Giant, Ash

Towering above a typical human, this misshapen giant's pale flesh is covered in purulent sores and bulbous tumors.

Giant, Ash (CR 11)

Large Humanoid (Giant)
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Initiative: +2
Senses: Low-Light Vision; Perception +8

Speed: 40 feet (30 feet in armor)
Space: 10 feet

Defense

Armor Class: 25, touch 11, flat-footed 23 (+4 armor, +2 Dex, +10 natural, -1 size)
Hit Points: 147 (14d8+84)
Saving Throws: Fort +15, Ref +6, Will +5
Rock Catching
Immunity: disease, poison

Offense

Melee: Huge club +20/+15 (2d6+11 plus disease), slam +15 (1d8+5 plus disease) or 2 slams +20 (1d8+11 plus disease)
Reach: 10 feet
Ranged: rock +12 (1d8+16 plus disease)

Special Attacks: disease, Rock Throwing (120 ft.)

Statistics

Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
33 (+11)	14 (+2)	23 (+6)	9 (-1)	12 (+1)	10 (+0)

Base Attack Bonus: +10
CMB +22
CMD 34

Feats: Catch Off-Guard, Cleave, Great Cleave, Precise Shot, Self-Sufficient

Skills: Climb +14, Heal +7, Intimidate +6, Perception +8, Survival +9

Languages: Common, Giant

Special Qualities: oversized weapon, vermin empathy +14

Special Abilities

Disease (Su)

While ash giants are immune to disease, they carry a contagious form of leprosy. Any creature struck by an ash giant's attacks is exposed to this virulent sickness. Ash Leprosy: Injury; save Fort 23; onset 1 minute; frequency 1/day; effect 1d2 Con damage, 1d2 Cha drain; cure 2 consecutive saves. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Oversized Weapon (Ex)

An ash giant can wield Huge weapons without penalty.

Vermin Empathy (Ex)

This ability functions as a druid's wild empathy ability, save that it works only on vermin. An ash giant uses its Hit Dice (normally 14) as its effective druid level. Vermin are normally mindless, but this empathic communication imparts upon them a modicum of implanted intelligence, allowing the ash giant to train vermin and use them as guardians (although it does not grant them skills or feats).

Ecology

Environment: Any Wastelands
Organization: solitary, gang (2-5), band (6-9), raid (9-12 plus 1d4 giant vermin), or tribe (13-30 plus 35% noncombatants, plus 1 barbarian or fighter chief of 6th-8th level and 6-8 giant vermin)
Treasure: standard (hide armor, Huge club, other treasure)


Whether because of disruptive magic, unearthed deep elements, or alien technology that fell calamitously from the sky, ash giants are victims of their barren terrains. Yet they somehow survive and even thrive in these desperate lands.

Ash giants have an uncanny ability to bond with the enormous and often mutated vermin they share the landscape with, and sometimes use the largest of these creatures as mounts. Ash giants are brash and violent, and their humor is incredibly dark. Killing someone through a prank is just as funny as tripping a friend while on a hunt.

While not inherently evil, lifetimes of being antagonized by other tribes have practically bred violence into their minds. Ash giants are 10 feet tall and weigh 1,200 pounds.