Agianst the Giants

[Crothian]

Those are cool maps, wish I had them last fall when I ran this!

 

[Garnfellow]

Those are cool maps, wish I had them last fall when I ran this!

I'm thinking the same thing. I'm right in the middle of running a homebrew conversion of G1-2-3; last night the party made their first foray in Snurre's Hall*. I think I will just be moving on to D1-2-3 by the time WotC finishes posting all the Giant module maps.

* The PCs crushed Snurre and his bodyguard. Freezing fog, what the $%*@!!! Snurre got caught in the middle of the spell effect, and then couldn't make a Reflex or Balance check to litereally save his life while the PCs rained down cones of cold, ice storms, and a maximized cold-substituted fireball. What I thought was going to be a very, very tough encounter turned into a laugher.

 

[Crothian]

I'm thinking the same thing. I'm right in the middle of running a homebrew conversion of G1-2-3; last night the party made their first foray in Snurre's Hall*. I think I will just be moving on to D1-2-3 by the time WotC finishes posting all the Giant module maps.

* The PCs crushed Snurre and his bodyguard. Freezing fog, what the $%*@!!! Snurre got caught in the middle of the spell effect, and then couldn't make a Reflex or Balance check to litereally save his life while the PCs rained down cones of cold, ice storms, and a maximized cold-substituted fireball. What I thought was going to be a very, very tough encounter turned into a laugher.

Wow, I hope my players don't read that. They attacked him last session and fought off wave after wave of fire giants but never got to the King or any end to the Fire Giants. They retreated out are regrouping and are going back in tonight. I'm hoping to goto the D's next and eventually to Lloth's domain, but a bit changed.

 

[Rhun]

Wasn't the original for 8th?

8-12 for the original, I believe, and 9-14 for the Queen of Spiders Super Module. I've ran the original Steading of the Hill Giant Chief converted to 3.x three times now, with the following results:

The first was with 9 (9th level) PCs, and they got TPK'd in the great hall.

The second was with 5 (14th level) PCs, and they survived with two characters dying in the assault on the great hall.

The third time was with 7 (12th level) PCs, and they wreaked complete havoc on the great hall. The giants didn't stand a chance.

 

[Crothian]

I think most groups avoid the Great Hall. I've ran that module like a dozen times and I've yet have a group assualt it.

 

[Rhun]

I think most groups avoid the Great Hall. I've ran that module like a dozen times and I've yet have a group assualt it.

Seriously? Almost every group I have ever DM'd always storms the Great Hall. They all try crazy tactics and such when they do, but inevitably they always do.

 

[Crothian]

Seriously? Almost every group I have ever DM'd always storms the Great Hall. They all try crazy tactics and such when they do, but inevitably they always do.

Seriously. Most groups I played with scout out the halls and soon realsize there is a big group in there and avoid it at all costs. The last group snuck in and did hit and run tactics for days and then snuck down stairstairs and got trapped.

 

[Henry]

I think most groups avoid the Great Hall. I've ran that module like a dozen times and I've yet have a group assualt it.

In 2005, At North Carolina ENWorld Gameday, a group of NINE 9th level first edition AD&D characters assaulted the Great Hall, after sneaking into the steading and scouting around.

They perfectly timed the assault, prepared well for it, and WASTED the hapless hordes of Giants. Everybody was in attendance -- the Chief, wife, diplomats, guards, everybody. The Druid's UNBELIEVABLE conjuration of a 16HD Fire Elemental, along with a summoned Animal Growthed Brown Bear added even more firepower, and the poor giants never stood a chance. The Lodge of Nosnra ran red with rivers of giant blood that day.

Ask Cthulhu's Librarian, Corlon, Templetroll, and Der Kluge - they were there. Der Kluge, unfortunately, got stuck fighting a gnoll and missed half of the fun.

 

[Garnfellow]

Wow, I hope my players don't read that. They attacked him last session and fought off wave after wave of fire giants but never got to the King or any end to the Fire Giants. They retreated out are regrouping and are going back in tonight. I'm hoping to goto the D's next and eventually to Lloth's domain, but a bit changed.

The PCs did a masterful job getting into the Hall without raising an alarm. The cleric/wizard stone shaped the obsidian gates to create an opening for the PCs. Then the kenku sneak spotted the hidden door guard. The PC silenced the guard's warning horn and then massacred him with a swarm. The Kenku, who had taken ranks in Speak Language (giant), then used his mimicry ability to lure first one, and then the second Ettin guard down to the entrance where they were bushwacked.

The PCs moved on to the throne room, and spotted Snuure and his bodyguard on the opposite end of that huge hall. Snurre's hell hounds raced across the hall with the giants following close behind, throwing hammers and rocks.

The PCs, though, had cast mass fire shield (cold flames) and had energy reistance (fire) going, which negated the hound's breath weapon. And then the halfling wizard cast freezing fog. I don't think they realized it, but freezing fog was almost the perfect tactical spell in that situation. It completely took away both the giant's mobility and their most fearsome threat, massively damaging melee attacks. I had made sure to give my conversion of Snurre the Iron Will feat, but I should have given him Lighting Reflexes as well -- the poor guy needed a 17 on his Reflex save roll to not slip on the icy surface.

Before any of the caught giants could escape or even sound an alarm, they had all been slaughtered by area effect spells.

The PCs had just enough time to loot the bodies and pry all the gems our of the throne before giant reinforcements could arrive.

Now I need to figure out what happens next. I think Frupy and Obmi will probably assume command of the giants, with Eclavdra stepping up her involvement.

 

[Garnfellow]

Seriously. Most groups I played with scout out the halls and soon realsize there is a big group in there and avoid it at all costs. The last group snuck in and did hit and run tactics for days and then snuck down stairstairs and got trapped.

That's exactly what my PCs did -- they scouted all around the Hall, and avoided that big party like the plague. Then they waited patiently for Nosnra in his bedroom, and eventually the chief led a couple of ogres out of the party to show off some of his trophies, and the PCs massacred him.