Half Giant, Variant (5e Race)

Half Giant

Physical Description

Half giants are very large humanoids that combine the features of their parent race, usually humans, orcs, or goliaths, with one of the 6 varieties of giants. They stand very tall, usually twice the height of their non-giant parent. Their muscles are often much larger, and they bolster overwhelming strength.

Half hill giants are the smallest and least muscular of the half giants, just as their larger parents are. They have droopy facial features and very round stomachs. Their limbs tend to be short compared to their bodies.

Half frost giants' skin has a bluish tinge, reflecting their giant parent's. They have very long hair, especially on their face in males.

Half fire giants have dull skin and broad torsos. Their hair tends toward fiery colors like ginger and dirty blonde.

Half stone giants are very slender-built, with thin, rectangular faces. Their hair is very short, and even females usually look almost bald.

Half cloud giants stand with an imposing physique, with statuesque facial features. They have pale skin and hair.

Half storm giants are the largest and strongest of the half giants, just as their mighty parents are among the giants. They have dark-colored hair and emerald eyes. Their skin has a purplish tint that may be occasionally very bold.

History

Half giants are conceived in rare romances between giants and smaller humanoids. Such occurrences have lasted since the 6 giant bloodlines first walked the earth, but are usually frowned upon by giantkind. This is especially true among cloud giants, who see themselves as above smaller races (literally). Half giants are a rare race, and sparsely meet others of their lineage. They are most always raised among giants or humanoids, never both, and tend toward the ideals and customs of that group.

Attitudes and Beliefs

Half giants lead a life of hardship. They rarely find acceptance among their peers. Giants tend to pick on half giants for their appointed puniness, and humanoids tend to fear them for their strength and demeanor. Half giants usually inherit the natures of their giant parent; for example, half hill giants are lazy and gluttonous, and half storm giants love solitude. They also take up aspirations like that of their giant parent. A half fire giant might spend their days working in the forge, or a half stone giant might pursue fine arts. However, they are never as good as their larger ancestors, furthering the mockery and rejection they receive. That's not to say that half giants are unskilled in such endeavors, however; their skills simply aren't giant-level.

Half Giant Names

Half giants take names from either their humanoid parent's culture or their giant parent's.

Half Giant Traits

Design Note: This race uses the large player characters and oversized rules.

Large, burly half-breeds spawned from man and giant.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2.
Age. Half giants reach maturity at the same age as their humanoid parent and live almost long as them, with an additional 20-40 years of life.
Alignment. Many half giants are Neutral alignment.
Size. Though they may vary in build depending on their parent, half giants usually stand 9 to 12 ft. tall and weigh anywhere from 350 to 900 lbs. You size is Large.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 35 feet.
Giant Ancestry. Your type is considered both humanoid and giant.
Thick-Skinned. You have a +1 to AC while you aren't wearing armor.
Wide View. Despite your tall stature, you notice small details that larger creatures might not. You are proficient in the Perception skill.
Giant's Endurance. Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and you gain an additional hit point each time you level up.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Giant.
Subrace. Choose from half hill, frost, fire, stone, cloud, and storm giant.

Half Hill Giant

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution increases by 1.
Simple-Minded. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed.
Big Eater. You cannot be poisoned or diseased in regards to food and drink.
Primitive Weaponry. You can add half your proficiency bonus, rounded down, to rolls made with improvised weapons that don't already include it.

Half Frost Giant

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution increases by 1.
Arctic Survivor. You are acclimated to cold environments, as described on page 5 of the DMG. You only require as much food and drink as a Medium creature to sustain yourself.
Born of Ice. You are resistant to cold damage.
Pillager. You have advantage on Dexterity checks made to loot or carve a dead body.

Half Fire Giant

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom increases by 1.
Master Smith. You are proficient with smith's tools.
Forged in Fire. You are resistant to fire damage.
Fiery Touch. You are immune to fire damage from environmental sources (standing near lava, touching a hot piece of metal, etc.), as long as the damage isn't magical.

Half Stone Giant

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity increases by 1.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Stonecarving Expert. You are proficient with mason's tools.
Stone Camouflage. You have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in rocky terrain.

Half Cloud Giant

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma increases by 1.
Keen Smell. You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
Uncheatable. You are proficient in the Insight skill.
Cloud Giant Legacy. You know the Light cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast Misty Step once with this trait and regain the ability to do so once you complete a long rest. Once you reach 5th level, you can cast Gaseous Form once with this trait and regain the ability to do so once you complete a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting modifier for these spells.

Half Storm Giant

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma increases by 1.
Child of the Depths. You have a swimming speed of 30 ft. and can breathe air and water.
Lightning Strike. As an action, you can fire a bolt of lightning in a 5 by 30 ft. line from yourself. Every creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus. A creature takes 2d6 lightning damage on a failed save, and half as much damage on a successful one. The damage increases to 3d6 at 6th level, 4d6 at 11th level, and 5d6 at 16th level. Once you activate this trait, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.
Storm Giant Legacy. You know the Light cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast Levitate once with this trait and regain the ability to do so once you complete a long rest. Once you reach 5th level, you can cast Water Breathing once with this trait and regain the ability to do so once you complete a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting modifier for these spells.

Parenthood

When determining a half giant character's backstory, you can roll to determine who raised them.

d6	Parenthood
1-2	Raised by your humanoid parent
3-4	Raised by your giant parent
5	Raised by both parents
6	Raised by someone else / abandoned

Suggested Characteristics

When creating a half giant character, you can use the following table of traits, ideals, bonds and flaws to help flesh out your character. Use these tables in addition to or in place of your background's characteristics.

d8	Personality Trait
1	I enjoy feats of strength.
2	I'm always moving from place to place.
3	My giant parent's job never interested me; I've got a talent of my own.
4	I love games of fortune.
5	I boast my abilities to my smaller peers, but never around giants.
6	All I want is someone who'll accept me for who I am.
7	I never knew my giant parent, and I want to find him/her.
8	I'm really fidgety and don't like being left to my own devices.

d6	Ideal
1	Sympathy. I know the struggles of those who can't find acceptance, for they are my own. (Lawful)
2	Wrath. I've been denied too many times, and I'm taking it out on everyone. (Evil)
3	Family. I've devoted myself to helping the parent I lived with through the hardships we both faced. (Neutral)
4	Unity. My parents' union is a symbol of harmony. We shouldn't judge each other based on what we are, but who we are. (Good)
5	Self-Reliance. No one chose me, so I've found my own way. I'm not letting anyone tell me what to do. (Chaotic)
6	Artistry. All I want is the passion of the craft. (Any)

d6	Bond
1	My giant parent raised me; he/she defended me from my peers.
2	I'm in a group of artisans.
3	I have a special item that belonged to one of my parents, and it's all I know about them.
4	My humanoid parent was a no-good trickster, and I'm his/her mistake. I want revenge.
5	I have a half-giant sibling. We stick together; we're all we've got.
6	I met someone who liked me despite my strange lineage. I think I love them.

d6	Flaw
1	I'm very quick to anger and yell a lot.
2	No matter how good I am at something, I feel like I'm never good enough.
3	My parent thinks I'm a mistake, and sometimes I get melancholic because I believe them.
4	I have an excessive distaste for giants, and actively avoid places they might live.
5	I'm always overestimating myself and biting off more than I can chew.
6	I'm so used to insults that I sometimes tell people to back off even when they're nice to me.

5.00

(2 votes)

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