Giant

Far from being mere brutes, giants’ cunning makes up for their sometimes low intelligence. Giants can sometimes be persuaded, so long it is within their interests, to cooperate with other beings of like alignment.

Despite their racial diversity, giants share some common characteristics. Giants are able to lift and throw large rocks like a catapult, even at close range, with their immense strength of 19-25. Immature giants function at a percentage of that of adults.

Giants’ great love of gold nearly matches their strength, and they commonly carry 1,000-6,000 coins, usually gold, with them when away from their cave dens. As if in defence of this treasure, they also commonly carry one or two rocks to use as convenient weapons.

Giants speak one language unique to their race, as well as their alignment language.

Cyclops

Cyclopes are extremely tall, ugly humanoids, each with a single eye centred under its slightly drooping brow. These oafish, antisocial creatures prefer to inhabit lonesome environs, such as out-of-the-way, otherwise deserted islands.

In addition to their single club attack, cyclopes may attack by hurling large boulders up to a distance of 60 ft.

Treasure: 1d10×1,000 cp (5%), 1d12×1,000 sp (25%), 1d6×1,000 ep (25%), 1d8×1,000 gp (25%), 1d12 gems (15%), 1d8 jewellery (10%), 3 magic items (25%), 2d8 potions and 1 scroll (40%)

Giant, Cloud

Cloud giants usually live in giant castles at high elevations. When not high up in the mountains, their castles are on clouds given substance by magic. The majority (90%) of giants have average intelligence; the remainder are very intelligent and most often live in castles in the sky.

When multiple giants are found in a castle, there is a 75% chance that it is a family consisting of a male, a female, and any remaining giants encountered are their children. The children have an equal chance of being male or female. A female cloud giant is weaker than the male, resembling a fire giant in terms of damage inflicted and hit point capacity. Evil cloud giants keep 1 to 3 slaves 50% of the time and 1d4 prehistoric lions.

Very intelligent cloud giants have the ability to levitate the equivalent of 20,000 gp, plus their body weight, twice a day. Though they often wield clubs, all cloud giants can throw rocks to inflict 2d12 damage from 10 to 240 ft distance from a target, and can catch thrown rocks 60% of the time. Cloud giants are rarely (1 on 1d6) surprised due to their impressive olfactory abilities.

Description: Cloud giants often dress in flowing clothing and fancy jewellery. They have bronze to white hair, with skin in tones of blue ranging from nearly white to cold, light blue.

Treasure: 10d4×100 gp, 4d6 + 6 gems (15%), 1d8 jewellery (10%), 4 magic items (25%)

Giant, Fire

Like cloud giants, fire giants often live in castles (50%), but are just as likely to frequent caves. It is not uncommon for many male fire giants to live together. When more than four fire giants are encountered, half the additional individuals will be female. When more than six fire giants are encountered, the additional individuals will be immature and will only have a percentage of adult capabilities. Females are not as formidable as males, and are comparable to frost giants in terms of attack damage and hit point capacity. As their name suggests, all fire giants are unharmed by fire. This extends to the flame breath produced by red dragons.

Like most giants, fire giants delight in throwing rocks at enemies. They can hit a target from a distance of 10 to 120 ft (2d10 hit points of damage), and can similarly catch (50% chance) thrown rocks. When not throwing rocks, fire giants wield large swords.

Fire giants sometimes share their lairs with hell hounds.

Description: Fire giants’ hair is the red and orange colour of flames, and their skin is soot black. Their teeth are flame orange, and their eyes red. The commonly wear armour on their broad, 6 foot wide shoulders. This armour is sometimes made from the skin of dragons.

Treasure: 10d4×100 gp, 1d12 gems (15%), 1d8 jewellery (10%), 4 magic items (25%)

Giant, Frost

Frost giants get their name from their love of the cold. They often live within frosty caverns, but also have a propensity to take up residence in castles, as do some of their other giant kin. This love of the cold is reflected in the fact that frost giants are completely immune to ill effects from cold, including the bone-chilling breath of white dragons.

Winter wolves often share residence with frost giants (50% chance, 1d6 in number). When encountering more than 4 frost giants, the first four are male and additional individuals up to 6 will be female. More than 6 will be immature and will only have a percentage of adult capabilities. Females are not as formidable as males, and are comparable to stone giants in terms of attack damage and hit point capacity.

Frost giants can cause 2d10 hit points in damage by throwing large rocks from between 10 to 200 ft. Likewise, they can catch rocks tossed at them with a 40% probability.

Description: Frost giants have the overall appearance of giant, muscled barbarians. They have light yellow or blue eyes, with white hair that can likewise be tinged with yellow or blue.

Treasure: 10d4×100 gp, 1d12 gems (15%), 1d8 jewellery (10%), 4 magic items (25%)

Giant, Hill

Hill giants live in mostly inhospitable locations. Half of the time hill giants have other animals or beings guarding their homes. When guards are present, there is a 30% probability they are 1 to 3 giant lizards, 20% probability they are 2d4 ogres, and 50% probability they are 2d4 dire wolves. When encountering more than 4 hill giants, the first four are male and additional individuals up to 7 will be female. More than 7 will be immature and will only have a percentage of adult capabilities. Females have 6 HD and are not as formidable as males. They are comparable to ogres in terms of attack and damage.

Hill giants can cause 2d8 hit points in damage by throwing large rocks from between 10 to 200 ft. Likewise, they can catch rocks tossed at them with a 30% probability.

Description: In many ways hill giants resemble larger ogres, including having eyes red-rimmed, and they will often wield some type of bludgeoning weapon. In fact, hill giants frequently (50%) also speak the language of ogres. They have skin of rust brown or tan, with similarly coloured rust or black hair. They dress in animal skins.

Treasure: 2d10×100 gp, 1d10 gems (30%), 1d6 jewellery (25%), 3 magic items (15%)

Giant, Stone

Stone giants live in mountainous locations exclusively in caverns or otherwise in the earth. They are most active at night. Three-quarters of the time stone giants have 1d4 cave bears guarding their homes. When encountering more than 4 stone giants, the first four are male and additional individuals up to 6 will be female. More than 6 will be immature and will only have a percentage of adult capabilities. Females are not as formidable as males, and are comparable to hill giants in terms of attack, damage, and hit points.

Stone giants sometimes share their lairs with cave bears.

Stone giants can cause 3d10 hit points in damage by throwing large rocks from between 10 to 300 ft. Likewise, they can catch rocks tossed at them with a 90% probability.

Description: Stone giants are partially named for their stone-like complexions and iron coloured eyes. Their hair is also dark-stone coloured, sometimes with hints of blue. Whereas hill giants often use wooden clubs, stone giants prefer stone and wear skins the colour of stone.

Treasure: 2d10×100 gp, 1d10 gems (30%), 1d6 jewellery (25%), 3 magic items (15%)

Giant, Storm

Storm giants are the most formidable of giants in many campaigns. They live in remote locations; about 60% of the time they live on clouds like their cloud giant cousins, and 30% of the time in the mountains like their stone giant relatives. Somewhat more rarely (10% of the time) storm giants choose to live underwater. In all cases, they live in immense, luxurious castles. Like other giants, storm giants have a fondness for pets and if living above water will have 1d4 griffons 30% of the time and 1 or 2 rocs 70% of the time. However, storm giants who have their castle abodes under water will instead have 2d4 sea lions.

Storm giants are too intelligent, sophisticated, and magically endowed to toss rocks like their brethren. Instead, storm giants can employ the following spell-like abilities once per day: lightning bolt (8d8 damage), call lightning (10 to 15d6 damage, 3 bolts), control winds, predict weather, and weather summoning. Further, they can levitate their own weight plus an additional weight equal to 30,000 gold pieces two times per day. Storm giants can breathe and otherwise function underwater unimpeded. They are immune to all damage by electricity, including the fearsome electrical bolt breathed by the dreaded blue dragon.

Description: There are two typical appearances of storm giants, related to their preference for environment. Those who choose to live under water are often of green hair, eyes and skin, while those above water have purple skin, eyes either purple or cloudy grey, and blue-tinted black hair.

Treasure: 10d4×100 gp, 4d6 + 6 gems (15%), 1d8 jewellery (10%), 4 magic items (25%)

Ettin

Ettins are large, nocturnal creatures that live below ground. They have two heads, each of which controls one arm. The right side is slightly dominant, and can cause 3d6 damage whereas the left can inflict 2d8. Ettins are seldom surprised because one head or the other is usually keeping watch.

Description: Ettins are dirty creatures that wear tattered skins and often use wicked weapons, such as barbed clubs. They share some affinity to orcs, witnessed in their pig-like faces.

Treasure: Individual: 2d10 gp, 1d6 gems (25%), 1d4 jewellery (20%) 2 magic items; Lair: 2d6×1,000 gp (70%)

Ogre

Ogres are malicious beings who live in all environments, whether above or below ground. They have affinity with hill giants and trolls, and often can be found with them. Additionally, ogres love wealth, and will hire themselves out to other creatures toward this end.

In a group of 11 or more ogres, one is a leader and is slightly more powerful (attack capability equal to a 7 HD monster, 33 hit points, AC 3, and damage of 2d6). Groups of 16 or greater ogres will have two of these leaders, as well as an ogre chief. The chief also attacks as a 7 HD monster, but inflicts 1d10 + 4 hit points of damage and has an AC of 4. When attacking by weapon, standard ogres receive +2 to damage while their more powerful leaders get +3 and a chief receives +4.

When encountering ogres in their lair, there will be an additional 2d6 females and 2d4 young. Females deliver 2d4 hit points of damage and have 4d6 + 1 hit points. Children have the same capabilities as goblins. The lair will contain slaves or prisoners 30% of the time. When capturing other beings, 25% of the time they are used as slaves whereas the unlucky majority, or 75%, find their way to the supper table.

Despite their low intelligence, ogres are social creatures and speak orc, troll, and the language of hill giants in addition to their own language and alignment tongue.

Description: Aside from the elusive unhealthy-purple coloured ogre, most ogres have skin that is dull yellow or dark brown. They have black-green or blue-black hair, and their skin is covered in dark wart-like bumps. They have purple eyes and white pupils, and their hard, thick nails and teeth are orange and sometimes black. Ogres live at least 90 years. They don furs or other animal hides, and their (often) mercenary lifestyle requires that they maintain their weapons and armour in decent condition.

Treasure: Individual: 20d4 gp; Lair: 1d3×1,000 gp (30%), 5d8 gems (40%), 2 magic items (10%), 2d4 potions (40%)

Ogre Magi are fearsome evil creatures, well versed in magic and of unnatural size and strength. They stand around nine or ten feet tall, are thick-limbed, wide of girth and heavily muscled, but otherwise more or less resemble men in shape. Ogre magi are known to have thick skin that usually ranges in colour from pale yellow to brown or black, but some are said to be green or even blue. Most have reddish coloured eyes, two or more yellow to white horns, thick tusks, sharp yellow to black nails and long dark hair. They speak common and ogrish, amongst other languages.

Though ogre magi are physically powerful, it is their command of magic that makes them truly dangerous adversaries. The spells they may use include fly (12 turn duration), invisibility, darkness 10 ft radius and polymorph self, though this last is limited to humanoid forms four to twelve feet in size. Once per day, they may also use charm person, sleep, gaseous form and cone of cold as a 12th level spell caster. In addition, they have the capacity to regenerate 1 hp per combat round. Ogre magi are highly intelligent and will seek to defeat their foes with magic before entering physical combat. They prefer to flee rather than continue to fight a losing battle, though they are known to bear long grudges.

Ogre magi are not numerous and tend towards small groups, but the largest are led by particularly powerful individuals with 30-42 hp who fight and save as though they had 9 hit dice. Their lairs are generally well-defended and often guarded by lesser beings who have been forced into their service.

Treasure: 2d10×1,000 gp (50%), 1d10×1,000 pp (50%), 3d6 gems (25%), 1d6 jewellery (25%), 1d6 potions (100%) and 1d6 magic items (25%)

Troll

Trolls are vile, putrid creatures found in almost any climate. They can attack up to three opponents at a time using their powerful limbs to claw and their wicked teeth for biting. After three rounds of combat, their innate regeneration ability will start working, recovering 3 hit points per round. Their ability to regenerate even allows detached limbs to reattach to their body. Severed limbs will even continue to attack foes independently. A troll can only be truly destroyed by fire or acid, and these type of damage cannot be regenerated.

Description: The hides of trolls are a sickly green or grey and they have cold black eyes.

Treasure: Lair 1d8×1,000 cp (10%), 1d12×1,000 sp (15%), 1d8×1,000 ep (15%), 1d6×1,000 gp (50%), 1d10 gems (30%), 1d6 jewellery (25%), 2 magic items or 1 potion (15%).

Troll, Giant

These horrible creatures are the result of crossbreeding trolls with hill giants, resulting in a monster that looks like a troll combined with the large size and pot-belly of a hill giant. The hide of a giant troll is reddish brown and they have tough wiry black hair, bulbous nose, and red rimmed eyes.

Giant trolls are very strong and when fighting with their favoured weapon, a giant spiked club, they inflict 2d8 points of damage. They carry this weapon with them everywhere, even in their lair, but if encountered without it they will fight with their clawed hands. When using their natural weaponry giant trolls attack twice per round for 1d6 points of damage each, and is easily capable of attacking two different targets in the same round. Giant trolls also have extremely fast reflexes and are able to snatch a missile from the air 25% of the time. If it is a missile suitable for throwing (example: spear, rock) the giant troll will throw it back as its next attack.

Giant trolls regenerate 2 hp per round but unlike their smaller cousins, they are not capable of rebonding severed limbs, and severed limbs will not attack independently. Giant trolls share a troll’s weakness to fire and acid, and at least 10 hp of damage to a troll must be by one of these two methods before it can be slain. Any other damage simply reduces the giant troll to 1 hp and negates regeneration.

Giant trolls are found in every climate except desert. They have 90 ft infravision and an acute sense of smell as well as the troll’s racial trait of absolute fearlessness.

Treasure: 2d6×1,000 cp (20%), 1d6×1,000 sp (35%), 1d4×1,000 ep (15%), 1d6 gems (25%), 1d4 jewellery (25%), any 2 maps or magic (10%)

Troll, Giant Two-Headed

Giant two-headed trolls are the vicious offspring of trolls and ettins. In appearance they look most like trolls, though they have two heads like an ettin and prefer wearing filthy animal skins as ettins do. Giant two-headed trolls are nocturnal and prefer underground dwellings such as dungeons or caverns, but only have the standard 60 ft infravision.

In combat the giant two-headed troll has two claw attacks for 1d6 points of damage each and which can be directed at two different opponents. It also has two bite attacks for 1d10 damage each but bite attacks must be directed at the same opponent. This variety of troll can regenerate 1 hp per round but cannot rebond severed limbs, and severed limbs will not attack independently. Like an ettin, this ettin-troll crossbreed can have one head sleep while the others stays alert for danger and thus it can only be surprised on a 1 in 6.

Treasure: 1d8×1,000 cp (20%), 1d10×1,000 sp (30%), 1d10×1,000 ep (15%), 1d6×1,000 gp (60%), 2d6 gems (35%), 1d6 jewellery (20%), any 2 maps or magic plus 1 potion (25%)

Troll, Ice

An ice troll has the general form of a troll but its cold, semi-transparent body seems to have been chiselled from blue-tinged ice. Ice trolls prefer underground dwellings such as dungeons or caverns and will always lair near running water if possible or, failing that, the wettest spot they can find. These trolls regenerate 2 hp per round and are capable of rebonding severed limbs, but only if the limb is immersed in water. A severed limb will move toward the nearest body of water if one is within 30 ft. Severed limbs will not attack independently.

In combat, ice trolls attack with two claw attacks for 1d8 points of damage apiece. As with other types of trolls, these attacks can be directed at two different opponents. Ice trolls can only be hit with magical weapons and are immune to cold based attacks of any kind. Fire inflicts double damage upon ice trolls.

Ice trolls have the superior 90 ft infravision and an acute sense of smell. They also share the racial traits of most troll types, having great strength, being fearless in combat, and attacking until either victorious or slain.

Treasure: 1d10×1,000 cp (10%), 1d20×1,000 sp (20%), 1d6×1,000 ep (10%), 1d8×1,000 gp (40%), 1d12 gems (25%), 1d8 jewellery (25%)

Troll, Spectral

Long ago these creatures were created in some bizarre and perverted arcane ritual merging the life essences of a troll and some extra-planar creature. Fewer than 50 of these creatures are believed to exist and the secret of their creation process died with the creators—when the spectral trolls rose up in revolt and fed upon their life energy. Spectral trolls are invisible. Anyone able to see invisible will see a monster that appears very much like a shorter-than-normal troll with somewhat indistinct features and glowing amber eyes.

Spectral trolls have 3 attacks which cause special damage (detailed below) and can target up to 3 different opponents if they choose. Spectral trolls regenerate 3 hit points per round and can rebond severed limbs and, as with their troll brethren, severed limbs will continue to attack independently. These creatures are impervious to cold and cold based attacks while fire or fire based attacks cause damage which does not regenerate. Spectral trolls can only be hit by magical weapons.

Special Damage: The spectral troll has two claw attacks that subtract 1d3 points of damage on a successful hit from both the victim’s hp and his or her strength ability score. For example: a 17 strength fighter struck for 2 hit points of damage will immediately be reduced to a strength of 15. Strength is recovered at a rate of 1 point for every 2d4 turns. If a victim’s strength is reduced to zero he or she dies; if strength is reduced to 1 or 2 hit points the victim will fall comatose to the ground and will not recover consciousness until enough strength is recovered to raise score to 3 or higher.

In addition to the special claw attacks, the spectral troll also has a fanged biting attack. The bite attack of one of these invisible monsters inflicts 1d6 points of damage but the troll adds its own hit point value as bonus damage to the attack. Example: a spectral troll with 38 hit points bites a cleric for 4 points of damage. Total damage dealt to the unfortunate cleric would 4 + 38 = 42.

Spectral trolls have an acute sense of smell and superior infravision with a 120 ft range. Like all trolls, the spectral troll is strong, fearless, and attacks relentlessly until it kills its opponent or is itself slain.

Treasure: Nil.