Post by Amanojyaku on Aug 9, 2018 0:54:57 GMT -6
Goliaths are enormous, hulking brutes of humanoids thought to be at least tangentially related to humans, if not hailing from a crystal sphere close enough to Théah that they were simply assumed to be a subspecies of the race that introduced them to the greater portion of the Wheel. Most other races call them ogres, after the Eldarin first encountered them as something like shock troops during their near-war with the fledgling human race.
Goliaths now find themselves more widespread across the Wheel than the humans who first uplifted them from their original home, often pressed into service for their enormous strength. They can even find work on the world-ships of the Eldarin they so terrified during humanity's ascension, though corridors designed for the elfin races are plenty cramped for the giant folk to complain about. As a result, they don't have much in the way of ships or weapons for themselves; most Goliath-made tech is easily confused for items made by human or Ork hands.
Physical Characteristics
Average Height: 3.0-3.4m
Average Weight: 295-400kg
Languages: Trade, Giant
Common Personality Traits: Simple, straightforward, honest, impassive, stubborn
Common Physical Traits: Lanky, powerful build, thick skin, coarse hair, hairy knuckles
Example Names: Thud, Gouka, Argus, Nork, Oars
Racial Statistics
Characteristic Bonus: +1 to Strength or Constitution
Skill Bonus: +1 to Athletics and Intimidation
Power: Powerful Build: You can wield weapons with the Two Handed property in one hand at a -2k0 penalty to the attack roll, and take no penalty for firing a Heavy weapon without bracing first.
Size: 6
Racial Feats
Bigger Than You [Goliath, Paragon]
Facing down a gigantic muscled brute is more than a little intimidating... more so when he's always the biggest basher in sight. Add your Size as a static bonus to Intimidation tests, and - if there is another character of your Size or larger present - you can spend an Action Point as a half action to increase your Size by your Excellence for the next 2*Excellence minutes. You can spend an Action Point as a reaction to refresh this time limit.
Pardon My Reach [Goliath]
Long arms mean long reach. Your melee attacks gain the Reach property. If using a weapon that already has that property, it gains an additional meter of reach.
Strong Back [Goliath]
A Goliath's body is built to carry weight and exert force. Add your Size (max. 10) to your Strength for purposes of lifting, carrying, and throwing objects; and as a static bonus to Bull Rush actions, Knock Down actions, and Strength tests made to manipulate an object.
Thick Skinned [Goliath]
Yours is an especially thick hide, even among Goliaths. You're comfortable in extremely hot or cold weather, and you reduce the damage taken from sources that aren't E, X, or magical in nature by your level, except for attacks to your Head or Gizzards.
Physical Qualities
Goliaths are enormous brutes that tower over nigh on every other civilized creature in the Wheel, looking down on Halflings, Elves, and Aasimar alike. Hard not to, with their long, gangly limbs. A given Goliath's torso is as big around as an Aasimar in powered armor, its biceps the size of fuel drums. Hair is generally coarse and less than manageable; most Goliaths end up with shorn heads as a result. Female Goliaths tend to be slightly smaller on average than the males.
Skin and hair colors among Goliaths vary widely, from earthen shades of brown and grey to the pale cream and white of those living in more civilized crystal spheres and the hot crimson of Goliaths born to more frigid spheres. Clothing in the sizes required for Goliaths is more readily acquired than protective gear; they generally prefer to remove the sleeves of civilian clothing, favoring comfort over looks.
Playing a Goliath
Most berks out there seem to think it's easy to outsmart a Goliath. Well, now, that might be true, but the Goliath would respond that it's difficult to outsmart a fist the size of your torso plowing into your face. Goliaths are simple and straightforward... easy to confuse for stupidity, until you realize that "straightforward" often means three hundred kilos of muscle tearing through a durasteel bulkhead to get to the sorcerer on the other side.
Among the smaller folk, Goliaths are well aware of their own enormous stature, and often find themselve unconsciously restraining themselves, especially among those they consider friends. They tolerate orders from smaller creatures surprisingly well, generally more amused than annoyed by the situation, and gladly put their brute strength to work when asked. As with most people, Goliaths have a tendency to respond more positively to respect than to jeering and snide remarks.
Among their own kind - and the occasional Ork warband - Goliaths are much less inclined to handle with care, casually cuffing others over the head to gain attention or as punishment for saying something particularly stupid. The same stubbornness that leads to them ignoring non-damaging details in the task of "move this thing from here to there" makes Goliaths very likely to get into fistfights with each other over matters as trivial as sleeping spots, or who gets to eat the best parts of the aurochs.
Goliath Heroes
Gouki had an accident. Arms gone, most of his flesh flayed away by Modron gauss cannons he took to prevent them striking the children of the Eldarin world-ship that had taken him on, he cheated death, escaping stasis only by the wraithbone crystals grown into existence to cover the exposed muscle. He chafes under the restrictive plating, unable to move as freely as he used to, but welcomes the second life, and the feeling of Modron plating crumping under his wraithbone knuckles.
Thanks to the Dark Eldarin who "cared" for him, Krieg lost his mind long before the shooting star hit him. Now the insane Goliath lurks through the labyrinthine streets of Cormorragh, an overturned bucket upon his head and spiraling dragon tattoos on his immense arms often the last thing that hapless Dark Eldarin see before he takes his revenge by turning them into new meat bicycles.
One day, Kuon felt a little peckish. So he decided to eat all of the ship's stores. When the crew came to reprimand him, he ate them too. All of his gorging eventually provoked a daemon calling itself the All-Consuming Devourer of Chaos to show up out of jealousy... and Kuon ate the daemon, too. Now with the daemon's hunger added to his own, Kuon wanders the Wheel, searching for something that can finally sate him.