Giant, River

Family: Giant

Large giant, neutral

Armor Class 14 (hide armor)
Hit Points 123 (13d10 + 52)
Speed 40 ft., swim 20 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
20 (+5)	15 (+2)	18 (+4)	11 (+0)	14 (+2)	11 (+0)

Saving Throws Dex +5, Con +7 Wis +5
Skills Athletics +8, Perception +5, Survival +5
Damage Resistances cold
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages Common, Giant, Umbral
Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +3

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Hold Breath. The giant can hold their breath for 10 minutes.
• Magic Resistance. The giant has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
• Mindful Wader. The giant is immune to the effects of dark water.
• Netted Strike. Once per turn, the giant can deal an extra 10 (3d6) damage to a restrained creature the giant hits with a weapon attack.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The giant makes a Mooncatcher’s Net attack and then two Staff attacks.
• Staff. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage.
• Mooncatcher’s Net. Ranged Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, ranged 20/60 ft., one Small, Medium, or Large creature. Hit: The target is restrained until it escapes the net. A creature can use its action to make a DC 16 Strength check to free itself or another creature in the net, ending the effect on a success. Dealing 15 slashing damage to the net (AC 14) frees the target.

BONUS ACTIONS

• Shadow Traveler (3/Day). While in shadows, dim light or darkness, the giant disappears into the darkness and reappears in an unoccupied space it can see within 30 feet. A tendril of inky smoke appears at the origin and destination when it uses this trait.

REACTIONS

• Shadow Cloak (3/Day). When the giant is targeted by an attack, it can cloak itself in shadows. Attacks against the giant are made at disadvantage, and it has resistance to radiant damage until the start of its next turn.

ABOUT

A tall, slender giant wades knee-deep through the river, holding a glowing fishing net in his hand.

Shorter and slimmer than most other giants, river giants are found living along riverbanks throughout the Shadow Realm and in the mortal world where waterways cross or run alongside the shadow roads.

River Travelers. Capable boat pilots, these introspective giants sometimes transport travelers up and down the rivers of the Shadow Realm in their wooden skiffs, but they are most often found wading through the water with their glistening mooncatcher’s nets. The giants use the nets to pull bits of souls and memories from the river. These fragments are bottled and traded to wizards and alchemists who use them to make memory philters and other potions.

River giants who wade in the rivers of the Shadow Realm for too long become transformed by the dark waters.

These shadow-touched giants are known as Styx giants. A Styx giant is CR 8 and uses the river giant statistics with the following changes:

• The giant has 182 hp 
• They have a Wisdom score of 18 (Wis saving throw +7; Perception +7, Survival +7; passive Perception 17)
• The giant can use it’s Netted Strike trait twice on their turn

These giants have the following additional traits:

• Confusing Memories. A creature trapped in the giant’s Mooncatcher’s Net makes a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw at the start of its turn. On a failed save, the creature is bamboozled as the memory fragments in the net mingle with its own memories. Roll a d6 and consult the table below to determine what it does during its current turn: Spellcasting. The giant casts one of the following spells, requiring no material components and using Wisdom as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 15):
  • At will: chill touch (as a 5th-level spell), darkness
  • 1/Day: control water, hypnotic pattern, modify memory

d6	Confusing Memories
1–2	The creature does nothing.
3–4	The creature casts a random spell if it is capable of doing so, targeting a random creature it can see. It does nothing if it cannot cast spells.
5–6	The creature makes a melee or ranged attack against a random creature it can see.