D&D 5E Check Out Some (Minor) Monster Reveals From Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants!

Thanks to miniatures company WizKids, some upcoming miniatures reveal some of the monsters in this Spring's official D&D adventure.

Some of the creatures included in the book (which naturally have a 'giant' theme) are:

• Stone Giant of Evil Earth
• Fire Hellion
• Goliath Chief
• Frostmourn
• Giant Lynx
• Death Giant Necromancer

There's not much more info than that, although the Death Giant Necromancer gets a description --

This Huge miniature features a chilling expression reminiscent of the grave. The souls flitting about this wizard of the undead will be sure to inspire terror for all that look upon its fell visage.

The grave is calling… how will you answer?

 

[ad_hoc]

Oh, that sort of thing I am so glad for: never assuming any book other than the MM and providing any further stat blocks in the Adventure is helpful, even if there end up being a reprint in a future Monster book.

Wouldn't it be the best of both worlds if they gave both options? Use this special fire giant but if you don't have the book just use a regular one.

We only have 2 monster books right now to draw from after 10 years since they consolidated 2 of them into 1. So it doesn't seem like a big deal to do that.

As it stands I do that work on my own, going through Multiverse sometimes to find monsters to slot in to an adventure. Would be nice if there was a suggestion, it wouldn't take up many words.

 

[Parmandur]

Wouldn't it be the best of both worlds if they gave both options? Use this special fire giant but if you don't have the book just use a regular one.

We only have 2 monster books right now to draw from after 10 years since they consolidated 2 of them into 1. So it doesn't seem like a big deal to do that.

As it stands I do that work on my own, going through Multiverse sometimes to find monsters to slot in to an adventure. Would be nice if there was a suggestion, it wouldn't take up many words.

No, I rather prefer it all being in the book.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

The Naiad first appeared in Hidden Shine of Tamoachan (1979) long before MtG was invented. Before that, it came from Greek myth.

Very aware it comes Greek Myth, I pray to a host of Greek Gods daily, but this specific stat block was designed around the Theros interatation of Naiads, inspired by actual cards and the blue part of the colour pie.

I doubt the Hidden Shine of Tamachan 1979 (year I was born btw) had Naiads that could cast flying, and various illusions, in addition the obvious water stuff. All of that is MtG influence, there is a Naiad card with flying, and Illusions & flying are part of blue's colour pie, aing with aquatic themes.

The Naiad in Candkeep Mysteries had MtGs finger prints all over it (also Naiads have been mentioned in FR in a previous edition, but never statted out until CM).

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Very aware it comes Greek Myth, I pray to a host of Greek Gods daily, but this specific stat block was designed around the Theros interatation of Naiads, inspired by actual cards and the blue part of the colour pie.

I doubt the Hidden Shine of Tamachan 1979 (year I was born btw) had Naiads that could cast flying, and various illusions, in addition the obvious water stuff. All of that is MtG influence, there is a Naiad card with flying, and Illusions & flying are part of blue's colour pie, aing with aquatic themes.

The Naiad in Candkeep Mysteries had MtGs finger prints all over it (also Naiads have been mentioned in FR in a previous edition, but never statted out until CM).

You are being disengeous: you know very well that the "water stuff" comes from Greek myth. An, whist I don't remember it having flying, the naiad's water based illusions where pretty central to the Tamoachan encounter.

So D&D and MtG both have the same creature based on Greek Myth - actually, they have a lot of the same creatures drawn from mythology, dating back to before they where owned by the same company. Because the intellectual property rights on mythical creatures expired a very long time ago.

So what does that tell us about the "fire hellion"? It may or may not be similar to something in MtG. I.e. exactly nothing. My personal guess is it is a fire giant variant focused on throwing bombs.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

You are being disengeous: you know very well that the "water stuff" comes from Greek myth. An, whist I don't remember it having flying, the naiad's water based illusions where pretty central to the Tamoachan encounter.

So D&D and MtG both have the same creature based on Greek Myth - actually, they have a lot of the same creatures drawn from mythology, dating back to before they where owned by the same company. Because the intellectual property rights on mythical creatures expired a very long time ago.

So what does that tell us about the "fire hellion"? It may or may not be similar to something in MtG. I.e. exactly nothing. My personal guess is it is a fire giant variant focused on throwing bombs.

I said obvious water stuff, because that comes from Greek myth, but the other stuff, most specfically ths flying spell, comes from its Theros/colour pie influences. All the Nymphs in Mythic Odysessy of Theros have very MtG specific influences. Oreads are a great example of this because mechanically, Theros Oreads lean towards fire more then earth, but in past D&D editions, Oreads were not Volcano focused, having no fire magic, just being Mountain Nymphs. Dryads aren't super different, except from the D&D 4e version. The Lamad and Aleseid are completely new to D&D, but I hope they & the Naiad & Oread end up in the RD&D MM.

Back to the Naiad, there might have been some illusion magic in the 1979 version as well, I would have no way to know that, I was just born that year.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Back to the Naiad, there might have been some illusion magic in the 1979 version as well

There was, I was playing the module in 1982. Ran it twice back then actually, and once in modern times.

 

[Parmandur]

There was, I was playing the module in 1982. Ran it twice back then actually, and once in modern times.

And so did the people who made Magic, probably.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

So, is Book of Many Things a MTG book because it's about cards and MTG is a card game?

 

[Voadam]

Just a quick clarification.

C1 The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan has a Nereid, not a Naiad.

 

[John R Davis]

Nagpa were in module X5?