| Hit Dice: | 10d8+20 (65 hp) |
| Initiative: | +3 |
| Speed: | 30 ft. in hide armor (6 squares); base speed 40 ft. |
| Armor Class: | 18 (–1 size, –1 Dex, +7 natural, +3 hide), touch 8, flat-footed 18 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +7/+17 |
| Attack: | Morningstar +12 melee (2d6+6) or javelin +5 ranged (1d8+6) |
| Full Attack: | 2 morningstars +12/+7 melee (2d6+6) or 2 javelins +5 ranged (1d8+6) |
| Space/Reach: | 10 ft./10 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | — |
| Special Qualities: | Low-light vision, superior two-weapon fighting |
| Saves: | Fort +9, Ref +2, Will +5 |
| Abilities: | Str 23, Dex 8, Con 15, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 11 |
| Skills: | Listen +10, Search +1, Spot +10; racial bonuses |
| Feats: | Alertness, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Power Attack |
| Environment: | Cold hills |
| Organization: | Solitary, gang (2-4), troupe (1-2 plus 1-2 brown bears), band (3-5 plus 1-2 brown bears), or colony (3-5 plus 1-2 brown bears and 7-12 orcs or 9-16 goblins) |
| Challenge Rating: | 6 |
| Treasure: | Standard |
| Alignment: | Usually chaotic evil |
| Advancement: | By character class |
| Level Adjustment: | +5 |
This hulking giant has two heads. Each head has a porcine face with a shovel jaw and protruding lower canines like a boar’s tusks. The rest of its teeth are large and rotten. Its stringy hair is filthy, just like the rest of the creature.
Ettins, or two-headed giants, are vicious and unpredictable hunters that stalk the night. Their two heads make them exceptionally sharp-eyed and alert. They are excellent guardians and scouts.
An ettin never bathes if it can help it, which usually leaves it so grimy and dirty its skin resembles thick, gray hide (ettins that don’t smell bad are rare indeed). Adult ettins are about 13 feet tall and weigh 5,200 pounds. They live about 75 years.
Ettins have no language of their own but speak a pidgin of Orc, Goblin, and Giant. Creatures that can speak any of these languages must succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence check to communicate with an ettin. Check once for each bit of information: If the other creature speaks two of these languages, the DC is 10, and for someone who speaks all three, the DC is 5. Ettins talk among themselves without difficulty, despite their low Intelligence, and a lone ettin often whiles away the hours chatting with itself.
Though ettins aren’t very intelligent, they are cunning fighters. They prefer to ambush their victims rather than charge into a straight fight, but once the battle has started, an ettin usually fights furiously until all enemies are dead.
Superior Two-Weapon Fighting (Ex): An ettin fights with a morningstar or javelin in each hand. Because each of its two heads controls an arm, the ettin does not take a penalty on attack or damage rolls for attacking with two weapons.
Skills: An ettin’s two heads give it a +2 racial bonus on Listen, Spot, and Search checks.
Ettins like to establish their lairs in remote, rocky areas. They dwell in dark, underground caves that stink of decaying food and offal. They tolerate other creatures, such as orcs, if these can be useful in some way. Otherwise, ettins tend to be violently isolationist, crushing trespassers without question. Ettins are generally solitary, and mated pairs stay together for only a few months after a child is born. Young ettins mature quickly. Within eight to ten months after birth, they are self-sufficient enough to go off on their own.
On rare occasions, a particularly strong ettin may gather a small group, or gang, of ettins. This gang stays together only as long as the leader is undefeated. Any major defeat shatters the leader’s hold over the others, and they go their separate ways.
Ettins place little value on wealth but are smart enough to understand its value to others. They collect treasure only because it can buy them the services of goblins or orcs. These lesser creatures sometimes build traps around ettins’ lairs, or help them fight off powerful opponents.
Source: Monster Manual (version 3.5), page 106.