Jotunblood Giant (CR +4)[3pp]

Born mightier and larger than usual for their kind, jotunblood giants tower over their fellows both in height and power. Often called king-giants by the smaller races, jotunblood giants almost invariably live up to that name, acting as leaders of the other giants they live with. Few giant tribes can boast more than one jotunblood giant, and these creatures rarely beget more. Typically, a jotunblood giant is born when a giant tribe lacks strong leadership. The birth of a second jotunblood giant to a tribe that already has one is usually seen as a sign from the giant gods that the tribe has grown too large and must split, with the two halves going their separate ways. Reluctance to do so has led to bloody civil wars and long-held grudges.

Creating a Jotunblood Giant

Jotunblood” is an inherited template that can be added to any creature with the giant subtype (referred to hereafter as the base creature). A jotunblood giant uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Challenge Rating: Same as base creature +4.

Size: The jotunblood giant’s size increases by one category over that of the base creature.

Senses: A jotunblood giant gains the scent universal ability.

Armor Class: The base creature’s size modifier to AC is replaced by one based on the jotunblood giant’s new size. In addition, its natural armor bonus increases over that of the base creature by the amount indicated on Table 2-26.

Table 2-26: Jotunblood AC Bonus
Jotunblood Size Natural AC Bonus
Large +6
Huge +7
Gargantuan +8
Colossal +9

Hit Dice: The jotunblood giant gains 10 racial HD.

Defensive Abilities: The jotunblood giant gains rock catching if the base creature does not already have it and spell resistance equal to 8 + the jotunblood giant’s total HD.

Speed: Each of the jotunblood giant’s speeds increases by 10 ft.

Attacks: The jotunblood giant retains all the base creature’s attacks and its weapon and armor proficiencies. Its bonus on attack rolls changes based on its new base attack bonus, its new Strength modifier, and its new size modifier. The base damage for each of the jotunblood giant’s natural weapons increases by one step due to its increase in size.

Special Attacks: A jotunblood giant retains all of the base creature’s special attacks as well as the ones described here.

Improved Rock Throwing (Ex)

A jotunblood giant has a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls made to throw rocks. This ability stacks with the bonuses from the Rock Throwing ability. A creature can hurl rocks up to two categories smaller than its size.

A “rock” is any large, bulky, and relatively regularly shaped object made of any material with a hardness of at least 5. The jotunblood giant can throw rocks to five range increments. If the base creature has a better rock throwing ability, use its values instead. Damage from a thrown rock is generally three times the creature’s base slam damage plus 1-1/2 times its Strength bonus. The jotunblood giant gains this special attack even if the base creature did not have it. The range increment for improved rock Throwing varies with size as follows: Large—120 ft., Huge— 150 ft., Gargantuan—200 ft., Colossal—250 ft.

Jotunblood Attack: The exact jotunblood attack gained depends on the kind of giant, as follows:

Ash Giant

Breath Weapon (Su)

A jotunblood ash giant can breathe a 40-ft. -long cone of foulness and disease once every 1d4 rounds. Each creature caught in the cone must make a Reflex save or be exposed to the ash giant’s disease. The exposed must still make the disease’s Fortitude save to avoid getting the disease. This is a disease effect. The save DC for the Reflex save is Constitution-based.

Athach

Virulent Poison

A jotunblood athach’s poison becomes much more virulent, dealing 1d8 Str damage.

Cave Giant

Charging Gore (Ex)

During a bull rush, a jotenblood cave giant can choose to impale foes on its tusks instead of pushing them back. On a successful bull rush the targeted creature takes 6d6 + 1-1/2 times the giant’s Strength modifier as piercing damage. If the foe is at least two size categories smaller than the giant, it is hurled as a free action as if it was a rock. The flung foe deals the giant’s damage for flung rocks to both anyone hit (on a successful attack) and itself (regardless).

Cliff Giant

Earth Shaking Blow (Ex)

As a standard action, a jotunblood cliff giant can pound the ground causing an effect identical to the earthquake spell in a 40-ft. -radius spread.

Cloud Giant

Breath Weapon (Su)

A jotunblood cloud giant can breathe a 40-foot-long cone of thunderous noise once every 1d4 rounds. Each creature caught in the cone takes 10d6 points of sonic damage. A successful Reflex save halves the damage. The DC is Constitution-based.

Cyclops

Eye Blast (Su)

Every 1d4 rounds, a jotunblood cyclops can release a 60 ft. -long line of energy as a touch attack. Those struck by the beam take 10d6 force damage. A Reflex save halves this damage. The save DC is Charisma-based and has a +4 racial bonus.

Desert Giant

Sandstorm Breath (Su)

Once every 1d4 rounds, a jotunblood desert giant can release a 40-ft. long cone of blasting sand and winds. The blast of sand does 10d6 slashing damage (a successful Reflex save halves this damage) and blinds all those in range for 1d6 rounds who fail a Fortitude save. Both the Fortitude and Reflex saves are Constitution-based.

Ettin

Extra Attacks (Ex)

A jotunblood ettin has four heads and four arms. Since it has twice as many arms and enough heads to control them all, it can attack with all four arms at no penalty.

Fire Giant

Breath Weapon (Su)

Once every 1d4 rounds, a jotunblood fire giant can breathe a 40-foot cone of fire that does 10d6 fire damage. A successful Reflex save halves the damage. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Frost Giant

Breath Weapon (Su)

Once every 1d4 rounds, a jotunblood cold giant can breathe a 40-foot cone of cold that does 10d6 cold damage. A successful Reflex save halves the damage. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Hill Giant

Earth-Shaking Bellow (Su)

Once every 1d4 rounds, a jotunblood hill giant can let loose an earth-shaking yell that functions like an earthquake spell, except that the area is a 40-foot cone directed away from the jotunblood hill giant.

Jungle Giant

Animate Jungle (Su)

Once per day, a jotunblood jungle giant can cause all foliage in a 60 ft. radius to come alive and attack foes. Each round, the animated plants perform a grapple attempt against each foe in the area using the giant’s CMB. Each round a successful grapple is maintained, foes take 1d8+10 damage. The CMD for the animated plants is also equal to the giant’s. The animated foliage remains active for a number of rounds equal to the jotunblood giant’s total Hit Dice.

Marsh Giant

Entomb (Ex)

As a full round action, a jotunblood marsh giant smashes a foe of Large size or smaller into the marshy or muddy ground, entombing them. This requires a successful grapple combat maneuver check. Entombed creatures immediately begin to suffocate unless they have the ability to survive without air. An entombed creature can attempt to free itself by performing a Strength check vs. a DC of 25. On a success, the creature crawls out of the ground but remains prone until its next turn. Others can free an entombed creature by spending 1d4+1 rounds, using full round actions, to dig the creature free. This ability only works in marshy or muddy terrain.

Merrow

Drowning Touch (Su)

With any successful natural attack, the target’s lungs fill with water and the foe starts to drown. A successful initial Fortitude save negates this effect; otherwise, 2 consecutive Fortitude saves are needed to stop drowning. A target that makes either set of saves is immune to that jotunblood merrow’s drowning touch for 24 hours. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Ocean Giant

Crushing Depths (Su)

With a touch attack, a jotunblood ocean giant imparts the great pressures of the depths of the ocean onto the target, dealing 5d6 bludgeoning damage plus 10d6 non-lethal damage. A Fortitude save negates the bludgeoning damage but not the non-lethal damage. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Ogre

Stunning Blow (Ex)

Once every 1d4 rounds, a jotunblood ogre can imbue its melee attacks with stunning force. A creature damaged by such an attack must succeed on a Fortitude save or be stunned for 1d2 rounds. The save DC is Strength-based.

River Giant

Power of the River (Su)

Once per day as a full round action, a jotunblood river giant can summon forth its total Hit Dice worth of a combination of river animals, magical beasts, and vermin. The summoned creatures arrive on the giant’s next turn and act in consort as directed by the giant. The summoned creatures remain under the giant’s control for 12 hours or until the giant releases them. Summoned creatures never attack the giant who summoned them, but can take action against other jotunblood and standard river giants.

Rune Giant

Thrown Runes (Su)

Once every 1d4 rounds, a jotunblood rune giant can tear off and throw one of the runes on its body, dealing 1d6 points of damage to itself. The rune can be thrown up to 120 ft. and explodes on impact, dealing 10d6 points of force or energy damage of the giant’s choosing (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic) to all within a 30 ft. radius (Reflex save for half damage). The thrown rune immediately reappears on the giant, but the damage done to the giant is not healed. The save DC is Dexterity-based.

Slag Giant

Breath Weapon (Su)

Once every 1d4 rounds, a jotunblood slag giant can breathe a 40-ft. cone of partially molten metal, dealing 10d6 points of fire and slashing damage. A creature immune to only fire or slashing damage takes 5d6 damage. A Reflex save halves the damage taken. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Stone Giant

Stone Calling (Su)

A jotunblood stone giant can cause any rock within 1,000 feet to fly at a foe simply by calling to it. The rock must be unattended and of a size that the jotunblood stone giant could normally lift and throw. Resolve the attack as though the jotunblood stone giant was standing where the rock is and throwing it at the foe, adding the jotunblood stone giant’s Strength bonus to damage as normal. The jotunblood stone giant can even use this ability to hurl rocks at creatures it cannot see, including foes that have total cover from its position. However, it must guess where such foes are, and even if it guesses correctly, it has a 50% miss chance.

Storm Giant

Breath Weapon (Su)

Once every 1d4 rounds, a jotunblood storm giant can breathe a 40-foot cone of lightning doing 10d6 points of electricity damage. A successful Reflex save halves the damage. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Taiga Giant

Rage (Ex)

A jotunblood taiga giant can rage (as the barbarian ability) for a number of rounds per day equal to its racial Hit Dice. If the giant has a class or feat that grants the rage ability, these additional rounds stack with those abilities.

Troll

Great Rend (Ex)

When a jotunblood troll hits with both claw attacks, it rips its foe apart and automatically deals double the base creature’s rend damage plus 1-1/2 times its Strength bonus. This ability replaces the troll’s rend ability.

Wood Giant

Will of the Wood (Ex)

Once per day as a full round action, a jotunblood wood giant can cause creatures in a 200 ft. radius of animal or plant type that have an Intelligence of 2 or less to grow two size categories larger. These animals and plants act as the giant directs for up to the next sunrise or sunset, whichever is sooner. The affected creatures never turn against the giant who caused them to grow, but they can act against other jotunblood or standard wood giants. The total Hit Dice of creatures affected is equal to the giant’s racial Hit Dice or its caster level, whichever is greater.

Other

Trample (Ex)

The jotunblood giant can trample foes up to one size category smaller than itself. If the giant has a slam attack, the trample deals the giant’s slam damage plus 1-1/2 times the jotunblood giant’s Strength modifier. If the giant does not have a slam attack, the trample deals damage as follows: Large 1d6, Huge: 2d6, Gargantuan: 2d8, Colossal: 4d6. The save DC is Strength-based.

Abilities: The jotunblood giant’s abilities change based on its size, as shown in Table 2-27.

Table: 2-27: Jotunblood Abilities
Jotunblood Size Str Dex Con Fly Stealth
Large +8 -2 +2 -2 -4
Huge +8 -2 +4 -4 -8
Gargantuan +8 +0 +4 -6 -12
Colossal +8 +0 +4 -8 -16

Skills: A jotunblood giant gains additional skill points equal to its additional racial hit dice. New racial bonuses, new size modifiers, and new ability scores all modify skills. In addition, the size change also changes the jotunblood giant’s size modifier on Fly and Stealth skills.

Feats: A jotunblood giant retains the base creature’s bonus feats, but it loses all other feats that the base creature had. Recalculate the number of feat slots the jotunblood giant has based on its total Hit Dice and assign feats as desired, giving preference to the feats that the base creature possessed. The jotunblood giant must still meet any prerequisites for feats chosen to fill vacant feat slots.

Special Qualities: If the base creature’s size is Colossal, it gains the massive special ability (see Gigantean template or the Kaiju subtype). The jotunblood giant retains all the base creature’s special qualities and gains an ability depending on the kind of giant.

Ash Giant

Immunity to Magic

A jotunblood ash giant gains immunity to all magic except force effects and remove disease (which makes them nauseated on a failed Fortitude save).

Athach

Darkvision

A jotunblood athach gains darkvision +120 ft.

Cave Giant

Frightful Presence

A jotunblood cave giant gains frightful presence (120 ft.). Cave giants are immune to another jotunblood cave giant’s frightful presence.

Cliff Giant

Swift Climber (Ex)

A jotunblood cliff giant gains a climb speed of double its base speed, gains Climb as a class skill, and can perform accelerated climbing at full speed with a -5 penalty.

Cloud Giant

Immunity to Sonic

A jotunblood cloud giant gains immunity to sonic damage.

Cyclops

Battle Insight (Su)

A jotunblood cyclops gains an insight bonus to its AC equal to its Wisdom modifier (minimum +0).

Desert Giant

Sand Swimming (Ex)

A jotunblood desert giant can move through the sand as if swimming through water at a speed equal to its base speed.

Ettin

Shift Sleeping (Ex)

A jotunblood ettin’s heads sleep in shifts. Since at least two heads are awake at any time, the jotunblood ettin can never be taken unaware as it sleeps. Two of a jotunblood ettin’s heads can sleep while the other two are awake and working; thus, it can regain hit points and heal ability damage as though it had bed rest even while remaining active. Sleeping heads do not control their arms, however, and heads cannot sleep during combat. Further, jotunblood ettins are immune to sleep effects.

Fire Giant

Cold Resistance

A jotunblood fire giant burns with internal fire, which gives it cold resistance 20.

Frost Giant

Fire Resistance

A jotunblood frost giant has a core of ice, which gives it fire resistance 20.

Hill Giant

Meld into Earth (Su)

At will, a jotunblood hill giant can meld into the earth (but not solid stone) as though using the meld into stone spell, except that it can remain in the earth for as long as it wishes. In addition to the effects of the spell listed in the meld into stone description, a move earth spell cast on the melded jotunblood hill giant’s location causes it to be expelled from the earth and take 5d6 points of damage in the process. While melded with earth, a jotunblood hill giant heals 1 hit point of damage per round, as if it had fast healing 1.

Jungle Giant

Trackless Step (Ex)

A jotunblood jungle giant leaves no trail in jungle environments and cannot be tracked. It may choose to leave a trail if so desired.

Marsh Giant

Immunity to Disease

A jotunblood marsh giant is immune to disease.

Merrow

Tireless Swimmer (Ex)

A jotunblood merrow does not take nonlethal damage from swimming for extended periods of time and cannot become nauseated, exhausted, or fatigued while in freshwater (for a jotunblood freshwater merrow) or saltwater (for a jotunblood saltwater merrow).

Ocean Giant

Immunity to Cold

A jotunblood ocean giant is immune to cold.

Ogre

Darkvision

A jotunblood ogre gains darkvision +120 ft.

River Giant

Unerring Direction (Ex)

While on a river (either directly or on a boat) a jotunblood river giant can never become lost and is immune to effects that try to misdirect the giant (including most illusion and compulsion effects).

Rune Giant

Jotunblood Charisma (Su)

A jotunblood rune giant gains a +8 racial bonus on the save DC of charm and compulsion effects used against creatures with the giant subtype. Against giants the jotunblood rune giant’s mind-affecting, charm and compulsion effects bypass all immunities to those effects. This replaces a rune giant’s command ability.

Slag Giant

Legendary Crafter (Su)

Jotunblood slag giants can craft any non-magical or masterwork item in half the usual time and half the usual cost. Further, it can craft any magic item as if it had the appropriate item creation feat. All Craft skills are class skills for a jotunblood slag giant. This ability satisfies any abilities that require an item creation feat as a prerequisite.

Stone Giant

Damage Reduction

A jotunblood stone giant has damage reduction 10/adamantine.

Storm Giant

Sonic Resistance

A jotunblood storm giant has sonic resistance 20.

Taiga Giant

Borial Friendship (Su)

A jotunblood taiga giant gains a +4 bonus on all checks to befriend and influence creatures that are from cold, mountainous, or forested environments. Further, all such creatures have a starting attitude one step friendlier than normal in all interactions.

Troll

Statue Form (Su)

As a free action once per round, a jotunblood troll may turn itself to stone as though with the statue spell, gaining a hardness of 8. It can remain in this form as long as it wishes. As with the spell, it can return to normal as a free action, act, and then become a statue again as a free action.

Wood Giant

Speak with Plants (Sp)

A jotunblood wood giant gains speak with plants as a constant spell-like ability.

Other

Fast Healing

The jotunblood giant gains fast healing 5.

Using the Jotunblood Giant

If you want to apply the jotunblood template to a giant that is similar to but not the same as one listed above consider using that similar giant’s jotunblood’s abilities instead of the “Other” category. Further, directly related species of the same giant type (for example, all the different trolls) gain the same abilities for the base species of giant.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Advanced Bestiary, Copyright 2014, Green Ronin Publishing, LLC; Author Jeff Hersh, Developer Owen K.C. Stephens

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