Goliaths
PHB'24 p192
Goliath
Mountain Children
Goliaths are massive humanoids resembling humans with granite-like smooth skin as hard and durable as stone. Acclimated to frozen conditions, they often wear heavy coats made from the thick hide of the wooly mammoths that live alongside them. Goliath tradition calls for the most important moments of their lives to be memorialized into their beings, carved and inked into their skin as a permanent to immortalize the tales. Your goliath may have their most defining moments tattooed across their form; however it does not have to be literal. A goliath may use symbology in their “Saga-Til”, or ‘story of’. While Goliaths rarely use armor, they are highly protective of their Saga-Tils, as scars would ruin their precious momentos.
From Pebble to Stone
Goliaths arose from the desires of the earthmother Gravita, who wished for all aspects of her creation to be inhabited. From the easifa of the deserts to the humans of Elkus, every land seemed to have its own people, save for the frozen wastes of the north. Inspired by the beauty of the frigid mountain ranges, she refused to flatten or thaw them to make way for more sustainable land. Instead, she chose to create those that could not just survive, but thrive in such conditions. The goliaths were these people. Made in the image of the great earth mother, they were dutiful in taking up her task. With great ease and great pride, they work to survive in the land they were given.
Goliath society is focused purely on survival, where excess and waste is looked down upon. They travel alongside packs of great wooly mammoths, only taking what they need and making use of every part to honor the sacrifice of the herd. Meat is consumed, fur and skin is turned into housing, bones are turned into weapons, building materials, or even decorative art pieces. Needing to follow the packs that give them life, they craft yurts, a specialized tent that can be quickly packed away to be moved.
Individual tribes of goliaths may not interact with each other for generations, and during these hard times and most intense blizzards, trust is necessary for survival. Liars and criminals have their offenses recorded into their Saga-Tils, tattooed upon their foreheads so that it is impossible to hide. In goliath culture, headwear of any kind that covers the forehead is considered a sign of one who is untrustworthy. Instead of elaborate graves, all of the departed are buried in the snow, where they may return to the earth that gave them life.
Goliath Names
Goliath names care little for gender differences, as every member of a tribe is considered to be an active member and capable of all necessary tasks. In such, all names for goliaths are considered to be non-binary. However, they more commonly earn nicknames based upon the piece of their Saga-Til for which they are most renowned, or most proud of.
Names: Aukan, Eglath, Gae-Al, Gauthak, Ilikan, Keothi, Kuori, Lo-Kag, Manneo, Maveith, Nalla, Orilo, Paavu, Pethani, Thalai, Thotham, Uthal, Vaunea, Vimak Earned Names: Axe Thrower, Meteorite, Mammoth Feller, Great Guardian, Wound Mender, Many Scarred.Giant Ancestry. You are descended from Giants. Choose one of the following benefits—a supernatural boon from your ancestry; you can use the chosen benefit a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest:
Cloud's Jaunt (Cloud Giant). As a Bonus Action, you magically teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see.
Fire's Burn (Fire Giant). When you hit a target with an attack roll and deal damage to it, you can also deal 1d10 Fire damage to that target.
Frost's Chill (Frost Giant). When you hit a target with an attack roll and deal damage to it, you can also deal 1d6 Cold damage to that target and reduce its Speed by 10 feet until the start of your next turn.
Hill's Tumble (Hill Giant).When you hit a Large or smaller creature with an attack roll and deal damage to it, you can give that target the Prone condition.
Stone's Endurance (Stone Giant). When you take damage, you can take a Reaction to roll 1d12. Add your Constitution modifier to the number rolled and reduce the damage by that total.
Storm's Thunder (Storm Giant). When you take damage from a creature within 60 feet of you, you can take a Reaction to deal 1d8 Thunder damage to that creature.
Large Form. Starting at character level 5, you can change your size to Large as a Bonus Action if you're in a big enough space. This transformation lasts for 10 minutes or until you end it (no action required). For that duration, you have Advantage on Strength checks, and your Speed increases by 10 feet. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a Long Rest.
Powerful Build. You have Advantage on any ability check you make to end the Grappled condition. You also count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity.
