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Towering barbarians of ancient blood who hail from the savage frontier, the giantborn are a race of warriors who exist in scattered clan holdings and lodges across the distant reaches of the north. Found most often in Dran and Stormgarde, these colossal creatures are descendants of the great, giant empires of ages past.
Though of an older blood, the giantborn were forgotten for ages because of their seclusion. Most races knew them as stories and tales, and it was only with the rise of the Summer Kings, the Highborn, that they began to venture into the world once more.
The advent of the Summer Kings altered the outlook of the giantborn. The giantborn saw the advances of these races, these races they claimed as far-distant kin, and found their curiosity piqued. At first they watched from afar, preferring their seclusion among the mountainsides and amid what they saw as the Shadow of Aragorn, and things may have stayed this way were it not for the sudden surge of the savage oruch across their borders. The strength with which the oruch struck made them wake as giants of old from their slumber, and the giantborn formed treaties with the Summer Kings, and the two stood together for a time to drive the warriors back.
In the aftermath of the wars, the giantborn sought to retreat behind their own borders once more. Some contact with the Summer Kings remained, but the giantborn people preferred their distant frontiers and ancient cities and lodges. They would not emerge until yet another race came to their lands; the King Dranei. Charged with the protection of his people, he strode to the mountains where the giantborn lived, and challenged the might of the mountains for the blessings of Aragorn. Overhearing his challenge, the priests of the giantborn felt the very earth rumble.
Inspired, a priest stepped forward to bless the King, and offered the aid of his people to the aid of the human children of Dran to retake their land. And thus, a long friendship was born. Where the Summer Kings had opened a crack, King Dranei made it a wider-flowing river and the long-secluded kin of giants came forth from their secluded hollows.
Thus when Kreig returned from the heights of the Khardic Mountains, he did so with an army of giantborn to aid him. The emerging of the giantborn into more public consciousness occurred at this time, though the race remained largely in the north and in their own lands. Exposure to the world beyond their borders would now be found in Dran, Stormgarde and occasionally Myrddion and The Vast.
Slowly, with the pace of the ancient elements their bloodlines bear witness to, the giantborn once again make their way into the world.
Physical Description
Towering warriors hewn from the blood of giants, the Giantborn typically stand no less then seven feet tall with a few approaching and surpassing even eight or larger. They come from a mix of giant stock and therefore individuals may display a variety of traits, from a fire giant's brilliant hair coloring to a stone giant's craggy finish. These traits are not exclusive; a giantborn could also possess other traits and mixtures of fire, storm, and other great bloodlines as by now, their bloodline is truly mixed, combining into a single race that while not those of their forefathers, carries its proud heritage and more than a touch of resemblance.
Giantborn faces tend to be inhumanly broad and their shoulders as massive as their race's reknowned strength. They attribute their strength both to their heritage as well as Angoron's blessing, and many possess booming voices, and "larger than life" personalities that while they may not surpass the lucht, at least rival them. The giantborn possess strong features, over-emphasized for example, in comparison to a human's or even an oruch's, though possessed of a certain rugged nobility. Their hardened physique and giant's heritage tends to protect them from the elements in either extreme.
Society and Lands
The Giantborn are an old race with older ties with a strong tendency towards a near-solitary individualism. To them also is the sacredness of bonds and history. At the knees of their elders, young giantborn learn the Recitation of Oaths, of races and people long past who the giantborn had sworn a pact to, though the strength of these pacts has often faded with time and not all of the recipients recall them, though it is said that the giantborn do. One of the most well-known is to the land of Dran due to the deeds of Kreig. They also tend to closely follow the tenets of the god Aragorn who they view as both patron and father.
Their gatherings are held in buildings known as Great Lodges. The greatest Lodge sits at the foot of the Khardic Mountain and is home to the Keepers of the Mountain, ancient priests who guard the mythic path that is said to lead to the seat of Angoron. Roving bands of the Giantborn come and go from this Lodge, sometimes staying entire seasons to dwell in the shadow of The Mountain that is at the root of their ancient ways.
Though they value physical strength, a giantborn may remain still and contemplative for weeks at a time, like the elements it is said they were birthed from. Outside of these periods however, giantborn are active, engaging in feats of strength and of late, hearing the tales of great Angoron, known not only as a hero but as a defender seeking to take on these roles abroad. The darker side of this of course, are those giantborn who embrace their destructive capabilities and follow the path of Gunahkar. These giantborn are not unknown and comprise a section of the Children of Giants.
Other Races
Giantborn and humans of the Savage Frontier get along well as they respect the humans' tenacity and ability to forge strong cultures and nations despite the hostility of the lands. Thus they are most likely to befriend or identify with the Aesir and the Dranei. In wars they fought side by side these humans, serving among the Dran, especially, in their mercenary armies in their wars in distant lands, acting as living siege engines and war machines carrying enormous weapons or pulling great machines of artifice and used to break entire regiments of armies.
Likewise, they resonant strongly with the oruch and half-oruch, with a particular respect for the oruch's racial hero, Adom who they view as possessing traits tied to Angoron in his quest for turning their strength towards good.
The giantborn, due to cultural conflicts as well as territorial ones, share more strained relations with the likes of khazad, egalrin, and gnomes.
Alignment and Religion
Giantborn follow all deities of Ea, with especial reverence of deities of strength, war and inspiration. Angoron above all holds a place among their people, though Gunahkar holds a strong following as well as Kor and similarly martial-minded deities.
Whichever deity they place most emphasis on, their worship tends to be personal in nature. Although they follow many of the same gods as humans and other races they tend to have their own spin of worship on them and they shy away from lawful deities.
Adventurers
Known for their strength and giant's blood, the Giantborn more then pull their weight as mercenaries, explorers, adventurers and bodyguards. They are not very cerebral and so tend to stay away from tasks that require focused and dedicated mental aptitude, but when they are found in lands away from their native ones, they are often highly sought and well paid for their abilities.
Giantborn in the Pathfinder Campaign
Surges in the activity of the forces of the Witch King of the high north have displaced many Giantborn from clan and lodge holdings in the most distant reaches and forced them further south from the Wintergarde and the high peaks of Dran into southern Stormgarde and the Dran Tablelands. Intermingling with other races has occurred in ways not foreseen before and clashes between them and those more native to the warmer climates is becoming common. The priests of Angoron foresee a looming calamity occurring upon the peaks of the Khardic Mountain, perpetually shrouded in storm and rumbling with earthquakes as a sign of the displeasure of the god.
Giantborn Racial Traits
The giantborn's legacy has them maturing and aging in a manner similar to half-elves.
The below numbers below assume an "average" person. That is, they probably have a strength and constitution within the 9-11 range. Higher physical stats will make these numbers go up. In other words, a character with 18 strength will weigh much more than one with 9.
| Giantborn Average Height and Weight | ||||
| Name | Base Height | Base Weight | Modifier | Weight Multiplier |
| Giantborn, male | 6ft 5in | 300 lbs | +2d12 | 3d8 lbs |
| Giantborn, female | 6ft 2in | 220 lbs | +2d12 | 3d8 lbs |
| Giantborn Starting Age | |||
| Adulthood | Barbarian, Rogue, Sorcerer | Bard, Fighter, Paladin, Ranger | Cleric, Druid, Monk, Wizard |
| 20 years | +1d6 | +2d6 | +3d6 |
- Classification: humanoid (giant)
- +2 Strength, +2 Charisma, -2 Intelligence
- Medium: Despite their tremendous size, Giantborn are an exception to the normal rules of size and so still count as medium sized aside from where explicitly stated otherwise.
- Giantblooded: Giantborn are considered to have the subtype of Giant.
- Normal Speed: Giantborn have a base speed of 30 feet.
- Low-Light Vision: Giantborn can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.
- Endure Elements: Giantborn are accustomed to the extremes of temperatures. Similar to the spell "Endure Elements" they can exist comfortably in -50 to 140 degree Fahrenheit without having to make fortitude saves. Though they are native to northern lands, this protection extends to the extremes of heat as well.
- Heritage (Su): Giantborn are of the heritage of giants, and are treated as large for determining combat maneuver bonuses. This does not stack with effects like enlarge.
- Feat of Strength: Giantborn may perform feats of strength that even other giant kind marvel at. Once per day, he may take 20 on a raw Strength check, Climb check, or Swim check without need for taking several minutes to prepare. This may even be done during combat, though it may not be applied to a combat maneuver. Raw Strength checks are primarily things like bursting out of bindings and bursting doors -- sudden bursts of strength. A single use of Feat of Strength can also increase the amount a Giantborn can lift or drag by 4x, but only for one round.
- Clear-kenning: Giantborn receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks.
- Shoulders of Atlas: Giantborn can carry 50% more than normal (Medium: x1.5, Large: x3, etc.)
- Weapon Familiarity: Giantborn are proficient with the Great Axe, Great Maul, Glaive, Longspear and shortspear.
- Languages: Giantborn begin play speaking Common and Jotun. Giantborn with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Khazdul, Yrch-speak, Auran.
Giantborn Racial Feats
The below are racial feats for this race. All races receive a bonus racial feat at 6th level (when you level, send in a +request to staff). House feats and feat summaries may be found on the Feats page. Items with a * have had their pre-reqs altered to fit the setting (see Feats page). You must meet the pre-reqs for any racial feat you select.
- Fight On, Smash, Ironguts, Smoking Boulders*, Awaken the Giant (house), Smashing Fists (house), Giant's Fists (house), Intimidating Size (house), Aragorn's Defender (house)