Goliath
"Today's rival is tomorrow's ally."
The solitary goliaths live in the highest mountain summits, far above the slopes where trees grow, where the air is thin and the icy winds howl. Few people can say they've seen a goliath, and even fewer can say they've been friends with one. Goliaths roam a barren wasteland of rock, wind, and ice. Their bodies appear to be carved from granite stone and provide them with tremendous physical strength. Their souls follow the wind, creating them nomadic nomads who go from peak to peak. Their hearts are imbued with the freezing realm's chilly respect, making it up to each goliath to earn a position in the tribe or perish trying.
A goliath faces a new task every day. In the topmost mountain regions, food, water, and shelter are few. A single blunder may bring a whole tribe to its knees, while a single hero's work can secure the group's existence.
As a result, Goliaths value self-sufficiency and individual competence. They feel compelled to keep score, calculating their actions and tallying their achievements in order to compare themselves to others. Goliaths like victory, but failure serves as a wake-up call to sharpen their abilities.
This competitive spirit has a negative side. Goliaths are ruthless competitors who are determined beyond all else to outperform their predecessors. After slaying a dragon, a goliath may seek out a larger, more powerful wyrm to fight. Few goliath explorers live to be elderly, as most perish trying to outdo their previous achievements.
Competition only exists for goliaths when it is supported by a level playing field. Competitors are judged on their ability, devotion, and effort. Those factors, not dependence on magic artifacts, money, or other things that might tilt the scale one way or the other, decide survival in their native area. Goliaths willingly rely on such advantages, but they are aware that such an edge might be lost at any time. A goliath who is overly reliant on them risks becoming complacent, which is a formula for catastrophe on the mountains.
When goliaths engage with other people, this characteristic shines brightest. Goliaths are perplexed by the connection between peasants and nobility. If a king is unable to govern due to a lack of knowledge or leadership, the most competent individual in the kingdom should take his position. Goliaths seldom keep their thoughts to themselves, mocking those who rely on the institutions or laws of society to retain power.
Any adult goliath who is unable to contribute to the tribe is banished. A lone goliath, especially one that is older or weaker, has a little chance of surviving. Goliaths show little sympathy for people who are unable to care for themselves, despite the fact that an ill or injured person is treated as a consequence of the goliath notion of fair play.
Even if a goliath is permanently injured, he or she is required to carry the tribe's weight. Usually, such a goliath perishes in the struggle to keep up, or the goliath flees in the night to seek the icy will of fate.
In some respects, the goliath's insatiable need to outdo oneself contributes to the sad inevitability of their demise and death. A goliath would prefer to die in combat, at the height of his strength and ability, rather than suffer the ravages of old age. Few individuals have ever met an elderly goliath, and even those who have left their tribe struggle with the desire to die as their physical abilities deteriorate.
Because of their risk-taking, goliath tribes are chronically short on the experience that long-term leaders can provide. They expect for natural knowledge in their leaders, because wisdom gained through experience is rare.
Every goliath has three names: a birth name given by the mother and father of the baby, a tribal chief's nickname, and a familial or clan name. The length of a birth name can range from one to three syllables. Clan names include five or more syllables and finish with a vowel.
Gender is rarely associated with birth names. Goliaths consider females and men to be equal in every way, and they find civilizations separated by gender perplexing or amusing. To a goliath, the person who is the best at a task should be assigned to it.
A goliath's nickname is a description that a chieftain or tribe elder can modify at any time. It alludes to the goliath's significant deed, whether it was a success or a failure. With their friends of other races, Goliaths assign and utilize nicknames, which they modify to relate to an individual's significant deeds.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
When identifying oneself, Goliaths use all three identities, in the sequence of birth name, nickname, and clan name. They use their nickname in informal speech.
Birth Names: Aukan, Eglath, Gae-Al, Gauthak, Ilikan, Keothi, Kuori, Lo-Kag, Manneo, Maveith, Nalla, Orilo, Paavu, Pethani, Thalai, Thotham, Uthal, Vaunea, Vimak
Nicknames: Bearkiller, Dawncaller, Fearless, Flintfinder, Horncarver, Keeneye, Lonehunter, Long leaper, Rootsmasher, Skywatcher, Steadyhand, Threadtwister, Twice-Orphaned, Twistedlimb, Wordpainter
Clan Names: Anakalathai, Elanithino, Gathakanathi, Kalagiano, Katho-Olavi, Kolae-Gileana, Ogolakanu, Thuliaga, Thunukalathi, Vaimei-Laga
by Rob Taylor
Goliath Barbarian
Lifespan
Goliaths have lifespans comparable to humans. They enter adulthood in their late teens and usually live less than a century.
Average Height
7' to 8'
Average Weight
280-340 lbs.
Goliath
Ability Score Increase +2 Str, +1 Con
Size Medium
Speed 30 ft.
Goliath Traits
Natural Athlete
You have proficiency in the Athletics skill. Stone's Endurance
You can focus yourself to occasionally shrug off injury. When you take damage, you can use your reaction to roll a d12. Add your Constitution modifier to the number rolled, and reduce the damage by that total. After you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest. Powerful Build
You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift. Mountain Born
You have resistance to cold damage. You're also acclimated to high altitude, including elevations above 20,000 feet.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Giant.
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