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What do Giants eat?
- Thread starter Joker
- Start date
TheAuldGrump
First Post
Smaller creatures actually eat more in proportion to their size than do larger creatures, if I recall correctly. Some of the smaller mammals (shrews, some bats) eat several times their own body weight each day.
Giants belonging to agricultural societies will grow crops and raise farm animals like any other society. Hunter gatherers will be spread out over an enormous area, traveling through an area in much the way that gorillas do.
The ones to worry about are the raiders, who come down and steal an entire harvest, burning what is left behind, leaving the area to face famine in their wake.
The Auld Grump
Giants belonging to agricultural societies will grow crops and raise farm animals like any other society. Hunter gatherers will be spread out over an enormous area, traveling through an area in much the way that gorillas do.
The ones to worry about are the raiders, who come down and steal an entire harvest, burning what is left behind, leaving the area to face famine in their wake.
The Auld Grump
For the most part I have them eating normal foods. Imagine a world where steaks came only in 1 oz cuts, the potatoes were the size of peas, and watermelons were no bigger than a grape but still had top have the rind peeled off.
This is why giants are always hostile and thus so useful in encounters.
This is why giants are always hostile and thus so useful in encounters.
Sir Brennen
Legend
Tonguez
A suffusion of yellow
Guiants are omnivores and eat the same things as humans
however Giant metabolisms are much slower than humans which means that a giant takes longer to dogest the food they eat. This translates to giants eat a lot at one sitting (like a whole cow) however they do not need to eat everyday and instead spend their time digesting (and sleeping*) so on average Giants only eat a fraction more than dwarfs do (which changes according to sze of course)
so a Hill Giant might eat 1.5 times more than a dwarf whereas a Fire giant might only eat twice or three times as much.
(A lot of folklore Giants refers to them sleeping a lot (like when Jack stole the goose and how Jack the Giantkiller was able to slay the various ones he encountered) I just extended the need for sleep to metabolism and thus explained the lower relative food consumption)
however Giant metabolisms are much slower than humans which means that a giant takes longer to dogest the food they eat. This translates to giants eat a lot at one sitting (like a whole cow) however they do not need to eat everyday and instead spend their time digesting (and sleeping*) so on average Giants only eat a fraction more than dwarfs do (which changes according to sze of course)
so a Hill Giant might eat 1.5 times more than a dwarf whereas a Fire giant might only eat twice or three times as much.
(A lot of folklore Giants refers to them sleeping a lot (like when Jack stole the goose and how Jack the Giantkiller was able to slay the various ones he encountered) I just extended the need for sleep to metabolism and thus explained the lower relative food consumption)
LightPhoenix
First Post
Perhaps I'm a bit distrubed, but my first thought is to make giants cannibals, eating their own kind, or perhaps competing giants.
Although, all the talk about giant animals does give me an idea. The PCs are off on whatever mission, and a giant animal of some sort (honestly, I'd have to go with a giant chicken, for giant eggs and comedy) is attacking farmers and eating crops and should be stopped. Later on, pay that off with a tribe of giants living somewhere nearby, where one of their animals escaped.
Although, all the talk about giant animals does give me an idea. The PCs are off on whatever mission, and a giant animal of some sort (honestly, I'd have to go with a giant chicken, for giant eggs and comedy) is attacking farmers and eating crops and should be stopped. Later on, pay that off with a tribe of giants living somewhere nearby, where one of their animals escaped.
While I agree with the points about slower metabolisms and lesser numbers of giants overall, I'll add this. I think giants of the appropriate elemental subtype (Fire=fire, Frost=cold, Stone=earth, Cloud=air I think), to subsist partially on those elements or through their connection to those elements. Stone giants can eat rocks in addition to meat and plants (making them true omnivores), whereas Fire, Frost and Cloud giants derive some sustenence from being around those things (lava, ice, and clouds).
I also made Storm Giants a water subtype just so every element would have a giant race "champion". (They already get water breathing.)
I use this line of reasoning (I hesitate to call it a "rule") with other creatures with elemental subtypes, most notably Dragons. (What growing red dragon doesn't want to start the day with a pipin' hot bowl of liquid magma?)
I also made Storm Giants a water subtype just so every element would have a giant race "champion". (They already get water breathing.)
I use this line of reasoning (I hesitate to call it a "rule") with other creatures with elemental subtypes, most notably Dragons. (What growing red dragon doesn't want to start the day with a pipin' hot bowl of liquid magma?)
