Fee Fie Fo- you get the idea

My group is getting ready for a run through of G1: Steading of the Hill Giant Chief. It's been over 20 years since I played any part of the module, so it should be a fun time. (We're using LL+AEC if you're interested.)

Anyhow, this got me thinking about GIANTS. Even in BX, you've got the six varieties, in escalating size and power: Hill, Stone, Frost, Fire. Cloud, and Storm. I've often wondered why so many? It's kind of like dragons, I suppose, where the authors wanted to include lots of good bits from mythology and folklore, but not lump them all together in one monster.

One thing that strikes me about all the giants is the treasure. They all have the same type ("E") plus 5000gp. (The ogre –aka "Giant Lite"– is similar with Type C + 1000gp). Where does this come from? Jack & the Beanstalk? Mythology? Probably a combination. Regardless, giants are a pretty lucrative monster to fight.

Hill Giants seem to be basically bigger, tougher ogres. Primitive brutes who eat just about anything.

Stone Giants are fun with their bouder flinging skills and pet bears. A pair of 9HD giants + up to four cave bears is a scary place!

Frost Giants are the first "supernatural" giants, obviously borrowing a little from the Norse myths with their cold immunity. They like to keep polar bears and wolves about. Even just one of these blue meanies is a truly challenging encounter.

Fire Giants –based (I think) on Surtr from the Norse as well– are also magical, with fire immunity. They also keep nasty pets (hell hounds and hydras).

Cloud Giants have got that castle in the sky/beanstalk thing going on. Giant Hawks hang out with them if their lair is airborne.

Storm Giants are frankly weird. Maybe they're in the sky, or MAYBE they're on a mountain, or MAYBE they're underwater! Who knows?? They are the biggest and toughest of the bunch, but like (gold) dragons, the toughest is also the most likely to be the nicest with their Lawful alignment. Their storm powers are impressive as well.

I'm not sure I have a point to all this other than reflecting on these iconic creatures and seeing all the interesting little rules that were included with them.

...Also to mention that a Girdle of Storm Giant Strength is a potential campaign wrecker!

New Monster: Time Goblins

While talking with my wife, I made a common lament. "Where does the time go in a day?" Her glib reply, "Time Goblins. They eat it." That stuck in my head, and here is the result.

urp!

Time Goblins

No. Appearing: 1 (1d6)
AL: C
HD: 1d4 hp
AC: 7 (1 when invisible)
Move: 30', special
Attacks: 1
Damage: 1d4, special
Save As: F1
Morale: 8
Treasure: see below

Time goblins look like small (≈1' tall), pale goblins when they can be seen at all. They have the innate ability to turn invisible at will and are quite adept at sneaking around.

Time goblins do not typically attack with force. They prefer to stealthily rob those who pass too close to their lairs. They do not steal trinkets or coins, though. What they take is time.

Once per day, a time goblin can "steal" an hour from a group of up to ten people. There is no saving throw. The party is simply an hour further along in time than they thought. The day is simply that much closer to over. Any wandering monster rolls or replenishing of things like torches that should have occurred in that time happen at the end of the missing hour. If the party was moving when the hour was taken, a rest break is needed as well. 

No one knows what happens to the time, but it is believed that it somehow lengthens the time goblin's lifespan, often making them nigh-immortal.

Time goblins usually live alone, but sometimes small warrens of them can be found beneath fairy rings or in tunnels and caves. There is a 10% chance that, hidden in the warren, is a small crystal bottle of wine. Drinking the contents acts as a single dose of a Time Stop potion (2 round duration). 

RSA: Insect Plague

Maybe it's the fact that it's a higher level spell, but I don't think I've seen this one used too often. 5th level clerical spells include such standbys as Raise Dead and Dispel Evil, so – unsurprisingly– I.P. often gets left on the back burner.

That said, since clerics can pray for whatever spells they want from their list, I can think of cases where it could come in darned handy.

Insect Plague (from Cook)

Cleric: 5th Level
Range: 480'
Duration: 1 day

HOW long??! It can last the WHOLE FREAKING DAY! Of course, the cleric has to concentrate on it. The range is pretty impressive too. Don't forget that changes to 480 yards when you're outside.

Now let's look at what the spell actually does once it's cast. It creates a "vast swarm" of bugs (60' diameter) they "obscure vision" - meaning you can't see to target the cleric bringing the bug cloud down on you. It also "drives off" creatures of < 3HD. No limit on number, no save, just area of effect. So that horde of 1HD mooks you brought to mess with Father Locust? Off they run.

I mentioned the spell requires concentration, but the caster can also move the cloud around. I can imagine priests casting this and really messing with enemy troops on the battlefield.

Back to the grindstone. Ep33

Here's a new "normal" vlog entry. This time about horror and scary gaming:

Final 40K video

Part 6 is a short "slideshow" video with some general advice to my potential DH players. 

RMA: Oliphaunts (Elephants and Mastodons)

I can stand the sight of worms,

And even microscopic germs,

But technicolor pachyderms,

Are really too much for me!

                                     -"Pink Elephants on Parade"

It's hardly surprising to find that elephants are pretty formidable opponents in D&D. They're big, they're strong, and they basically have SPEARS coming out of their faces. I have rarely seen them in play, though. Elephants –and their prehistoric cousins, the Mastodon– are rare on random encounters. Each only appears a single time (Grassland and Optional: Prehistoric) on the charts. Nevertheless, "modern" elephants are sometimes tamed in certain cultures and can make for an interesting encounter.

aka "The last thing Uncle Ted saw 

after setting off a firecracker on safari."

Elephant (from Cook)

AC: 5 

HD: 9

Move: 120' (40')

Attacks: 2 (tusks) or 1 (trample)

Damage: 2d8/2d8 or 4d8

No. App: 0 (1d20)

Save: F5

Morale: 8

AL: N

First of all, up to twenty in a herd. Secondly, NINE hit dice. Their AC is decent, too. If you tick these things off, you have some heavy work ahead. 

They charge to start with, doing double damage with tusks, so that's potentially sixty-four hit points of damage right there. THEN they start trampling for up to 32 points per attack. Those 9HD means elephants hit often enough, but check this out: Against man-sized or smaller, they get a +4 to attack!!

Mastodons are pretty similar, except tougher (though they deal slightly less damage with their tusks).

Mastodon (from Cook)

AC: 3 

HD: 15

Move: 120' (40')

Attacks: 2 (tusks) or 1 (trample)

Damage: 2d6/2d6 or 4d8

No. App: 0 (2d8)

Save: F8

Morale: 8

AL: N

The best way to deal with either of these creatures as foes? Scare them off. They're herbivores with so-so morale. Just don't be in the way when they stampede in a panic. 

The tusks of these creatures are valuable enough to entice some to take the risks (up to 800gp per). Hooks involving ivory hunters, vengeful druids, and elephant graveyards full of tusks could make for a fine adventure indeed!

RMA: Merchants

Let's get these pineapples to Hawaii before the price drops!

Probably every DM has used the "caravan guard" adventure hook at one point or another, and merchants themselves are not exactly the scariest of monsters unless you are particularly susceptible to extended warranty sales pitches. But the more I look at the Cook Expert listing, the more intrigued I am.

Like bandits, merchants are not so much a memorable encounter by themselves, as what -ahem- baggage comes with them.

The no. appearing is listed as 1-20. What's fun is the chart on X36. Depending upon how many actual merchants there are, the caravan just keeps growing. An average roll of 10-11 merchants means twenty wagons. That means at least 20 teamsters plus draft animals (mules, etc.); probably 2 per wagon. THEN there are the extra 1d12 animals. 

The merchants themselves wear chain and carry swords, so ten or so of them are relatively formidable. However, the really interesting thing are their guards.

For the 10-11 merchants, that's 45 fighters in tow. 

Forty. Five. 

What's more, that includes four 2nd-3rd level fighters plus a FIFTH level guard leader. 

I'm thinking these guys aren't going to be terribly easy to intimidate. Nevertheless, twenty wagons of goods and supplies plus forty or fifty riding/draft animals must be a tempting target for some. (Not to mention the weapons and armor from the guards, etc.)

Another aspect of the merchant encounter that is worth noting is how useful they are at handing out rumors and hooks. Merchants generally talk to everyone from all over and keep their eyes and ears open. Smart players will make nice with merchants, and pump them for every scrap of information they can.