Modified Race: "True" Half-Giants. Ballanced?/Functional?/Interesting? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Modified Race: "True" Half-Giants. Ballanced?/Functional?/Interesting? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Midvalley
10-04-07, 03:30 AM Hey All,

I'm creating a "modified" race for a campaign I want to play in, and I figured I'd post the stuff here to acid-test it...

Fluff First ('cause it's fun):

There are, in fact, two types of giant-blooded people in the world. One of them the "Typical" half giant, is often more closely related to their human parents, and somehow, gains unusual talents of the mind: manifesting psionic powers.

The other is rather atypical, one in which the giant heritage shows through to a greater degree. These folks call them selves "true" half-giants, and judging by their physical appearance, rightly so.

Personality: True Half Giants often have the personality traits associated with their Giant parents. They range from brash, destructive and crude to meditative, placid and contemplative. This also carries over into their typical pleasures, those descended from Fire Giants often take up some sort of craft (typically that of the forge) while children of Storm Giants many times write songs or poetry. These tendencies are somewhat less distinct than in pure Giant culture often tempered by a greater degree of flexibility or more varied interests. Generally, these traits manifest because the True Half-Giant has had more experience among their Giant relatives, but other times it comes about due to some sort of pride in that heritage and a desire to emulate it.

Physical Description: True Half Giants are quite a bit larger than most humans. In fact, they are quite a bit larger than the "lesser" (Psionic) Half-Giants. They typically stand about 8-11 feet tall and weigh anywhere from 800-1100 lbs, with females typically standing an weighing a bit less. Other physical traits are inherited from their parents. Skin tone can be anything from ruddy, tan, dark black, or even violet. Hair color ranges from light to dark tending towards shades that are typical amungst giant kind (for example bright orange for the ilk of fire-giants). Grooming and clothing habits often an averaging between the human and giant parentage: offspring of Hill giants, for example, are very often quite unkempt, but not so much as an actual Hill giant.

Relations: Because they are descended from Giants, True Half Giants often receive a great degree of distrust (and often outright malice) from dwarves (and to a lesser extent, gnomes). Relations among other humanoids are often relative to the particular relations between said humanoids and the nearby giant groups from which the particular True Half Giant is descended.

Beyond that, True Half Giants generally get along with Half-Elves particularly well, either because of the natural tendency for Half-Elves to be amicable to most peoples or because of the shared Half-Breed nature is uncertain.

Alignment: True Half-Giants can be of any alignment, often with a tendency towards that of their Giant fore-bearer in at least one alignment axis.

True Half-Giant Lands: True Half-Giants have no lands of their own. Most live among their Gianty kind, but a few live among humans or mixed settlements alone.

Religion: Many True Half-Giants worship the members of the Giant Pantheon (I have NO info on this, but I'm assuming there is one), or the Human deities.

Language: Giant, which uses the Dwarven alphabet, and Common are often spoken by True Half-Giants.

Names: True Half-Giants often take names that blend their Giant roots with that of their Human ancestry. In fact, when written, they have been know to use a mix of Giant(Dwarven) and Common symbols to spell out their name.

Adventures: True Half-Giants adventure to gain notoriety among Giant and Human kind alike. In many cases they wish to have songs written about them and their deeds: be that acts of valor of .

True Half-Giant Traits:

+4 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Dexterity True Half giants are strong by nature, but often are slightly cumbersome.

Type: Giant. True Half-Giants are not subject to spells that effect humanoids only, such as Charm Person.

Size: Large. With stronger Giant , True Half Giants are very much deserving of the name. As Large creatures, True Half Giants take a -1 penalty to attack rolls and AC as well as a -4 to hide. However, they do have a natural reach of 10 feet.

Speed; A true Half-Giant's land speed is 30 foot.

Natural Armor: ?...

Special Qualities: Low Light Vision, Rock Catching, Rock Throwing

Automatic Languages: Common, Giant.
Bonus Languages: Goblin, Elvin, Orc, Dwarven

Favored Class: Any A True Half-Giant's highest level class does not count when determining XP penalties for multi-classing.

Level Adjustment: +2?

Yup...

Basically I wanted to create a large-sized type creature what didn't suffer huge mental stat penalties, and could therefore act as a party face and not suck at it...

Not sure if they should be LA 1 or 2, I guess that's what I'm asking here...

LMK if you like it, it, have improvement, ETC. Any comments welcome!

Mid :)
gullas
10-04-07, 04:46 AM thats a lvl. adjustment 2 for being large....
Arscura
10-04-07, 04:57 AM Check my sig for another take on the Half-Giant. That version for it is more blends the more physical traits of giants with humans. Though my version does have mental penalties, which I find logical.
For your version. I am in doubt about the LA +2. They have +2 to stats (unless you haven't taken large into account for stats boosts, if so please state this in heir template, in which case it would be +2) and large. With rock-throwing this is perhaps high LA +1. I mean large does make it LA +1, but than they have too little for LA +2.
Oh, by the way the point why Half-Giants have psionic powers is because they were taken from the Dark Sun setting. Nothing more, I am afraid.
Midvalley
10-04-07, 06:47 AM LOL, I'm sorry, maybe it's too late (6am), or maybe I'm just not understanding what's been posted.

Are you guys saying they're too Over or Under Powered for a +2 LA?

My Logic:

Originally I was thinking +2 STR, but then remembered that Large creatures typically have a +2 STR to begin with (along with -2 Dex) so I thought that they should get a "small" boost aside from that.
The lack of stat penalties is mostly because many giants (particularly the neutral/good ones) do not have mental stat penalties (some have bonuses).

Rock throwing/catching is kept mostly for Gianty-ness, not sure how they'd effect LA.

I wanted to boot psionics because I like the Half-Giant idea, but paying for something that I'll never use (PP's, Stomp) I also wanted to make something that was Large, but have crap for mental ability scores.

Oh, and I did the 1/2 human ideas. Useful!

::shrug::

Still look'n for comments (Thanks ^_^)

Mid :)
gullas
10-04-07, 01:53 PM give them a bonus feat and throw in +2 to con and boom , we have lvl adjustment 2:D
Arscura
10-04-07, 03:09 PM Indeed they need a bit more for LA +2, 2 Con + something.

I am pleased the half-human ideas helped ;)
Midvalley
10-04-07, 03:16 PM Edited as per suggestions, Thanks for the help guys!

Mid :)
Orenmir
10-04-07, 07:00 PM I'd swap out the extra feat for some natural armor. All pure giants have natural armor -- between +8 and +12. I'd suggest +4 natural armor instead of the bonus feat. A bonus first level feat should be saved for pure humans, IMO -- they need some sort of lure. ;)

Also, I'd recalculate the weight of the race. An 11' half giant would probably weigh more like 1000-1200 lbs. Remember, doubling your height typically increases you weight by a factor of 8! Your body becomes larger in 3 dimensions, so you double the normal weight 3 times. That's of course, if the build of a half giant is similar to a human's. A Hill Giant is typically 10.5' tall and 1100 lbs; although, his build is probably stockier than, say...a Stone Giant (or a human).
Midvalley
10-04-07, 11:11 PM Hm, also good ideas, I'll think that over, although I'm concerned: Would +4 nat armor push it past a +2LA?

I'll adjust the weight in the fluff accordingly.

Mid :)
Arscura
10-05-07, 03:39 AM Well, as in my own template from a hill giant they also come down to a +4 natural armor. I don't think it puts them above +2 LA, after all are suggestions were made to make it 'just' +2 LA. Removing the feat and adding the natural armor is good idea. Certainly if you want a giant feel.
ToastedAmphibian
10-05-07, 03:42 AM Perhapes this isnt constructive, but why a race? Why do humans have two distinguishing traits in the dnd world; free feats and the ability to mate with anything. Why are humans and dragons the only things that get to sire half breeds? Why arnt there more half templates!

Wy, for instance, couldnt there be an orc-halfgiant in your world? or a half-giant lizardman. Why no template love?
Arscura
10-05-07, 03:59 AM Perhapes this isnt constructive, but why a race? Why do humans have two distinguishing traits in the dnd world; free feats and the ability to mate with anything. Why are humans and dragons the only things that get to sire half breeds? Why arnt there more half templates!

Wy, for instance, couldnt there be an orc-halfgiant in your world? or a half-giant lizardman. Why no template love?

Take a look at my signature (3rd post this topic, it seems not to be repeated) ;)

Even though my template is more for humans, as it is hard to get a good template to get everything combined, it can be used at the moment I to create a Half-Giant Orc, without too much trouble.
Combination of two above LA +0 creatures, or those with high magic powers it isn't yet completely balanced.
I therefore simply don't dare to call it 'The Half-Race Template', outside of the opinion if that would make things go overboard or not, but that is perhaps more what you are looking for.

If you wish to reply to this message, than please in the topic of my template.

Sorry to hijack shortly the thread Midvalley. It is just because ToastedAmphibian is looking for a template, and well... that is what I've got, which you said yourself to be useful.

Also this (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=926814) is a half-giant template
Midvalley
10-05-07, 10:42 PM Pft, I don't care man, I actually like your template better than my race...Will probably end up using it actually ^_^

Later,

Mid :)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Midvalley 10-04-07, 03:30 AM	Hey All, I'm creating a "modified" race for a campaign I want to play in, and I figured I'd post the stuff here to acid-test it... Fluff First ('cause it's fun): There are, in fact, two types of giant-blooded people in the world. One of them the "Typical" half giant, is often more closely related to their human parents, and somehow, gains unusual talents of the mind: manifesting psionic powers. The other is rather atypical, one in which the giant heritage shows through to a greater degree. These folks call them selves "true" half-giants, and judging by their physical appearance, rightly so. Personality: True Half Giants often have the personality traits associated with their Giant parents. They range from brash, destructive and crude to meditative, placid and contemplative. This also carries over into their typical pleasures, those descended from Fire Giants often take up some sort of craft (typically that of the forge) while children of Storm Giants many times write songs or poetry. These tendencies are somewhat less distinct than in pure Giant culture often tempered by a greater degree of flexibility or more varied interests. Generally, these traits manifest because the True Half-Giant has had more experience among their Giant relatives, but other times it comes about due to some sort of pride in that heritage and a desire to emulate it. Physical Description: True Half Giants are quite a bit larger than most humans. In fact, they are quite a bit larger than the "lesser" (Psionic) Half-Giants. They typically stand about 8-11 feet tall and weigh anywhere from 800-1100 lbs, with females typically standing an weighing a bit less. Other physical traits are inherited from their parents. Skin tone can be anything from ruddy, tan, dark black, or even violet. Hair color ranges from light to dark tending towards shades that are typical amungst giant kind (for example bright orange for the ilk of fire-giants). Grooming and clothing habits often an averaging between the human and giant parentage: offspring of Hill giants, for example, are very often quite unkempt, but not so much as an actual Hill giant. Relations: Because they are descended from Giants, True Half Giants often receive a great degree of distrust (and often outright malice) from dwarves (and to a lesser extent, gnomes). Relations among other humanoids are often relative to the particular relations between said humanoids and the nearby giant groups from which the particular True Half Giant is descended. Beyond that, True Half Giants generally get along with Half-Elves particularly well, either because of the natural tendency for Half-Elves to be amicable to most peoples or because of the shared Half-Breed nature is uncertain. Alignment: True Half-Giants can be of any alignment, often with a tendency towards that of their Giant fore-bearer in at least one alignment axis. True Half-Giant Lands: True Half-Giants have no lands of their own. Most live among their Gianty kind, but a few live among humans or mixed settlements alone. Religion: Many True Half-Giants worship the members of the Giant Pantheon (I have NO info on this, but I'm assuming there is one), or the Human deities. Language: Giant, which uses the Dwarven alphabet, and Common are often spoken by True Half-Giants. Names: True Half-Giants often take names that blend their Giant roots with that of their Human ancestry. In fact, when written, they have been know to use a mix of Giant(Dwarven) and Common symbols to spell out their name. Adventures: True Half-Giants adventure to gain notoriety among Giant and Human kind alike. In many cases they wish to have songs written about them and their deeds: be that acts of valor of . True Half-Giant Traits: +4 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Dexterity True Half giants are strong by nature, but often are slightly cumbersome. Type: Giant. True Half-Giants are not subject to spells that effect humanoids only, such as Charm Person. Size: Large. With stronger Giant , True Half Giants are very much deserving of the name. As Large creatures, True Half Giants take a -1 penalty to attack rolls and AC as well as a -4 to hide. However, they do have a natural reach of 10 feet. Speed; A true Half-Giant's land speed is 30 foot. Natural Armor: ?... Special Qualities: Low Light Vision, Rock Catching, Rock Throwing Automatic Languages: Common, Giant. Bonus Languages: Goblin, Elvin, Orc, Dwarven Favored Class: Any A True Half-Giant's highest level class does not count when determining XP penalties for multi-classing. Level Adjustment: +2? Yup... Basically I wanted to create a large-sized type creature what didn't suffer huge mental stat penalties, and could therefore act as a party face and not suck at it... Not sure if they should be LA 1 or 2, I guess that's what I'm asking here... LMK if you like it, it, have improvement, ETC. Any comments welcome! Mid :)
gullas 10-04-07, 04:46 AM	thats a lvl. adjustment 2 for being large....
Arscura 10-04-07, 04:57 AM	Check my sig for another take on the Half-Giant. That version for it is more blends the more physical traits of giants with humans. Though my version does have mental penalties, which I find logical. For your version. I am in doubt about the LA +2. They have +2 to stats (unless you haven't taken large into account for stats boosts, if so please state this in heir template, in which case it would be +2) and large. With rock-throwing this is perhaps high LA +1. I mean large does make it LA +1, but than they have too little for LA +2. Oh, by the way the point why Half-Giants have psionic powers is because they were taken from the Dark Sun setting. Nothing more, I am afraid.
Midvalley 10-04-07, 06:47 AM	LOL, I'm sorry, maybe it's too late (6am), or maybe I'm just not understanding what's been posted. Are you guys saying they're too Over or Under Powered for a +2 LA? My Logic: Originally I was thinking +2 STR, but then remembered that Large creatures typically have a +2 STR to begin with (along with -2 Dex) so I thought that they should get a "small" boost aside from that. The lack of stat penalties is mostly because many giants (particularly the neutral/good ones) do not have mental stat penalties (some have bonuses). Rock throwing/catching is kept mostly for Gianty-ness, not sure how they'd effect LA. I wanted to boot psionics because I like the Half-Giant idea, but paying for something that I'll never use (PP's, Stomp) I also wanted to make something that was Large, but have crap for mental ability scores. Oh, and I did the 1/2 human ideas. Useful! ::shrug:: Still look'n for comments (Thanks ^_^) Mid :)
gullas 10-04-07, 01:53 PM	give them a bonus feat and throw in +2 to con and boom , we have lvl adjustment 2:D
Arscura 10-04-07, 03:09 PM	Indeed they need a bit more for LA +2, 2 Con + something. I am pleased the half-human ideas helped ;)
Midvalley 10-04-07, 03:16 PM	Edited as per suggestions, Thanks for the help guys! Mid :)
Orenmir 10-04-07, 07:00 PM	I'd swap out the extra feat for some natural armor. All pure giants have natural armor -- between +8 and +12. I'd suggest +4 natural armor instead of the bonus feat. A bonus first level feat should be saved for pure humans, IMO -- they need some sort of lure. ;) Also, I'd recalculate the weight of the race. An 11' half giant would probably weigh more like 1000-1200 lbs. Remember, doubling your height typically increases you weight by a factor of 8! Your body becomes larger in 3 dimensions, so you double the normal weight 3 times. That's of course, if the build of a half giant is similar to a human's. A Hill Giant is typically 10.5' tall and 1100 lbs; although, his build is probably stockier than, say...a Stone Giant (or a human).
Midvalley 10-04-07, 11:11 PM	Hm, also good ideas, I'll think that over, although I'm concerned: Would +4 nat armor push it past a +2LA? I'll adjust the weight in the fluff accordingly. Mid :)
Arscura 10-05-07, 03:39 AM	Well, as in my own template from a hill giant they also come down to a +4 natural armor. I don't think it puts them above +2 LA, after all are suggestions were made to make it 'just' +2 LA. Removing the feat and adding the natural armor is good idea. Certainly if you want a giant feel.
ToastedAmphibian 10-05-07, 03:42 AM	Perhapes this isnt constructive, but why a race? Why do humans have two distinguishing traits in the dnd world; free feats and the ability to mate with anything. Why are humans and dragons the only things that get to sire half breeds? Why arnt there more half templates! Wy, for instance, couldnt there be an orc-halfgiant in your world? or a half-giant lizardman. Why no template love?
Arscura 10-05-07, 03:59 AM	Perhapes this isnt constructive, but why a race? Why do humans have two distinguishing traits in the dnd world; free feats and the ability to mate with anything. Why are humans and dragons the only things that get to sire half breeds? Why arnt there more half templates! Wy, for instance, couldnt there be an orc-halfgiant in your world? or a half-giant lizardman. Why no template love? Take a look at my signature (3rd post this topic, it seems not to be repeated) ;) Even though my template is more for humans, as it is hard to get a good template to get everything combined, it can be used at the moment I to create a Half-Giant Orc, without too much trouble. Combination of two above LA +0 creatures, or those with high magic powers it isn't yet completely balanced. I therefore simply don't dare to call it 'The Half-Race Template', outside of the opinion if that would make things go overboard or not, but that is perhaps more what you are looking for. If you wish to reply to this message, than please in the topic of my template. Sorry to hijack shortly the thread Midvalley. It is just because ToastedAmphibian is looking for a template, and well... that is what I've got, which you said yourself to be useful. Also this (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=926814) is a half-giant template
Midvalley 10-05-07, 10:42 PM	Pft, I don't care man, I actually like your template better than my race...Will probably end up using it actually ^_^ Later, Mid :)