Demetrios1453
Legend
Hello all! With the new year comes some new giant variants, starting out with today's entry, the Cloud Giant Shaman.
Cloud Giant Shaman
Memnor, the patron deity of the cloud giants, is a trickster god with a less than savory reputation. For evil cloud giants, this is hardly an issue; but for other cloud giants, the worship of Memnor is more problematical. Most non-evil cloud giants simply sidestep the issue - they are hardly a religious race anyway, so they give little more than lip-service to Memnor, focusing on his wiles and intelligence while ignoring his more unpleasant facets. Some, however, refuse to go even this far, and abandon his worship altogether. Of this group, the cloud giant shamans are the most notable, as they not only refuse to venerate Memnor, but actually gain spells from other deities entirely.
Lovers of Nature
Cloud giants disillusioned with the darker aspects of Memnor often suffer crises of faith, and as a result, begin to search for other deities to worship. Most often, they turn towards other members of the giant pantheon, usually Stronmaus, the patron of storm giants, or his mighty sister Hiatea, the giant deity of the hunt. A rare few will look towards deities of other pantheons, although this is considered a great offense towards the ordning; as a result, such choices are usually well hidden. Finally, a few cloud giants believe that Memnor isn't quite evil enough, and turn towards his brother Thrym instead (which isn't technically against the ordning, but still is usually hidden). The common thread among virtually all these choices is that the deity the giant turns towards has some power over nature and the weather. Thus, while cloud giant shamans may worship one of a fairly large number of deities, their powers are often very similar despite god they worship.
Organic Art
The cloud giant ordning is based on the ostentatious display of wealth, so at first glance it is hard to see how cloud giant shamans could ever rise to any significant status among their peers. While it is true that they usually will likely never rise to a level comparable to cloud giants with castles filled with gold and rare items of fine art, they can still reach surprising heights in the ordning. With their power over nature, they are the creators of the legendary cloud giant produce - pumpkins big enough to house whole families of humans, for example - as well as farm animals magically altered to a size more fitting and useful for a giant's castle. Feasts at a cloud giant castle that has a shaman in residence inevitably feature truly prodigious amounts of food magically grown and raised by the shaman to surprising, if not shocking, proportions. Some shamans even use their power to turn plants into actual artwork; not only are their topiary gardens and hedge mazes beautiful and intricate beyond imagining, they can turn a wall covered with creeping vines and the like into a vast, ever-changing mural with nature's colors as their palette. So breathtaking is their work that the greatest of these "nature artists" can, due to cloud giants equating "rare and beautiful" with "costly", actually rank as high in the ordning as the counts and countesses themselves.
Dangerous Gardeners
Although at first glance it may seem that a castle's gardener would likely pose little threat to intruders, this is certainly not the case for cloud giant shamans, as many a would-be despoiler has learned to his or her dismay. Not only do they have access to powerful druidic magic above and beyond their normal innate spells, they often synergize both types of magic, as well as their local environment, to create powerful effects. For example, a normal druid only rarely gets to use the more powerful version of call lightning since the need to use the spell usually doesn't occur when a convenient storm is nearby. Cloud giant shamans, on the other hand, often live on a cloud and can use their innate control weather to cause that normally elusive storm. Shamans will also often use their shapeshifting ability in a similar manner; a flying triceratops might seem an amusing concept in theory - until you have one actually swooping towards you! Even getting near the giant might pose an insurmountable problem when the topiary animals and hedge mazes are all awakened plants.
Cloud Giant Shaman
Huge giant (cloud giant), neutral
Armor Class 14 (natural armor), 16 with barkskin
Hit Points 270 (20d12 + 140)
Speed 40 ft.
STR 27 (+8) DEX 10 (+0) CON 24 (+7) INT 12 (+1) WIS 18 (+4) CHA 16 (+3)
Saving Throws Con +10, Wis +8, Cha +7
Skills Insight +8, Perception +8
Senses passive Perception 18
Languages Common, Giant
Challenge 12 (8,400 XP)
Keen Smell The Giant has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
Innate Spellcasting The giant's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma. It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: detect magic, fog cloud, light
3/day each: feather fall, fly, misty step, telekinesis
1/day each: control weather, gaseous form
Spellcasting. The giant is a 15h-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 16, +8 to hit with spell attacks). The giant has the following druid spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): druidcraft, mending, produce flame, thorn whip
1st level (4 slots): cure wounds, entangle, thunderwave
2nd level (3 slots): barkskin, gust of wind, hold person
3rd level (3 slots): call lightning, sleet storm, wind wall
4th level (3 slots): confusion, freedom of movement, ice storm
5th level (2 slots): awaken, conjure elemental, insect plague
6th level (1 slot): heal, wall of thorns
7th level (1 slot): fire storm
8th level (1 slot): earthquake
Actions
Multiattack. The giant makes two spear attacks.
Spear. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (3d6 + 8) piercing damage or 21 (3d8 + 8) piercing damage if used two-handed.
Rock. Ranged Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, range 60/240 ft., one target. Hit: 30 (4d10 + 8) bludgeoning damage.
Change Shape (2/Day). The giant magically polymorphs into a beast or elemental with a challenge ratting of 5 or less, and can remain in this form for up to 7 hours. The giant can choose whether its equipment falls to the ground, melds with its new form, or is worn by the new form. The giant reverts to its true form if it dies or falls unconscious. The giant can revert to its true form using a bonus action on its turn.
While in a new form, the giant retains its game statistics and ability to speak, but its AC, movement modes, Strength, and Dexterity are replaced by that of the new form, and it gains any special senses, proficiencies, traits, actions, and reactions (except for class features, legendary actions, and lair actions) that the new form has but that it lacks. It can cast its spells with verbal or somatic components in its new form.
The new form's attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistances and immunity to nonmagical attacks.
Next to be detailed will be the leaders of the cloud giants, the cloud giant counts.
Cloud Giant Shaman
Memnor, the patron deity of the cloud giants, is a trickster god with a less than savory reputation. For evil cloud giants, this is hardly an issue; but for other cloud giants, the worship of Memnor is more problematical. Most non-evil cloud giants simply sidestep the issue - they are hardly a religious race anyway, so they give little more than lip-service to Memnor, focusing on his wiles and intelligence while ignoring his more unpleasant facets. Some, however, refuse to go even this far, and abandon his worship altogether. Of this group, the cloud giant shamans are the most notable, as they not only refuse to venerate Memnor, but actually gain spells from other deities entirely.
Lovers of Nature
Cloud giants disillusioned with the darker aspects of Memnor often suffer crises of faith, and as a result, begin to search for other deities to worship. Most often, they turn towards other members of the giant pantheon, usually Stronmaus, the patron of storm giants, or his mighty sister Hiatea, the giant deity of the hunt. A rare few will look towards deities of other pantheons, although this is considered a great offense towards the ordning; as a result, such choices are usually well hidden. Finally, a few cloud giants believe that Memnor isn't quite evil enough, and turn towards his brother Thrym instead (which isn't technically against the ordning, but still is usually hidden). The common thread among virtually all these choices is that the deity the giant turns towards has some power over nature and the weather. Thus, while cloud giant shamans may worship one of a fairly large number of deities, their powers are often very similar despite god they worship.
Organic Art
The cloud giant ordning is based on the ostentatious display of wealth, so at first glance it is hard to see how cloud giant shamans could ever rise to any significant status among their peers. While it is true that they usually will likely never rise to a level comparable to cloud giants with castles filled with gold and rare items of fine art, they can still reach surprising heights in the ordning. With their power over nature, they are the creators of the legendary cloud giant produce - pumpkins big enough to house whole families of humans, for example - as well as farm animals magically altered to a size more fitting and useful for a giant's castle. Feasts at a cloud giant castle that has a shaman in residence inevitably feature truly prodigious amounts of food magically grown and raised by the shaman to surprising, if not shocking, proportions. Some shamans even use their power to turn plants into actual artwork; not only are their topiary gardens and hedge mazes beautiful and intricate beyond imagining, they can turn a wall covered with creeping vines and the like into a vast, ever-changing mural with nature's colors as their palette. So breathtaking is their work that the greatest of these "nature artists" can, due to cloud giants equating "rare and beautiful" with "costly", actually rank as high in the ordning as the counts and countesses themselves.
Dangerous Gardeners
Although at first glance it may seem that a castle's gardener would likely pose little threat to intruders, this is certainly not the case for cloud giant shamans, as many a would-be despoiler has learned to his or her dismay. Not only do they have access to powerful druidic magic above and beyond their normal innate spells, they often synergize both types of magic, as well as their local environment, to create powerful effects. For example, a normal druid only rarely gets to use the more powerful version of call lightning since the need to use the spell usually doesn't occur when a convenient storm is nearby. Cloud giant shamans, on the other hand, often live on a cloud and can use their innate control weather to cause that normally elusive storm. Shamans will also often use their shapeshifting ability in a similar manner; a flying triceratops might seem an amusing concept in theory - until you have one actually swooping towards you! Even getting near the giant might pose an insurmountable problem when the topiary animals and hedge mazes are all awakened plants.
Cloud Giant Shaman
Huge giant (cloud giant), neutral
Armor Class 14 (natural armor), 16 with barkskin
Hit Points 270 (20d12 + 140)
Speed 40 ft.
STR 27 (+8) DEX 10 (+0) CON 24 (+7) INT 12 (+1) WIS 18 (+4) CHA 16 (+3)
Saving Throws Con +10, Wis +8, Cha +7
Skills Insight +8, Perception +8
Senses passive Perception 18
Languages Common, Giant
Challenge 12 (8,400 XP)
Keen Smell The Giant has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
Innate Spellcasting The giant's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma. It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: detect magic, fog cloud, light
3/day each: feather fall, fly, misty step, telekinesis
1/day each: control weather, gaseous form
Spellcasting. The giant is a 15h-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 16, +8 to hit with spell attacks). The giant has the following druid spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): druidcraft, mending, produce flame, thorn whip
1st level (4 slots): cure wounds, entangle, thunderwave
2nd level (3 slots): barkskin, gust of wind, hold person
3rd level (3 slots): call lightning, sleet storm, wind wall
4th level (3 slots): confusion, freedom of movement, ice storm
5th level (2 slots): awaken, conjure elemental, insect plague
6th level (1 slot): heal, wall of thorns
7th level (1 slot): fire storm
8th level (1 slot): earthquake
Actions
Multiattack. The giant makes two spear attacks.
Spear. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (3d6 + 8) piercing damage or 21 (3d8 + 8) piercing damage if used two-handed.
Rock. Ranged Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, range 60/240 ft., one target. Hit: 30 (4d10 + 8) bludgeoning damage.
Change Shape (2/Day). The giant magically polymorphs into a beast or elemental with a challenge ratting of 5 or less, and can remain in this form for up to 7 hours. The giant can choose whether its equipment falls to the ground, melds with its new form, or is worn by the new form. The giant reverts to its true form if it dies or falls unconscious. The giant can revert to its true form using a bonus action on its turn.
While in a new form, the giant retains its game statistics and ability to speak, but its AC, movement modes, Strength, and Dexterity are replaced by that of the new form, and it gains any special senses, proficiencies, traits, actions, and reactions (except for class features, legendary actions, and lair actions) that the new form has but that it lacks. It can cast its spells with verbal or somatic components in its new form.
The new form's attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistances and immunity to nonmagical attacks.
Next to be detailed will be the leaders of the cloud giants, the cloud giant counts.
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