Half-giant class (for Dark Sun or not)

[aesdana]

(note : the class was designed with the idea it should be a specialized warrior taking into account the size of half-giants : hence, the huge hit points and the strenght die giving more strenght for the same 3-18 ability score. The strenght die also counts as a deed die but a more narrow and far less effective deed die than the warriors one. Half-giants get worser saves and action dice than warriors as they're less nimble.)

You're a hulking brute raised by humans to become a soldier and a laborer. You get food and enough water but you're a slave working and dying for humans. They say your race is born from human sorcery and they call you "half-giant". But you know they fear you for having twice their strenght and, chiefly, twice their fickleness.

Hit points : a half-giant gains 2d10 hit points at each level.

Weapon training : A half-giant warrior is trained in the use of these weapons: battleaxe, club, handaxe, javelin, longbow, longsword, polearm, shortbow, short sword, spear, staff, two-handed sword, and warhammer. Half-giants wear whatever armor they can afford.

Alignment : Half-giants are notoriously fickle. Roll each day a d4 to determine alignment for this day : 1, law ; 2, neutral ; 3, chaos ; 4, no change. Find the justification after the roll if alignment changes.

Attack modifier and strenght die : half-giants do get a fixed attack modifier plus a strenght die. This die is rolled each time the half-giant big strenght is used. In combat, it counts as a deed die.

Mighty deed of arms : not being so well trained or agile as humans, half-giants can only use their deed die to describe moves relying on pure strenght : no precision shots or weapon-specific deeds.

Luck : as warriors or dwarves.

Action dice : for attacks only.


___________ Strenght __ Crit die _____ Threat _____ Action ___
Lvl _ Attack _ deed die __ /table ______ Range _____ Dice _____ Ref __ Fort __ Will
1 ___ +0 _____ +d3 ____ 1d12/III _____ 19-20 ___ 1d20 _______ +0 __ +1 ___ +0
2 ___ +1 _____ +d3 ____ 1d14/III _____ 19-20 ___ 1d20 _______ +0 __ +1 ___ +0
3 ___ +1 _____ +d4 ____ 1d16/IV _____ 19-20 ___ 1d20 _______ +1 __ +2 ___ +1
4 ___ +2 _____ +d4 ____ 1d20/IV _____ 19-20 ___ 1d20 _______ +1 __ +2 ___ +1
5 ___ +2 _____ +d5 ____ 1d24/V ______ 18-20 ___ 1d20 _______ +1 __ +3 ___ +1
6 ___ +3 _____ +d5 ____ 1d30/V ______ 18-20 ___ 1d20+1d14 __ +2 __ +4 ___ +2
7 ___ +3 _____ +d6 ____ 1d30/V ______ 18-20 ___ 1d20+1d16 __ +2 __ +4 ___ +2
8 ___ +4 _____ +d6 ____ 2d20/V ______ 18-20 ___ 1d20+1d20 __ +2 __ +5 ___ +2
9 ___ +4 _____ +d7 ____ 2d20/V ______ 17-20 ___ 1d20+1d20 __ +3 __ +5 ___ +3
10 __ +5 _____ +d7 ____ 2d20/V ______ 17-20 ___ 1d20+1d20 __ +3 __ +6 ___ +3

Thanks for your comments !

[boneguard]

Weapon training : A half-giant warrior is trained in the use of these weapons: battleaxe, club, handaxe, javelin, longbow, longsword, polearm, shortbow, short sword, spear, staff, two-handed sword, and warhammer. Half-giants wear whatever armor they can afford.

Thanks for your comments !

Because of the size of a half-giant, I don't think the two weapon in bold are appropriate as they would be too small for his hand to be used effectively. The Short sword would be for him a mere dagger and the warhammer a mere horseman mace equivalent.

The Rest looks good to me.

[NJPDX]

I'd make armor sized to fit a half-giant cost twice to three times as much as normal (which is fair considering they're going to have buckets of hit points).

I'd change the hit dice to something like 1d16 so its probability spread is linear rather than a normal distribution and 2d10 hit points per level just seems like way too much unless there are some other penalties attached to the race-class.

Speaking of adjustments and penalties
-I'd add a flat strength score bonus (+3 or +4 maybe?).
-Include a personality and dexterity penalty (-2 to each)
-Make them roll -1d on initiative (lumbering and slow)

Lastly, I'm not sure I'd want alignment to change so willy-nilly; fickle behavior can pretty adequately be described as "Chaotic" and asking a character to assume a new persona everyday doesn't seem like it would work very well over the long-haul of a campaign. If you want to have something that changes everyday, perhaps a 50% chance to add or subtract luck on a daily basis could be fun? 50% chance for minus 1d3 and 50% chance for plus 1d3 luck rolled each morning.

Other than that, a nice original creation.

[aesdana]

Weapon training : A half-giant warrior is trained in the use of these weapons: battleaxe, club, handaxe, javelin, longbow, longsword, polearm, shortbow, short sword, spear, staff, two-handed sword, and warhammer. Half-giants wear whatever armor they can afford.

Thanks for your comments !

Because of the size of a half-giant, I don't think the two weapon in bold are appropriate as they would be too small for his hand to be used effectively. The Short sword would be for him a mere dagger and the warhammer a mere horseman mace equivalent.

The Rest looks good to me.

You're right as size was the main reason I dropped some weapons from the warriors list.

Do you think warhammer should still stand as it seems to be a kind of mace (a weapon I removed from the list) ?

[aesdana]

I'd make armor sized to fit a half-giant cost twice to three times as much as normal (which is fair considering they're going to have buckets of hit points).

As I wanted to go fast (for a draft), I did not mention armor should not be available for half-giants except for slave soldiers or rich and free half-giants (i.e. outlaws, in "my" Dark Sun at least, as no one in his/her right mind would let them roam free, armored or not). I should perhaps include more setting specific commentaries.

And armor, indeed, should cost quite more as it would be 8 times bigger and custom made (maybe 10 times more expensive ?).

I'd change the hit dice to something like 1d16 so its probability spread is linear rather than a normal distribution and 2d10 hit points per level just seems like way too much unless there are some other penalties attached to the race-class.

2d10 reminds of the original Dark Sun where they get double hit points (and I had the DCC dwarf class in mind when doing the half-giant one). 2d10 is like 1d20 but with more medium results. Finally, half-giants have social or rules disadvantages (weak fort and will saves ; alignment problems ; lower deed die and fewer action dice : no initiative bonus).

Overall, balance was a concern but not my priority : I wanted to retain the Dark Sun feel and fun to play a half-giant.

Speaking of adjustments and penalties
-I'd add a flat strength score bonus (+3 or +4 maybe?).
-Include a personality and dexterity penalty (-2 to each)
-Make them roll -1d on initiative (lumbering and slow)

I did not want to include flat modifier bonuses. Flat bonuses, moreover, are boring and moreso when you have a DCC game which comes with a nice dice mechanic (deed and luck die). Finally, each class in DCC is designed to have something interesting to do with its basic abilities and this something relies on randomness. A warrior does not just roll to hit, a warrior can make mighty deeds of arms. Priests, wizards and elves don't cast spell as in the original game, they roll dice to see how good they perform or how horrible it goes, etc.

I wanted the same for half-giants : they're big and strong and it should come in play as a funny, creative and random thing. Hence the non flat bonus and the strength die.

It makes me think I should add the following : the strength die functions as a mighty deed of strength even outside combat to enable creative thinking and good surprises.

By the way, letting them roll -1d on initiative is interesting and goes well with better hit points.

Lastly, I'm not sure I'd want alignment to change so willy-nilly; fickle behavior can pretty adequately be described as "Chaotic" and asking a character to assume a new persona everyday doesn't seem like it would work very well over the long-haul of a campaign. If you want to have something that changes everyday, perhaps a 50% chance to add or subtract luck on a daily basis could be fun? 50% chance for minus 1d3 and 50% chance for plus 1d3 luck rolled each morning.

In Dark Sun, half-giants often change alignments as they lack an original culture and this is based on emotional reasons : mainly, to follow a charismatic person.

I'm open to suggestions provided they keep the alignment change thing as I'm not entirely happy with mine.

Other than that, a nice original creation.

Thanks for your comments !

[boneguard]

Weapon training : A half-giant warrior is trained in the use of these weapons: battleaxe, club, handaxe, javelin, longbow, longsword, polearm, shortbow, short sword, spear, staff, two-handed sword, and warhammer. Half-giants wear whatever armor they can afford.

Thanks for your comments !

Because of the size of a half-giant, I don't think the two weapon in bold are appropriate as they would be too small for his hand to be used effectively. The Short sword would be for him a mere dagger and the warhammer a mere horseman mace equivalent.

The Rest looks good to me.

You're right as size was the main reason I dropped some weapons from the warriors list.

Do you think warhammer should still stand as it seems to be a kind of mace (a weapon I removed from the list) ?

Well a real warhammer was about 3 foot long, so I would keep it, figuring it has a slightly longer shaft. But if you drop the mace, which has similar length, you could also drop the warhammer.