Ettin Exile

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Ettin Exile (Heavy Role, CR 10)

Ettins are hill giants that have a genetic mutation giving them two heads, instead of merely one. This is a surprisingly common mutation, occurring in about 10% of all hill giant births. Also surprising is the fact that the mutated head, nearly always smaller than the 'dominant' head, is both intelligent, and magically attuned. That is, they are casters.

The reason that ettins are comparatively rare, despite their high birth rates among the hill giant population, is that the smart head, tends to be an intolerable smart-ass all the time. As a result, most ettins fail to reach adulthood, either because their parents, neighbors or peers club them to death before they reach maturity, or they club themselves to death as a result of one of their many arguments with their stupider head.

Encountering an ettin is often a pretty funny encounter, because of the constant self-bickering (and self-abuse). However, a wise party will not underestimate these ungainly behemoths. Ettins are terrible opponents, capable of massive feats of brute strength, as well as spellcasting. Ettins have a strong affinity with the earth, and their spells reflect this.

Ettin Exiles are outcasts from society, much like Hill Giant Scroungers. In fact, they can often be found in the company of Scroungers. Exiles are almost uniformly made up of those Ettins in which the smart head as completely dominated or subdued the hill giant head, taking command full time. As their first action, they got the heck out of giant society, where their days were clearly numbered. It is not unusual for Ettin Exiles to keep their hill giant heads knocked out, drugged or otherwise unconscious all the time.

General

CR 10 Hit Dice 15

XP 19,200 (includes Heavy Role)

LE Large Giant

Init +5; Senses Scent, Low-Light Vision 120 ft., Perception +15

Defense

AC 30, touch 19, flat-footed 25 (+6 armor, +5 dex, +5 natural, +4 deflection)

hp 350 (includes Heavy Role)

Fort +13, Ref +10, Will +10

Aura: -

SR: -

Special Defenses: ER 20/acid

Immunities: immune to the first instance of all conditions applied during an encounter (heavy role)

Weaknesses: -

Offense

Speed 30 ft.

Space / Reach: 10 ft. / 10 ft.

Single Melee Giant Club +18 (2d8+10/19-20x2)

Full Melee 2x Giant Club +18 (2d8+10/19-20x2)

Ranged Giant Boulder +18 (2d8+10/x2), range increment 50 ft.

Special Attacks Stone Shards

Action Points 1 (Heavy Role)

Statistics

Str 50, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 18, Wis 11, Cha 8

Base Atk +10; CMB +16; Maneuver Defense: 26

Feats -

Skills -

Languages Giantish, Common

Special Abilities

Stone Shards (Sp)

• Concentration: d20+14 vs. DC 16

Once per round as a swift action, the Ettin Exile can cast Stone Shards, firing three shards of stone at three different targets within 100 feet of the Ettin. This is a ray attack, ranged touch, which deals 5d6+1 points of damage to targets successfully struck, and the target is Rattled. If the target makes a successful Fortitude save, DC 19, it is instead only Jostled, however, targets take full damage even on a successful save. The Ettin cannot target the same creature with multiple shards with a single casting of this spell (i.e. it must always choose three targets).

Note that the Ettin's action point can be used to cast this a second time in a round, if the Ettin chooses to do that.

Earthen Smash (Ex)

As a standard action, the Ettin Exile may swing its huge club overhead and SMASH! THE GROUND! Ettins actually like this a lot, because the ground is easy and satisfying to hit really hard. Earthen Smash is a 30 foot cone area of effect that does 5d6+1 points of physical bludgeoning damage and knocks all creatures prone. A reflex save versus DC19 negates the prone effect and reduces the damage by half.

Liberating Injury (Ex)

The first time the Ettin Exile is reduced to zero or fewer hit points, instead of dying, the hill giant head of the ettin is instead slain, as the Ettin uses that head as a shield to deflect the killing blow. At the start of the Ettin's next turn, it immediately shrugs off any status conditions affecting it and its hit points are immediately restored to 50% of its normal maximum.

The Ettin views this injury as a nice side effect of this fight. It is happy it no longer needs to beat the hill giant head with rocks each night to keep it asleep.

Note that, in the time between being reduced to 0 points of damage for the first time and the start of the Ettin's next turn, the Ettin remains standing and any damage dealt to it is essentially ignored, since it will restore to 50% of its total maximum and shrug off all conditions at the start of its turn.

Treasure

sell value of approximately 5,000 gp

Combat Tactics

Ettin Exiles will prefer to stay at range if they can, hurling boulders and casting spells for as long as they can. Once enemies close to melee with them, they will use their clubs to attack or use Earthen Smash to disrupt the enemy's front line. They are happy to combat cast when they need to, needing only a 2 or better on a d20 to succeed in a caster check to concentrate.

Exiles will cast their Stone Shards spell every round if they can, and will also use their action point early on to cast it again.

If the combat goes poorly, they are smart enough to try to disengage if they think they can get away. If the Exile is in an area it is familiar with, it may have set up a trap ahead of time, like a deadfall of rocks, that will let it block its escape route against pursuers. Of course, if it's clear to the Exile that running will only mean getting cut down before it escapes, it will stay and fight.