Ash giant

From PathfinderWiki
Ash giant
(Creature)

Type
Humanoid
(giant)
CR
11
Environment
Any wasteland
Alignment
Source: Bestiary 3, pg(s). 126

Ash giants are giants that have been warped by either arcane or extraterrestrial energies and inhabit the most desolate wastelands of the Inner Sea region.12

Appearance

Ash giants generally have pale skin that is covered in tumours, open sores, and unpleasant-looking scars. They stand a little larger than a typical ogre at around 10 feet tall and normally weigh around 1,200 pounds.1

Habitat and ecology

Ash giants are normally found in the most desolate of wastelands, those ravaged by either magical or alien energies that would damage or kill most other inhabitants, yet ash giants thrive in these desolate places. They are a hardy species, completely immune to diseases but they still carry and transmit ash giant leprosy. Thanks to their hulking stature, ash giants are able to wield weapons designed for larger giants with relative ease. They also boast a strange empathy with giant vermin, using them as guard creatures and sometimes even riding truly enormous examples,1 such as black scorpions and titan centipedes, into battle.3

Society

While not truly evil, ash giant society is harsh and violent. They have a morbid sense of humour, finding pranks that kill or maim their tribe mates just as funny as those that only mildly embarrass them. Due to these dark tendencies, ash giants are often treated with violent hostility by neighbouring tribes and as a result are normally openly hostile to anyone outside their tribe.1

On Golarion

Ash giants are most commonly found in the Mana Wastes, the most desolate parts of Numeria, and the Darklands.2 The Shatter Smile Clan, along with several other nomadic ash giant tribes, dwell in southern Qadira, in a region known as the Parchlands.4 The Shatter Smiles are led by the Groetus-worshipping Mother Grim Moon and hold the ancient, cursed city of Neruzavin to be holy ground.3 In Tian Xia, ash giants can be found in the dangerous areas of Shaguang nearest to the looming Wall of Heaven Mountains.5

References

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Paizo Inc., et al. “Monsters A to Z” in Bestiary 3, 126. Paizo Inc., 2011
  2. 2.0 2.1 David Schwartz. “Giant Primer” in Battle of Bloodmarch Hill, 63. Paizo Inc., 2015
  3. 3.0 3.1 John Compton. “What Grows Within” in What Grows Within, 11–12. Paizo Inc., 2017
  4. John Compton. “What Grows Within” in What Grows Within, 6. Paizo Inc., 2017
  5. James Jacobs, et al. “Regions of the Dragon Empires” in Dragon Empires Gazetteer, 36. Paizo Inc., 2011