Backgrounds in are perfect for grasping who your character is. From their origin to what they do, this selection not only informs in-game items and information but the backstory around who you're playing. If you're fascinated with giants and want a background for your character that supports that, then the giant foundling is the perfect choice.
Related: Bigby Presents: The Glory Of Giants Is Uplifted By Its Bestiary
While not a giant yourself, this background allows you to get as close to becoming one as you can while still retaining your original species. Diving into the giant foundling background, let's see what exactly it is and how to incorporate it into your character.
What Is A Giant Foundling
A giant foundling is a background choice for players from Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants. Characters who choose this background are completely attuned to the lore and lifestyle of the giants through some form of interaction.
A character who, through some circ*mstances, grew up with giants, learned their ways, and have been impacted by their upbringing. You'll have access to their magic in a small form.
Based on their background, a giant foundling would be used to being the biggest in their own species or being familiar with working in a world larger than life to them.
Even the biggest giant foundling will still be smaller than a giant child.
Maybe from birth, you've always been larger than most of your species. Or maybe you were really into rune magic and felt the connection to giants through that.
However you decide to relate to them, eventually, you will have found your way to a group of giants because, as a giant foundling, you grew up among them.
How or why you're connected to dragons is completely up to you. The background only insists that you grew up among giants, making your perspective of the world based on that fact.
You can access the chart in Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants to help choose an origin story if you'd prefer.
Giant Foundling Features And Equipment
Once you've established your background and why you've come to lie with giants and become a giant foundling, you can add all the abilities and features that come along with this background.
As with most backgrounds, you'll receive a language, skill proficiencies, and equipment.
Features | ||
|---|---|---|
Skill Proficiencies | Intimidation | Survival |
Language | Giant | One of your choice |
Equipment | Backpack | Traveler's Clothes and Gold |
You'll also be able to get a special item that reminds you of home to help with roleplay.
Feature: Strike of the Giants
This background grants one of the best features in Strike of the Giants. You gain this feat when you choose this background and can further customize your choices when using it.
Your giant foundling background has given you access to magical abilities, granting you the chance to echo the might of a giant and their magical resonance. You can choose one of the following to imbue your weapon with:
Ability | Description |
|---|---|
Cloud Strike | Deal extra thunder damage, with the ability to become invisible to the target until your next turn. |
Fire Strike | Deal extra fire damage |
Frost Strike | Deal extra cold damage, with the chance of reducing the target's speed to zero. |
Hill Strike | Deal extra damage of the weapon's type, with the chance to knock the target prone. |
Storm Strike | Deal extra lightning damage, with the chance of imposing disadvantage on the target. |
Stone Strike | Deal extra force damage, with the chance of being pushed. |
Depending on the type of giants your giant foundling lived with, you can choose the perfect strike to add to your attacks. The extra damage is a great boon and well worth adding a description to your background for.
How To Build A Character Using The Giant Foundling Background
So you're interested in creating a giant foundling after all. There are definitely some species and class combinations that can benefit directly from choosing this background.
With a unique feat up for grabs and a background story for the ages, your options are truly limitless. However if you're wanting to maximize your character to their highest potential, here are some options to consider.
Best Species For A Giant Fountling Background
While you are unrestricted in this area, it can be fun to pull on your imagination for this one. You can try anything from a gnome bigger than all of its friends and family to a goliath strangely larger than the biggest alpha in the group.
With Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse, you can place ability score increases where you see fit based on your class.
You may want to consider a species that can complement your extra elemental damage from the background's feat.
A Tiefling, Firbolg, Dragonborn, or other generally ostracized species may have a better time understanding and empathize with the giants it needs to fit in with.
The extra magic cantrips and abilities afforded by these will also be a nice tie-in to your character's story and background.
Best Classes For A Giant Foundling Background
While any class can take this background, a few will benefit from the skills and additional elemental damage.
Class | Benefits |
|---|---|
Barbarian | Almost a default, the barbarian can utilize the skill proficiencies provided and the extra damage. Overcome resistance with additional elemental damage on top of already being the damage dealer of your party. You can also save on skill proficiencies by getting two offered from the class for free, allowing you to choose two more. Control the field by freezing your opponents in place before dealing devastating damage. |
Druid | You'll want to invest in survival as a proficiency when playing a druid. The ability to beast shape brings a new element to being a 'giant,' allowing you to become larger than life. Consider how the ability to shift and change will have affected your character and how survival was for you as a small individual in a big world. |
Fighter | Intimidation and survival are great skills to add to your proficiency. Learning fighting from giants can put a unique spin on your battle maneuvers and background story. A larger intimidating fighter can create unique situations as they also add elemental damage they can tap into to help with physical resistances enemies may have, providing more attack options. Especially those that allow you to control your opponent further. Bonus points for creating a Rune Knight that has been studying giant runes. |
Paladin | Again, Intimidation is a great skill to have here. Supplement your few magical spells with elemental damage options. Consider how being a paladin surrounded by giants and rune magic affected your upbringing. |
Ranger | Giant killer ranger would be an interesting subclass to choose here. Maybe you've been protecting your giant clan from others using this subclass. Either way, survival is a great proficiency, and once again, magical damage options are great to add to your arsenal. Crowd control with elemental damage and a pet can create a perfect combo. |
Next: Bigby Presents: Glory Of The Giants – Path Of The Giant Barbarian Build
