The towering woman rises up from the desert sand. Her pale brown robe almost perfectly matches the gritty terrain, and her roughly textured skin is a rich walnut brown.
Desert giants live in arid wastelands that were once a thriving giant empire. Their rich brown skin is rough-textured, and they dress in light robes matching the color of the sand, accented (when they aren’t trying to blend in) with brightly colored head cloths and sashes. Beneath their robes, the desert giants paint or tattoo their skin with intricate designs in a riot of colors that outsiders rarely see.
Wandering Legacy. Desert giants subsist in the scorching wastes by moving from oasis to oasis. They follow herds of desert animals that they cultivate for milk, meat, and hides, and they shun most contact with settled people. They can survive the blazing heat of the high summer, because desert giants know secret ways with relatively plentiful water and the location of cool, shaded caverns.
While in ages past the desert giants lived in stationary settlements and cities, the fall of their ancient empire drove them into the dunes. The truth behind their nomadic lifestyle is a sore spot; should any outsider learn the truth, the desert giants stop at nothing to permanently silence the inquisitive soul.
Keepers of the Past. Over time, wandering desert giants amass vast knowledge of ruins and relics scattered across and beneath their homeland. On rare occasions that the tribes require something of outsiders, this information is their most valuable commodity. Relics of the past, or simply the location of unplundered ruins, can purchase great advantage for the tribe.
The designs the giants painstakingly inscribe on their bodies tell a tale that, if woven together correctly, reveals an entire tribe’s collected discoveries. For this reason, the desert giants hold the bodies of their dead in sacred esteem. They go to extraordinary lengths to recover their dead, so they can divide the knowledge held on the deceased’s skin among other tribe members. In the cases of desert giant elders, this hidden writing may be equivalent to spell scrolls.
Desert Giant
Huge giant, neutralArmor Class 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points 175 (14d12 + 84)
Speed 40 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 (+8) | 10 (+0) | 22 (+6) | 13 (+1) | 18 (+4) | 15 (+2) |
Saving Throws Str +12, Con +10, Cha +6
Skills Perception +8, Stealth +4, Survival +8
Damage Immunities fire
Senses passive Perception 18
Languages Common, Giant
Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)
Sand Camouflage. The giant has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in sandy terrain.
Wasteland Stride. The giant ignores difficult terrain caused by sand, gravel, or rocks.
Actions
Multiattack. The giant makes two falchion attacks.
Falchion. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 23 (6d4 + 8) slashing damage.
Rock. Ranged Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, range 60/240 ft., one target. Hit: 30 (4d10 + 8) bludgeoning damage.