Giant

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Ancient empires once cast tall shadows over a world that quaked beneath the giants’ feet. In those lost days, these great creatures were dragon slayers, dreamers, crafters, and kings, but their kind fell from glory long ago. However, even divided among secluded clans scattered throughout the world, the giants maintain the customs, traditions, and order of old.

The Ordning

Each of the main giant races-the cloud, fire, frost, hill, stone, and storm giants-are related by common elements of history, religion, and culture. They view one another as kindred, keeping any inherent animosity over territory and ambition to a minimum.

Giants belong to a caste structure called the ordning. Based on social class and highly organized, the ordning assigns a social rank to each giant. By understanding its place in the ordning, a giant knows which other giants are inferior or superior to it, since no two giants are equal. Each of the giant races analyzes a different combination of skills or qualities to determine the ordning. Giants make excelling in these qualities the purpose of their lives.

At the highest level of the ordning, the races of the giants are also ranked according to status. Storm giants are the highest in the ordning, followed by cloud giants, fire giants, frost giants, stone giants, hill giants, and finally giant kin such as fomorians, ettins, and ogres.

Regardless of a giant's rank among its own race, the chief of a hill giant tribe is inferior to the most common of stone giants. The lowest ranked giant of any type is superior to the highest ranked giant of an inferior type. It isn't considered evil to disrespect or even betray a giant of another type, merely rude.

Giant Gods

When the giants' ancient empires fell, Annam, father of all giants, forsook his children and the world. He swore never to look upon either again until the giants had returned to their glory and reclaimed their birthright as rulers of the world. As a result, giants pray not to Annam but to his divine children, along with a host of hero-deities and godly villains that make up the giants' pantheon.

Chief among these gods are the children of Annam, whose sons represent each type of giant: Stronmaus for storm giants, Memnor for cloud giants, Skoraeus Stonebones for stone giants, Thrym for frost giants, Surtur for fire giants, and Grolantor for hill giants. Not all giants automatically revere their kind's primary deity, however. Many good cloud giants refuse to worship the deceitful Memnor, and a storm giant dwelling in the icy mountains of the north might pay more homage to Thrym than Stronmaus. Other giants feel a stronger connection to Annam's daughters, who include Hiatea, the huntress and home warden; Iallanis, goddess of love and peace; and Diancastra, an impetuous and arrogant trickster.

Some giants abandon their own gods and fall prey to demon cults, paying homage to Baphomet or Kostchtchie. To worship them or any other non-giant deity is a great sin against the ordning, and almost certain to make a giant an outcast.

 

The Sending

In the final universe at the end of ages, Frost giants were sent to Deminos. Some stayed behind on the world of Khronus, while some of their Stone Giant kinsman followed their brethren to what had been called a training ground. These giants dwell within and above the massive mountain that spans the lower half of the main continent, as well as within the smaller mountains that sit in its monstrous shadow.

Features

Ability Score Improvement: Giants are immensely strong creatures, gaining +3 to strength.
Age: Giants are long lived creatures, not reaching maturity until 50 years of age, and the oldest among them has been seen at over 1,000 years.
Slow Pace: While Giants may move quickly due to their immense size, they take life at a leisurely pace, and observe more than interact. You gain proficiency in the perception and investigation skills.
Keepers of History: Giants are the keepers of the past, and pass on their stories to future generations. You have advantage on all History checks.

Subraces

Frost Giant

Gigantic reavers from the freezing lands beyond civilization, frost giants are fierce, hardy warriors that survive on the spoils of their raids and pillaging. They respect only brute strength and skill in battle, demonstrating both with their scars and the grisly trophies they take from their enemies. Frost giants are creatures of ice and snow. Their hair and beards are pale white or light blue, matted with frost and clattering with icicles. Their flesh is as blue as glacial ice.

Features
Alignment: Frost Giants are almost exclusively Neutral Evil, not caring much for politics or society, they seldom go out of their way for anything. Though when they do, there is always something to be gained.
Brawns over Brains: Frost Giants are generally violent creatures, waging war whenever they find something to gain from it. They seldom plan in advance, and are sloppy when they do. Forethought is not their strength. You have a -1 to Wisdom.
Reavers of the Storm: As a Frost Giant you have the ability to call a blizzard from the heavens with a mighty roar. All creatures within 60 feet of you must make a DC 12 Constitution save, or take 2d12 cold damage, or half as much on a successful save. You cannot use this feature again until you take a long rest.
Kostchtchie's Children: Followers of the evil God of frost and wrath, Frost Giants are blessed with an endurance to the cold. You have resistance against all cold damage, and cannot be afflicted by naturally occurring cold.
Curse of Surtr: Frost Giants curse the God of fire, Surtr, for bringing the heat that can spell their doom. You have disadvantage on all saves against fire damage, and take 1.5x damage from fire attacks.

Stone Giants

Stone giants are reclusive, quiet, and peaceful as long as they are left alone. Their granite-gray skin, gaunt features, and black, sunken eyes endow stone giants with a stern countenance. They are private creatures, hiding their lives and art away from the world. Inhabitants of a Stone World, secluded caves are the homes of the stone giants. Cavern networks are their towns, rocky tunnels their roads, and underground streams their waterways. Many Stone Giants are glad bearers of history, and shamans to the pantheon of Giants.

Features
Hermited Lifestyle: Stone Giants are patient creatures, willing to take their time and keep to themselves. They care little for social skills, or influence. You have a -1 to Charisma.
Alignment: As Stone Giants tend not to meddle unless coerced or finding reason to, with rare exceptions of curiosity and abnormally minded giants, they are neutral throughout most of the race.
Patient Masons: Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to the origin of stonework, you are considered proficient in the History skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.
Graceful Athletes: Once per day, when you fail a saving throw made for Athletics or Acrobatics, you may choose to roll again. You must use the second roll.
Stonethrowers: You tear a chunk of rock, or a boulder, from the ground and hurl it at a creature within 60 feet, using your proficiency bonus as your attack modifier. The hurled chunk of earth deals 4d10 bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 17 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
All-Father's Aid: You are resistant to nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
Vaprak's Bane: You are vulnerable to magical damage of all types.

Languages. Netherese, Giant