D&D 5E Bigby's Big Book of Giants

[Parmandur]

Something I note about the two new backgrounds is that they only include a single table of personality traits. No ideals, bonds, or flaws tables (and no instructions to refer to a different background in the PHB for those). A hint of things to come?

It's been a few years since a book had those: even the current Staryer Set cut them.

I can't think of the last time I saw them including ideals, bonds and flaws. Maybe Tome of Foes? I suspect they're dead.

Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft. The Fall releases in '21 dropped 'em.

 

[Mistwell]

First reactions:

1) Solid Barbarian subclass. Not perfect but I like it overall. Better at higher levels, which is unusual for Barbarian subclasses. Lots of reach synergy there, and who doesn't want to toss foes and allies around?

2) Decent set of feats for the most part. One I didn't like but overall they're fine to good.

 

[pukunui]

This book is full of random tables of adventure seeds. As an example, the one I’m looking at right now is labeled “Clash of Titans” and includes options like “A dragon and a giant, in the middle of a fierce battle, suddenly fall from the sky into a town square. Neither combatant is concerned about protecting the people around them.”

Another one involves some giants asking the PCs to help evacuate a city while they hold off an approaching tarrasque.


EDIT: Oh, the urchins from Dragon Heist (Nat, Jenks, and Squiddly) make an appearance in one of the pictures in this book! I’m quite fond of them. (I transported them to Chult for my recent ToA campaign. My players took a shining to them as well.)

Spoiler

 

[Parmandur]

This book is full of random tables of adventure seeds. As an example, the one I’m looking at right now is labeled “Clash of Titans” and includes options like “A dragon and a giant, in the middle of a fierce battle, suddenly fall from the sky into a town square. Neither combatant is concerned about protecting the people around them.”

Another one involves some giants asking the PCs to help evacuate a city while they hold off an approaching tarrasque.


EDIT: Oh, the urchins from Dragon Heist (Nat, Jenks, and Squiddly) make an appearance in one of the pictures in this book! I’m quite fond of them. (I transported them to Chult for my recent ToA campaign. My players took a shining to them as well.)

View attachment 291533

I love this sort of stuff.

 

[ECMO3]

So, the digital early release is today. Anyone got it? Whatcha think? How did it end up comparing to Fizban's? Any particular standout stuff? Any particular stinkers?

I know @mamba has it. Anyone else?

EDIT: There's also a free level 16 adventure using the content on D&D Beyond.

On the cover, why does Bigby look like a Gnome or Halfling? I think he is actually a human, isn't he?

 

[pukunui]

On the cover, why does Bigby look like a Gnome or Halfling? I think he is actually a human, isn't he?

He got killed by a giant and was reincarnated as a gnome (because, according to Mordenkainen, there weren't any clerics around at the time, just a druid).

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

The big storyline in the 2024 adventure books is going to reveal that all the big iconic D&D characters have actually been gnomes all along, and just been using illusion magic.

And that includes all the demon lords and archdevils.

It's going to be awesome.

 

[Parmandur]

On the cover, why does Bigby look like a Gnome or Halfling? I think he is actually a human, isn't he?

He got better.

 

[pukunui]

The big storyline in the 2024 adventure books is going to reveal that all the big iconic D&D characters have actually been gnomes all along, and just been using illusion magic.

And that includes all the demon lords and archdevils.

It's going to be awesome.

I think my Saturday group would be down with that. When we started our current campaign, they chose to be an all-gnome party (although one of them didn't want to play a Small character, so her PC is a gnome who's been permanently enlarged to Medium due to a magical mishap).

 

[pukunui]

Here's the book's disclaimer:

BIGBY ACCEPTS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR INJURIES SUSTAINED BY ADVENTURERS WHO SEEK OUT THE GLORY OF THE GIANTS WITHOUT PROPER PREPARATION, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LIGHTNING STRIKES, FALLS FROM CLOUD CASTLES, INCINERATION, HYPOTHERMIA, CRUSHING BOULDERS, OR BEING SAT UPON.