Cloud Giant

Muscular and fine-featured, a typical male cloud giant measures 24 feet and 11,500 pounds. A female is 1 to 2 feet shorter and lighter by 1,000 to 2,000 pounds. Skin ranges from milk white with a blue tinge to pale sky blue, hair is silver-white or brass, and the eyes shimmer an iridescent blue. They can reach 400 years of age.

Dress signals rank: the richer the clothes and the heavier the jewelry, the grander the giant. They wear no armor, relying on a natural AC 0, but treasure magical protective items, and one in 20 owns one. Music is a passion and most play at least one instrument, the harp above all. Unlike most giants they leave their wealth at home, traveling with only food, throwing rocks, 10d10 coins and an instrument. They speak their own tongue and those of all other giants, and 60% also speak common.

Cloud giants are master strategists who fight in disciplined units following prepared plans, ideally from higher ground. A favorite maneuver encircles the foe and pounds it with boulders while the spellcasters among them strike with magic. Rocks fly as far as 240 yards for 2d12. Their huge morningstars hit for 6d4+11, triple a man-sized weapon's damage plus Strength. One in 10 carries a magical weapon.

Spellcasting is not universal: one giant in 10 has the spells of a 4th-level wizard, one in 20 those of a 4th-level priest, and none has both. The rare giants who dwell on enchanted clouds have three magical gifts, each used as a 6th-level wizard: thrice daily they may levitate their own weight plus another 2,000 pounds, thrice daily summon a fog cloud, and once daily raise a wall of fog.

They hold themselves above every other giant except storm giants, whom they regard as equals. Clans number six or fewer, but each knows where 1d8 other clans live and joins some of them to celebrate, trade or go to war. Allied clans choose one leader, usually an elder with magic. In a lair half the giants are young: roll 1d4 for each, a 4 meaning a helpless infant with an ogre's hit points, and 1 to 3 meaning an adolescent that fights with a fire giant's Hit Dice, damage and attack rolls.

Most live in rough castles on cloud-wrapped mountain peaks in temperate and subtropical regions. Just one good cloud giant in ten dwells in castles on magic clouds, wondrous places with giant orchards, and legend says some mine their clouds for nuggets of pure silver.

A mountain lair has a 60% chance of guardians: 1d4 spotted lions, 1d4+1 owlbears or 1d4+1 griffons, or 1d2 wyverns if the giants are evil. Evil lairs have a 50% chance of holding 1d20 human and demihuman slaves. A cloud island has an 80% chance of 1d4+1 griffons, 2d4 hippogriffs or 1d4+1 giant eagles on watch.

They dine on carefully spiced, sauced dishes and love old wine. Good clans barter with human and demihuman towns for cloth, jewelry, wine and provisions, and some grow so friendly that they will defend those towns in danger. Evil clans simply raid for what they want.