Firbolgs

Firbolgs are a reclusive race of giant-kin who preferred to avoid contact with other sentient races. They are both the most intelligent and the second most powerful of Giant-kin, second to Goliaths. The average firbolg is stronger than a forest bear. Beyond sheer physical strength, they have innate magical abilities. They can sense the presence of magical auras innately. They also have the power to change their physical appearance, including making themselves larger or smaller. They sometimes use this magical power to blend in or interact with smaller races. Their magical connection with nature gives them the ability to turn in invisible and able to communicate to a limited effect with both plants and animals of their forest homes.

Personality

Firbolgs enjoy quiet time in the woods, in harmony with nature. The forests are sacred to them and symbolized the heart of the earth and the adaptability of life. They see themselves as nature’s caretakers. Firbolgs considered greed to be one of the worst vices. The concept of hoarding to embellish one’s self over the health of the herd is repugnant. They believe that one should only ever take what one needs and no more. As a community, they see no value in material wealth such as gems and gold, besides the occasional pretty trinket, but sometimes would find prankish ways of taking valuables from strangers, out of a sense of fun. Firbolgs are prone to play games and frolic. Firbolgs believe that charity was a virtue but also believed that it was harmful for the recipient to know the identity of the provider; because of this they appear to be reclusive amongst the other races, although they are very sociable with established friends. They are extremely honest and cannot lie without feeling physical discomfort. Firbolgs tend to be over-confident and fearless, except for a pervasive phobia of humanoid mobs. Firbolgs are cautious and shrewd in their dealings with outsiders. They distrust most humans and demi-humans until they prove their trust. Among non-giants, they are friends with druids, and neutral with elves, and fey. They were on good terms with stone giants working with them often in the mountains, and with storm giants, whom they looked up to and tried to emulate, but they avoided other giant races, and actively fought against the other giant-kin when necessary.

Basic Information

Biological Traits

• Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2, and your Strength score increases by 1.
• Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Firbolgs have a family-centered, clan-based society called “Herds”. They live in settlements in remote hilly or forested areas. Their settlements are strongholds, including wooden structures, built from the trees around them, with defensive towers with catwalks between them for observation. Rarely, do they inhabit cavern complexes dug into the hillsides. During certain times of the year the Herd will leave the safety of the strongholds to free roam and forage the land for sustenance. They use their magic to ensure that their homes and encampments remain a secret to outsiders. These clan settlements are small, and often with a shaman or druid that oversees the religious duties of the Herd while a Chief “Bull” is selected to lead the Herd. A few Firbolg clans are still exclusively nomadic. A typical firbolg home is a huge one-story log building with strong walls and open floor plan. A large fireplace with multiple openings warm a central common room. Often enjoying ground seating over stiff furniture made from the heart of trees. As caretakers of the woods, they carefully and resourcefully live off the land, making sure to ensure balance. During summer, they store excess nuts, fruits, and berries, so that they could provide food to the forest animals during winter, during their travels they will store food caches for the forest animals near each of their encampments. Although they do farm, it is only to supplement their diets and utilize a zero trace practice using druidic magic to help heal and cover the land they used. Though many Herds are vegetarians, they preferred a more hunter-gatherer lifestyle, rather than the brigand/raider lifestyle of many other giants-kin. Their hunting grounds were usually spread out in a 100-mile radius from their clan homes. Most firbolg tribes prefer isolation from other races, avoiding their politics and struggles. If intruders enter their territory, they would usually try an indirect approach at causing the "invaders" to leave—driving game away to discourage hunters or redirecting streams or forest trails to confuse parties. If these methods fail, the firbolgs might at last confront the outsiders. If the outsiders seemed peaceful, the firbolgs would peacefully ask them to leave; if the outsiders seemed evil or seemed to have no concern for the forest lands, the firbolgs might mount a devastating attack. On occasion, they will trade with peaceful folk living nearby in exchange for providing services utlizing their great strength, or specialized magic.
Firbolg adventurers are rare and most often are individuals separated from their tribes—orphans, exiles, lone survivors, or the like. A few adventure to gain knowledge.
Firbolgs seem to have a natural tendency toward druidic magics, and many of their shamans were thus druids. Others became rangers or fighters. Other adventuring vocations were rare; firbolg monks are completely unknown at this time, but one could imagine a Firbolg Monk practicing the Way of the Four Elements dedicated to serving the Primordials, perhaps?!?

Facial characteristics

Firbolgs resembled humans, and the males would sport great, thick beards. Their thick, tough skin has fleshy tones found in various bovine species, and their hair, though it comes in many colors, is usually either expressing their personality through dyes or, brown, red or blonde. A firbolg's voice is deep and smooth.

Civilization and Culture

Culture and Cultural Heritage

• Firbolg Magic. You can cast Detect Magic and Disguise Self with this trait, using Wisdom as your spellcasting ability for them. Once you cast either spell, you can't cast it again with this trait until you finish a short or long rest. When you use this version of disguise self, you can seem up to 3 feet shorter than normal, allowing you to more easily blend in with humans and elves.
• Hidden Step. As a bonus action, you can magically turn invisible until the start of your next turn or until you attack, make a damage roll, or force someone to make a saving throw. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

History

The Firbolg race was created by the Primordial, Green Man after his encounter with the Dark One. Unable to provide essence for a race of giants he took a part of himself and infused it into one of his favorite creatures that walked the hills. He was pleased with it and himself and kept the race protected from others so they would not be influenced by the new evils that often poisoned the lands. They help him provide harmony and peace for the forests, hills and himself.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

• Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common, Elvish, and Giant.
• Speech of Beast and Leaf. You have the ability to communicate in a limited manner with beasts and plants. They can understand the meaning of your words, though you have no special ability to understand them in return. You have advantage on all Charisma checks you make to influence them.

Origin/Ancestry

Giant-kin

Lifespan

As humanoids related to the fey, firbolg have long lifespans. A firbolg reaches adulthood around 30, and the oldest of them can live for 500 years

Average Height

Firbolg are between 7 and 8 feet tall and your size is Medium.

Average Weight

Weighs between 240 and 300 pounds.

Average Physique

• Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

Geographic Distribution

• Vandahl