Homebrew Waterdeep Half-Giant Species Details

Walking in two worlds but truly belonging to neither, half-giants combine what some say are the best qualities of their giant and human parents: human curiosity, inventiveness, and ambition tempered by the strength, love of nature, and passion of the giants. Some half-giants live among humans, set apart by their emotional and physical differences, watching friends and loved ones participate in activities that they cannot. Others live with the giants, but they are smaller and less able to cope with the violence of a giant society.

Of Two Worlds

To humans, half-giants look like giants, and to giants, they look human. In height, they’re stuck in between, reaching a max height of 11 feet and a max weight of around 1500 lbs. They range from under 9 feet to about 11 feet tall, and from 600 to 1500 pounds, with men only slightly taller and heavier than women. Half-giant men are usually heavily bearded, but some shave their beards, to mask their giant ancestory. Half-giant coloration and features lie somewhere between their human and giant parents, and thus show a variety even more pronounced than that found among either race. They tend to have the eyes of their human parents.

On Belonging

In all cases, half-giants simply aren’t as emotionally attached to objects or work as are other races.  If a free half-giant sees a better opportunity come their way, they will likely take it, leaving behind any possessions they can not carry with them. 

Names

Enslaved half-giants often have human names, and because of this they vary greatly.  Free half-giants are likely to borrow the naming conventions of the race or people they are imitating at the time their child is born.

Size Penalty

Half-giants find using implements made for regular folk unwieldy.  A half-giant trying to use a tool or weapon made for a medium size creature rolls the appropriate ability check or attack at disadvantage.  Similarly, a half-giant can not wear armor or clothing made for medium sized creatures at all.

Armor, clothing and weapons can be crafted to fit half-giants, the cost is four times the equivalent made for medium sized creatures, and it weighs twice as much. 

Assume the cost of equipment is 1.5* that of the normal cost do the need to have it specially made.

Waterdeep Half-Giant Traits

Your half-giant character has some qualities in common with giants and some that are unique to half-giants.

Meaty

A half-giant character gains 5 bonus hit points per level, no matter what his character class is.  

Ability Score Increase

Your Strength score increases by 4 (With a Max of 22), Constitution score increases by 2.  While your Intelligence and Dexterity decrease by 2 each and have a max score of 14.

Age

Half-giants mature at the same rate humans do and reach adulthood around the age of 20. Lifespan is usually no more than 65 years.

Alignment

Half-giants switch attitudes very quickly, taking on new values to fit new situations. This malleable attitude is handled by a changing alignment. A half-giant character selects one aspect of his alignment to remain fixed at the time the character is created (either the “lawful/neutral/chaotic” side, or the “good/neutral/evil” side). The other aspect is determined at the
start of each day of game time.  For example, if a half-giant has a fixed “good” side, then each morning he chooses to be either lawful good, neutral good, or chaotic good

Size

Half-giants are between 8 to 11 feet tall. Your size is Large.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 35 feet.

Giant (Monster) Ancestry

You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Giant.