Special Conversion Thread: Finishing off giants and their kin

[Shade]

Updated.

Any other special abilities to add? They're a bit vanilla right now.

Maybe something like this?

Knowledgeable (Ex): Baba Yaga makes Knowledge checks for any Knowledge skills as if she had a minimum of 10 ranks in that skill. To surpass the 10-rank minimum, she must assign more than 10 ranks to the skill as normal.

 

[demiurge1138]

Knowledgable is good. Perhaps improved grab -> toss? Pummeling (the bludgeoning equivalent of Rend)? Some sort of "Earth call" ability where they damage creatures in a line or cone standing on the ground? A stomp attack that knocks people prone? Trample? Improved improvised weapons, so they can beat opponents with trees, mountain tops, churches, etc?

 

[Shade]

All sound great. Heck, they're big enough to be kaiju, so we might as well look through the kaiju template for some ideas to plunder as well...

Shockwave (Ex): As a standard action, the kaiju can rear up and come crashing to the earth. This causes a severe localized earth tremor, affecting all creatures standing on the ground within 100 feet of the kaiju. Creatures in this region must make Reflex saving throws (DC 10 + 1/2 the kaiju's Hit Dice + the kaiju's Strength modifier) or fall prone. Structures in this area suffer 4d6 points of damage.

Improved Trample [Kaiju feat]
The kaiju is especially skilled at crushing buildings and foes underfoot.
Prerequisite: Kaiju template.
Benefit: If the kaiju tramples a creature, that creature does not gain an attack of opportunity against the kaiju. If the kaiju tramples a structure (building, ship, castle wall, and so on), its trample attack does double damage to it.
Normal: Trampling a creature provokes an attack of opportunity from that creature. Trampling a structure deals normal damage to the structure.

Penetrate Hardness [Kaiju feat]
The kaiju's melee attacks can crush buildings and objects with ease.
Prerequisite: Kaiju template, Improved Critical.
Benefit: When the kaiju strikes an object using one of its melee attacks with the Improved Critical feat, the hardness of the object struck is halved for purposes of determining how much damage penetrates and applies.

 

[demiurge1138]

Let's give them adamantine strike and Improved Sunder as a feat. Shockwave is basically what I was thinking of for the stomping attack.

 

[freyar]

I think adding improved trample as an SA makes a lot of sense, and so do adamantine strike & Imp Sunder. Shockwave is great!

Thoughts on blindsense (or blindsight) out to a mile?

As mentioned above, they can also speak. The voice of an earth giant is like thunder rolling through the mountains. The simplest utterance sends livestock into a panic and drives a stake of fear through the bravest warrior’s heart.

Frightful presence when speaking or something?

 

[demiurge1138]

Good call on frightful presence.

 

[Shade]

Great stuff!

Updated.

Shall we develop some of demiurge's other suggestions?

improved grab -> toss?

Pummeling (the bludgeoning equivalent of Rend)?

Some sort of "Earth call" ability where they damage creatures in a line or cone standing on the ground?

Improved improvised weapons, so they can beat opponents with trees, mountain tops, churches, etc?

 

[freyar]

Yes to toss, yes to Pummel. Instead of earth call, what about adding some damage to shockwave, since it damages structures after all? Improved improvised is also good; maybe we should give them the ignores hardness ability of treants to go along with that.

 

[demiurge1138]

Freyar's got good suggestions all.

 

[Shade]

Where was the pummel ability used again?

Here's the toss ability:

Toss (Ex): Woolly mammoths vigorously shake any creature caught in their tusks and fling it in a random direction. Resolve the toss as a bull rush maneuver (+20 check modifier), except that there is no attack of opportunity, since the woolly mammoth has already grabbed its foe when it tries to toss the victim. The woolly mammoth does not need to move with its foe in order to to throw its foe more than 5 feet. If the tossed victim beats the woolly mammoth's bull rush check, he remains in his current square with no ill effects and is not grappled any longer. Tossed victims take impact damage on landing as if they had fallen a distance equal to the distance they were tossed.

Would Snatch work better?

Snatch [General]
The creature can grab opponents much smaller than itself and hold them in its mouth or claw.
Prerequisite: Size Huge or larger.
Benefits: The creature can choose to start a grapple when it hits with a claw or bite attack, as though it had the improved grab special attack. If the creature gets a hold on a creature three or more sizes smaller, it squeezes each round for automatic bite or claw damage. A snatched opponent held in the creature’s mouth is not allowed a Reflex save against the creature’s breath weapon, if it has one.
The creature can drop a creature it has snatched as a free action or use a standard action to fling it aside. A flung creature travels 1d6 x 10 feet, and takes 1d6 points of damage per 10 feet traveled. If the creature flings a snatched opponent while flying, the opponent takes this amount or falling damage, whichever is greater.

Alternatively, there's this...

Fling (Ex): As a standard action, an ice serpent may make a single powerful blow with its tail. If it hits a corporeal opponent smaller than itself with its tail lash, its opponent must succeed on a Reflex save (DC = damage dealt) or be knocked flying in a direction of the serpent's choice and fall prone. The opponent is moved 10 feet plus an additional 5 feet for each 5 points by which it fails the save. The serpent can only push the opponent in a straight line, and the opponent can’t move closer to the serpent than the square it started in. If an obstacle prevents the completion of the opponent’s move, the opponent and the obstacle each take 1d6 points of damage, and the opponent stops in the space adjacent to the obstacle.