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Cyclops

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Traits: Cyclops, Giant, Humanoid

Summary

Cyclops are one-eyed giantfolk, heirs of a long-fallen civilization. Cyclops are large, powerfully built, and can glimpse the future, leading many to further explore the mysteries the future holds. Cyclops prefer to live solitary lives, only rarely seeking out interaction with others.

Cyclops roam mountainous wilds, and while it was once assumed all cyclops had lost their intellect to an ancient curse of hunger, survivors of the fall of their once great empire have begun to appear throughout Golarion, often emerging from secluded shelters that have hid them for generations. While the secrets of the fallen civilization are still mostly lost, these buried shelters were made with remarkably advanced magic and craftsmanship.

The Cyclops from these shelters indicate that the creators seem to have intentionally refused to record the details of the empire's fall, or much of its history, and it's believed this was to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. As such, Cyclops prefer to look to the future with their natural oracular talents, rather than cling to a ruined past.

If you want to play a character with both immense strength and surprising foresight, you should play a Cyclops.

You Might…

  • Take pride in your powerful frame
  • Seek out answers to half-seen future events

Others Probably…

  • Assume you're more brute than brains
  • Think your visions are clear and can be done on command

Physical Description

Cyclops are large, bulky humanoids with a single eye and stout proportions. Their large frame and odd proportions might lead one to assume they are slow and lumbering, but the immense strength within their body allows for deceptive speed.

Cyclops have a natural draw to occult magics, and often have personal rituals for luck and to help encourage better futures. This is often paired with tattoos or scarification of ritual symbols to help channel their natural foresight.

Society

Cyclops culture is fairly solitary, despite the generations within the underground shelters from which they preserved themselves. Once the shelters re-opened, many Cyclops chose to leave and find peace and quiet within the natural world. They will reconvene for Auspicious occasions, and occasionally all cyclops near a given shelter will receive a clear, shared vision that must be discussed, but otherwise are content to leave their fellows to their peace.

Cyclops tend to keep their thoughts to themselves, but when they feel the need to speak they tend towards circuitous or somewhat confusing turns of phrase, usually in the context of visions they have not yet fully interpreted.

Beliefs

(TBD)

Adventurers

Cyclops have a reputation for being powerful melee combatants, and while it's not uncommon for Cyclops to take advantage of this as Barbarians or Fighters, some prefer to delve further into the mysteries of magic with their natural divinatory abilities as Oracles or Clerics. Additionally, their preference for the quiet and peace of nature lends to Ranger's and Druids among their people.

Mechanics

Hit Points 10
Size Large
Speed 25 Feet

Attribute Boosts

  • Strength
  • Wisdom
  • Free

Attribute Flaws

  • Charisma

Languages

Common, Cyclops. Additional languages equal to your Intelligence modifier (if positive). Choose from Jotun, Petran, Dwarven, and any other languages to which you have access (such as the languages prevalent in your region)

Oracular Eye

Your single eye can also see vague hints of possible futures, though directing this intentionally takes careful practice. You gain a +1 bonus to Perception checks using sight, but a -1 penalty to saves against the Blinded condition

Low Light Vision

You can see in dim light as though it were bright light, so you ignore the concealed condition due to dim light.

Heritages

Deep-Sight Cyclops

Your eye is sharper and better suited to seeing in the dark than most Cyclops, giving it an eerie green-ish reflection. You gain Darkvision.

(Beefy boy)

You're even more sturdily built than most of your people, and are well suited to feats of strength and endurance. You become Trained in Athletics (or another skill if you were already trained in Athletics), and you gain the Hefty Hauler Skill Feat.

(Oracle Cyclops)

Your natural Oracular abilities are stronger than most Cyclops, and you can call upon that power more reliably in turn. You can cast the Guidance cantrip as an occult innate spell at will. A cantrip is heightened to a spell rank equal to half your level rounded up. Additionally, you may apply your Oracular Eye bonus to Saves using Perception.

Wild Cyclops

You were raised well outside the shelters that other cyclops preserved themselves in, and yet despite this you have still escaped the fate of your Kin. This has shaped your natural talents in ways unique from Sheltered Cyclops. You become trained in Survival (or another skill if you were already trained in Survival), and you gain the All of the Animal skill feat.

Dream-Sight Cyclops

Your natural oracular abilities manifest as prophetic dreams more than the waking visions. Once per day, you may apply your Oracular Eye bonus to any non-strike Ability Check, as a dream from the prior night gave you foresight into this course of action. However, if this check fails, you lose the benefits of Oracular Eye for 1d4 hours as you lose sight of path laid out in the dream, and must spend time re-orienting yourself.

(Little Guy)

You're smaller than most Cyclops, though no less strong for it, and thus can leverage your still considerable frame even faster than your kin. You are Medium instead of Large, but you gain a +1 circumstance bonus to reflex saves.

Cyclops Feats

Feat 1

FEAT 1 Burgeoning Greatness   Cyclops

You have began to manifest traits of the feared Great Cyclops. You gain your choice from one the following Unarmed attacks. The attack in in the Brawling Group and has the listed Damage Die and Traits.

  • Hooves 1d4 Bludgeoning (Agile, Finesse, Trip)
  • Horn 1d6 Piercing (Deadly d6, Shove)

Leads into: (Increased Mutation)

You can’t retrain into or out of this feat, though you can take it a second time to gain both attacks.

FEAT 1 Lucky Rite   Cyclops

You have developed particulary potent rituals for luck, special cyclopean luck-scars, or other similiar things to bend your natural oracular magic towards changing an unwanted future. You can cast the Wash Your Luck Cantrip as an Occult Innate Spell at will. A Cantrip is heightened to a spell rank equal to half your level rounded up. Additionally, you have a +1 circumstance bonus to saves against Misfortune effects.

FEAT 1 Cyclops Lore   Cyclops

You've payed close attention to your peoples culture and what past remains of Cyclopean history. You become trained in the Occultism Skill. If you would become automatically trained in this skill (such as from your Background or Class for example), you instead become trained in a skill of your choice. Additionally, you gain the Additional Lore general feat twice, for Cyclops Lore and Fortune-Telling Lore.

FEAT 1 Cyclops Weapon Familiarity   Cyclops

You've trained in some of the traditional weapons of your people. You have familiarity with the Greataxe, Greatclub, Greatpick, Tetsubo, and Macuahuitl- For the purposes of proficiency, you treat these martial weapons as simple weapons.

At 5th level, whenever you get a critical hit with one of these weapons, you get it's critical specialization effect.

FEAT 1 Practiced Hurler   Cyclops

PREREQUISITE: Trained in Athletics, or Wild Cyclops Heritage

You've trained in the classic Cyclopean sport of Hurling, which conveniently doubles as a terrifying martial art. When using Thrown Weapons, you gain a +1 circumstance bonus to attack and damage rolls within their first and second range increments

Leads Into: Brutish Lobber

FEAT 1 Cyclopean Ferocity [reaction]    Cyclops

FREQUENCY: Once Per Day

You would be reduced to 0 hit points but not immediately Killed

In the heat of battle, your ferocity runs deep, and you can tap into it to push beyond even grievous injuries.You avoid being knocked out and remain at 1 hit point, and your Wounded condition increases by 1.

Feat 5

FEAT 5 Brutish Lobber   Cyclops

You've taken your practice of Hurling to the next, perhaps even competitive, level. You gain the Hurl Rubble ranged unarmed attack that deals 1d8 bludgeoning damage. This attack is in the Brawling Group, has the Thrown Trait, and has a Range Increment of 30 Feet. However, to use this strike, you must either be holding a suitable piece of rubble or debris, such as a boulder or chunk of fallen masonry, or have such rubble or debris in reach.

Leads Into: Powerful Hurler

Despite being an Unarmed Strike, this attack can also be attuned to a Thrower's Bandolier as if it were a one handed thrown weapon.

FEAT 5 (Increased Mutation)   Cyclops

PREREQUISITE: Burgeoning Greatness

Your transformation has become even more clear, and more impactful. You gain a +1 Circumstance Bonus to Intimidation checks due to your more monstrous form, and the Unarmed Attack you chose with Burgeoning Greatness is enhanced, replacing the Damage Dice and Traits with those listed below.

  • Hooves 1d6 Bludgeoning (Agile, Finesse, Trip, Shove)
  • Horn 1d8 Piercing (Fatal D10, Shove)

Leads Into: Brutal Charge, True Greatness

Feat 9

FEAT 9 Powerful Hurler   Cyclops

PREREQUISITE: Brutish Hurler

You've further honed your Hurling skills, and can supplement them further with your considerable might by using both hands. If you use two hands, you can use your Hurl Rubble action to throw even larger things, provided they are available. When throwing rubble with Two Hands, increase the Damage Dice by one step. Additionally, if you have both hands free when you take this action, and something that can be turned into rubble or debris within easy reach, such as a small tree, cracked pillar, or shoddy wall, you can make a standard DC Athletics check for your level to break it into the necessary rubble as part of the Hurl Rubble action. If you fail the check, however, the action is lost.

Leads Into: Oversized Hurler

FEAT 9 Brutal Charge [two-actions]    Cyclops

PREREQUISITE: Burgeoning Greatness

You can leverage your heavy frame into deadly momentum. Stride Twice, then make an Unarmed Strike with one of the attacks gained from Burgeoning Greatness. If you moved at least twenty feet from your starting position, you gain one of the following benefits, depending on which strike you made.

Feat 13

FEAT 13 Flash of Brutality [reaction]    Cyclops

PREREQUISITE: (Increased Mutation)

You succeed on an Attack Roll

Your oracular powers suddenly show you the bright, clear line between your own strike and the certain devastation of your foes. The triggering attack becomes a Critical Hit. After using this reaction, you cannot use it again for 1d4 days.

Feat 17

FEAT 17 True Greatness   Cyclops Occult

PREREQUISITE: (Increased Mutation)

You've mastered the your mutations, and have figured out how to access all the power of the Great Cyclops without losing yourself. You spend 24 hours performing special rituals and engraving yourself with tattoos and ritual scars, after which you undergo a one-time metamorphosis. You permanently gain the effects of a 4th Rank Enlarge spell (or a 2nd rank enlarge if you are a (little guy), and your maximum Hit Points increase by your level. The ritual transforms most of your gear to the appropriate size for your new body (though powerful items like artifacts or items strongly tied to their original size may not transform, at the GM's discretion).

Author: Jay Mitchell

Created: 2025-06-07