Game designer James Wyatt and art director Emi Tanji talk about the upcoming book, which comes out on August 15th.
James Wyatt: We're here today to talk to you about Bigby Presents...
Emi Tanji: ...Glory of the Giants!
James Wyatt: I'm James Wyatt. I write D&D books.
Emi Tanji: And I'm Emi Tanji. I can't draw and I find people who do.
James Wyatt: And we're super excited about this book because it was an opportunity for us to explore the mythic history of giants--what makes them cool and awesome, more than just monsters that you fight in a dungeon. They're a people with this incredible history and lore and so much potential to shape your entire game world.
Emi Tanji: Hey James, do you know what my favorite part of this big book of giants is?
James Wyatt: Which part?
Emi Tanji: It is the big chapter of big creatures.
James Wyatt: The bestiary is the biggest chapter in the book and it's chock full of monsters you can add to your D&D game. All kinds of giants. Giants that use runic magic, giants that have been transformed by their devotion to fiendish overlords which have become demons themselves, giant animals including dinosaurs that are bigger than anything that ever walked this earth.
Emi Tanji: Giant ticks.
James Wyatt: The giant tick that preys on giants. Giant geese, and so much more.
Emi Tanji: And also the visuals. We were able to put them in places that are not just in battle, that are not just destroying towns and fighting dragons, like we are showing them walking alongside other adventurers. We are exploring giant beasts, dinosaurs that giants can even ride on.
James Wyatt: Though we do have some giants fighting dragons.
Emi Tanji: We do have one, yeah.
Emi Tanji: And also there's a giant something that players will not see coming.
James Wyatt: They won't see it coming because they're standing on it! You know we built a city on that hill over there, and then one day the hill got up and walked away because it was a giant. How do you even deal with something like that?
Emi Tanji: Speaking of which how does this book help players bring giants on to the table?
James Wyatt: So there's a lot of advice in this book for bringing giants to life everything from, you know, stand up and stomp around a little bit, help your players understand just how big a giant is.
Emi Tanji: Can the players be affected by a giant strength?
James Wyatt: Absolutely there's a whole chapter in here to help you make your character feel a little bit more like a part of the world of the giants. You can have one of two backgrounds that tie you into the story of giants--you could be a runecarver who carves giant runes and taps into the magic of giants, or you can be a giant foundling who might have been raised by giants or lived among giants, and maybe your greatsword is a giant-sized letter opener, but hey it works! Then there's a barbarian subclass that when you rage makes you giant-sized and it lets you throw things and people around reflecting the fury of the giants.
Emi Tanji: I could use that once in a while. You know, James, as a new trying-to-be DM the thing I love most are tables.
James Wyatt: Tables are super helpful and you are in luck if you like tables because there's tons of tables in this book to help a DM, whether you're brand new or very experienced. Generate encounters with giants, there's maps you can use to drop your adventures in, the book is full of tools to help DMs get their giant themed adventures off the ground.
Emi Tanji: And the narrator of this book is the famous wizard Bigby.
James Wyatt: Thanks Bigby! So Bigby leads us on this journey of exploration as we discover together that giants are more than just creatures to be fought in a dungeon, they're people with this rich mythic history waiting to be discovered.
Emi Tanji: So go to D&D Beyond or your local game store to pre-order now.
James Wyatt: We're here today to talk to you about Bigby Presents...
Emi Tanji: ...Glory of the Giants!
James Wyatt: I'm James Wyatt. I write D&D books.
Emi Tanji: And I'm Emi Tanji. I can't draw and I find people who do.
James Wyatt: And we're super excited about this book because it was an opportunity for us to explore the mythic history of giants--what makes them cool and awesome, more than just monsters that you fight in a dungeon. They're a people with this incredible history and lore and so much potential to shape your entire game world.
Emi Tanji: Hey James, do you know what my favorite part of this big book of giants is?
James Wyatt: Which part?
Emi Tanji: It is the big chapter of big creatures.
James Wyatt: The bestiary is the biggest chapter in the book and it's chock full of monsters you can add to your D&D game. All kinds of giants. Giants that use runic magic, giants that have been transformed by their devotion to fiendish overlords which have become demons themselves, giant animals including dinosaurs that are bigger than anything that ever walked this earth.
Emi Tanji: Giant ticks.
James Wyatt: The giant tick that preys on giants. Giant geese, and so much more.
Emi Tanji: And also the visuals. We were able to put them in places that are not just in battle, that are not just destroying towns and fighting dragons, like we are showing them walking alongside other adventurers. We are exploring giant beasts, dinosaurs that giants can even ride on.
James Wyatt: Though we do have some giants fighting dragons.
Emi Tanji: We do have one, yeah.
Emi Tanji: And also there's a giant something that players will not see coming.
James Wyatt: They won't see it coming because they're standing on it! You know we built a city on that hill over there, and then one day the hill got up and walked away because it was a giant. How do you even deal with something like that?
Emi Tanji: Speaking of which how does this book help players bring giants on to the table?
James Wyatt: So there's a lot of advice in this book for bringing giants to life everything from, you know, stand up and stomp around a little bit, help your players understand just how big a giant is.
Emi Tanji: Can the players be affected by a giant strength?
James Wyatt: Absolutely there's a whole chapter in here to help you make your character feel a little bit more like a part of the world of the giants. You can have one of two backgrounds that tie you into the story of giants--you could be a runecarver who carves giant runes and taps into the magic of giants, or you can be a giant foundling who might have been raised by giants or lived among giants, and maybe your greatsword is a giant-sized letter opener, but hey it works! Then there's a barbarian subclass that when you rage makes you giant-sized and it lets you throw things and people around reflecting the fury of the giants.
Emi Tanji: I could use that once in a while. You know, James, as a new trying-to-be DM the thing I love most are tables.
James Wyatt: Tables are super helpful and you are in luck if you like tables because there's tons of tables in this book to help a DM, whether you're brand new or very experienced. Generate encounters with giants, there's maps you can use to drop your adventures in, the book is full of tools to help DMs get their giant themed adventures off the ground.
Emi Tanji: And the narrator of this book is the famous wizard Bigby.
James Wyatt: Thanks Bigby! So Bigby leads us on this journey of exploration as we discover together that giants are more than just creatures to be fought in a dungeon, they're people with this rich mythic history waiting to be discovered.
Emi Tanji: So go to D&D Beyond or your local game store to pre-order now.
