Giff

Average Height: 7' 8" - 8' 4" Average Weight: 320 - 420lb. Ability Scores: +2 Strength, +2 Constitution Size: Medium Speed: 5 squares Vision: Low-light Languages: Common, Giant Skill Bonuses: +2 Athletics, +2 Intimidate Giff Weapon Proficiency: You gain proficiency with mace weapons. Amphibious Nature: When you make an Athletics check to swim, roll twice and use either result. Spellproof Hide: Pick a damage type out of the following: acid, force, lightning. You gain resist 5 + one-half your level against that particular damage type. Surprising Charge: You gain a +2 racial bonus to speed when charging. Head Butt: You can use head butt as an encounter power.

 

Head Butt		Giff Racial Power
You're the best at using your head in battle.
Encounter   ✦   Rattling
Standard Action		Melee 1
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength +2 vs. Fortitude, or Constitution +2 vs. Fortitude
Hit: 1d8 + Constitution modifier damage.
Increase to +4 bonus and 2d8 + Constitution modifier damage at 11th level, and to +6 bonus and 2d8 + Constitution modifier damage at 21st level.
Special: When you create your character, choose Strength or Constitution as the ability score you use when making attack rolls with this power.
Charge: You gain a +2 bonus to damage if you use head butt as a charge attack. Increase to +4 bonus at 11th level, and to +6 bonus at 21st level.

 

Giffs are monstrous humanoids, with stocky, flat, cylindrical legs and a humanoid torso, arms and fingers. The chest is broad and supports a neckless head that looks like a hippopotamus's. Giff's coloration varies from black to gray to a rich gold, however many have colorful tattoos that leave their bodies a patchwork record of past jobs and victories.

A Giff will wade into a brawl just for the pure fun of it, tossing various combatants on both sides around to prove itself the victor. Once weapons are bared the Giff consider the fight to be to the death. In serious battle most Giff love the flash and power of firearms, using their range to hold the line. If the battle comes to melee, most Giff prefer to use bludgeoning weapons.

Play a giff if you want...

• to be really, really large - and fat.
• to be a master of the brawl, an adept at close-quarters fighting.
• to be a member of a race that favors the fighter, barbarian and warlord classes.

Racial Feats

Heroic Tier

Angry Angry Hippo

Prerequisite: Giff, barbarian
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus to speed while raging.

Big Bully

Prerequisite: Giff, Str 16
Benefit: When making Intimidate checks, add your Strength modifier.

Gatecrasher

Prerequisite: Giff
Benefit: You gain a +3 feat bonus to Strength checks made to break through walls and doors. This bonus increases to +6 at 11th level, and to +9 at 21st level.

Giff Weapon Prowess

Prerequisite: Giff
Benefit: You gain proficiency in maces and hammers, and a +2 feat bonus to damage rolls with such weapons. The bonus increases to +3 at 11th level, and to +4 at 21st level.

Hard-Headed

Prerequisite: Giff, Con 16, head butt racial power
Benefit: Use d12s for the damage roll of your head butt power instead of d8s.

Head Butt Shove

Prerequisite: Giff, Str 15, head butt racial power
Benefit: When you hit with your head butt power, you can also push the target 1 square.

Hold the Line

Prerequisite: Giff, Str 15
Benefit: If an adjacent ally is forced to move - through a pull, push, or slide - you can make an immediate saving throw to stop the forced movement.

Thick-Headed

Prerequisite: Giff
Benefit: You gain a +3 feat bonus to Insight checks made against Bluff checks.

Wide Load

Prerequisite: Giff, Con 16, trained in Endurance
Benefit: Any ally adjacent to you is considered to have cover.

Paragon Tier

Hard Hurling

Prerequisite: 11th level, giff, Str 18
Benefit: When you use a heavy thrown weapon, increase both the normal range and the long range by 5 squares.

Persistent Headache

Prerequisite: 11th level, giff, head butt racial power
Benefit: When you are first bloodied during an encounter, you recharge your head butt power.

Oversized

Prerequisite: 11th level, giff
Benefit: Increase the reach of your melee attacks by 1 square.

Weight Shifting

Prerequisite: 11th level, giff, any martial class, trained in Athletics
Benefit: When you hit with a martial attack power, you can shift 1 square after the action.

Epic Tier

Supersized

Prerequisite: 21st level, giff, Oversized
Benefit: You can use weapons of your size or one size larger than you as if they were your size.

Racial Backgrounds

Hippopirate

You have plundered the oceans, or perhaps the astral sea, using your strength and bulk to great effect. Were you a dastardly villain, or wrongfully pursued by the authorities? Perhaps you have reformed your old ways, at least mostly. Could you ever have been considered a swashbuckler? Are there still wanted posters bearing your name and likeness?

Associated Skills: Athletics, Intimidate

Wandering Mercenary

You have sold your services as a soldier-for-hire for some time now, indulging in your love of fighting. When did you start? Were you any good at it? Perhaps you found yourself leading the charge more often than not. Did you lead your own platoon? Where are they now? What made you give up warfare and become an adventurer?

Associated Skills: Endurance, Heal

Wizardbreaker

Your main calling in life has been to kill arcanists of all kinds, relying on your thick hide and thick head to protect you from their spells. Are you of a sharper mind than other giff? Do you go after any particular kind of wizard? Do you have a natural distrust of magic? Perhaps you find it thrilling.

Associated Skills: Arcana, Insight

Racial Paragon Path: Hippopugilist

"Jackanapes! I'll deal with every last one of you. Put up your dukes!"

Prerequisite: Giff

Hippopugilist Path Features

Action Personified (11th level): You can spend an action point to gain a +2 bonus to your damage rolls for the rest of the encounter, instead of taking an extra action.
Waterdweller (11th level): You gain swim 4, and gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls when underwater.
Bareknuckle (16th level): When you are first bloodied during an encounter, you gain a +2 bonus to all defenses until the end of your next turn.

Hippopugilist Powers

Haymaker Uppercut		Hippopugilist Attack 11
You keep your foe off-guard with a swift blow to the jaw.
Encounter
Minor Action		Melee 1
Requirement: Must have a hand free.
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength +4 vs. AC
Hit: 2d6 + Strength modifier damage, and the target is dazed until the start of your next turn.

Thundering Charge			Hippopugilist Utility 12
You level your head and trample across the battlefield at top speed.
Encounter
Move Action		Personal
Effect: You shift a number of squares equal to your Constitution modifier + 2.
Special: If you charge after using this power, you gain a bonus to damage on your charge attack equal to your Constitution modifier.

 

Head Hammer		Hippopugilist Attack 20
You roughly grab hold of your intended victim and drive your head down on them, hard.
Daily
Standard Action		Melee 1
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength +4 vs. Reflex
Hit: 4d10 + Strength modifier damage, and you grab the target.
Miss: Half damage.