D&D (2024) How's the adoption of the new Goliath types going?

[Paul Farquhar]

I am well aware of the character archetype however, a solid definition of what the goliath is about beyond the big guy is what I seek. A default to build on or subvert or ignore,e so I am not looking at blank paper when making one.

It is the embodiment of the big guy trope. Why would it need anything beyond that - absolutely huge, with a bunch of subtropes - trope?

 

[Mind of tempest]

It is the embodiment of the big guy trope. Why would it need anything beyond that - absolutely huge, with a bunch of subtropes - trope?

I mean something to lean into for fleshing out the details of Goliath both what matters to them collectively and how to fit them into a world if you are drawing a blank.

 

[Staffan]

Look I never listened to the show and only watched the animation, but he feels too much of a joke charicter to be the default option as it is easier to turn serious into a joke, but not the other way around.

Is there not a more serious option somewhere?

Not really, no. Goliaths are a wholesale invention from Wizards, and I believe they first popped up in Races of Stone which probably came out around 2005 (can't be hedgehogged to look up exact year, but it was during 3.5e). But since they're a D&D invention, they don't really exist in that particular form outside the game, and even within the game they've always been a B- or C-tier species when it comes to lore. I don't know any settings (other than Tal'Dorei) where they are a significant feature – the best you'd get is "Well, if you have to use goliaths, you could do it here or here I guess." So the strongest representation of goliaths as such is Grog Strongjaw. The overall "Big Guy" archetype is all over the place, but not in the form of goliaths.

 

[SkidAce]

 

[bedir than]

In my world as we switch to 2024 for our baseline hill and stone goliaths are tied to a region of large forests, fjords, ice flows. They're more Finnish than Viking though; more Inuit than Scot.

There's also a land with open lava pits, geysers, hot springs, earthquakes, and tornadoes. All goaliths are found in the Ferments. This rough land is relatively even split between the human-ish peoples (2014 goliaths felt much more human than 2024).

I guess if goaliths have a cultural hook in my world it's about connection to primal, raw nature. Their heroes will be druids, barbarians, paladin of ancients, rangers with other classes showing up.

All goliaths also bond with birds, because the most human of the species (also halflings) bond with beasts. Birds can help with finer things (braiding, needle work, etc). And, once, a long, long time ago before there was magic they rode rocs.