Can a Hill Giant throw two rocks a round?

[Noumenon]

A Hill Giant's full attack is listed as "rock +8 ranged." A Medusa's full attack is listed as "shortbow +8/+3 ranged." Does this imply that Hill Giants don't get an extra ranged attack, even though their BAB is high enough? Are rocks just a slow weapon, or is "reloading" a rock is a move action like a crossbow?

 

[taliesin15]

Just looked in my 3.0 MM--it says "+8/+3 Rock" ranged attack--so yes. Though at first I was thinking the +8 was in part due to the high STR score (25).

 

[frankthedm]

A Hill Giant's full attack is listed as "rock +8 ranged." A Medusa's full attack is listed as "shortbow +8/+3 ranged." Does this imply that Hill Giants don't get an extra ranged attack, even though their BAB is high enough? Are rocks just a slow weapon, or is "reloading" a rock is a move action like a crossbow?

Retrieving a stored item is a move action. Switching out one of the hill giant's other feats to quickdraw should allow it to chuck at the +8/+3.

 

[Mark Chance]

The hill giant can also use two-weapon fighting with thrown rocks to get two tosses in a round, but normal penalties apply.

 

[Starbuck_II]

A Hill Giant's full attack is listed as "rock +8 ranged." A Medusa's full attack is listed as "shortbow +8/+3 ranged." Does this imply that Hill Giants don't get an extra ranged attack, even though their BAB is high enough? Are rocks just a slow weapon, or is "reloading" a rock is a move action like a crossbow?

No, her is why:
Two handed ranged thrown weapons must be thrown as full round action: meaning just 1 thrown. (Page 113 of PHB under Thrown Weapons section).

 

[Noumenon]

Hmm... Starbuck deserves XP for knowing the two-handed thrown weapons rule exists, and that might be the reason, but the "move action to retrieve, thrown with one hand" fits better with the way I imagine throwing a boulder.

Since the actual giants in question have a bag full of curled-up Small monstrous centipedes instead of rocks, quick-drawing them would be quite nice. I don't even mind missing with the second one, since I just have it land three squares away and attack from there.

 

[Jack Simth]

Hmm... Starbuck deserves XP for knowing the two-handed thrown weapons rule exists, and that might be the reason, but the "move action to retrieve, thrown with one hand" fits better with the way I imagine throwing a boulder.

Since the actual giants in question have a bag full of curled-up Small monstrous centipedes instead of rocks, quick-drawing them would be quite nice. I don't even mind missing with the second one, since I just have it land three squares away and attack from there.

The centipedes should at least take falling damage for distance traveled... after all, being thrown like a rock with intent to kill can't be healthy.

 

[Noumenon]

They certainly never survive a successful hit. If they were more dangerous opponents, I'd do more to balance the effect of effectively moving 200 feet in a round, but they're basically minions. Insects are better at taking falls than halflings anyway.

 

[Thurbane]

If a hill giant (STR 25, +7 bonus) were throwing it's rocks two handed, would it not be causing 2d6+10 (1.5 x STR bonus) damage, rather than 2d6+7?

If it is throwing one handed, the Quick Draw feat would allow it to hurl multiple boulders per round, at +8/+3.

 

[Noumenon]

I don't think you get 1.5 x Str damage on any ranged weapons, and the thrown weapons section says

The wielder applies his or her Strength modifier to damage dealt by thrown weapons (except for splash weapons)... Throwing a light or one-handed weapon is a standard action, while throwing a two-handed weapon is a full-round action. Regardless of the type of weapon, such an attack scores a threat only on a natural roll of 20 and deals double damage on a critical hit. Such a weapon has a range increment of 10 feet.

So there is a special rule about throwing a two-handed weapon, but not about damage from a two-handed weapon.

Now that I repost that I see that it's not "throwing two-handed," but "throwing a two-handed weapon." Probably doesn't make much difference. When I imagine someone trying to throw a greataxe or greatsword, they would use two hands; maybe a hill giant throws with the same motion.