Hi guys,
The latest Slayer's Guide is here and it is another big 'un. Joining Dragons and Undead in the 128 page format comes the Slayer's Guide to Giants, written by Ian Sturrock, with front and inside cover by the talented Chris Quilliams.
Though the larger Slayer's Guides generally use the same chapter format as their smaller cousins, we do like to introduce new material - to keep player's on their toes if nothing else! So, the first chapter kicks off with Giant Lore, a comprehensive look at giants in myth and legend, and how they can be related to fantasy games. The Physiology of Giants studies these creatures diet (including rules for swallowing smaller creatures whole), digestive systems and lifecycle (with rules for ageing effects).
Giant Races provides plenty of inspiration for GMs running mid-level campaigns whose giants no longer hold any surprises for the players. Included here are the Anakim, Fomorians, a Half-Giant template (including rules for combining this with quadrupeds), Land Giants (massive, and weighing in at CR 90!!!), Mountain Giants, Nephilim, Rime Giants, Sea Giants, and Spirit Nephilim (nothing like an undead giant!).
So, your players have battled their way through the giant stronghold and now face their leader. What do you do? Bump up a giant's Hit Dice and give him some magical items? No way! Try instead applying the template found in the Giant Kings chapter, with full rules for further advancement. The Giant King of each race is slightly different, and all giant types are covered by this template - for example, low key Frost Giant Kings gain a bonus to Intimidate checks but the most powerful of them gain a terrific mighty blow that will send the players reeling!
Every giant settlement is different and the Habitat chapter reviews each race, explaining how they live and why. From Anakim villages to the mighty ice castles of the most powerful Frost Giants, your players will never just be encountering wandering bands of giants on hillsides again! A great deal of detail is included for the construction of lairs, including the properties of traps and typical defences prepared by giants. A personal favourite is the cloud island of the Storm Giants, with rules for cloud island movement and the mining of silver from them (every cloud. . .).
Giant Society takes on the task of studying courtship and marriage among giants, their leaders, tribes (even kingdoms), social standings and provides a great deal of 'meat' to flesh any giant NPC out - from the Comitatus Warrior prestige class and new Giant Domain, to new spells used by giant spellcasters. This is further broken down into each giant race. Storm Giants, for example, now gain access to the Electricity domain, along with spells such as Ride the Lightning.
At some point, players will always come to blows with giants - this is where the Methods of Warfare chapter comes into play, giving the Games Master a huge amount of material on how giants actually fight. For the first time, we have included tactical grid diagrams explaining just how to position giants most effectively. Rules are also given for the chariots of the Anakim, new ways for giants to grapple, a wealth of new feats (you are adding class levels to your favourite giants, right?), typical spell lists, new weapons, siege weapons, and armour types. Your players will not know what hit them. . .
However, this Slayer's Guide is not all one sided - the Jack the Giant-Killer chapter focuses purely on how to overcome giant encounters in a variety of ways. This ranges from effective parleying, insults, drowning - and even magic beans (I kid you not, the rules are there if you want to go for a 'classic' feel in your adventure).
The Giant's Bag is a small chapter dealing with, well, the kinds of things you are likely to find in a giant's bag! There seem to be few giant-sized backpacks in fantasy fiction but every giant seems to have his bag close by! Once a giant is defeated, the players may be astonished at what they find as treasure.
The Ice King's Bride is an extended lair/mini-adventure that will allow players and GMs to put all of the previous chapters to practice. A princess has been stolen by giants and there is only one group of people able to help. . .
The Slayer's Guide to Giants winds up with a few appendix entries - lists of typical giant names (categorised by race), a quick reference of many giant characters (from the Anakim wise-woman to Fire Giant slavers) and, finally, an index.
The Slayer's Guide to Giants is a 128 page softback retailing for $19.95. It will be available in your local stores in less than two weeks!
The latest Slayer's Guide is here and it is another big 'un. Joining Dragons and Undead in the 128 page format comes the Slayer's Guide to Giants, written by Ian Sturrock, with front and inside cover by the talented Chris Quilliams.
Though the larger Slayer's Guides generally use the same chapter format as their smaller cousins, we do like to introduce new material - to keep player's on their toes if nothing else! So, the first chapter kicks off with Giant Lore, a comprehensive look at giants in myth and legend, and how they can be related to fantasy games. The Physiology of Giants studies these creatures diet (including rules for swallowing smaller creatures whole), digestive systems and lifecycle (with rules for ageing effects).
Giant Races provides plenty of inspiration for GMs running mid-level campaigns whose giants no longer hold any surprises for the players. Included here are the Anakim, Fomorians, a Half-Giant template (including rules for combining this with quadrupeds), Land Giants (massive, and weighing in at CR 90!!!), Mountain Giants, Nephilim, Rime Giants, Sea Giants, and Spirit Nephilim (nothing like an undead giant!).
So, your players have battled their way through the giant stronghold and now face their leader. What do you do? Bump up a giant's Hit Dice and give him some magical items? No way! Try instead applying the template found in the Giant Kings chapter, with full rules for further advancement. The Giant King of each race is slightly different, and all giant types are covered by this template - for example, low key Frost Giant Kings gain a bonus to Intimidate checks but the most powerful of them gain a terrific mighty blow that will send the players reeling!
Every giant settlement is different and the Habitat chapter reviews each race, explaining how they live and why. From Anakim villages to the mighty ice castles of the most powerful Frost Giants, your players will never just be encountering wandering bands of giants on hillsides again! A great deal of detail is included for the construction of lairs, including the properties of traps and typical defences prepared by giants. A personal favourite is the cloud island of the Storm Giants, with rules for cloud island movement and the mining of silver from them (every cloud. . .).
Giant Society takes on the task of studying courtship and marriage among giants, their leaders, tribes (even kingdoms), social standings and provides a great deal of 'meat' to flesh any giant NPC out - from the Comitatus Warrior prestige class and new Giant Domain, to new spells used by giant spellcasters. This is further broken down into each giant race. Storm Giants, for example, now gain access to the Electricity domain, along with spells such as Ride the Lightning.
At some point, players will always come to blows with giants - this is where the Methods of Warfare chapter comes into play, giving the Games Master a huge amount of material on how giants actually fight. For the first time, we have included tactical grid diagrams explaining just how to position giants most effectively. Rules are also given for the chariots of the Anakim, new ways for giants to grapple, a wealth of new feats (you are adding class levels to your favourite giants, right?), typical spell lists, new weapons, siege weapons, and armour types. Your players will not know what hit them. . .
However, this Slayer's Guide is not all one sided - the Jack the Giant-Killer chapter focuses purely on how to overcome giant encounters in a variety of ways. This ranges from effective parleying, insults, drowning - and even magic beans (I kid you not, the rules are there if you want to go for a 'classic' feel in your adventure).
The Giant's Bag is a small chapter dealing with, well, the kinds of things you are likely to find in a giant's bag! There seem to be few giant-sized backpacks in fantasy fiction but every giant seems to have his bag close by! Once a giant is defeated, the players may be astonished at what they find as treasure.
The Ice King's Bride is an extended lair/mini-adventure that will allow players and GMs to put all of the previous chapters to practice. A princess has been stolen by giants and there is only one group of people able to help. . .
The Slayer's Guide to Giants winds up with a few appendix entries - lists of typical giant names (categorised by race), a quick reference of many giant characters (from the Anakim wise-woman to Fire Giant slavers) and, finally, an index.
The Slayer's Guide to Giants is a 128 page softback retailing for $19.95. It will be available in your local stores in less than two weeks!
