Torn between the attack on titan or there might be giants joke...
googles mashups of Feuerroter Pfeil und Bogen and Istanbul (Not Constantinople)
Giants
Massive - Powerful - Direct
Giants have a bonus to scale depending on their size, usually +1 or +2
Theme: An overwhelming threat that requires cunning and lateral thinking.
Giants come in many shapes, but only one size; terrifying. They require a large amount of food to sate themselves and aren't at all picky where it comes from. This causes any potential diplomacy to break down early when they have already devoured the farmhand and headed for the livestock. They are bullies, their size and power letting them walk all over those weaker and take what they need without repercussion. A battalion could fight a giant in a direct confrontation, our heroes will need to rely on their wits and luck.
Giants are fascinating because they are such a staple just about everywhere. Humans love imagining us but bigger. Fantasy rpgs obviously are drawing from the titans, cyclops, and even Jack and the Beanstalk. Then there are things like trolls or ogres which very much fit into the same mold. I like the idea of condensing them down to "bully", it gives the players a chance to punch up, heh. I had considered Gullible as a trait but landed on Direct, I don't want to force Giants to all be stupid, rather I want them to go for the obvious answer. This also works well for any players who want to try and engage them in a riddle contest as is the tradition.
Questions
- Most captured by giants are eaten immediately, others are taken. What do they say happens to them?
- Besides for their size and might, what makes fighting Giants such a terrifying task?
- Giants tend to roam through our lands pillaging, but there are stories of their homeland and the treasures to be found there. Where is it said the Giants come from?
- Giants are known to travel with massive beasts of burden or guard animals, what sorts of creatures are these?
First off, we give the giants an out for not simply killing an opponent, and allow the players to decide what dark fate awaits. We also give the players a chance to add a wrinkle to giants outside of their bulk, something uniquely dangerous for the giants at your table. I really like the idea of potentially building towards players having to sneak through giant sized architecture and the third questions sets that foundation. Finally, we give the opportunity for foes other than giants to fight alongside them.
Moves
- Lift a mighty weapon, about to bring it down on many.
- Hurl a boulder or other large object
- Place a captive in a pen for later
- Devour a limb in a single bite (3 doom)
- Charge forward blindly
As plain as a boulder rolling downhill. Honestly, one of the biggest draws of Giants is how simple you can run them as a GM. Real "teacher has a hangover and we are watching a movie today" energy. Our big ticket is taking away a limb, which depending on the damage inflicted could also just be their head. It's a nasty move but it feels appropriate and costs a lot of doom. If players resist it, it's a good time to ask "what do you lose instead"
Tactics
Giants are a tough encounter that places the party on the back foot. Avoid encounters on flat plains where the iants can just overrun the heroes. Instead, let them play the mouse to the giant's cat and have to dodge and weave through the environment. With the reach and scale, a giant is going to devastate players on missed rolls. A good way to simulate the fact that the players are so much faster is to let resisting a giant's blows get them more. Describe the wind up to the blow and when the players resist let them reduce the harm by multiple steps or even negate it. So instead of just splatting the players, you are attacking their stress and tiring them out until they take trauma- which is a great time to toss them into a cage.
There are many tales of triumphing over giants by tricking and outsmarting them. You should let your players try for these sorts of victories. The giants would love play a game of riddles with you (while the pot of water comes to a boil). Giants will be straightforward allowing players to try and outmaneuver them, perhaps even winning their freedom in such a contest. However, while a giant might respect a loss- they will not abide cheats and will quickly fly into a rage over such deception.
Variants
Trolls are giants with a direct tie to the earth. They gain protection 1 against nonmagical harm from their hardened skin. But they also turn to stone when exposed to sunlight, leading them to hide during the day to keep themselves from being destroyed or place in galleries.
Yeah, I like this. I think switching the idea that you are more directly tiring the heroes out until they can be easily caught is a good way to change up encounters. I could provide more instruction here on like contests with giants but I don't want to codify it too much and leave space for the table. I was honestly pretty torn on whether to put trolls under Giants or Elementals, but their size combined with their willingness to eat people put them here.