D&D General Comparing Giant Sizes

Anders Johnson, a Swedish artist over on ArtStation, has an awesome image in which he compares the relative sizes of various D&D giants.

 

[Frankie1969]

Honestly, It wouldn't matter if I saw 21' tall or a 24' tall Cloud Giant, I'd never be able to tell the difference.

Well clearly you wouldn't last long on Paradis Island. The ability to quickly eyeball monster height is an important survival skill.

I like to think of giants as humanoids scaled up:

Hill Giant = 4x feral Halfling
Stone Giant = 2.5x Goliath
Frost Giant = 4x Human
Fire Giant = 4x Mountain Dwarf (shorter, stockier, sturdier, stronger than Frost)
Cloud Giant = 4x Half Orc
Storm Giant = 4x tall Aasimar

 

[Teemu]

Wow, when a fire giant punches you with a forearm as big as your whole body, it really calls their Strength 25 into question. The must be moving incredibly slowly, in order for that much mass to result in that little destructive power.

At least the giant does instakill a commoner with a punch. 8 damage vs 4 hp.

 

[Salthorae]

Well clearly you wouldn't last long on Paradis Island. The ability to quickly eyeball monster height is an important survival skill.

I like to think of giants as humanoids scaled up:

Hill Giant = 4x feral Halfling
Stone Giant = 2.5x Goliath
Frost Giant = 4x Human
Fire Giant = 4x Mountain Dwarf (shorter, stockier, sturdier, stronger than Frost)
Cloud Giant = 4x Half Orc
Storm Giant = 4x tall Aasimar

I imagine that Stone and Storm might be pleased by these comparisons to a degreebut I don’t envy you when the Fire and Cloud’s hear what you compared them to!!

 

[Beleriphon]

I imagine that Stone and Storm might be pleased by these comparisons to a degreebut I don’t envy you when the Fire and Cloud’s hear what you compared them to!!

Fire giants since 3E have generally been depicted as dwarf shaped giants. 4E really went heavy on that look, it contrasted nicely with the Viking inspired frost giants.

 

[Salthorae]

Fire giants since 3E have generally been depicted as dwarf shaped giants. 4E really went heavy on that look, it contrasted nicely with the Viking inspired frost giants.

Yeah, I’m aware. Sorry I didn’t put enough winky faces or quotes to show I was trying to make aoke there.

I know Fire look dwarfish and Clouds absolutely look Orcish.

But in world they’d be pissed if they heard those compar... sigh nope not funny in explanation. Oh well.

side note - it’s a little disturbing that “Orcish” auto corrected to “Orcus” on my phone just now.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Like this right?

Hell yeah!

 

[Lanefan]

Isn’t that kinda how the Greeks thought of giants though? After all the Gigantes (Giants) are described as "These creatures were unsurpassed in the size of their bodies and unconquerable by virtue of their power. "

How do those compare to the Titans e.g. Prometheus etc.; or are they the same thing?

 

[jedijon]

Remember kids, if it’s over 12’ tall—run! Oh, and that fireball just burned all the clothes off your body, plus that map you were drawing.

Have fun out there!

 

[Mirtek]

Not really. I just ask my players if they’ve ever seen Attack on Titan season 1, or played Shadow of the Colossus.
Even if they haven’t, they still immediately understand just how small their PCs are in relation to the larger-sized monsters I throw at them.

And yet combat between such a giant and a human fighter comes down to just standing next to each other in their squares on the battle mat and swinging their swords at one another and blocking and parrying each others blow,

I don't think anyone on AoT or SotC would ever try to just block a blow from a storm giant sized opponent with his human sized shield attached to his human sized arm.

 

[Mirtek]

I dunno - I'm having a really hard time envisioning a Dex-based two-weapon Giant dancing circles around the sword-and-boards...

Isn't that what the kobold thinks about the human or elven ranger?