Half-giant

Half-giants are mythological creatures, born to a giant and a human.

Mythology

In actual legends, half giants and part giants are rarely the extremely large people portrayed in RPGs. Often they are of normal size or a little bit larger and either have abnormal or supernatural abilities, or are unusually strong and hearty. Beowulf, for example, is often considered to have the blood of giants in his legend and he is mentioned as having the strength of ten men.

In Greek mythology, Antaeus is a half-giant who is the son of Poseidon and Gaia.

Popular culture

Half-giant (Dungeons & Dragons)

Half-giants are a fictional race of humanoids from the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons setting Dark Sun.

Description

Half-giants are a race of enormous demihumans who have adapted to a variety of lifestyles in the many harsh terrains of Athas. The origins of the race are unclear. While it is known that the race is spawned from the union of human and giant and the nature of that union was certainly magical, its original purpose is unknown. Left to themselves, the original half-giants have multiplied, especially near the shores of the Silt Sea.

Half-giants are a cross between giants and humans who choose new alignments every morning.

Publication history

Dragon Magazine 173 (September, 1991), by Troy Denning.

First Edition Dark Sun Rule Book (1991), by Troy Denning & Timothy B. Brown.

The Wanderer's Journal (1991), by Troy Denning & Timothy B. Brown.

The Wanderer's Chronicle (1995), by Bill Slavicsek.

The Age of Heroes (1995), by Bill Slavicsek.

Monstrous Compendium Appendix II: Terrors Beyond Tyr (1995), by Jim Atkiss.