Fire Giant Dreadnoughts in VOLO's GUIDE TO MONSTERS

WotC posted this image a couple of days ago, along with a brief note that that Volo's Guide to Monsters has "quite an extensive entry" on Fire Giant Dreadnoughts. Spiky! Also check out yesterday's Giant Lore preview, and the preface - there's a bit of a giant-based focus o the previews, which is likely because Storm King's Thunder is the current storyline. The book hits stores on November 15th (November 4th in preferred stores).

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[AaronOfBarbaria]

Well mainly I guess because a shield is "real world" design whereas a Dragon is not.

But just like "giant lizard with wings that can actually fly" isn't a real world design despite that something with some similarities is (a much smaller, wingless lizard to be precise), these 15' tall shields covered in spikes and with a plow-like edge aren't real world designs despite that something with some similarities is (a much smaller, maybe spiked but definitely not plow-edged shield).

To give one a pass for being obviously unrealistic, but not give the other a pass for the same reason, that's is inconsistent.

 

[Shasarak]

But just like "giant lizard with wings that can actually fly" isn't a real world design despite that something with some similarities is (a much smaller, wingless lizard to be precise), these 15' tall shields covered in spikes and with a plow-like edge aren't real world designs despite that something with some similarities is (a much smaller, maybe spiked but definitely not plow-edged shield).

To give one a pass for being obviously unrealistic, but not give the other a pass for the same reason, that's is inconsistent.

A shield actually does exist and a dragon actually does not. That is why would you would give one a pass and not the other so hardly inconsistent.

 

[dave2008]

Well mainly I guess because a shield is "real world" design whereas a Dragon is not.

Giants are not real world either. The just look more real world. Just like a Roc is not real world - it just looks like it.

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

A shield actually does exist and a dragon actually does not.

My point is that the shields depicted in that image do not exist any more than a dragon does; the nearest real thing to each is equally distant - much smaller in size, and with notably different anatomy/construction.

Because yes, a shield is a real thing. So is a lizard.

 

[Shasarak]

My point is that the shields depicted in that image do not exist any more than a dragon does; the nearest real thing to each is equally distant - much smaller in size, and with notably different anatomy/construction.

Because yes, a shield is a real thing. So is a lizard.

A lizard is a real thing and on the other hand a lizard is not a Dragon whereas a shield could very well be imagined to be a "magic" shield.

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

A lizard is a real thing and on the other hand a lizard is not a Dragon whereas a shield could very well be imagined to be a "magic" shield.

I may have misread this... are you suggesting a lizard couldn't very well be imagined to be a "magic" lizard?

 

[Prakriti]

The shields don't rustle my jimmies, but I can't fault people for disliking them. Everyone's sense of immersion breaks under different kinds of stress. Mine broke during 3E, for example. When the play-test material came out, I absolutely hated the armor art. Not only was it completely ahistorical, but it looked like the worst sort of sophomoric wannabe-comic-book art ever sketched by a pimply high-schooler. Surprisingly, no one in my circle of friends seemed to mind. It's been 16 years now and I still can't look at the 3E core books without retching.

The 5E art, on the other hand, is a godsend -- it's good, sometimes great. This dreadnought fits right in with that, as far as I'm concerned.

To each his own, I guess.

 

[Shasarak]

I may have misread this... are you suggesting a lizard couldn't very well be imagined to be a "magic" lizard?

Well if we are just imagining stuff then how about a Shield too heavy for a Giant to lift?

 

[n0nym]

Why be offended by the lack "real world" design in the fire giant when that doesn't apply to D&D

Because : suspension of disbelief.

When you watch Star Wars, you accept the fact that there are noises in space, lightsabers and people jumping 20 feet high or lifting things with their minds. But if Anakin fell into lava unharmed or could regrow his missing limbs with a Regenerate spell, you would think it's "impossible", even though the whole movie is based on unrealistic things.

This giant breaks my suspension of disbelief. Not only do I think its design is goofy (my opinion only), but lifting two giant shields is indeed a feat that seems out of his league, considering their size and the giant's strength. It reminds me of the worst hours of 3rd edition, where every new monster manual was full of ridiculous monsters that I never used.

 

[dave2008]

Because : suspension of disbelief.

When you watch Star Wars, you accept the fact that there are noises in space, lightsabers and people jumping 20 feet high or lifting things with their minds. But if Anakin fell into lava unharmed or could regrow his missing limbs with a Regenerate spell, you would think it's "impossible", even though the whole movie is based on unrealistic things.

This giant breaks my suspension of disbelief. Not only do I think its design is goofy (my opinion only), but lifting two giant shields is indeed a feat that seems out of his league, considering their size and the giant's strength. It reminds me of the worst hours of 3rd edition, where every new monster manual was full of ridiculous monsters that I never used.

Yes, everyone has different limits and triggers. No doubt about that.