New Transformations
Most of the giants of Etharis were eliminated over
The following new transformations use the same rules as
those detailed in Grim Hollow: The Campaign Guide.
Transformations are magical or eldritch changes that
transform a creature (including characters) into some-
thing different. The mental and physical alterations to the
creature come with potential benefits, but also terrible side
effects that can make survival more difficult, especially when
common folk see the monster that the creature is becoming.
These benefits and drawbacks are represented in the rules
by boons and flaws. These are listed under the transforma-
tion features for each transformation.
Giant
Guards brace the large wooden door against the hulk-
ing creature on the other side. As the door explodes into
splinters, the guards scatter across the room, pushing one
another down or in the giant’s way to ensure their own
safety. The giant makes short work of the smallfolk, throw-
ing their bodies around like ragdolls before making her
way deeper into the keep for its food stores.
As the brown bear rushed towards him, the giant
lowered himself into a squat and prepared for the impact.
At the moment they met, the giant let out a belly laugh,
putting the bear into a headlock and wrestling it to the
ground. The two twist around on the ground for several
minutes before the bear gives up and sits in the dirt beside
the giant. “Good boy,” the giant said before throwing a
large fish to the ground.
Giants are relics of a harsher time in the world, long
before the gods tamed Etharis to allow for the rise of smaller
This preview document contains un-playtested material and is subject to change.
peoples.
the centuries, but their magical influences, both beneficial
and cursed, still linger in pockets around Etharis. Many of
the giant clans of old strode the lands of Etharis.
The frost giants were most prevalent in their frozen
ice castles. The fire giants often warred with them,
rising from their magma-filled, subterranean volcanic
strongholds. Even the stone, cloud, and storm giants
found refuge in the lands of Valika. Of course, no place
was safe from the ravages of the brutish hill giants, and
their ogre, troll, and ettin servants.
This history meant giants exceled at surviving, most
famously through their extraordinary size and the capacity
for violence that size allows. Giants were a clannish people
who respect physical strength, and some postulate that
the native people of Valika still have giant blood coursing
through their veins.
Those who transform into giants may do so because of
that giant heritage. Others may come across some latent
giant magic trapped beneath the ice or in long-forgotten
giant strongholds. Those transforming into giants might
find acceptance with the limited number of giants who
still call Etharis home, but only after proving themselves
worthy of respect by way of personal might or incredible
bravery and wit.
Becoming a Giant
Few mortals have ever transformed into giants or, more
accurately, few mortals have survived the experience.
Those who were able to transform had some ancient
ancestry that included giants, completed one of a handful
of arcane procedures, earned the blessing of a giant high
priest, stumbled upon some ancient eldritch giant magic,
or a combination of these. Becoming a giant isn’t just
about growing in size—it also relies on tapping into the
primordial prowess of the giants that allowed them to
survive against the wilds when the world was new.
Growing in strength as a giant often means setting
aside planning and reason for instinct and action. Most
giants don’t sit around a table plotting the downfall of
their enemies; instead, they take the most direct route to
their foes and pummel them into submission with their
bare hands. Those who show loyalty to their clan, exhibit
formidable physical strength, and display decisiveness in
war and other contests grow in titanic power.
Transformation Features
A Giant has the following transformation features:
Prerequisites
Ability Scores: Strength 13
Roleplay: Complete an arcane ritual, consume a giant’s
heart stuffed with alchemical compounds and mashed
caterpillars, earn the favor of a giant tribe and undergo a
ceremony performed by one of their high priests to bestow
the gifts of their titanic ancestors upon you, or accidentally
stumble upon ancient giant magic.
Some of your abilities require your target to make a
saving throw to resist their effects. The saving throw DC is
calculated as follows:
Transformation Save DC =
8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier
Level Milestones
The following are examples of possible level milestones for
the giant:
• Defeating a creature larger than you
• Intimidating a group of creatures smaller than you into
running away or obeying you
• Overcome a challenge with an extraordinary feat of
strength or excessive violence
• Eating a creature the same size as you or larger
• Leading a tribe of giants into battle against another
tribe of giants
Transformation Level 1
Starting at the 1st level of transformation, you gain
the following Transformation Boons and this level’s
Transformation Flaw (or the Alternative Flaw).
Transformation Boon
Giant Form
Your Strength score increases by 2 and your Constitution
score increases by 1. An ability score cannot be increased
beyond 16 in this way.
You become a Giant in addition to any other creature
types you are. Spells and abilities that affect giants of a
specific CR have no effect on you.
This preview document contains un-playtested material and is subject to change.
Transformation Boon
Growth Spurt
Your body swells as muscles grow and bones elongate, a
painful transformation that ends in a towering stature.
If your size is smaller than Large, it is now Large. In
addition, your maximum hit points increase by 5 and
increase by 5 again each time you gain a new Giant
transformation level.
Transformation Flaw
Big Appetite
As your body has grown, so has your appetite. While you
once subsisted on a few pounds of food a day, you now
must eat one livestock animal a day to feel nourished. You
must eat at least 2 gp, or about 200 lbs., of food each day.
You cannot gain the benefits of a long rest on a day where
you have not eaten enough food.
Alternative Transformation Flaw
Heavy Soul
Your gigantic size extends to your soul as well, making
it heavy and burdensome to call back from the beyond.
When a creature attempts to return you to life using
revivify, raise dead, or a similar spell or effect, it must
provide material components worth twice as much as the
spell specifies.
Transformation Level 2
At the 2nd level of transformation, you can pick one of the
following Transformation Boons. In addition, you also gain
this level’s Transformation Flaw.
Transformation Boon
Foe Thrower
When you are grappling a creature, you can use your bonus
action to hurl the creature up to 10 feet. If the creature is
smaller than you, this distance is increased by 10 feet for
each size category it is smaller than you. For example, if you
are Large and the target is Medium, you hurl it up to 20 feet.
If the creature lands in an unoccupied space, it must
succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or fall prone. If the
creature lands in a space occupied by another creature or
would pass through a space occupied by another creature
as part of being thrown, the thrown creature immediately
falls prone and the other creature must succeed on a Dex-
terity saving throw or take 2d6 + your Strength modifier
damage and be knocked prone. Increase the damage by
1d6 for each transformation level above 2.
Transformation Boon
Giant’s Strength
Your Strength score increases by 2, to a maximum of 22.
In addition, when you raise your Strength score using
an Ability Score Increase feature, you can increase it to a
maximum of 22.
Transformation Boon
Titanic Resolve
When you take damage from a weapon attack, you can
use your reaction to shrug off the worst of the harm.
When you do, you gain temporary hit points equal to the
damage taken from the triggering attack. While you have
any temporary hit points granted by this boon, you have
resistance to piercing, bludgeoning, and slashing damage.
You can use this boon a number of times equal to your
Strength modifier (minimum once), regaining all expended
uses upon completing a long rest.
Transformation Flaw
Groundshaker
Your steps sound like falling trees and no matter how
careful you are, you almost always leave destructive signs of
your passing. Creatures have advantage on ability checks
made to notice you and follow your trail.
Transformation Level 3
At the 3rd level of transformation, you can pick one of the
following Transformation Boons. In addition, you also gain
this level’s Transformation Flaw.
Transformation Boon
Ferocious Slam
Your hands sprout jagged growths, visibly pushing through
the skin of your knuckles. You can use your fists to make
melee weapon attacks as a bonus action. When you
hit with your fists, the strike deals 2d6 + your Strength
modifier piercing damage instead of the bludgeoning
damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Once per turn, when you deal damage with your
fists, you can immediately expend and roll a Hit Die to
magically regain hit points equal to the result of the roll +
the damage you dealt with your fists.
Transformation Boon
Mountainous Physique
You leverage your towering physique for greater feats of
athleticism. Your base walking speed increases by 10 feet.
In addition, you count as one size larger than you are for
the purposes of determining what size creatures you can
shove or grapple, your carrying capacity, and the weight
you can push, drag, or lift.
Transformation Boon
Titanic Wrath
When you hit a creature or object with a melee weapon
attack, you can channel the wrath of the titans to wreak
havoc on your foes. When you do, that attack, and all
melee weapon attacks you make until the start of your next
turn, deal an additional 1d12 damage.
You can use this a number of times equal to your
Strength modifier (minimum once), regaining all expended
uses upon completing a long rest.
This preview document contains un-playtested material and is subject to change.
Transformation Flaw
Boot Quaker
No matter what your intentions truly are, you can’t help
but provoke feelings of fear in smaller creatures. You have
disadvantage on Charisma ability checks made against
creatures smaller than you, unless you are attempting to
intimidate or frighten.
Transformation Level 4
At the 4th level of transformation, you can pick one of the
following Transformation Boons. In addition, you also gain
this level’s Transformation Flaw.
Transformation Boon
Enormous Size
You go through another excruciating transformation of
flesh and bone that concludes with you nearly doubling in
size again. If your size is less than Huge, it is now Huge,
and your reach increases by 5 feet. In addition, your
maximum hit points increase by 20.
Transformation Boon
Greater Giant’s Strength
Prerequisite: Giant’s Strength
Your Strength score increases by 2, to a maximum of 24.
In addition, when you raise your Strength score using an
Ability Score Increase feature, you can increase it to a
maximum of 24.
Transformation Boon
Swallow Whole
You can use an action to attempt to ingest a creature
within 5 feet that is smaller than you that you have grap-
pled. When you do, the creature must make a Strength
saving throw.
On a failed saving throw, you swallow the creature
whole. A swallowed creature is incapacitated and takes 13
(2d12) acid damage at the start of each of its turns, and it
has full cover from all creatures. At the end of a swallowed
creature’s turn, it can make a Strength saving throw. On
a success, you vomit the creature up into an unoccupied
space of its choice within 10 feet of you.
You can only have one creature swallowed at a time.
You can vomit up a creature you have swallowed into an
unoccupied space of your choice within 10 feet as a bonus
action on your turn.
Transformation Flaw
The Bigger You Are
Your prodigious size leaves you vulnerable to creatures
whose size make them nearly beneath your notice.
Creatures who are at least two size categories smaller than
you (Small if you are Large, for example) score critical hits
on a roll of 19 or 20 on attack rolls against you.