Notes |
These lean, muscular giants stand around 5.5 metres (18 ft) in height with females typically being slightly shorter. Both sexes possess a smooth, hairless, dark grey skin and sunken eyes. They choose to wear furs and skins of earth tones instead of heavier armour, instead relying on their very dense flesh to turn away most weapon blows.
They can reach ages of up to 800 years, living in family clans among caves, high up the side of rocky wind-swept mountains. Multiple clans will set up within a 1.5 km area (about 1 mile) of each other for mutual protection. These clans will sometimes hold rock throwing contests, a favourite pastime of stone giants, with the losing clan being the one whose members are struck the most. Their lairs have walls or tanned hides painted with scenes representing their clan history. In addition to painting, stone giants are fond of music and jewellery, and most possess a crude skill in crafting or performance.
They are fond of cave bears and 75% of stone giant lairs will have 1d4 on hand as guards and pets. Stone giants are typically friendly with human and demi-humans, frequently trading furs and skins with border settlements in exchange for livestock or even bolts of cloth.
When striking from ambush, stone giants will stand motionless, blending against a stone background, then move forward to strike opponents with their large clubs chiselled from stone or hurl boulders with great accuracy. Due to their dense grey skin and earth coloured garments,
Perception rolls to spot a stone giant hiding in rocky terrain are 1 grade more difficult. Many will set rocks and boulders in such a way as to be able to trigger an avalanche upon intruders.
boulders are sized according to their size/Force; Large (SIZ 8, 2d6 damage), Huge (SIZ 12, 3d6 damage), Enormous (SIZ 16, 4d6 damage), and Colossal (SIZ 20, 5d6 damage. If a stone or boulder must first be ripped from the ground, this takes 1 Combat Action for each of the above size categories before it can be thrown. Otherwise, it may be done in half the time. A stone or boulder is thrown using the Athletic skill to hit and can be thrown 1.5 metres (5 ft) for every point the giant’s STR exceeds the stone’s SIZ. For large boulders, those within 10 SIZ points of the giant’s STR, a successful Brawn roll must be made to see if it can be grasped and held aloft to throw properly. On a failed roll, the giant drops the boulder, or fails to lift it at all, while a fumble results in the giant dropping it on its head, taking full damage (no damage bonus).
Once per combat Round, a large rock or stone of ½ the giant’s SIZ or less that has been hurled can be caught with a successful Athletics roll as a free action, assuming the giant is not engaged and is aware of the attack. This includes stone-like projectiles such as those of a catapult.
When battling giants, melee combat hit locations are rolled on 1d10 in the case of giants up to SIZ 35 and 1d6 when striking giants in excess of SIZ 35. This indicates the difficulty (or sheer impossibility) of reaching the upper areas of the body. Ranged weapon users roll 1d20 as normal. |