The New 2024 Goliath (DnD 5e Species Deep Dive)
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First appearing in 2004 in the Dungeon & Dragons 3.5 supplement Races of Stone, the Goliath would later become a playable race in DnD 5e, appearing first in the 2015 Elemental Evil Player’s Companion, before rumbling to life in Volo’s Guide to Monsters in 2016 and again in Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse in 2022.
The popularity of the Goliath has only increased since then, thanks in large part to the character Grog Strongjaw of the Critical Role actual play and subsequent Amazon animated series. So it’s no surprise that the Goliath has stormed into the pages of the 2024 Player’s Handbook as one of several new DnD species, appearing alongside old standbys like the human, elf, dwarf and halfling.
So is the new 2024 Goliath a giant-sized improvement over earlier versions? Below, we smash into all the details.
What are Goliaths in DnD 2024?
Towering over most folk, Goliaths are distant descendants of giants. Each goliath bears the favors of the first giants—favors that manifest in various supernatural boons, including the ability to quickly grow and temporarily approach the height of Goliaths’ gigantic kin.
Goliaths have physical characteristics that are reminiscent of the giants in their family lines. For example, some goliaths look like stone giants, while others resemble fire giants. Whatever giants they count as kin, goliaths have forged their own path in the multiverse—unencumbered by the internecine conflicts that have ravaged giantkind for ages—and seek heights above those reached by their ancestors.
What’s changed in the new 2024 Goliath?
While the Goliath species has been around for almost a decade in DnD 5e, the 2024 Player’s Handbook does introduce a number of very minor changes from their previous Goliath iteration that appeared in Monsters of the Multiverse.
| Goliath Species Trait | Level | Changed from Monsters of the Multiverse? | Changes to the 2024 Goliath |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ability Score Improvements | 1 | Yes | Races/species no longer provide ability score improvements. Instead, character nows receive these bonuses from the new DnD backgrounds. |
| Giant Ancestry | 1 | Yes | This is a new 2024 Goliath species trait that lets you choose specific abilities based on your giant lineage (cloud giant, fire giant, frost giant, hill giant, stone giant and storm giant). In Monsters of the Multiverse Goliaths were essentially only descended from Stone Giants. |
| Stones Endurance | 1 | Yes | In Monsters of the Multiverse this was a built in feature that all Goliaths received. In the 2024 rules, it is now a Giant Ancestry option that you select only if you are descended from Stone Giants. |
| Base Speed | 1 | Yes | The new Goliath has a base walking speed of 35 feet (versus the 30 feet which appeared in Monsters of the Multiverse). |
| Little Giant | 1 | Yes | This feature has been removed from the 2024 Goliath. It previously granted proficiency in Athletics and you were counted as one size larger for the purposes of carrying and pushing objects. |
| Mountain Born | 1 | Yes | This feature has been removed from the 2024 Goliath. It previously granted resistance to cold damage and allowed you to naturally acclimatize to high altitudes. |
| Large Form | 1 | Yes | This is a new trait for the 2024 Goliath (see below). |
| Powerful Build | 1 | Yes | This is a new trait for the 2024 Goliath (see below). |
What are the Goliath species traits in DnD 2024?
Below are the full list of all the Goliath traits using the new 2024 core rules.
- Creature Type: Humanoid
- Size: Medium (about 7–8 feet tall)
- Speed: 35 feet
As a Goliath, you have the following special traits.
- Giant Ancestry. You are descended from Giants. Choose one of the following benefits—a supernatural boon from your ancestry; you can use the chosen benefit a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest:
- Cloud’s Jaunt (Cloud Giant): As a Bonus Action, you magically teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see.
- Fire’s Burn (Fire Giant): When you hit a target with an attack roll and deal damage to it, you can also deal 1d10 Fire damage to that target.
- Frost’s Chill (Frost Giant): When you hit a target with an attack roll and deal damage to it, you can also deal 1d6 Cold damage to that target and reduce its Speed by 10 feet until the start of your next turn.
- Hill’s Tumble (Hill Giant): When you hit a Large or smaller creature with an attack roll and deal damage to it, you can give that target the Prone condition.
- Stone’s Endurance (Stone Giant): When you take damage, you can take a Reaction to roll 1d12. Add your Constitution modifier to the number rolled and reduce the damage by that total.
- Storm’s Thunder (Storm Giant): When you take damage from a creature within 60 feet of you, you can take a Reaction to deal 1d8 Thunder damage to that creature.
- Large Form: Starting at character level 5, you can change your size to Large as a Bonus Action if you’re in a big enough space. This transformation lasts for 10 minutes or until you end it (no action required). For that duration, you have Advantage on Strength checks, and your Speed increases by 10 feet. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a Long Rest.
- Powerful Build. You have Advantage on any saving throw you make to end the Grappled condition. You also count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity.
Is the new 2024 Goliath species worth playing?
The Goliath is one of the more unique species in DnD 5e and seem like a solid option in the 2024 rules for players who are looking for a departure from some of the more traditional species. The changes Wizards of the Coast have made to the 2024 Goliath also seem spot on, particularly in terms of the new Giant Ancestry trait offering players the option to choose new abilities from a variety of lineages, something which has a definite impact both in terms of gameplay and roleplaying potential.
You can find the complete rules for the new Goliath in the 2024 Player’s Handbook, which is available now on D&D Beyond and Amazon.
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Cameron Nichols is a Senior Editor who lives in Boston, Massechustes, and has been playing D&D since the early 90s, when he was introduced by his older brother and cut his teeth on AD&D 2nd Edition. Since then he’s played virtually every RPG he could get his nerdy little mitts on (including a weird Goth phase in the early 2000s when he rocked Vampire: The Masquerade pretty hard). His favorite D&D campaign setting is the Forgotten Realms and his favorite character to play was a Half-Orc Barbarian named Grug (who was unfortunately devoured by a gelatinous cube).
