Copyright 2008 Wizards of the Coast

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The “Earth Giants” designation is new to 4th edition, but the monsters that make up most of them are not. In other words, this is going to be a post about Hill Giants. They’ve been in D&D since the start and are present in both books in this edition.

The Lore

Like all of the other giant categories, the “Earth Giant” designation covers the Titans aligned with the element of Earth and the giant servitors they created. While both are technically among the weakest of their kind, they can still pose an existential threat to most kingdoms of Medium-or-smaller humanoids if they manage to organize, and even a small group is a serious threat.

The Titans are very obviously creatures of Earth, resembling humanoid mountains made out of earth and rock. While they created several types of giant, the most common variety is known as the Hill Giant from its preferred environment.

Hill Giants are so much more aligned to the world than to the Elemental Chaos that they resemble big people. Big, dumb, violent people. I believe hill giants are inspired by the giants you see in some fairy tales, of the kind that walks in from somewhere and begins eating people’s goats until some clever tailor comes in and kills them through trickery.

While D&D hill giants aren’t much smarter than the ones in the fairy tales, they’re quite a bit harder to defeat, particularly because they’re only alone if you’re lucky. Hill giant communities are villages built out of mud and logs, and may feature a chief that decided to copy the sophisticated ways of their tiny neighbors, style themselves a king or queen, and begin demanding tribute.

Hill giants fight with Stone Age weapons, which are still quite deadly due to their size and the strength of their wielders. They also have excellent throwing arms and are able to hurl boulders with more accuracy than a catapult. They are Chaotic Evil on account of being on Team Primordial, but if it’s possible for a Friendly Giant who is Unaligned or Good to exist at all, they’re probably from this branch of the family.

The Numbers

Hill Giants are Large Natural Humanoids with the Earth and Giant keywords. They have a typical Int score of 7, making them stupid but still capable of tactics and coordination. Earth Titans are Huge Elemental Humanoids with the same keywords and a typical Int of 10.

Hill Giant (Both)

The classic model is a Level 13 Brute with 159 HP. Its long legs give it a land Speed of 8. The versions from both books are identical, with the only difference being that the MV one has updated damage totals.

Hill giants attack with a club, which might be something like a tree trunk. Once per encounter they can make a Sweeping Club attack, which allows them to attack two targets, push then 2 squares, and knock them prone in addition to doing club damage.

They can also hurl rocks out to Range 10, which does a bit less damage than the club but is still respectable. Ammunition comes from the landscape, and if no handy boulders are available the giant still carries around 5 of them in its satchel.

Hill Giant Hunter (MV)

This giant is Level 13 Artillery with 109 HP. A bit more sophisticated than its basic cousin, it fights with javelins that it uses in melee or as ranged weapons (Range 20). I imagine these are sculpted from smaller trees, though the wooden palisade of your typical human village would also provide plenty of ammunition in a pinch.

The hunter is still a hill giant, so it also throws rocks out to Range 20 for about double the damage of a javelin, an attack that recharges on a 5-6. Its loadout is about 6 javelins and 4 rocks, though as mentioned before the surrounding landscape can provide additional ammo if needed.

Hill Giant Earth Shaman (MV)

This earthbending spellcaster is a Level 13 Controller (Leader) with 131 HP. All if its attacks are some form of magic.

Its basic melee attack is the Earthgrip Slam (Melee 2 vs. AC), which does damage and restrains for a turn on a hit. Once per encounter it can cast Earthen Chains (Ranged 10 vs. Reflex), which does a little bit of damage, stuns (save ends), and pulls the target to the ground if it was flying. The first time one of the giant’s allies hits the stunned target, it heals 15 HP.

It also has another spell named Earth Wave (recharge 5-6; Close Blast 5 vs. Fortitude; enemies only). On a hit, this does a bit of damage and pushes targets 2 squares. As an effect, it automatically knocks all targets prone, and allows every ally in the blast to shift up to 3 squares and make a basic melee attack. Just the thing to use when leading a pack of those hill giant brutes.

Earth Titan (Both)

Earth Titans have nearly identical stats in both books, the main difference being their damage (which has been increased in the MV). They’re Level 16 Elite Brutes with 384 HP.

An earth titan’s basic melee attack is a powerful Reach 3 Slam, and it can make two of those as a standard action. It can also hurl rocks out to Range 20, which do damage and daze (save ends) on a hit. Once per encounter it can stomp really hard and use Earth Shock (Close Burst 2 vs. Fortitude), which does damage and stuns for a turn on a hit, and does half damage with no riders on a miss.

Sample Encounters

The MM gives us two:

  • Level 13: 3 hill giants and 1 displacer beast packlord. The displacer beast is the smartest of the bunch!

  • Level 17: 1 Earth Titan, 2 Hill Giants, 2 War Trolls, and 4 Ogre Bludgeoneers (minions). This looks like what might await the Level 13 party at the end of the Steading of the Hill Giant (or Earth Titan) Chief.

Final Impressions

Hill Giants are suitable opponents for early Paragon heroes, and yet their attacks are simple enough that you could run several of them without too much mental effort. Their pair well with galeb duhrs (which they still enslave), or with other paragon-tier creatures that might inhabit their preferred hills, mountains and canyons. That does potentially include dragons!

The MV gives us enough stat blocks that we can build a large variety of encounter groups made up entirely (or mostly) of hill giants, which is perfect for the GM who wants to adapt the first Against the Giants adventure to 4e.