Wizards of the Coast - Dungeons & Dragons

D&D Fight Club
Gorg: Ettin Barbarian/Sorcerer
By Robert Wiese

Gorg is an unusual character. He’s a bloodthirsty fighter, but a little too smart for the rest of the ettins. He also possesses a natural sorcerous ability that they don’t understand. Gorg is revered almost as a deity by his dim-witted fellows -- or by most of their heads, anyway. (With ettins, there is always disagreement.) Gorg, therefore, enjoys a position of comfort whenever he associates with other ettins, and frequently leads their gangs.

Gorg’s sorcerer spells all use only verbal and somatic components. One head attacks with a weapon in the arm it controls, while the other head casts spells with the arm it controls. Thus, Gorg can cast and attack in the same round. Note that common ettins do not share this ability -- Gorg can do so because he has taken the Multiple Head Casting feat (a new feat to be published in an upcoming sourcebook). He uses his spells to bolster his attacks, but will bring along a gang of ettins, ogres, or other lesser creatures whenever he needs the help.

Here we offer three versions of Gorg, for varied challenge levels. He is presented with magic items equivalent to the value that a NPC of his level should have. Below the versions, you will find statistics for his familiar.

2^nd level Barbarian/1^st level Sorcerer	4^th level Barbarian/3^rd level Sorcerer	6^th level Barbarian/5^th level Sorcerer
Challenge Rating: 8	Challenge Rating: 12	Challenge Rating: 16
Alignment: Chaotic Evil	Alignment: Chaotic Evil	Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Strength: 26	Strength: 26	Strength: 26
Dexterity: 10	Dexterity: 11	Dexterity: 12
Constitution: 15	Constitution: 15	Constitution: 15
Intelligence: 11	Intelligence: 11	Intelligence: 11
Wisdom: 10	Wisdom: 10	Wisdom: 10
Charisma: 12	Charisma: 12	Charisma: 12
Languages: Pidgin Ettin language	Languages: Pidgin Ettin language	Languages: Pidgin Ettin language
Hit Dice: 10d8 [ettin] +2d12 [barbarian] +1d4 [sorcerer] +26 [Con]	Hit Dice: 10d8 [ettin] +4d12 [barbarian] +3d4 [sorcerer] +34 [Con]	Hit Dice: 10d8 [ettin] +6d12 [barbarian] +5d4 [sorcerer] +42 [Con]
Hit Points: 87	Hit Points: 113	Hit Points: 139
Initiative Modifier: +4 (Improved Initiative)	Initiative Modifier: +4 (Improved Initiative)	Initiative Modifier: +5 (+1 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 50 ft. [40 ft. ettin, +10 ft. barbarian fast movement]	Speed: 50 ft. [40 ft. ettin, +10 ft. barbarian fast movement]	Speed: 50 ft. [40 ft. ettin, +10 ft. barbarian fast movement]
Armor Class: 19 (-1 size, +7 natural, +3 bracers of armor)	Armor Class: 19 (-1 size, +7 natural, +3 bracers of armor)	Armor Class: 20 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +7 natural, +6 bracers of armor)
Attacks: Greatclub +16/+11 melee [+7/+2 ettin, +2 barbarian, +0 sorcerer, -1 size, +8 Str] (1d10+8) OR Longspear +8/+3 ranged [+7/+2 ettin, +2 barbarian, +0 sorcerer, -1 size] (1d8+8 [crit x3])	Attacks: Greatclub +19/+14/+9 melee [+7/+2 ettin, +4 barbarian, +1 sorcerer, -1 size, +8 Str] (1d10+8) OR Longspear +11/+6/+1 ranged [+7/+2 ettin, +4 barbarian, +1 sorcerer, -1 size] (1d8+8 [crit x3])	Attacks: Greatclub +22/+17/+12 melee [+7/+2 ettin, +6/+1 barbarian, +2 sorcerer, -1 size, +8 Str] (1d10+8) OR Longspear +15/+10/+5 ranged [+7/+2 ettin, +6/+1 barbarian, +2 sorcerer, +1 Dex, -1 size] (1d8+8 [crit x3])
Face/Reach: 5 ft. x 5 ft./10 ft.	Face/Reach: 5 ft. x 5 ft./10 ft.	Face/Reach: 5 ft. x 5 ft./10 ft.
Saving Throws: Fortitude +12 [+7 ettin, +3 barbarian, +2 Con] Reflex +5 [+3 ettin, +2 familiar] Will +5 [+3 ettin, +2 sorcerer]	Saving Throws: Fortitude +14 [+7 ettin, +4 barbarian, +1 sorcerer, +2 Con] Reflex +7 [+3 ettin, +1 barbarian, +1 sorcerer, +2 familiar] Will +7 [+3 ettin, +1 barbarian, +3 sorcerer]	Saving Throws: Fortitude +15 [+7 ettin, +5 barbarian, +1 sorcerer, +2 Con] Reflex +9 [+3 ettin, +2 barbarian, +1 sorcerer, +1 Dex, +2 familiar] Will +9 [+3 ettin, +2 barbarian, +4 sorcerer]
Skills [16 ettin, 8 barbarian, 2 sorcerer]: Climb + 10 [+2 barbarian, +8 Str], Concentration + 4 [+2 sorcerer, +2 Con], Intimidate +3 [+2 barbarian, +1 Cha], Listen +10 [+8 ettin, +2 racial], Search +2 [+2 racial], Spot +10 [+8 ettin, +2 racial], Wilderness Lore +4 [+4 barbarian]	Skills [16 ettin, 16 barbarian, 6 sorcerer]: Climb + 12 [+4 barbarian, +8 Str], Concentration + 6 [+4 sorcerer, +2 Con], Intimidate +5 [+4 barbarian, +1 Cha], Intuit Direction +2 [+2 barbarian], Listen +10 [+8 ettin, +2 racial], Search +2 [+2 racial], Spellcraft +2 [+2 sorcerer], Spot +10 [+8 ettin, +2 racial], Wilderness Lore +6 [+6 barbarian]	Skills [16 ettin, 24 barbarian, 10 sorcerer]: Climb + 14 [+6 barbarian, +8 Str], Concentration + 8 [+6 sorcerer, +2 Con], Intimidate +9 [+8 barbarian, +1 Cha], Intuit Direction +2 [+2 barbarian], Listen +10 [+8 ettin, +2 racial], Search +2 [+2 racial], Spellcraft +4 [+4 sorcerer], Spot +10 [+8 ettin, +2 racial], Wilderness Lore +8 [+8 barbarian]
Feats [3 ettin, 1 for 3 character class levels]: Alertness, Multiple Head Casting, Improved Initiative, Power Attack	Feats [3 ettin, 2 for 7 character class levels]: Alertness, Cleave, Multiple Head Casting, Improved Initiative, Power Attack	Feats [3 ettin, 3 for 11 character class levels]: Alertness, Cleave, Multiple Head Casting, Great Cleave, Improved Initiative, Power Attack
Special Attacks/Qualities: Superior Two-weapon Fighting: The ettin can fight with a weapon in each hand without penalty because each arm is controlled by a different head. Thus, if Gorg doesn’t use his 2^nd head to cast a spell in a given round, his melee or ranged attacks that round may be doubled. Darkvision 60 ft. range Barbarian rage 1/day—+4 Str, +4 Con (+26 hp), +2 morale bonus to Will saves, -2 AC for 6 rounds Uncanny Dodge (Dex bonus to AC even when flat-footed or struck by invisible attacker) Sorcerer spells known (cast 5/4 per day, save DC 11+ spell level: [knows 4/2 for 1^st lvl sorcerer, +1 1^st level spell for Cha] 0 -- detect magic, disrupt undead, flare, ray of frost 1st -- burning hands, magic missile, shield	Special Attacks/Qualities: Superior Two-weapon Fighting: The ettin can fight with a weapon in each hand without penalty because each arm is controlled by a different head. Thus, if Gorg doesn’t use his 2^nd head to cast a spell in a given round, his melee or ranged attacks that round may be doubled. Darkvision 60 ft. range Barbarian rage 2/day—+4 Str, +4 Con (+26 hp), +2 morale bonus to Will saves, -2 AC for 6 rounds Uncanny Dodge (Dex bonus to AC even when flat-footed or struck by invisible attacker) Sorcerer spells known (cast 6/6 per day, save DC 11 + spell level: [knows 5/3 for 3^rd lvl sorcerer, +1 1^st level spell for Cha] 0 -- detect magic, disrupt undead, flare, mage hand, ray of frost 1st -- burning hands, cause fear, magic missile, shield	Special Attacks/Qualities: Superior Two-weapon Fighting: The ettin can fight with a weapon in each hand without penalty because each arm is controlled by a different head. Thus, if Gorg doesn’t use his 2^nd head to cast a spell in a given round, his melee or ranged attacks that round may be doubled. Darkvision 60 ft. range Barbarian rage 2/day—+4 Str, +4 Con (+26 hp), +2 morale bonus to Will saves, -2 AC for 6 rounds Uncanny Dodge (Dex bonus to AC even when flat-footed or struck by invisible attacker; cannot be flanked) Sorcerer spells known (cast 6/7/4 per day, save DC 11 + spell level: [knows 6/5/2 for 5^th lvl sorcerer, +1 1^st level spell for Cha] 0 -- arcane mark, detect magic, disrupt undead, flare, mage hand, ray of frost 1st -- burning hands, cause fear, expeditious retreat, magic missile, shield 2nd -- blur, mirror image
Equipment: The bonuses for these items are included in the statistics above. [9,400 gp for 8^th level character] masterwork longspear [305 gp], bracers of armor +3 [9,000 gp], potion of cure light wounds [50 gp]	Equipment: The bonuses for these items are included in the statistics above. [27,000 gp for 12^th level character] masterwork longspear [305 gp], bracers of armor +3 [9,000 gp], boots of speed [8,000 gp], potion of cure light wounds [50 gp], greatclub +2 [8,300 gp], potion of cure serious wounds [750 gp], two potions of cure moderate wounds [600 gp]	Equipment: The bonuses for these items are included in the statistics above. [77,000 gp for 16^th level character] masterwork longspear [305 gp], bracers of armor +6 [36,000 gp], boots of speed [8,000 gp], potion of cure light wounds [50 gp], belt of giant strength +4 [16,000 gp], cloak of resistance +2 [4,000 gp], greatclub +2 [8,300 gp], cloak of resistance +2 [4,000 gp], necklace of fireballs type II [2,700 gp], two potions of cure moderate wounds [600 gp]

New Feat

Multiple Head Casting [General]

You take advantage of an extra head to cast spells.

Prerequisites: Naturally possess two or more independently intelligent heads*.

Benefit: If you have a hand free for casting, one of your heads can use a free partial action each round to cast a spell requiring verbal, somatic and material components while your other head takes normal actions, including melee or spellcasting, during the same round. Spells without somatic and material components may be cast as a free partial action even if you have no free hands. Spells that take longer than 1 action to cast cannot be cast while the other head is engaged in melee or spellcasting.

Normal: Without this feat, you can never use an extra head to cast a spell while another head engages in combat or spellcasting.

Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Each time you take the feat, it applies to another head (if any), allowing it to take a free partial action to cast a spell.

*Note: You can’t gain this feat if you do not naturally possess two or more independently intelligent heads. Thus, one-headed spellcasters can not gain this feat by resorting to polymorph self or similar magic. Shapechange or other appropriate 9th-level magic does allow a spellcaster to gain this feat.

Gorg’s weasel familiar

Version 1

Familiar, Weasel: Tiny Animal; HD 13d8; hp 43; Init +2 (Dex); Spd 20 ft., climb 20 ft.; AC 15 (+2 Dex, +2 size, +1 natural); Atks +11/+6 melee [+9/+4 master base, +2 Dex] (1d3-4, bite); Face/Reach 2 1/2 ft. x 2 1/2 ft./0 ft.; SA Attach; SQ Familiar abilities, Scent; AL N; Saves Fort +10 [+10 master base], Ref +5 [+3 master base, +2 Dex], Will +6 [+5 master base, +1 Wis]. Str 3, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 5

Skills: See master skills. Feats: Weapon Finesse (bite)

Special Abilities: Attach (Ex): If a weasel hits with a bite attack, it attaches and automatically inflicts bite damage each round until removed.

Special Qualities: Familiar Abilities: Alertness, improved evasion, share spells, empathic link. See Player’s Handbook, page 51. Scent (Ex): Can locate foes within 30 ft. by smell.

Version 2

Familiar, Weasel: Tiny Animal; HD 17d8; hp 56; Init +2 (Dex); Spd 20 ft., climb 20 ft.; AC 16 (+2 Dex, +2 size, +2 natural); Atks +14/+9/+4 melee [+12/+7/+2 master base, +2 Dex] (1d3-4, bite); Face/Reach 2 1/2 ft. x 2 1/2 ft./0 ft.; SA Attach; SQ Familiar abilities, Scent; AL N; Saves Fort +12 [+12 master base], Ref +7 [+5 master base, +2 Dex], Will +8 [+7 master base, +1 Wis]. Str 3, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 7, Wis 12, Cha 5

Skills: see master skills. Feats: Weapon Finesse (bite)

Special Abilities: Attach (Ex): If a weasel hits with a bite attack, it attaches and automatically inflicts bite damage each round until removed.

Special Qualities: Familiar Abilities: Alertness, improved evasion, share spells, empathic link. See Player’s Handbook, page 51. Scent (Ex): Can locate foes within 30 ft. by smell.

Version 3

Familiar, Weasel: Tiny Animal; HD 21d8; hp 69; Init +2 (Dex); Spd 20 ft., climb 20 ft.; AC 16 (+2 Dex, +2 size, +3 natural); Atks +17/+12/+7 melee [+15/+10/+5 master base, +2 Dex] (1d3-4, bite); Face/Reach 2 1/2 ft. x 2 1/2 ft./0 ft.; SA Attach; SQ Familiar abilities, Scent; AL N; Saves Fort +13 [+13 master base], Ref +8 [+6 master base, +2 Dex], Will +10 [+9 master base, +1 Wis]. Str 3, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 5

Skills: see master skills. Feats: Weapon Finesse (bite)

Special Abilities: Attach (Ex): If a weasel hits with a bite attack, it attaches and automatically inflicts bite damage each round until removed.

Special Qualities: Familiar Abilities: Alertness, improved evasion, share spells, empathic link. See Player’s Handbook, page 51. Scent (Ex): Can locate foes within 30 ft. by smell.

About the Author

Robert Wiese never knew his parents. He was raised by kindly middle-class people, and grew up on the mean streets of suburbia. There, he learned important life lessons, such as the quickest route to the mall on a bicycle, how to borrow the car, and how to hang Christmas lights on a two-story house. Later in life, he discovered D&D, and gave up on all outdoor activities. Now he lives like a hermit, coming out of his cave only to fix the Internet connection or go to work at Wizards of the Coast.

Monster Mayhem
Tricks for Tackling Ettins

So, there it sat -- the biggest, ugliest, nastiest, stankiest humanoid I had ever seen. Yes, I had stumbled upon an ettin. I stood from behind my rock, renouncing any chance of sneaking away or taking it by surprise, and bravely shouted, "Hey, you!" When one head looked up at me, I pointed at the other and shouted, "Not you! Him!" In this month's Monster Mayhem, seasoned adventurer and sorcerer Cuthbert the Curious shares strategies for defeating the two-headed giants.

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