Giants of Mystara and their skills
by HåvardI was reading through AC10: The Bestiary of Giants and Dragons the other day and started thinking about the special skills possessed by giants. How can these skills become a greater part of a campaign or the setting in general?
First take a look at the Giants that were included in AC10:
Common Giants
- Hill Giant - Racial Skill: Tanning hides/treating furs |
- Fire Giant (Gundirrim)- Racial Skill:No Skill Given. Forging | Hell Hounds
- Cloud Giant (Bromdignag)- Racial Skill: Merchants | Cloud Castles.
- Frost Giant - Racial Skill: No skill given. Sailing? Ship building? | Polar Bears, Wolves, Ice Wolves
- Sea Giant - Racial Skill: Alchemy /Healing | Mashers, Whales
- Stone Giant - Racial Skill: Stone architecture. Castle Builders. |Cave Bear
- Hunakoi: Red Skinned Stone Giants of the Isle of Dawn (M5, p10). See discussion here.
- Mountain Giant - Racial Skill: Hunting, Animal Training | Roc Pets, Allies to dwarves
- Storm Giant - Racial Skill: Sages, librarians |May have Cyclops servants
- Half-Cloud Giant: This is the most common variety of Storm Giants. From their mixed parentage they have learned to fashion cloud and undersea castles.
- Pure-blooded: Exceptionally strong.
In addition, Mystara has more giants than those mentioned in AC10. Should these have special skills as well?
Other Giants / Giantkin
- Ogre | RC |Typically listed among Humanoids in Mystara sources, but should they have their own skills anyway?
- Athach | RC | These three armed monsters from the Master Set. Would they be able able to use their arms for something creative?
- Cyclops | RC | - Racial Skill: Sometimes raise sheep and harvest grapes. Have the ability to use curses. Wine makers. Some serve Storm Giants.
- Fachan | (SCA) | Only one eye, one arm and one leg.
- Ubue (B3) - Three headed, hermafrodites. Man-sized, but possibly related to Giants and Fairies?
- Hephaeston | (AC9) | - Racial Skill: These are clearly great at forging weapons. How to distinguish them from Fire Giants?
- Stalwart |(AC9) | Are these even giants? The frequent comparison to Goliaths from later editions makes me include them. Do they have any specific skills? Extremely competition oriented.
- Garl |(AC9) | These are only described as stupid. They are known to ride Wooly Mamoths. Herders?
- Great Giant |(Gaz7) | These were mentioned in the Northern Reaches Gazetteer. See Titans entry for some ideas. Related to Eldritch Giants of later editions?
- Titans |WotI| What relationship is there between Mystara's Titans and Giants? One idea I have is that Titans were not originally servitors of the Immortals, but rather their own, powerful Immortal race. However, after opposing the Immortals, they were defeated and swore allegiance to the Immortals. Those who refused became the lesser, mortal giants. Even so, should they be known for some unique skills?
- Nightwalkers |RC | Entropic/Nightmarish version of Giants.
- The Famished Giant (unique) (PC1 p 27) - This giant is one of a kind, living on the Plane of Feywood. He i 50' tall. Related to the Great Giants mentioned above?
Did I forget any giants? As usual, I am sticking to BECMI and AD&D Mystara sources.
Immortals - The Giant Pantheon
(From the Codex Immortalis)
- Zalaj - Cloud and mountain giants, knowledge, magic, strength
- Gorrziok- Sea and storm giants, oceans, extreme natural phenomena, creation and destruction
- Hymir - Sea giants, water and liquids, alchemy, knowledge, revelry
- Surt (Zugzul) - Fire giants, power, conquest, necromancy, war
- Hel - Frost giants, death, darkness and cold energy, reincarnation, corruption
- Wayland - Metallurgy, crafts, smiths and armourers, engineering and constructors, magical constructs