Hill Giant
| Species | giant |
| No. Appearing | 1–10 |
| Behaviour | social |
| Range | barrens, savanna, steppe, subterranean, woodland |
| Size | 10 ft. 6 in. tall |
| Weight | 940 lbs. |
| Intelligence | 7 |
| Armour Class | 4 |
| Hit Dice | 8+1-2 |
| Action Points | 5 |
| Max. Stride | 10 |
| THAC0 | 16 |
| Hp/Die | d4+d6 |
| Attack Forms | 1: club |
| Damage | club (2–16)+7 |
| Special Attacks | hurling rocks, strength (19) |
Hill giants are fairly common, somewhat dimwitted, but generally amiable creatures, often found wandering the rolling hills and rugged terrain that suit their nomadic lifestyles. They are not inherently malicious, nor do they harbour the cunning of their larger kin, but their sheer size and lack of foresight make them dangerous when startled or provoked. They tend to use their strength instinctively rather than with any great skill or strategy. A lone hill giant, left to its own devices, is typically more of a nuisance than a threat, prone to raiding food stores, toppling structures by accident or wandering into settlements in search of an easy meal.
Contents
The real danger of hill giants comes when they are found in groups, particularly among their own kind. When gathered into bands or loosely organised clans, their lack of intelligence is replaced by brute numbers and reckless aggression. Amongst other giants, they are easily encouraged into destructive behaviour, pressured by those who are marginally smarter or more ambitious. Though not tacticians, they respond well to simple commands given by stronger leaders, particularly more dominant giants, ogres or humanoid warlords who know how to manipulate their base instincts.
Behaviour
Their appetites are legendary and they will eat nearly anything, from livestock and crops to barrels of ale and even things not traditionally considered edible. They are not above bartering or begging for food, but when desperation strikes, they turn to outright theft, tearing apart storehouses and farms in their pursuit of a full belly. They have no concept of ownership beyond what they can physically carry, meaning they often take what they want without malice, simply assuming it was there for the taking.
Hill giants have a boisterous and often playful nature, though their idea of amusement can be hazardous to smaller creatures. They enjoy wrestling, throwing boulders for sport and engaging in loud, exaggerated boasting, often arguing over who is the strongest, the hungriest or the best at smashing things. They have a basic but effective grasp of weapons, often using uprooted trees or boulders as their preferred tools of destruction. Unlike their more disciplined kin, they are not well-armoured and rarely make use of shields, relying instead on thick hides, brute force and an ability to shrug off wounds that would cripple a smaller being.
They will often throw in with a party of adventurers, particularly when loneliness sets in. Though they are accustomed to wandering alone, hill giants are social by nature and can grow restless or melancholy when deprived of companionship for too long. Unlike their more disciplined or territorial kin, they do not possess an inherent sense of superiority over smaller creatures and are generally agreeable to the idea of travel, so long as they are fed well and given opportunities to show off their strength.
Despite the occasional frustrations they may bring, adventurers who travel with a hill giant often find unexpected benefits beyond raw power. Their boisterous nature makes them an excellent distraction and they are capable of carrying heavy supplies with ease; their intimidating presence alone can deter potential threats. Most importantly, they rarely hold grudges, meaning that even when they cause trouble, their good-natured attitude and short memory for slights make them easy to forgive and quick to reintegrate into the group.
Advantages
Best known for their prodigious strength, hill giants have a strength score of 19, granting them a +3 to hit bonus and an additional +7 damage with each successful strike. When wielding a club, they deal 2-16+7 damage. They rarely have any skill in using any other kind of weapon, but if they choose to strike with a fist, they cause 4-14 damage — with no strength bonus.
With their considerable physical power, hill giants can hurl large stones at their enemies, selecting rocks between 10 and 20 pounds for this purpose. Their throwing range extends 2-11 hexes for short range, 12-18 for medium range and 19-25 for long range. Upon impact, these boulders inflict 2-16 damage against their enemies, while also dealing siege damage to fortifications and structures, making them formidable adversaries against both armies and settlements alike.
See Bestiary
