Giants in Ravenloft

[Jack the Reaper]

My son has brought from library Roald Dahl's book, "The BFG". Now, you can imagine that I have read and seen some things in my life, but this book has just made me sick! It's about nine terrible giants, whose names are: The Fleshlumpeater, The Bonecruncher, The Manhugger, The Childchewer, The Meatdripper, The Gizzardgulper, The Maidmasher, The Bloodbottler, and The Butcher Boy. They are terrible ogre-like monstrosities, each 10 or 20 meters high, naked but a loincloth, who come every night to the world of men to snack humans (mainly children), whom they snatch from their beds, streets, parks etc. OK, I know it maybe doesn't sound THAT sickening, but if you read the disgusting descriptions in the book, and if you are familiar with Roald Dahl's style, you probably feel like I did.

So first, I think those giants can be an excellent (or terrible) bogeymen for RL. What is more scary for children (and adults!) than a giant that snatch you from your bed and eats you?

Second, I think that giants in general have great horror factor for RL. Not the classic D&D giants from the MM though, we have to create giants more appropriate for the setting. Those bogey-giants are one idea. Other options can be giants like in the fairy tales (like Jack and the magic beans), which might fit to Tepest; and- if you read about my Cyclopean Graveyard in the last QtR- Lovecraft-styled cyclopses that rise from the dead, or from an ancient underground kingdom, to take over the world.

Any other gigantic ideas?

[HuManBing]

I loved the BFG!

There was a fantastic part about burping and other bodily noises involving escaping gas. The BFG had a type of soda that made gas evolve downwards with hilarious results.

[NeoTiamat]

I recall from Heroes of Horror that they mentioned that much of the fear of giants was that they ate humans, but they also were, basically, really large people. So there was a cannibalism taboo aspect to it as well.

And of course, there's something to be said for massive amounts of raw, brute power.

[alhoon]

The dread trolls fit quite well in Ravenloft. Hiding in closets to terrorize children or snatching people.

And of course, not all of Ravenloft is about twisted forms of humanity that mock humen and are bad. Sometimes, you just want to bash something big and get the money and your character is in Ravenloft. A big bad giant that terrorizes the country side, living in distant cave that sleeps on the skulls of his victims fits well in most domains and does the trick.

[Manofevil]

Another good Giant sequence is the opening scene of George Lucas 'Ewok Adventure'. A mother and father are out in the misty forest calling for their children. Suddenly they hear a huge roar followed by a series of crashing noises. The ground shakes letting them know that the crashes are impact tremors then out of the mists strides a fifty foot shaggy giant with a ten foot ax. It'd be a good way to introduce the giants to a party.

[cure]

We were at the foot of the Dargal Pass when it - all 20 feet of it - burst into our encampment. The carnage was frightful, but we were a well disciplined lot, and lost not a moment in arming ourselves with fire. But it did not fear flames and was untouched by them. Indeed it broke off its slaughter, snatching up a torch, as well as the arm that bore it and the man connected to that arm, poking the whole at us mockingly. Whereupon Scar emerged behind it, his face a frightful mask of wrath. Our dark leader spat out what I knew to be a curse. This was followed with another fell Vistani enchantment which he had used often. The troll was struck blind and roared with fury. Scar signalled for a horse. This I fetched and received instructions to follow with hammers, chisels, wood and water. A sniping barrage led the thing far out into the scoured plain where the first rays of dawn turned it to stone. We were then set to work, at first hacking, and then shattering, by heating with fire and quenching with water, one end of the great block. A little before sunset we were ordered to return to our camp and to scatter the broken pieces as we went. A couple hours later our leader returned, looking entirely pleased with himself. I dared raise an inquiring eyebrow and he said: “I wished to know from it how it had laughed off the flames. And I wished it to know who had taken its legs.”

-Tales of the Crippled Troll, anonymous Darkonese work

[The Giamarga]

Well there's a precedent in canon. Jim Lowder put a good/neutral stone giant in Sithicus his novels: Nabon, who was the recipient of special powers from the Bloody Cobbler. He's also in Heroes of Light.

The Teeny Tiny Tales of Terror threads probably have lots of ravenlofty ideas for the different giants and ogres...

[alhoon]

The clould giant is in the heroes of light?

Does he has a class or he is the MM cloud giant perhaps with the elite array? Even as a "usual" Cloud Giant, he could pose a significant risk to Soth, how much more to Azrael.

And Cure: That story rocks. Didn't we have a thread once for such short stories? Mangrum's monster stories.
What happened to them?

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

Does he has a class or he is the MM cloud giant perhaps with the elite array?

Stone, not cloud, and he's a Ftr3.

And Cure: That story rocks. Didn't we have a thread once for such short stories? Mangrum's monster stories.
What happened to them?

Still here. Search for "teeny tiny".

[The Lesser Evil]

There was also also a stone giant (who also happened to be a ghost) in Children of the Night: Ghosts, wasn't there?

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

There was also also a stone giant (who also happened to be a ghost) in Children of the Night: Ghosts, wasn't there?

Yup, his name is Hurrek.

[cure]

And Cure: That story rocks. Didn't we have a thread once for such short stories? Mangrum's monster stories.
What happened to them?

It was one of my contributions to Mangrum's Teeny Tiny Tales.

Mangrum has expressed an intent to pull the lot of them together and give us a copy, although sadly without, for the most part, the accompanying stats that would make them a complete, corrected and 'up to date' 3.5 Ravenloft Monster Manual. Copyright reasons evidently . . . .

[cure]

I seem to recall some sort of oversized humanoid hanging out in the forests in near Nartok and curing people.

Equally, towards the end of Feast of Goblyns, in the complex of Ragna(?) there is a giant's skeleton or perhaps two or three.

[ewancummins]

I seem to recall some sort of oversized humanoid hanging out in the forests in near Nartok and curing people.

Equally, towards the end of Feast of Goblyns, in the complex of Ragna(?) there is a giant's skeleton or perhaps two or three.

Curing people?

Like you cure a piece of meat, or as in 'cure injury/illness'?

[Ail]

I seem to recall some sort of oversized humanoid hanging out in the forests in near Nartok and curing people.

Equally, towards the end of Feast of Goblyns, in the complex of Ragna(?) there is a giant's skeleton or perhaps two or three.

Curing people?

Like you cure a piece of meat, or as in 'cure injury/illness'?

Lol

On the other hand, wasn't Hermos also some kind of giant, in Carnival of Fear?