Half-Giant
On civilization’s frontier, half-giants come from the union of humans and giants. Rarely the product of a loving relationship, they straddle two worlds, but never fully belong to either. True giants regard them as targets for rock throwing and other forms of abuse, while humans are put off by their abnormally large size. Yet, simultaneously, human society values the strength of half-giants, often keeping them around should they prove useful.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Half-giants look similar to humans, but are massively built, ranging from 7 to 8 feet tall and weighing in somewhere between 250 to 400 pounds. Like humans, men tend to be taller and heavier than women. Most half-giants (being spawned by hill giants) have skin tones that range from lightly tanned to ruddy brown, with brown or black hair. Other features depend on the giant’s heritage- half-fire giants tend to have red hair, bronze skin and yellow eyes. Half-frost giants tend to be blond, blue-eyed, and very pale, often with blue skin. Half-stone giants tend towards black or gray skin tones with little or no hair, head or body-wise, and half-marsh giants look like something from a sailor’s nightmares. Half-giants tend to run the gamut on features, thanks to their human genes.
Behaviour
Half-giants in giantish societies tend towards chaos and evil, having been taught the harsh lesson that life is a bitch and then you die. Those in cloud or storm giant strongholds tend more towards law. Those in human society tend towards chaos more than law, but are often good, neutral or evil equally. Often lonely in human society, many half-giants find comfort in religion, and venerate the local deities. But just as there are devout half-giants, there are those that turn their backs on the deities entirely, reasoning that, if mortals can’t fully accept them, then how can the gods?
Almost all half-giants take to adventuring out of necessity, trying to find acceptance within society by being useful. Half-giants in true giant clans are usually barbarians, or rarely, rangers, lacking any other means of training. Those in human society have a lot more options. Half-giants are commonly fighters, monks or thuggish rogues. While some receive clerical training, most are pushed into the more martial aspects of the faith, and become mighty paladins. Although they have the inborn talents for sorcery or the potential for wizardry, few half-giants pursue this route.
Almost all half-giants take to adventuring out of necessity, trying to find acceptance within society by being useful. Half-giants in true giant clans are usually barbarians, or rarely, rangers, lacking any other means of training. Those in human society have a lot more options. Half-giants are commonly fighters, monks or thuggish rogues. While some receive clerical training, most are pushed into the more martial aspects of the faith, and become mighty paladins. Although they have the inborn talents for sorcery or the potential for wizardry, few half-giants pursue this route.
Civilization and Culture
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Half-giants in giant societies rarely survive, simply not having the sheer physical power of a true giant. The brutes see the weaklings as tainted by human blood, and those that aren’t eventually killed make their way to human society. Even the civilized giant races, such as the cloud and storm giants, tend to encourage their half-human spawn to leave and make themselves useful.
Humanity has a mixed relationship with half-giants. On one hand, they are the scions of brutish, violent creatures that often enslave and eat people; this is difficult for one to get past. But on the other hand, a half-giant’s size and strength are quite useful. This attitude results in humans keeping half-giants at arm’s length. Most half-giants tend to become warriors or mercenaries of some stripe, and a skilled/lucky half-giant can often find employment as an intimidating bodyguard or enforcer. Others are recruited to perform back-breaking labor (for normal humans, anyway).
Half-giants rarely experience the open-hatred prejudice that half-elves and half-orcs experience. Simply put, they resemble humans very closely, and only the bravest of bigots would think twice before assaulting a human mountain capable of breaking iron with his bare hands…. Most bigotry they experience tends to be subtle, such as being denied services or having prices raised.
Dwarves and gnomes are some of the most mistrustful of half-giants, since true giants have been the enemies of these races since forever. Likewise, Elves and halflings often experience giant raids on their territory, and their suspicions carry over to half-giants. Half-elves and half-orcs recognize half-giants as cousins in spirit; people who understand their inability to fit into society. Half-orcs especially respect a half-giant’s physical prowess, seeing it comparable to their own, but they often grow jealous of their semi-accepted status.
Half-giants rarely experience the open-hatred prejudice that half-elves and half-orcs experience. Simply put, they resemble humans very closely, and only the bravest of bigots would think twice before assaulting a human mountain capable of breaking iron with his bare hands…. Most bigotry they experience tends to be subtle, such as being denied services or having prices raised.
Dwarves and gnomes are some of the most mistrustful of half-giants, since true giants have been the enemies of these races since forever. Likewise, Elves and halflings often experience giant raids on their territory, and their suspicions carry over to half-giants. Half-elves and half-orcs recognize half-giants as cousins in spirit; people who understand their inability to fit into society. Half-orcs especially respect a half-giant’s physical prowess, seeing it comparable to their own, but they often grow jealous of their semi-accepted status.
