Goliath

Physical Description

With their towering height and muscular builds, goliaths strike an imposing figure. Their appearance is similar to that of giant-kind, having wide flat faces and broad shoulders, and many people consider them a small form of giant. Goliaths males are often bald, while the females grow coarse hair, usually worn in a large braid. Goliaths have thick knobby hide with an almost marbled coloring ranging from dark grey-blues to pale white and even occasionally deep green. Goliath culture in northern Chromia is known for inlaying gemstones and piercing into their hide. Tattoos are important to goliath culture, used to record a specific person’s accomplishments and heraldry.

Personalities

Although they appear to be as gruff as the dwarves they trade with, goliaths usually take surprisingly laid back approach to life, taking immediate advantage of opportunities to relax. Although laid back, goliaths have little reservation towards devoting themselves to accomplishing tasks and overcoming challenges, their attitude is like that of the glaciers of Iridos, unyielding but slow and methodical. Family in the form of large tribes are of utmost importance in goliath culture. An affront to the tribe is taken as a personal assault on each individual member. Goliaths have both given names and surnames, but rarely use them. Instead, they are given monikers by the tribe chief based on their accolades or personality. When introducing themselves, they usually translate this name. For example: Treeclimber, Wanderslost, Snowrunner, or Dragonhunter.

In the World

Goliaths are concentrated in the Tradelands region of Chromia, but a sizable fraction still live in their autochthonous home, the high peaks of the Iridos mountains. The goliaths of Iridos, the preserver goliaths, prefer to have little connection with the outside world and try to maintain their traditions and lifestyle. The pactsworn on the other hand, are much more likely to explore and expand and make up a large portion of the Chromian populace.

Racial Traits

• Ability Score Racial Traits: Goliaths gain +2 Strength and +2 Constitution but have -2 Dexterity.
• Size: Goliaths are Medium creatures and thus have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Base Speed: Goliaths have a base speed of 30 feet.
• Type: Goliaths are humanoids.

Skill & Feat Racial Traits

• Giant’s Blood: A goliath always treats Intimidate and Perception as class skills.

Other Racial Traits

• Powerful Build: Whenever a goliath is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier, the goliath is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to them. A goliath is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature’s special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect them. However, their space and reach remain those of a creature of their actual size.

Preserver Goliath

The preserver goliaths were originally the group of goliaths that chose to maintain their traditions when their god Kamakavaki, Lord of Rams, was killed in the war of gods. Most of this group still believe Kamakavaki lives on. As the goliaths retreated further into the Iridos mountains, away from Chromian civilization, their bodies became more capable of surviving the harsh conditions of Iridos. Preserver goliaths have lighter skin than that of the pactsworn goliath and tend to grow a few inches taller with leaner builds.

Additional Racial Traits

• Mountain Climber: Born to the peaks, preserver goliaths have the necessary physique and experience to climb effortlessly; they gain a climb speed of 15.

Pactsworn Goliath

The pactsworm carry a very literal name. While the preservers clung to their dead god Kamakavaki, the pactsworn allied themselves with a new god, Ish Kaman the Shade God of the Peaks, swearing a pact of servitude so that they may have the power to destroy Rajuul, Lord of Fire who slayed their old god Kamakavaki. Pactsworn goliaths have come down from their mountain homes, taking over the tradelands of Chromia as they hunted down the beings of fire such as dragons. This change of environment and connection with the Everstill has lead to pactsworn goliaths having darker skin colors and bulkier builds than preserver goliaths.

Additional Racial Traits

• Boon of the Everstill (Sp): For their sworn fealty, the pactsworn goliath and their descendants were granted a boon by Ish Kamen. They gain a +2 bonus to natural armor as their bodies, especially their skin have become tougher, almost stone-like.

Unsworn Goliath

Unsworn goliaths look undistinguishable from Preserver Goliaths but descend from a small group of Goliaths who decided to forgo tradition and vengeance after the death of Kamakavaki, abandoning the mountains and wandering the world over. Unsworn Goliaths are rare and mostly integrated with other communities.

Additional Racial Traits

• Wild Talent: Unsworn goliaths gain the Wild Talent feat.
• Psionic Body: Unsworn goliaths gain the Psionic Body feat.