Large giant, chaotic evil
Armor Class 12 (Natural Armor)
Armor Class (suggested) 16 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points 85 (10d10+30)
Speed 40 ft.
Proficiency Bonus +2
Proficiency Bonus +5 (5th Edition Advanced Mode)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 (+5) | 8 (-1) | 17 (+3) | 6 (-2) | 10 (+0) | 8 (-1) |
Saving Throws (suggested) Str +7, Con +5
Skills Perception +4
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Giant, Orc
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
Two Heads. The ettin has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks and on saving throws against being blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, stunned, and knocked unconscious.
Wakeful. When one of the ettin’s heads is asleep, its other head is awake.
ACTIONS
- Multiattack. The ettin makes two attacks: one with its battleaxe and one with its morningstar.
- Battleaxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) slashing damage.
- Morningstar. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) piercing damage.
5th Edition Advanced Mode
Limiting the power of a character and making the overall difficulty of the game harder, does not reduce the creativity, indeed it does quite the opposite.
The Game Master has the option to use any and all of the instances proposed in this guide, or just some of them according to their preference.
It is the lack of something that move and motivate characters, not the abundance of it
DESCRIPTION
An ettin, or a two-headed giant, is a large, brutish, and dim-witted creature that is often found in the wilds or in the service of other evil beings. An ettin has pink to brownish skin, though it appears to be covered in a dark brown hide. This is because an ettin never bathes if it can help it, and is therefore usually encrusted with a thick layer of dirt and grime. Its skin is thick, giving the ettin its low Armor Class. An ettin’s hair is long, stringy, and unkempt; its teeth are large, yellowing, and often rotten. The ettin’s facial features strongly resemble those of an orc – large watery eyes, turned-up piggish snout, and large mouth. An ettin’s right head is always the dominant one, and the right arm and leg will likely appear slightly more muscular and well-developed than the left. An ettin wears only rough, untreated skins, which are dirty and unwashed. Obviously, ettins smell very bad, due to their complete lack of grooming habits – good or bad. Ettins wield a battleaxe and a morningstar, one in each hand, and they can attack with both weapons at once. Ettins speak Giant and Orc, but they rarely converse with anyone other than themselves.
COMBAT
Ettins are formidable opponents in combat, as they can strike with both of their weapons simultaneously, dealing significant damage to their foes. They also have the advantage of having two heads, which grants them resistance to many mental effects and allows them to stay alert even when one of their heads is asleep. Ettins are not very intelligent or tactical, however, and they often rely on brute force and sheer numbers to overwhelm their enemies. Ettins are also easily distracted by loud noises or shiny objects, and they can be tricked or lured into traps by clever adversaries.
HABITAT / SOCIETY
Ettins are usually solitary creatures, living in caves, ruins, or forests. They sometimes form loose bands with other ettins, but they rarely cooperate or share resources. Ettins are also sometimes employed by other evil beings, such as orcs, ogres, or giants, as guards, warriors, or laborers. Ettins are loyal to their masters only as long as they are well-fed and feared, and they will turn on them if they sense weakness or opportunity. Ettins have no culture or civilization of their own, and they care little for anything other than food, treasure, and violence.
Ettins like to establish their lairs in remote, rocky areas. They dwell in dark, underground caves that stink of decaying food and offal. Ettins are generally solitary, and mated pairs only stay together for a few months after a young ettin is born to them. Young ettins mature very quickly, and within eight to ten months after they are born, they are self-sufficient enough to go off on their own.
On rare occasions, however, a particularly strong ettin may gather a small group of 1d4 ettins together. This small band of ettins stays together only as long as the leader remains alive and undefeated in battle. Any major defeat shatters the leader’s hold over the band, and they each go their separate ways. Ettins collect treasure only because it can buy them the services of goblins or orcs. These creatures sometimes serve ettins by building traps around their lairs, or helping to fight off a powerful opponent.
Ettins have also been known to occasionally keep cave bears in the area of their lairs. The sloppy caves of ettins are a haven for parasites and vermin, and it isn’t unusual for the ettins themselves to be infected with various parasitic diseases. Adventurers rummaging through ettin lairs for valuables will find the task disgusting, if not dangerous. Because ettin society is so primitive, they produce little of any value to civilized creatures. Ettins tolerate the presence of other creatures, like orcs, in the area of their lair if they can be useful in some way. Otherwise, ettins tend to be violently isolationist, crushing trespassers without question.
ECOLOGY
Ettins are omnivorous scavengers, eating anything that is edible or shiny. They hunt for prey using their keen senses of smell and hearing, and they often raid nearby settlements or caravans for food and loot. Ettins have no regard for the natural balance or the welfare of other creatures, and they often cause environmental damage or endanger local ecosystems with their activities. Ettins reproduce by mating with other ettins or sometimes with other giants or humanoids. The offspring of an ettin is always an ettin, regardless of the other parent’s race. An ettin gives birth to one or two young at a time, which mature quickly and become independent within a few years.