Editing Firbolg (section)

==2e Firbolgs==
{{NotFunny Sourcebook}}

Firbolgs actually had two entirely separate batches of lore in this edition. The first was their "generic" D&D fluff, which could be found in the Monstrous Manual and in the [[Complete Book Series|Complete Book of Humanoids]], and the second was their fluff for the [[Forgotten Realms]], which appeared in Giantcraft.

===Generic AD&D Firbolgs===
[[File:Firbolg MCV2 2e.jpg|left|300px|thumb]]
Of all the giant-kin, the firbolg is the most powerful, due to natural intelligence and considerable magical power. Firbolgs appear to be normal humans, except that they are over 10 feet tall and weigh over 800 pounds. They wear their hair long and keep great, thick beards. Their skin is a normal fleshy pink, with any shade of hair color, although blonde and red are most common. The flesh and skin of firbolgs are unusually dense and tough. Their voices are a smooth, deep bass, thick with rolling consonants.

Firbolgs are cautious and crafty. They have learned to distrust and fear humans and demihumans. If possible they avoid an encounter, either by hiding or with deception. If forced to fight, they do so with great strategy, utilizing the terrain and situation to best effect. They operate as a group, not a collection of individuals. Ten percent of all encounters is a large group of 4d4 members en route to an enclave of some sort.

Firbolgs live in remote forests and hills. These giant-kin distrust most other civilized races, and stay well away from them. They keep on even terms with druids and the faerie creatures, including elves, neither asking nor giving much, but avoiding insult or injury. Strangers are met with caution, frequently in illusionary disguise as one of their own race. They do not attack or kill without reason, but do enjoy pranks, particularly those that relieve strangers of treasure.

Firbolg society is close-knit and centered around the family or clan. Each clan has 4d4 members and frequently a shaman. The level of the shaman is determined by rolling 2d4-1 if the DM doesn’t wish to choose it himself. The clans live apart from each other, existing as gatherers and sometimes nomads. Their homes are huge, single-storey, wooden houses with stout walls and a central fireplace opening in several directions in the common room. When great decisions are needed, the clans involved meet in an enclave. This happens at least once a year at the fall solstice, just to celebrate if nothing else. The shamans preside over these events, and settle any disputes between clans.

Firbolgs live off the land and with it. Their homes are built from trees cleared from around the house. The clan does keep a field for harvest, but only enough to supplement their diet. They trade tasks involving great strength for food, usually with other peaceful folk in the forests or hills. The rest of their food is obtained by gathering and hunting an area up to 20 miles from their homestead. Meat is used in small quantities for most meals, although major celebrations always include a large roast of some sort.

Although many creatures are capable of killing a firbolg, none hunt them exclusively. They are stronger than most forest beasts, and intelligent creatures know better than to mess with them. They avoid true giants, except storm giants, and aggressively repel other giant-kin from their lands.

::Ability Score Minimum/Maximum: Strength 14/19, Dexterity 8/15, Constitution 12/18, Intelligence 8/18, Wisdom 8/18, Charisma 3/14
::Ability Score Adjustments: +2 Strength, -2 Charisma
::Can only be a [[Fighter]] (max level 12) or a [[Shaman]] (max level 7)
::+13 hit points at 1st level
::Natural AC of 3
::Gain spell like abilities in response to levelling up. All Firbolgs gain Detect Magic at 3rd level, Diminution at 5th level, Fool's Gold at 7th level and Alter Self at 9th level. Firbolg Shamans also get 2 random Illusion spells as SLAs each level; 1st level spells at levels 1-5 and 2nd level spells on levels 6 and 7.
::Can wield two-handed human weapons in one hand
::Can wield Large-scaled two-handed weapons
::So long as they have at least one hand free, they can try to deflect incoming missiles by rolling a D20; a 6+ harmlessly deflects the missile. A firbolg can deflect two missiles per round.
::Large missiles like thrown boulders or catapult shots can be caught and then thrown back with a -2 attack roll penalty.
::15% Magic Resistance, even against benevolent spells.
::Cannot wear armor or use shields
::Firbolg Fighters double the XP needed to gain a level, whilst Firbolg shamans ''triple'' the requisite XP.
::Weapon Proficiencies: Club, Halberd (Human and Giant-Kin), Two-Handed Sword (Human and Giant-Kin)
::Non-Weapon Proficiencies: Agriculture, animal handling, animal training, blacksmithing, cooking, eating, gaming, herbalism, hunting, intimidation, reading/writing, set snares, weaponsmithing, weather sense.

===Forgotten Realms AD&D Firbolgs===
[[File:Firbolg MM 2e.png|thumb|right|Our first full-body picture, from the 2e Monstrous Manual.]]
Firbolgs are the most intelligent of the kin. Of all the various giant races, only the firbolgs reject the concept of [[ordning]]. Instead, they value free will over all, and the restrictions of rank have no place in their clannish societies. In fact, firbolgs pioneered a crude form of democracy known as "the cast". Whenever a decision affecting the clan is necessary, a call goes out to all able members of the tribe to assemble and vote on the issue. To cast their ballots, the firbolgs use flat rocks engraved with their own personal runes. The actual casting of the stones differs from area to area and clan to clan, with some clans throwing the stones into holes dug in the ground and others simply holding the stones over their heads when called to vote. In a large firbolg settlement located in the Cold Mountains, there is said to exist a 50-foot-tall balance scale that the firbolgs use to dramatically display the results of a cast. The kin of this steading vote by placing their stones upon one of the huge pans on either side of the scale, with the heavier side winning the issue.

====The Code====
Long ago, the firbolgs developed a stringent code of conduct that governs their actions. Although the code is obviously thousands of years old, its exact origins are now obscured by the mists of time. At the heart of the code is the idea that individuals should be judged based upon their actions rather than upon their birth; to the firbolgs, people's deeds are the truth of their being. Another of the code's important concepts is the idea that the individual is nothing without society, and the preservation of society must be of the highest priority of all individuals. Every firbolg clan reacts differently to the code, but all see it as vital to their survival and elevation. Most firbolgs keep the code to themselves, believing it is virtuous to simply live the code rather than preach it. Merely talking about deeds and philosophies rather than living them is sometimes looked upon as a form of cowardice.

A firbolg who breaks the code faces grave retribution. Minor transgressions might be settled by spending a period of time as a slave to the tribe. Major transgressions inevitably require banishment. Of course, few of these penalties are ever necessary since the code is so indelibly ingrained into most firbolgs from birth that few could even think of straying.

Most firbolg clans require their members to carry the code with them in a written form. For example, the members of one clan (the Kappebror) write copies of the code on fine parchment and seal them in amulets they wear around their necks, while another (the Helligbror) tattoo the code upon their chests in red dye, and yet another (the Kriggabror) etch the words upon finely made bracers they swear never to remove.

The Firbolg Code (in the original): ''Prakt, Strev, Rang, glang byrd.'' (Bravery, Effort, and Honor over birth.)

This dictum illustrates the firbolgs' disdain for the concept of [[ordning]] and all it represents. To the firbolgs, actions make the individual.

Also, firbolgs see the honor and mettle of an individual as representative of the honor and mettle of a tribe. This is why the concept of bravery is so important to them. If observers should notice a firbolg acting weak or cowardly, they would probably assume the firbolg's entire clan to be weak and cowardly, perhaps prompting an attack on the clan. The firbolgs believe that the only way to avoid unnecessary wars and battles is to convince all observers that all firbolgs are fiercely brave and capable.

''Stomm rang glang du.'' (The tribe's honor above your honor.)

The whole of the clan is more important than an individual member. To honor the tribe or clan, the firbolg must do great deeds and, when given praise, explain that the deed would have been impossible if not for the support, education, and resources of the clan. This provision has also been interpreted to mean that the will of the individual is secondary to the will of the clan. Some renegade firbolgs contend that this is not the case, and that the will of the individual is more important than the will of the clan.

''Blod ettin er blod kong.'' (The blood of a runt is the blood of a king.)

This provision reminds the firbolgs to treat all intelligent creatures equally. Just as Hartkiller was a runt himself, so may the lowest beggar be elevated to the throne.

''Gi tusen val nul.'' (Give one thousand for nothing.)

Firbolgs prize charity as a virtue, though they feel that any charitable act is nullified if the recipient is aware of the contributor's identity. The act itself is the virtue, not the glory associated with the act. Allowing oneself to take credit for a virtuous action opens the spirit to harm. For that reason, while gregarious with friends, most firbolgs are quiet in public, not wishing to call attention to their often heroic deeds.

''Trut zund stommpaart.'' (Truth is the honor of the tribe).

Much of firbolg society is built around a backbone of truthful communication. Without such communication, the firbolgs believe their entire society will topple. As a consequence, firbolgs don't lie, by either omission or commission. In fact, a firbolg who lies breaks out in a cold sweat; his voice cracks, his limbs tremble. The very act of dissembling causes great physical discomfort.

====Firbolg Settlements====
Most of the countless clans of firbolgs have created settlements of their own, away from the [[giant]]s, in remote regions of Faerûn These settlements generally prove inhospitable to visitors since the firbolgs tend to distrust outsiders. After time, however, the firbolgs tend to warm toward any individuals of a good alignment whom they consider honorable (that is, individuals who wittingly or unwittingly tend to follow the dictums of the code).

Most firbolg clans build their settlements amidst low rolling hills or thick forests. Such settlements usually consist of a collection of grand wooden halls with thatched roofs built among a series of defensive catwalks and observation towers. Always attuned to their environment (though not nearly so much as the [[voadkyn]]), firbolgs usually know visitors are approaching their encampment as long as two days before they arrive.

In the Spires, a few firbolgs have chosen to live among Hartsvale's humans, who extend them a great deal more hospitality than the giants of the region. Although most of these firbolgs still operate as "loners" by human standards (many are forest guides and independent scouts in the king's army), a few have truly urbanized. One particularly extroverted firbolg now owns and operates an inn that lies along the main trail connecting Hartwick and the Ice Spires.

====Giantcraft Firbolg Stats====
Understandably, alternative AD&D stats for Firbolgs appeared in the [[Forgotten Realms]] [[splatbook]] "FOR7: Giantcraft". Whilst there were some similarities to the Complete Book of Humanoids version, there were also a number of differences...
::Ability Score Minimum/Maximum: Strength 15/20, Dexterity 8/15, Constitution 12/18, Intelligence 8/18, Wisdom 8/18, Charisma 3/14
::Ability Score Adjustments: +2 Strength, -2 Charisma
::Racial Class & Level Limits: [[Fighter]] 1, [[Ranger]] 1, [[Runecaster]] 7, [[Shaman]] 6, [[Thief]] 7
::+13 hit points at 1st level
::Natural AC of 3
::Can wield two-handed human weapons in one hand
::Cannot wear armor or use shields
::Weapon Proficiencies: Club, Giant-Kin Weapons, Two-Handed Sword
::Non-Weapon Proficiencies: Agriculture, animal handling, animal training, blacksmithing, cooking, eating, gaming, herbalism, hunting, intimidation, reading/writing, set snares, weaponsmithing, weather sense.