Why would a frost giant have a frost weapon?

[bmcdaniel]

Most frost giants carry frost weapons for the same reason that most people take levels of commoner, most orcs take a level of warrior, most ogres wield clubs (instead of swords), many clerics take the healing domain, most dragons like to lie on piles of gold (instead of spending it on defensive measures), etc, etc.

In other words, most creatures are not rational min-maxers; they are constrained by culture, ideology, social expectations, resource and technology limitations, etc. One of the heroic things about PCs is that they manage to rise above the prejudices and be "all you can be."

A world that takes these constraints into account is much more realistic than one where everyone is relentlessly min-maxed.

 

[Jolly Giant]

- Iceland. The entire island is a volcanic hotbed, but glaciers cover much of the land mass away from the coastal fringe, and snow blankets the landscape around bubbling volcanic hotsprings in the middle of winter.

- Mt. St. Helens (USA). Prior to the eruption in 1980 the peak was galciated, yet only a kilometre or so underground there was red-hot magma.

Iceland - Doesn't have a single glacier; due to all the volcanic activity

Mt. ST. Helens - Was covered with snow before it erupted...

Your other examples are just hot springs, not volcanoes.

 

[green slime]

Iceland - Doesn't have a single glacier; due to all the volcanic activity

Your other examples are just hot springs, not volcanoes.

LOL!!!! What a riot!

not a glacier in sight?

I guess this is false marketing? lawsuit, anyone?

Hot springs? And why are they hot? Wouldn't be due to volcanic activity? No, of course not! It's little faeries farting in the water!

 

[Jolly Giant]

Except that there is molten rock flowing beneath all our feet, even in Norway. Does this prevent snow and ice from falling on Norway? Or is it just a question of depth, then?

You can have lava flow down one side of a mountain, with the otherside covered in snow/ice? You can have fierce cold winds constantly removing the heated air from an open lava flow? Then you can have ice within a few meters of an open lava flow. Volcanoes can and do exist in icy climates. This being the case, there are situations, present in the real world, where you have ice above and lava below.

That statement does not prevent rock, earth and stone from separating the two.

............................. (I, too, have found the "." button on the keyboard!)

Ice within meters of a lava flow is not possible. Not for long anyway.

I agree the statement, viewed isolated, does not prevent there being a hefty layer of bedrock between them. If you read the rest of that post though, you'll see that the it was made to show how frostgiant and firegiant habitats could end up being close together. Which I still can't see as possible.

 

[Jolly Giant]

LOL!!!! What a riot!

not a glacier in sight?

I guess this is false marketing? lawsuit, anyone?

Hot springs? And why are they hot? Wouldn't be due to volcanic activity? No, of course not! It's little faeries farting in the water!

You're right, I forgot. There are a few tiny, scattered glaciers, out close to the ocean, furthest from the volcanoes.

There's a big difference between hot water and molted rock! Even if they're related phenomenae.

 

[DMH]

Okay here is a compromise- all the line and file frost giants use axes, those who have proven themselves have frost axes, leaders have icyburst axes, top leaders have darklight icyburst axes, and the Jarl has two weapons: an icyblast, forceful mace (symbol of his rule) and a hellfire cascading sword used to kill traitors. The reason he does not have an axe is because it is a lesser giant's weapon.

All the arguements for frost giants not having cold resistant creatures around them is true to a point. But that really doesn't apply to fire giants. Most, if not all, of the creatures they will encounter near home will be fire resistant or immune. Anything not so will die from the volcano.

 

[Thalantor]

Aside from any discussion about wether glaciers and lava flows can co-exist or wether social-cultural boundaries have any effect on a person's development, the reason why a frost giant has a frost weapon in a rulesbook is - I think - simply because the developers decided to hand that to the frost giant example in the rulesbook.

Just like it is stated in the beginning of the first MM, such is it in all other books, methinks. They just present the 'weakest' version of a certain monster with the most standard equipment they thought up. It is then encouraged that the DM 'spices the monster up' with perhaps some more statpoints, levels or other equipment. This is done so that the monsters can stay general, and the writers don't have to worry about in what war the frost giants are fighting what enemies. That's the DM's job, and if he doesn't change the monster to suit the situation, then he is at fault.

My goblins never have shortbows or spears, my orcs always have a higher con, and my players have learned to fear the Ettin in Fullplate.

 

[green slime]

Glaciers worldwide are retreating, sadly. Within a decade the snows of Kilimanjaro will be no more.

With regards to volcanoes/glaciers it is only a measure of climate/altitude. Molten rock on the surface of the planet is only an extremely local phenomena, whereas ice, snow and glaciers are more dependant on latitude, altitude and season. No one thinks icicles can exist on lava flows. But they can exist within relatively close proximity of one another.

 

[Numion]

You're right, I forgot. There are a few tiny, scattered glaciers, out close to the ocean, furthest from the volcanoes.

There's a big difference between hot water and molted rock! Even if they're related phenomenae.

But is this somehow preventing Fire and Frost giants coming into contact with each other? He gave examples of real world places where this could occur, if there were any giants. You might argue that the places are far between .. but obviously they aren't in a fantasy world because they deemed it noteworthy that Frost & Fire giants are enemies .. hence there are enough locations in the average campaign world for this conflict to take place

 

[green slime]

All the arguements for frost giants not having cold resistant creatures around them is true to a point. But that really doesn't apply to fire giants. Most, if not all, of the creatures they will encounter near home will be fire resistant or immune. Anything not so will die from the volcano.

And yet, what makes people assume that these encounters will automatically be violent, murderous assaults? Is not possible that the Fire Giants will have priests that worship a diety with the Fire aspect? And therefore have access to the fire domain? A domain which allows the cleric to rebuke, even command creatures with the fire type? Considering that this is neccessary, and that they do not have other mutually beneficial agreements?