Half-Giants

Ultimate Psionics

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Far back in their history, half-giants were slaves. While the stories vary from tribe to tribe, their former status as slaves is one common thread of every half-giant tribe’s lore. As slaves, they fought their oppressors and earned their freedom, so nothing is more important to half-giants than their liberty. They will fight and even kill to stay free, and few things are capable of breaking a half-giant’s will to live like slavery. Indeed, most half-giants would prefer to commit suicide rather than face incarceration or enslavement. For these reasons, most half-giants tend to be law-abiding and respectful, but they can have a tendency to solve problems by resorting to violence rather than risk being apprehended. Some myths claim that they were spawned from fire giants, while others say that they worked in volcanic forges. Regardless of the truth, half-giants are more resilient to heat, a trait that serves them well in the present, as they have a tendency to dwell in arid lands and deserts.

Physical Description: Standing over eight feet tall, half-giants are the largest of the common races, towering above even half-orcs, with males slightly taller and heavier than females. Their size makes them imposing but slow to react. Their skin ranges from nearly complete black to a deep tan, while their hair is almost always black. Their eyes range from blue to green, but a fair number have red eyes, making them stand out against other races. Most half-giants tend to wear little clothing, or very heavy armor, depending on the situation; in a social gathering, their tribal clothing covers very little to account for their tendency to reside in hot lands. In combat, they prefer to wear heavy armor, taking advantage of their natural strength and stature.

Society: Half-giants most commonly organize themselves into nomadic and shifting tribes, following charismatic and wise leaders for brief periods, without a strong societal pressure to remain in any given tribe. When enemies gather, empires rise, or war looms, the tribes might unite under their strongest and wisest leaders, protecting each other from the threat. In times of peace, they splinter into individual tribes, enjoying the freedom they hold so dear. As societies go, the half- giants are primarily nomadic hunters, taking down the giant sandworms of the desert or hunting elephants across the savannah and plains. Half-giants enjoy dancing, drinking and games of physical prowess such as wrestling, running, and spear throwing.

Relations: Half-giants appreciate the open nature of humans and half-elves and can sympathize with how half-orcs sometimes feel outside of society. Elves with their slow pace, dwarves and maenads with their rigid societies, and ophiduans with their expansionistic behavior generally make half-giants uncomfortable. Most other races are welcomed based on their behavior, although the carelessness of halflings, dromites, and gnomes worry the half-giants, who believe that it will lead to these smaller races being taken advantage of and, therefore, possible subservience and slavery. Half-giants keep duergars at arm’s length due to the use of slavery.

Alignment and Religion: Worshipping gods relating to freedom, nature, summer, and the hunt, half-giants are devout but very naturalistic. They manifest their worship with totem poles, believing the gods to be pleased with depictions of their power, thus protecting the tribe from evil. Most half-giants tend to be neutral or chaotic good, striving to help both the tribe and others as well as they can, although their belief in following the law to avoid incarceration can result in lawful half- giants. This does not mean that a half-giant won’t resort to violence at the slightest sign of evil. Indeed, to most half-giants, jail, incarceration, and slavery are all seen as equally evil and to be fought to the last breath.

Adventurers: Half-giants are most often driven into adventuring by wanderlust, a religious conviction, or a belief that that they can do the most good by making the world a safer place. Very few adventure to make money, greed is a strange concept to most half-giants.

Male Names: Adoett, Abaque, Amayeta, Chumani, Donama, Maka, Macawi, Nashota, Odakota.

Female Names: Hurit, Huyana, Awentia, Cholena, Kimella, Mika, Nadie, Dabun, Pahana.

Half-giant Racial Traits

• +2 Wisdom, +2 Strength, –2 Dexterity: Half-giants are tough and intuitive, but not too nimble.
• Giant Blood: Half-giants count as both human and humanoid (giant) for any effect related to race. Unlike other creatures of the giant subtype, half-giants do not have racial Hit Dice.
• Medium: Half-giants are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Normal Speed: Half-giants have a base speed of 30 feet.
• Low-Light Vision: Half-giants can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.
• Fire Acclimated: Half-giants receive a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against all fire spells and effects.
• Powerful Build: The physical stature of half-giants lets them function in many ways as if they were one size category larger. Whenever a half-giant is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for a Combat Maneuver Bonus or Combat Maneuver Defense (such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts), the half-giant is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him. A half-giant is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature’s special attacks based on size (such as grab or swallow whole) can affect him. A half-giant can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. However, his space and reach remain those of a creature of his actual size. The benefts of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject’s size category.
• Naturally Psionic: Half-giants receive Wild Talent as a bonus feat at 1st level. If a half-giant takes levels in a psionic class, he instead gains the Psionic Talent feat.
• Half-giant Psionics: Half-giants gain the following psi-like ability: 1/day—stomp. The manifester level for this effect is equal to 1/2 the half-giant’s level (minimum 1st). The DC for this power is equal to 10 + the power’s level + the half-giant’s Charisma modifier.
• Psionic Aptitude: When a half-giant takes a level in a favored class, he can choose to gain an additional power point instead of a hit point or skill point.
• Survivor: Half-giants gain a +4 racial bonus to Survival checks.
• Languages: Half-giants begin play speaking Common. Half-giants with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Draconic, Giant, Gnoll, and Ignan.

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