srd
SRD
All giants speak Giant. Those with Intelligence scores of 10 or higher also speak Common.
Combat
Giants relish melee combat. They favor massive two-handed weapons and wield them with impressive skill. They have enough cunning to soften up a foe with ranged attacks first, if they can. A giant’s favorite ranged weapon is a big rock.
Rock Throwing (Ex): Adult giants are accomplished rock throwers and receive a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls when throwing rocks. A giant of at least Large size can hurl rocks weighing 40 to 50 pounds each (Small objects) up to five range increments. The size of the range increment varies with the giant’s variety. A Huge giant can
hurl rocks of 60 to 80 pounds (Medium objects).
Rock Catching (Ex): A giant of at least Large size can catch Small, Medium, or Large rocks (or projectiles of similar shape).
Once per round, a giant that would normally be hit by a rock can make a Reflex save to catch it as a free action. The DC is 15 for a Small rock, 20 for a Medium one, and 25 for a Large one. (If the projectile provides a magical bonus on attack rolls, the DC increases by that amount.) The giant must be ready for and aware of the attack in order to make a rock catching attempt.
Combat
Cloud giants fight in well-organized units, using carefully developed battle plans. They prefer to fight from a position above their opponents. A favorite tactic is to circle the enemies, barraging them with rocks while the giants with magical abilities confound them with spells.
Rock Throwing (Ex): The range increment is 140 feet for a cloud giant’s thrown rocks.
Oversized Weapon (Ex): A cloud giant wields a great, two-handed morningstar (big enough for Gargantuan creatures) without penalty.
Spell-Like Abilities: 3/day—levitate (self plus 2,000 pounds), obscuring mist; 1/day—fog cloud. Caster level 15th.
Cloud Giant Characters
Most cloud giant groups include a sorcerer or a cleric.
Good-aligned clerics have access to two of the following domains: Good, Healing, Strength, or Sun. Evil-aligned clerics have access to two of the following domains: Death, Evil, or Trickery.
Combat
Fire giants heat their rocks in a nearby fire, geyser, or lava pools, so that they deal extra fire damage. They favor magic flaming swords in melee (when they can get them). They are also fond of grabbing smaller opponents and tossing them somewhere very hot.
Rock Throwing (Ex): The range increment is 120 feet for a fire giant’s thrown rocks.
Fire Giant Characters
Most groups of fire giants include clerics. A fire giant cleric has access to two of the following domains: Evil, Law, Trickery, or War (most choose Trickery or War, some choose both).
Combat
Frost giants usually start combat at a distance, throwing rocks until they run out of ammunition or the opponent closes, then wading in with their enormous battleaxes.
A favorite tactic is to lay an ambush by hiding buried in the snow at the top of an icy or snowy slope, where opponents will have difficulty reaching them.
Rock Throwing (Ex): The range increment is 120 feet for a frost giant’s thrown rocks.
Frost Giant Jarl
A frost giant leader is often a barbarian, cleric, fighter, or sorcerer, but some of the most evil and ruthless frost giants become blackguards.
The frost giant jarl described here has all the qualities and abilities of a typical frost giant, as well as other abilities (see the statistics block) from being a blackguard. Details on some of these abilities follow.
Aura of Despair (Su): This jarl radiates a malign aura that causes enemies within 10 feet of him to take a –2 penalty on all saving throws.
Aura of Evil (Ex): This jarl radiates a strong aura of evil (see the detect evil spell) as an 8th-level cleric of an evil deity.
Command Undead (Su): This jarl can command and rebuke undead as a 6th-level cleric.
Dark Blessing (Su): This jarl applies his Charisma modifier as a bonus on all saving throws.
*Detect Good* (Sp): At will, this jarl can use detect good as a spell-like ability, duplicating the effect of the detect good spell.
Poison Use: Blackguards are skilled in the use of poison and never risk accidentally poisoning themselves when applying poison to a blade.
Smite Good (Su): Twice per day, this jarl may attempt to smite good with one normal melee attack. He adds his +4 Charisma modifier to his attack roll and deals 8 points of extra damage (1 per blackguard level) if the attack hits. If he accidentally smites a creature that is not good, the smite has no effect but it is still used up for that day.
Typical Blackguard Spells Prepared (3/1; save DC 11 + spell level): 1st—cause fear, doom, magic weapon; 2nd—bull’s strength.
Possessions: +2 frost greataxe, +2 full plate armor, cloak of Charisma +2, ring of minor energy resistance (fire), 2 doses of bloodroot poison. (Benefits of these items are included in the statistics block.)
Frost Giant Characters
Many groups of frost giants include clerics. A frost giant cleric has access to two of the following domains: Chaos, Destruction, Evil, or War (most choose Destruction or War, some choose both).
Combat
Hill giants prefer to fight from high, rocky outcroppings, where they can pelt opponents with rocks and boulders while limiting the risk to themselves.
Hill giants love to make overrun attacks against smaller creatures when they first join battle. Thereafter, they stand fast and swing away with their massive clubs.
Rock Throwing (Ex): The range increment is 120 feet for a hill giant’s thrown rocks.
Hill Giants as Characters
Reckless brutes of incredible strength but little wit, hill giant characters are never truly accepted into society. Yet they do well on its edges and frontiers, forging a strong and profitable existence.
Despite their rugged appearance and great size, their basically humanoid shape makes it easy for them to relate with more civilized folk.
Hill giant characters possess the following racial traits.
— +14 Strength, –2 Dexterity, +8 Constitution, –4 Intelligence, –4 Charisma.
—Large size. –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.
—Space/Reach: 10 feet/10 feet.
—A hill giant’s base land speed is 40 feet.
—Low-light vision.
—Racial Hit Dice: A hill giant begins with twelve levels of giant, which provide 12d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +8, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +8, Ref +4, and Will +4.
—Racial Skills: A hill giant’s giant levels give it skill points
equal to 15 x (2 + Int modifier). Its class skills are Climb, Jump, Listen, and Spot.
—Racial Feats: A hill giant’s giant levels give it five feats.
— +9 natural armor bonus.
—Special Attacks (see above): Rock throwing.
—Special Qualities (see above): Rock catching.
—Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A hill giant is automatically proficient with simple weapons, martial weapons, light and medium armor, and shields.
—Automatic Languages: Giant. Bonus Languages: Common, Draconic, Elven, Goblin, Orc.
—Favored Class: Barbarian.
—Level adjustment +4.
Combat
Stone giants fight from a distance whenever possible, but if they can’t avoid melee, they use gigantic clubs chiseled out of stone. A favorite tactic of stone giants is to stand nearly motionless, blending in with the background, then move forward to throw rocks and surprise their foes.
Rock Throwing (Ex): The range increment is 180 feet for a stone giant’s thrown rocks. It uses both hands when throwing a rock.
Rock Catching (Ex): A stone giant gains a +4 racial bonus on its Reflex save when attempting to catch a thrown rock.
Skills: \*A stone giant gains a +8 racial bonus on Hide checks in rocky terrain.
Stone Giant Elders
Some stone giants develop special abilities related to their environment. These giant elders have Charisma scores of at least 15 and spell-like abilities, which they use as 10th-level sorcerers. Once per day they can use stone shape, stone tell, and either transmute rock to mud or transmute mud to rock (DC 17). The save DC is Charisma-based. One in ten elders is a sorcerer, usually of 3rd to 6th level.
Stone Giants as Characters
Strong, silent loners, stone giant characters are a rare sight in human lands.
Stone giant characters possess the following racial traits.
— +16 Strength, +4 Dexterity, +8 Constitution, +2 Wisdom.
—Large size. –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.
—Space/Reach: 10 feet/10 feet.
—A stone giant’s base land speed is 40 feet.
—Darkvision out to 60 feet and low-light vision.
—Racial Hit Dice: A stone giant begins with fourteen levels of giant, which provide 14d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +10, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +9, Ref +4, and Will +4.
—Racial Skills: A stone giant’s giant levels give it skill points equal to 17 x (2 + Int modifier). Its class skills are Climb, Hide, Listen, and Spot. A stone giant has a +8 racial bonus on Hide checks in rocky terrain.
—Racial Feats: A stone giant’s giant levels give it five feats.
— +11 natural armor bonus.
—Special Attacks (see above): Rock throwing.
—Special Qualities (see above): Rock catching.
—Automatic Languages: Giant. Bonus Languages: Common, Draconic, Elven, Goblin, Orc.
—Favored Class: Barbarian.
—Level adjustment +4.
Open Game Content from the System Reference Document 3.5, used under the Open Game License 1.0a.