Goliath

[Jackinthegreen]

HD:d8

Level	BAB	Fort	Ref	Will	Feature
1	+3/4	+2	+0	+0	Goliath body, Powerful Athlete, Mountain Adept, +1 Str, +1 Con

Skills: 2+int modifier per level, quadruple at first level. Class skills: Balance, Climb, Jump, Listen, Spot and Survival.

Proficiencies: All simple and martial weapons, light armor, and shields.

Features:

Goliath body: At first level, the Goliath loses all other racial bonuses, and gains monstrous humanoid traits (primarily darkvision). It is a medium sized monstrous humanoid with a base speed of 30 feet and a natural armor bonus equal to his own Con modifier.

Powerful Athlete: The Goliath is a medium monstrous humanoid with Powerful Build.

Mountain Adept: A Goliath can make standing long jumps and high jumps as if they were running long jumps and high jumps.  Further, a Goliath takes no penalty for accelerated movement while balancing or climbing, and may ignore the effects of non-magical difficult terrain, allowing him to run or charge normally over such terrain.

Ability score adjustments: Goliaths gain +1 bonus to strength and constitution.

(click to show/hide)

I added the balancing and difficult terrain parts to hopefully make the ability worthwhile compared to the other monster classes.  Any tips on improvement would be most welcome.

Also, the BAB, saves. and skills are based on the MM/SRD notes on monstrous humanoids.  Now that I think on it more, I'm inclined to give goliaths good fort and bad ref/will and 4+int skills because of their inherent talents best described as skill ranks.  Thoughts?

[sirpercival]

I agree with your proposed save & skill adjustments.

For alternate combat abilities, you could let them charge over difficult terrain with no problems... or give them increased bonuses for attacking from high ground...?

[oslecamo]

Once more, full Bab and Str bonus with martial proficiencies is too much for a 1st level.

I would also sugest removing either the "take 10 on two skill checks" or ignoring hard terrain. Either is pretty useful by itself at low levels, the two togheter are kinda too much. Or then remove the good ref save (don't they actually have a penalty to Dex?) Take in mind when doing a 1-level monster class, you should compare it to the first level of other monster classes, since altough the Goliath is short, it's also leaving you 19 other levels to work with.

[archangel.arcanis]

Might I suggest that you tone down this class and make a Paragon style PrC for them to add all the cool flavor stuff that makes them awesome, so you have more levels to spread it out. Just a thought.

[Jackinthegreen]

The part about ignoring difficult terrain includes being able to charge and run through it as normal.  I'll clarify that.

As for the other things, it probably makes sense for them to not be proficient with martial weapons from the start.  As a race goliaths aren't all that martial focused, but that can also apply to their BAB...  The irony of that is the chosen picture shows them all with martial weapons.  lol   On the skills side, I'll nix the Take 10 parts.

I'll definitely work on a paragon class for them since they take the whole mountain race thing to new heights (pun intended).

Alright, I've swapped the good save to fort, taken away their martial weapons proficiency, taken away the Take 10 on skills bit, but gave them 4+int for skills.  Is it still too much?

[oslecamo]

Yes. First it doesn't make much sense removing martial weapon proficiency since most goliath pictures indeed have them with swords/axes/longbows. Str bonus should also stay. I would say removing the Bab makes a lot more sense as they rely more on brute strenght than exactly skill. And put it back to 2 skill points/level.

[Jackinthegreen]

Alright, I've done that.  Though I do have to comment, what kind of vaguely humanoid monster would get +1 BAB and a strength gain, but only be able to use simple weapons?

[sirpercival]

Alright, I've done that.  Though I do have to comment, what kind of monster would get +1 BAB and a strength gain, but only be able to use simple weapons?

A very, very dumb monster.

[Jackinthegreen]

Alright, I've done that.  Though I do have to comment, what kind of monster would get +1 BAB and a strength gain, but only be able to use simple weapons?

A very, very dumb monster.

Hill Giant type perhaps, or even dumber?

Edit: Nope, even hill giants are 3/4 with martial.

[oslecamo]

Alright, I've done that.  Though I do have to comment, what kind of monster would get +1 BAB and a strength gain, but only be able to use simple weapons?

A very, very dumb monster.

Hill Giant type perhaps, or even dumber?

Edit: Nope, even hill giants are 3/4 with martial.

Antropomorphic Animals do. Great combat instincts and physical potential, can't tell what side to grab a sword.

Anyway looks good enough to me, added to the index and congrats in your first monster class!