on his attack roll instead of the normal -4. (See Chapter 4 of Complete Warrior to determine the amount of damage the thrown weapon does). The range increment of a thrown weapon or improvised weapon wielded by a hulking hurler is 10 feet + 5 feet per size category the hulking hurler is beyond Large (this is a modification of the Throw Anything feat). He also gains a +2 Bonus to Willpower Checks.
Level 11: Replace Greater Rage with Greater Hurling Rage
Greater Hurling Rage (Ex): At Level 11 while Raging, the Desert Giant effectively gains the Fling Enemy Feat. Unlike normal uses of the Feat your victim lands prone, and takes 1d6 falling damage for every 10 feet he is thrown. He no longer takes penalties to attack rolls for improvised weapons. He also gains a +3 Bonus to Willpower Checks.
Level 20: Replace Mighty Rage with Mighty Hurling Rage
Mighty Hurling Rage (Ex): At Level 20 you get a +4 Bonus on attack and damage rolls with thrown weapons (including improvised weapons). This Bonus also applies to the damage dealt to flung opponents. The critical threat range with any weapon you throw increases by 1. He also gains a +4 Bonus to Willpower Checks.