D&D 5E Why are 5E Giants Huge size?

[Urriak Uruk]

I agree Huge giants are more 'giant-like' (in traditional fantasy terms). That said, smaller giants are more accessible and usable in larger numbers. Facilitating adventures akin to the classic 'Against the Giants' series.

I mean... Against the Giants was converted for 5E officially. Although the hallways is a bit iffy, there are still a large amount of giants in the conversion and PCs can take them on in fights.

 

[S'mon]

Hey Mind of Tempest,

the point I raised is that the WotC designers consciously made the giants bigger and in combination with the way the 5E rules work, even high level games will not see armies of giants

Mine do. Howdy Craig!

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hey Urriak,

I'm interested to see how they redesigned the encounters for 5E Against the Giants. What is the final fight in that adventure...if anyone knows it?

 

[Upper_Krust]

Mine do. Howdy Craig!

Hey S'mon,

curious to pick your brain on that.

As I understand it your party are Level 20 and have a good bunch of Epic Boons.

So what is the most number of giants you threw at them in one encounter...that they defeated?

 

[S'mon]

I bought Against the Giants 5e on Roll20. It does look a bit odd with the giant tokens too big for their own tunnels! The Glacial Rift is especially bad.

5e fire giants are pretty fearsome. My son was gobsmacked when his god-tier flying Barbarian-20 Dragonborn with skads of Epic Boons challenged 3 fire giants to a fight - one round later he was flapping away in terror. This is a character that eats ancient dragons for breakfast.

 

[S'mon]

Hey S'mon,

curious to pick your brain on that.

As I understand it your party are Level 20 and have a good bunch of Epic Boons.

So what is the most number of giants you threw at them in one encounter...that they defeated?

Hm, every serious giant encounter in my Runelords campaign, the PCs got beaten. Albeit in Runelord Karzoug's aerie they were getting beaten by squads of Rune Giants (v hard CR 20s) backed by storm & cloud giants. At mid level ca 12th they were getting beaten by squads of stone giants.

I think the only time they won any fights was doing Runelords - Fortress of the Stone Giants at level 17/18; I don't recall many actual giants in there though for some reason.

 

[Upper_Krust]

I bought Against the Giants 5e on Roll20. It does look a bit odd with the giant tokens too big for their own tunnels! The Glacial Rift is especially bad.

Its just laziness.

5e fire giants are pretty fearsome. My son was gobsmacked when his god-tier flying Barbarian-20 Dragonborn with skads of Epic Boons challenged 3 fire giants to a fight - one round later he was flapping away in terror. This is a character that eats ancient dragons for breakfast.

I mentioned earlier 3 Fire Giants are CR 21. You've just backed that up.

Even with your super tough epic boon laden team they probably can't defeat 6-8 fire giants between them...and that's before you drop that converted Rune Giant on them which I worked out was about CR 27 or so, lol.

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hm, every serious giant encounter in my Runelords campaign, the PCs got beaten. Albeit in Runelord Karzoug's aerie they were getting beaten by squads of Rune Giants (v hard CR 20s) backed by storm & cloud giants. At mid level ca 12th they were getting beaten by squads of stone giants.

I think the only time they won any fights was doing Runelords - Fortress of the Stone Giants at level 17/18; I don't recall many actual giants in there though for some reason.

So in your opinion, would you say no party, even a Level 20 party (with several epic boons) is beating at best anything more than a squad of fire giants?

 

[S'mon]

Its just laziness.



I mentioned earlier 3 Fire Giants are CR 21. You've just backed that up.

Even with your super tough epic boon laden team they probably can't defeat 6-8 fire giants between them...and that's before you drop that converted Rune Giant on them which I worked out was about CR 27 or so, lol.

Bill's Shieldbiter did more recently kill a Rune Giant in a duel, but it was tough and he had to use some clever tactics, luring it down a stairwell away from its Sun Giant allies' missile attacks (this was a bit of Return of the Runelords converted to 5e).

 

[S'mon]

So in your opinion, would you say no party, even a Level 20 party (with several epic boons) is beating at best anything more than a squad of fire giants?

Bill reckons such a party fighting smart might beat at most 10 fire giants in a fight. The giant damage is really high.

My own feeling is that control spells like Banishment & Hypnotic Pattern ought to be pretty effective, though.