Giant

The statistics block below contains details for more than one shape, size, or type of giant. Use the horizontal scrollbar below it to display the desired one or select from the links below that.

Forest Giant • Mountain Giant • Ocean Giant • Sun Giant

Giants are humanoid-shaped beings of great size with even greater strength. They accomplish much through sheer determination and brute force, and in fact most rely on their might to solve problems. Giants can inflict tremendous damage on those who anger or oppose them, but they can also put their strength to good use in aiding their allies.

Many giants subsist by hunting or taking what they want from smaller, weaker beings. A few are not so cruel, raising what crops and livestock they need to survive.

All giants speak Giant. A giant with an Intelligence score of at least 10 also speaks Common.

Combat

Giants relish melee combat. They favor massive weapons, especially two-handed ones, and wield them with impressive skill. They possess enough cunning to soften up a foe with ranged attacks before closing, if they can. A giant’s favorite ranged weapon is a big rock. See Rock Throwing and Rock Catching.

Giant Society

Solitary giants are usually young adults striking out on their own. Gangs are usually made up of young adults who hunt or raid (or both) together. Giant bands typically consist of young adults and their mates, servants, or guards. About a third of the giants in a band or tribe are children.

Giant children can be formidable opponents in their own right. When a group of giants includes children, roll d% for each child to determine his or her maturity level: 01–25 infant (no combat ability); 26–50 juvenile (two size categories smaller than an adult, 8 fewer Hit Dice, –⁠8 to Strength and Constitution scores, and 1 rank in each skill that an adult has); 51–100 adolescent (one size category smaller than an adult, 4 fewer Hit Dice, –⁠4 to Strength and Constitution scores, and 2, 3, or 4 ranks in each skill that an adult has). Giant children can throw rocks if they meet the minimum size requirement. Except as noted, giant children are identical with adults of the same kind.

Forest Giant ⬆️

Forest giants are among the tallest specimens of giantkind, and they can live to be up to 200 years old. They are powerful hunters that pose a threat to all animals that dwell in the woods.

An adult forest giant stands 18 feet tall but weighs only 3,000 pounds. The lanky, muscular body resembles that of a wood elf but appears much sturdier. The creature has deep, earth-yellow skin and pale green hair that is usually wild and unkempt. The typical clothing for either gender is made of fur or leather, and each forest giant also wears some bone jewelry, particularly necklaces and earrings.

A forest giant’s bag contains everything needed to survive in the wilderness, including tools to make and repair weapons, 2d4 rocks, 1d4+4 mundane items, and the giant’s personal wealth. These items tend to be parts of things it killed for food, such as scraps of fur and hide, dried insects, and bones.

Combat

Forest giants target opponents from afar with their poisoned arrows. Though they are not averse to attacking with their clubs, their poison-tipped, ranged weapons often end a battle quickly with few casualties for the giants. Forest giants use their natural camouflage abilities to hide among the trees and wait in ambush for the next creature that crosses their path. Their thrown rocks have a range increment of 120 feet.

Poison (Ex): Forest giants coat their arrows with poison (Fortitude save DC 22). The initial and secondary damage is the same (unconsciousness for 4d4 rounds).

Skills: A forest giant has a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks. In wooded areas, this bonus rises to +8.

Mountain Giant ⬆️

Among the largest giants in existence, mountain giants are primitive creatures given to cruelty and capriciousness. They take great pleasure in flinging boulders down upon passing smaller creatures, trying to hit them as they flee. Mountain giants often live to be 100 years old.

A mountain giant resembles a titanic hill giant, standing more than 40 feet tall and weighing nearly 50,000 pounds. Greasy, jet-black hair frames a face with bulbous features and a skin tone that can be any shade from tan to reddish brown. The typical mountain giant wears only minimal clothing—usually a breechcloth and a shirt made of rough animal hide that barely covers a large pot belly.

A mountain giant’s bag contains 3d4 rocks, 1d4+2 mundane items, and the giant’s personal wealth. These items tend to be humanoid artifacts that the mountain giant considers playthings, such as broken wagons, small huts, and furniture, including tables and beds.

Combat

Mountain giants attack in a straightforward manner, stepping forth to overrun opponents whenever possible. They also enjoy picking up foes and hurling them against a mountainside. Many an armed foe has foiled a mountain giant’s initial grab attempt only to be scooped up by the monster’s other hand.

In melee, mountain giants use their height to smash their clubs down on the heads of their foes. A mountain giant that feels seriously threatened often uses its summon giants ability to engage its foes with other opponents, then steps back to hurl boulders. Against groups of smaller foes, mountain giants prefer their trample or crush attacks.

Crush (Ex): A mountain giant that jumps at least 20 feet into the air (or jumps down from a height of at least 20 feet) can land on opponents two or more size categories smaller than itself as a standard action, using its whole body to crush them. A crush attack affects as many creatures as can fit under the giant’s space. Each creature in the affected area must succeed at a Reflex save (DC 38) or be pinned, automatically taking 2d6+24 points of bludgeoning damage. Thereafter, if the giant chooses to maintain the pin, treat it as a normal grapple attack. While pinned, the opponent takes crush damage each round.

Fling (Ex): A mountain giant that sucessfully grapples a foe two or more size categories smaller than itself can hurl the creature as a standard action. A flung creature travels up to 120 feet and takes 12d6 points of damage. A creature that is flung off a mountain takes this amount of damage or the appropriate falling damage, whichever is greater. The giant also can throw the flung creature as though it were a boulder. In this case, the flung creature takes 12d6+16 points of damage, and any opponent it strikes takes 4d8+16 points of damage.

Grapple (Ex): If a mountain giant hits an opponent that is at least one size category smaller than itself with a slam (used as a melee touch attack), it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple (grapple bonus +54). If it gets a hold, it can fling the opponent in the next round. Alternatively, the mountain giant has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use one hand to hold the opponent (⁠—​20 penalty on grapple check, but the mountain giant is not considered grappled). In either case, each successful grapple check it makes during successive rounds automatically deals slam damage.

Summon Giants (Sp): Once per day, a mountain giant can attempt to summon 1d8+1 ogres, 1d6+1 trolls, or 1d4+1 hill giants with a 25% chance of success.

Mountain Giant Society

Mountain giants live largely solitary lives in desolate mountain ranges and volcanic peaks. Though most of them resent intruders, some like to keep a few dwarves and humans as pets. When more than one mountain giant is encountered, it is usually a mated pair with children.

Mountain Giant Characters

A mountain giant’s favored class is barbarian, though the cleric class is also popular among the race. Mountain giant clerics can choose any two of the following domains: Earth, Strength, and Trickery.

A mountain giant PC’s effective character level (ECL) is equal to its class level + 25. Thus, a 1st-level mountain giant barbarian has an ECL of 26 and is the equivalent of a 26th-level character.

Ocean Giant ⬆️

The noble ocean giants are deep-sea dwellers who delight in the tossing waves and the rich life of the underwater world. These usually peaceful creatures are nevertheless quick to anger when anyone finds fault with their ways. Ocean giants frequently live to be 600 years old.

The barrel-chested body of an ocean giant is powerfully built, and the face has an almost leonine quality. Coppery skin is complemented by flowing white hair that streams out in waves as the giant swims. In natural form, an ocean giant has a fishlike tail like that of a merfolk, though the landform ability provides an alternate form in which the tail is replaced by legs. An ocean giant of either gender measures 16 feet in length and weighs more than 4,000 pounds. On land, the typical ocean giant wears light clothing that is unlikely to impede swimming should that become necessary. Underwater, clothing is spurned except for a belt pouch to carry personal effects.

An ocean giant’s bag contains 1d2 rocks, 1d6+4 mundane items, and the giant’s personal wealth. These items tend to be sea-related items such as navigation instruments, sea shells, pearls, and treasure found on sunken ships.

Combat

Whether fighting on the surface or underwater, an ocean giant usually wields a massive trident. On land, ocean giants prefer to keep their foes at a distance. They hurl rocks (range increment 120 feet) at closing enemies and even ships that are not welcome in their territory. In close combat on land, or when unarmed, they hammer opponents with their fists and slap with their tails.

Landform (Su): This ability allows an ocean giant to assume the form of a Huge humanoid-shaped giant or return to its natural form at will. An ocean giant in landform is able to walk on land, but it has no tail attack. A change wrought by landform cannot be dispelled, nor does the ocean giant revert to its natural form when killed. A true seeing spell, however, reveals the ocean giant’s natural shape if it is in landform.

Ocean Giant Society

Ocean giants live in magnificent, underwater mansions situated near barrier reefs. They live off the sea, hunting large sea creatures and harvesting aquatic plants and shellfish. Elderly ocean giants often raise domestic animals on deserted islands to supplement their clans’ diet. Many young ocean giants desire to travel the seas aboard sailing ships, so they sign up to become sailors. Of course, their incredible size limits them to only the largest vessels. Merfolk and aquatic storm giants view ocean giants as plunderers of the sea’s wealth, so relations between them are strained at best.

Ocean Giant Characters

An ocean giant’s favored class is sorcerer, but many also choose to become clerics. An ocean giant cleric can choose two of the following domains: Luck, Protection, and Water.

An ocean giant PC’s effective character level (ECL) is equal to its class level + 23; thus, a 1st-level ocean giant sorcerer has an ECL of 24 and is the equivalent of a 24th-level character.

Sun Giant ⬆️

Sun giants are cruel nomads who eke out a living raising livestock under the bleakest of conditions. Most are grim and brutal, caring little for the trappings of civilization. Despite their harsh existence, they are long-lived beings, often reaching 400 years or more in age.

A sun giant’s skin is parched and wrinkled from years of living in harsh, desertlike conditions. Hair that is soft and black in childhood becomes dry, ashen, and brittle with the passing of time. Only the creature’s eyes seem unaffected by the desert—they sparkle a bright blue color. The typical sun giant stands 16 feet tall and weighs 7,000 pounds. The usual garb for either gender is a loose, lightcolored robe that covers the legs, body, and arms, plus a cloth burnoose looped around the head and face to protect the skin from the burning sun. A sun giant never wears shoes, either for walking or riding.

A sun giant’s bag contains 1d2 rocks, 1d6+4 mundane items, and the giant’s personal wealth. Personal possessions usually include simple things such as sand sculptures, coins, and prized gifts from esteemed sun giant leaders.

Combat

Sun giants use their natural camouflage ability to hide amid the sand dunes, where they lie in wait for enemies with spears at the ready. They rarely throw rocks, but when they do, the range increment is 120 feet. In melee, sun giants prefer to pound opponents with their fists. During times of war, they fight mounted, seated upon Gargantuan steeds that they raise and train themselves. When weaponless, a sun giant uses its spell-like abilities to keep foes at bay.

Spell-Like Abilities: At will⁠—​spike stones, stone shape, wall of stone. Caster level 13th; save DC 12 + spell level.

Skills: A sun giant has a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks. In desert areas, this bonus rises to +8.

Sun Giant Society

Sun giants dwell in the desert, but they never set up permanent homes there because they enjoy the freedom that comes with living in tents. They almost always ride rather than traveling on foot. They prefer living mounts such as rocs and giant lizards, but when such creatures are scarce, they are quite willing to have their clerics animate dead mounts.

As herders, sun giants see all land as theirs for the taking, so they graze their animals anywhere food is available. This destructive practice often strips fields bare and turns the land barren, earning sun giants few friends in the desert.

Sun Giant Characters

Most groups of sun giants include clerics with access to any two of the following domains: Destruction, Fire, Sun, Travel, and War. A sun giant’s favored class is ranger.

A sun giant PC’s effective character level (ECL) is equal to its class level + 16. Thus, a 1st-level sun giant ranger has an ECL of 17 and is the equivalent of a 17th-level character.

Source: Monster Manual II, page 109. These creatures’ statistics blocks have been updated to version 3.5 as given in the D&D® V.3.5 Accessory Update for Monster Manual II. The Accessory Update incorrectly states the damage for a Huge greatclub as 4d8; it is actually 3d8 as shown in the forest giant’s Attack and Full Attack entries. That giant’s bow damage has likewise been adjusted.