Island Giant

Island giants are a warped, vile branch of giantkind, as cruel as they are ugly. Each looks different, though all are roughly human in shape. Many bear one or more horns or a single eye; some have goatlike hindquarters, others reptile tails or spiny backs. They stand 18 feet and weigh around 8,000 pounds, and their skin can be any giant shade, slate gray, sky blue or warm tan. Clothing amounts to rags, often scraps of sail from wrecked ships.

They have no language of their own, speaking a local human tongue peppered with words from other giant languages, which often leaves them unintelligible.

Adult males have no special powers beyond the usual giant knack for throwing boulders, up to 210 yards for 2d10, and catching similar missiles (anything dealing up to 20 points) 70% of the time. They use this to discourage pursuers and to hole ships. Failing that, they pound foes with their fists; making weapons is not in their nature, so crafted ones are rare. They are clever enough to seek an edge, ambushing ships and keeping survivors captive since one vessel holds many meals.

Females in giant form throw and fight as well as males. They can also shapechange at will into any human or humanoid, most often a handsome giant or a lovely woman of normal size, and use the disguise to lead travelers to their deaths or to find a mate.

Youngsters have half the Hit Dice of adults and can breathe water, which lets them escape danger, including angry elders; they lose the ability on reaching adulthood.

Loners who hate everyone, island giants see smaller beings as food, playthings for cruel jokes, or both. Other giants and enlightened humanoids loathe them, and the feeling is mutual. Males are just smart enough to invent creative cruelties, females just smart enough to keep the race going through trickery.

Males are completely sterile; females are very fertile and can breed with any giant or humanoid, from true giants (their favorite) to elves, dwarves, humans and even genies. A female's real face is horrifying, so she uses her disguise to attract sturdy, good-looking partners, and kills and eats the male right afterward.

Each year a female may bear 1d10+2 small humanoid young that scramble for the sea at once. Laggards may be eaten by adults or scavengers, and some think mothers eat slow ones to cull the weak. The young live amphibiously beneath the waves until mature, then come ashore. Perhaps 1 in 50 survives. Males then seek an isolated domain, while females begin hunting for mates.

Omnivores, they eat almost anything, seaweed and beached whale carcasses included, but prefer fresh meat, which makes a passing ship a banquet. A consistently well-fed island giant can live as long as a thousand years, though few manage it.