War With The Giants 1 Causes & Forces

Giants are one of the first races, from a line that include the Jotun and the Titans and kin of the gods. Giants warred with the gods and dragons before humans or elves or dwarves even existed. It was their flesh and blood that the trolls formed like maggots in and in turn spawned dwarves and elves. 

Giants have caused problems for demi human and then humankind in the dawn age but have been rarely seen in aeons. Sure giants eat people occasionally beyond the frontier and some say they have a kingdom in the mountains or the frozen north or the fiery south. But now giant kind are united in a final push to fight humans. Whatever the outcomes nobody will forget.

Of all the giants the dumber savage ones are the most enthusiastic to eat humans. Fire and frost giants are the most war like and have the most diverse armies and will to conquer. The problem is they hate each other and may turn on each other or believe they should rule the conquered lands, especially when the less evil giants lose interest in mistreating humans. Many of the giants will be satisfied with plunder and some fun smashing humans and will feel they have punished human kind enough. Some just feel they want respect and figure crushing human armies and destroying some castles is enough.

The smarter giants are more interested in slaves, worship, servitude, taxation and occupation and might want their dumber brutal cousins out of the way later.

Some of the greatest giants like storm giants and titans have greater schemes in mind. They would like to offend the gods of humankind, gain worship of their own and free the titans. These schemes will see the gods take hand in the war more, helping mortal heroes often with finding lost weapons and even directly intervening at the climax. This could include coming to personally coming to fight in defence of a city or in a great battle. Once titans are free gods are more likley to get involved as a struggle for the universe begins.

After the war some necromancers and death cults might find giant bodies useful. They might even use them during the war to help mankind and the giants will be horrorfied, When the war ends the evil masters of dead giants will hide them away for their own future schemes.

It is possible dragonkind might become involved. Giants are od rivals and enemies and seeing giants arise might awaken giants to the war. They will of course eat humans but they might make life harder for giants too.

Giants being great beings enjoy worship and the power they gain may make their kings mightier and help the titans loosen their bonds. Giant sky castles in the clouds are one of their greatest enemies. Taking one over could be a human tactic but after the war such a castle could be misused by humans for conquest. Colliding castles could be a battle tactic and the remains would fall and cover a vast area in rubble, fog and magic cloud fragments.

Broodmother Sky Fortress could be a handy sourcebook too and would probably fit in.

Behind the lies of giants their families will often move in. Not as mighty as their manfolk but still dangerous. Being captured by them and enslaved is a real possibility. Giants have huge appetites for food and sex but depending on the breed males are more likely to survive the process. A number of vikings who lived among giants were even used as dolls by young giantesses who bore children. Such offspring are often deeply resentful.

Giantland has some strange properties related to faerie land and might even be connected to various locations of the world and have time warping effects. CHildren with giants might be fully grown for years and captives taken to giant land might return hundreds of years later if they escape.

Many magical giant forts might reappear, some magical. Invisibility or with walls of flame or able to teleport. A giant castle like faerieland might be bigger on the inside or be linked to giantland with far more giants inside than you would suspect. Several such castles might appear on the borderlands.

There are also huge giant ruins sprawling for miles mostly empty but in far away mountains. Stupider giants often roam in them and take credit for the obviously more sophisticated giants of old. Giants like to point out they did everything before man and the gods and man copied them. The giant fortress is a type of dungeon zone Ive done in the past.

Dwarves and elves and gnomes have long dealings with giants and might aid mankind also. They are not fans of mankind but they know what giants are like and their appetites from experience. Dwarves especially keep anti giant relics. Halflings are less likely to fight but might have ancient lore of where anti giant weapons were stockpiled in the past.

After the giant war human civilization may be upturned with bandits, nations taking advantage of neighbours weaknesses and even peasant revolts.

A new category of table - quests appears here and I will go back and do them for other war zone types Ive done before.

d10 What Started war?
1 Giants had a meeting and decided to rule the universe again
2 Dark elves goaded the giants into waging war
3 A royal giantess was killed by adventurers and the giants have united
4 The gods are displeased and released the giants
5 Giantland was struck by a earthquake destroying their ancient home
6 A trickster god caused some mischief and left clues to blame humans
7 Humans massacred some young giants on a nature ramble
8 Giants in a cloud fortress saw how extensive human lands had become
9 Humans have uncovered so much ancient gold the giants are jealous
10 Giants need territory to help reconquer the universe

d10 Objectives of invaders?
1 The giants are hungry for manflesh
2 The giants want slaves and to rule like gods again
3 Humans have accumulated lots of treasure and giants want it
4 It's now or never, the last chance they will ever have to rule again is now
5 The giants want revenge for their ancient defeats and to punish man
6 The giants will eat everything they can leaving rubble and dirt
7 The giants want slaves to grow the food for further conquest
8 Giantkind plan to transform the land with digging and earthworks
9 Grind human civilization into dust so it can never bother them again
10 Capture and destroy anti giant relics humans have hidden

d10 What ends war?
1 Giant factions or tribes splinter and turn on each other, some lose interest
2 Dragons invade and giants pull back to consolidate against their ancient foes
3 Several gods come to aid man and slay giants like olden times
4 Demihumans including elves and dwarves and gnomes and halflings aid human kind
5 Giants run out of food and humans to eat so return
6 Giant rulers are killed and surviving nobles flee
7 One or more giant tribes are almost destroyed demoralizing survivors
8 Ancient relics to destroy giants are recovered and used to aid humanity
9 Cataclysm endangers giantland and they flee 
10 Giants over extend themselves and lose against faster breeding organised humans

d10 Factions of Giants
1 Man eaters think mortals are only good for food
2 Slavers want humans to grow them food and labour for them
3 Cohabitors believe humans and giants can live together as equals
4 Overlords believe giants can simply replace nobility as rulers
5 Destroyers want to crush civilization the raid for whatever they please
6 Supremacists wish for one clan of giants to seize power over all the tribes
7 Breeders want ogres to mate with humans for a few generations till they are gone
8 Followers believe giants must obey their gods and eventually wage war on heaven
9 Dragons are the real enemy the war with humanity is just a prelude
10 Humans have relics which might harm giants and must be crushed

d10 Factions of Humans
1 Appeasers giants should be accommodated and no worse than human nobility
2 Supporters helping giants who will obviously will win and need help herding humans
3 Worshippers who believe giants are divine beings and need devotion and temples
4 Nationalists who only want to help their kingdom and try to use giants against other lands
5 Humanist who want to unite all humans versus the giants and ignore national boundries
6 Exploiters who use the giant chaos to profit and gain advantage over other humans
7 Doomsday sayers who pack up and move into dungeons and caves to hide
8 Apocalyptics who believe giants are cleansing the world to wipe away sin and corruption
9 Draconists who believe awakening the dragons will stop the giants
10 Exiles who believe giants will win and flee the land forever to find safe new home

d10 Quests for adventurers
1 Locate ancient anti giant weapons
2 Gather giant brains so wizards can make potions of giant control
3 Go behind giant lines and spy on them, what do they really want
4 Visit demihumans and try to get their help or at least some advice
5 Try and wake up dragon kind
6 Go to hell and stop giant expedition to free titans
7 Sabotage a giant or steal cloud castle or ram it into another one
8 Try to convince the less evil giants to stop the war or even change sides
9 Try to get the giant factions to fight each other
10 Try to seal a enterance to giantland

Human Forces of the war
Similar to other previous posts but more siege units might be employed and possibly some good giants and demi human forces might help.

Colossus
Synthetic giants mostly humanoid but made of various materials like a giant golem by great churches or wizard sects or even from corpses by necromancers. Some were built by cities as defences to fight giants and gargantua. Sometimes they are out of control and rampage.

Giant Forces of the war

Orc Mercenaries 
Often aid giants. Some have giant blood and one major tribe are all cyclops. A few giant orcs or orc like cyclops fight with them, along with ogres and trolls. Orcs can be regular and disciplined or irregulars.
Orc Skirmishers with bows, darts and spears
Orc Warg Riders with bows and spears
Orc Archers with bows and swords
Orc Spearmen with long spears and hand axes
Orc Heavy Swordsmen with good armour and swords and shields

Beastmen 
There are many races of them and many feel resentful to humankind and will aid the giants. Some even have served giants for aeons or were even made by giant magicians from humans to be better slaves.

Cavemen
Often might worship giants or have more in common with giants than modern humans. Many bring animal pets.
Cavemen Warriors mostly irregular hunters and scouts with javelins and clubs

Ogres
These lesser giant kin are enthusiastic troops who love gold and human meat. They can be stupid. Some breeds are mutants and some are cyclops. Some say there are sharp toothed human size ogres who infiltrate humans and eat them and serve cults.
Ogre Horde irregular with clubs, spears and rocks
Ogre Mutants with freakish appearances, chaotic and cowardly mob
Ogre Warriors led by Ogre Magi regulars with spear and polearms

Ogre Magi 
Smarter and magica compared to normal ogres with better weapons. They might fight in units or lead ogres. Magi are more organised and less foolish but they are unwilling to fight to the death and know they are more rare and unwilling to waste blood on a foolish endeavor. Ogre Magi Warriors fight as regulars with polearms and magic.

Redcaps
These faerie folk are kin of giants and dwarves and gnomes. They are not especially loyal to giants but look forward to mayhem and man killing. Appearing as gnome or dwarf sized red capped bandits they will grow huge when aggravated. Many will appear as bandits when the war breaks out and some might serve as units of infiltrators entering drains or fortifications then growing and destroying gates to let giant forces in. Murder and loot are their main goals.

Fachan
A subrace of of ogre but often bigger, smarter and more horrible. They are one legged and one eyes and can hop large distances. Many are chaotic mutants.  They are irregular troops and will seek to battle heroes and leaders when fighting. Sometimes they lead ogres. Giants find them repulsive.

Trolls
The best known trolls are cancers of chaos and madness but will often fight with their kin the giants. Other races of trolls less known and less insane generally wont join the giant crusade but some might. These other trolls are biding their time before they war on humankind. Leaders might wear armour or helmets to stand out
Troll Warriors irregular and mostly unarmed

Giant Animals
Giants bring their animals including pets, livestock and vermin with them. Some are "dire" large prehistoric versions of modern animals like dire wolves, sabretooth cats, mammoths and auroch cattle. Others are giant or even colossal. Some might fight with them others are just following for food. Giant ticks and bugs follow giants or giants bring eggs with them. Gargantua often are crawling with parasites.

Elementals
some giants have elemental cults and summon them as servants and other elemental beings. There are even quasi and para elementals for fore obscure or combination elements. There are greater elementals of colossal size and who are worshipped as petty gods giants might call. Elemental powers may invade one day too.

Giant Kin
Giants often mate with humans which can be deadly for humans and potions or magic might help. Often their offspring as children might resemble a large adult human. These are able to infiltrate humans and act as spies. They rapidly begin to have growth spurts and are a distinct type of giant themselves. They are often mutants  and many change class to a spell caster or even fighter to avoid becoming too big to enter human buildings. Giant Class for BX

Hill Giants
Dumbest of giants but most common and best known. Mostly use clubs, spears and boulders and irregulars. Might appear with a whole tribe or loners supporting lesser troops like ogres or orcs. They often have pets and some even ride mammoths or gargantua.

Cyclops Giants
Bigger than hill giants, often a bit smarter some are priests that can call divine curses down. They also herd giant sheep and drink wine which they make. They will use human slave labour. Mostly irregular and used clubs and rocks and sometimes nets. Might operate in small family groups at most.

Ettin Giants
Huge two headed giants that often wield two huge spiked clubs. Very dim and easily tricked. Usually act with other giants or small family groups. They quarrel with most giants but might lead hill giants as the biggest bully or guard hill giant leaders. Ettins being among the more hideous giants quite like orcs and will fight with them. Some have extra heads and other mutations.

Fomorian Giants
Hideous mutant chaos giants with taint of faerie blood. They believe they are superior to other giants and don't copperate well. They are irregular and might appear in hordes. When not fighting they wallow in pits of food, mud and excrement. They desire human cattle to serve them and to mistreat and provide them with tax and food. They might even start a break away group or establish strongholds that stay when other giants leave. Fomorians might have mutant pets and servitors like mongrel men.

Firbolg Giants
Smarter and more magical and less interested in affairs of other giants. Will join the giant  war but will be the first to leave. Can fight as irregular skirmishers or regulars if defending their homes. Will often use powers to distract ruin enemy unit morale with tempting gold. Might carry shrunken animals in their pockets. might act as advisors or priests for dumber giants.

Verbeeg Giants
Larger than ogres and smarter with a preference for using missiles and ogre and orc and troll troops. Often advise hill giant and ogre chiefs. Not as committed as most giants they will flee or go home earlier and less interested in death. They do take humans captive and like slaves and minions and will fight as irregular or regular as case demands prefering to skirmish in open ranks.

Stone Giants
These are more neutral and intelligent. They are cool headed and calmer than most.  Calculating and long term planners they would like to transform the landscape to suit giant kind building walls and towers and massive earthworks. They dont mind human slaves and less interested in eating men but wont tolerate disobedience among human vassals. They are slow speakers and other giants get annoyed by stone giant pondering and inaction. Once they have momentum they are hard to stop.  If they can win by building or attacking buildings they will. Prefer rock throwing but also use superb stone weapons and armour made magically hard by their priests. Prefer earth elemental and mineral based pets. Also dwell underground often in great chasms.
 
Fire Giants
Great giants often dwell in volcanoes or in underground cities in magma seas or the flaming lands to the south. They are among the most aggressive conquerors and slavers. They use the most advanced metallurgy of giants often clad in bronze with armour and shields. They are disciplined and have regular formations with spearmen and swordsmen. They often have elemental fire pets and even infernal companions like devils but most often hell hounds. Fire giants are the most keen invaders and if Giants fail they will try unifying the fire worshiping races instead. Fire toads, salamanders, firenewts and many other allies and pets serve them. Their discipline and warlike ways let them defeat other giants and they may try to sieze control of the giant forces. Fire giants field armies with great diversity and often employ orcs.
Fire Giant Hell Hound Handler with 2d4 hellhounds each
Fire Giant Salamander Handlers with d4 salamanders each
Fire Giant Spearmen phalanx
Fire giant Swordsmen
Firenewt Scouts riding striders with javelins, irregulars
Firenewt Cavalry riding striders in strict formations
Firenewt swordsmen
Firenewt Spearmen
Firenewt Archers, often use fire arrows

Forest Giants
These giants guard natural areas and may be drawn into war to prevent deforestation or to punish humans. They get on well with sylvan beings like elves. Mostly are solitary and might even bring elven forces with them. Of all the giants they are most likely to turn on giant kind if forests are damages by say fire giants. They are less interested in eating or enslaving or holding territory. They often team up with treants.

Sea Giants
Giants that dwell in the sea, many serve the rulers of the undersea kingdoms. Some may ally with giants attacking coastal areas and sinking ships. They might raise an army of fish men or tako or mer folk. many have fishtails like a merman of can shape change. Not as committed as other giants.

Desert Giants
These giants mostly slumber under the sand but have great magical potential. Many are bald or have beast heads or head dresses from simple to complex. They command ancient divine and arcane magic often summoning great swarms, undead or elementals. They are however not committed to the war. A few evil ones might come and serve as magical support or call their own armies. The hazard of this is their appearance might bring the gods into the war.

Frost Giants
These giants dwell in glaciers and icebergs and in mountains. They may come from land or from great frozen icebergs from the sea. They often bring severe winters with them. They are the main rivals of fire giants and also field a diverse range of troop types. They generally wear furs and weapons of magic hard ice. Some are magicians and often they have pets or use ogres as shock troops. They enjoy eating men and if they cant enslave men as workers and food they will happily carry them home to freeze for aeons of good eating. Giant icebears and wolves are common companions some might be ridden by Xvarts. They will create undead to serve them in war and they can make them walk home to their larders after. Ice elementals and undead are often called by their shamen. Ice toads, frost salamanders, yetis, winter wolves, wooly rhinos, mammoths and other monsters often serve them. They hate fire giants but will unite against humans until their forces meet.
Ice trolls, frozen versions of trolls tainted by evil ice magic aeons ago. They will fight as regulars or irregular.
Ice men, humanoids from the ice plane loyal vassals and worshippers
Beast men, arctic breeds like hyenamen,wolfmen, bearmen, rhinomen, goatmen most irregular
Zombies, huge irregular mobs that swarm using nimbers
Wights, frozen dead who lead the zombies and turn heroes into more wights
Frost Giant Warriors use axes, swords and spears
Frost Giant berserkers irregular but fanatics
Frost Giant shaman often accompanied by elementals or undead hordes
Frost Giant beast handlers each led by a giant with a d6 monsters of the same type

Fog Giants
These giants are mysterious and will call huge fog banks to foreshadow their arrival. They are stealthy and hard to surprise. They don't especially hate humans but crave silver and don't mind eating humans and ruining human civilization. They tend to be sent on special missions to strike strategic points and weak places. They are quite smart too and dislike working with dumber breeds. They might be paid in silver to leave or change sides. They fight with obsidian studded tree trunk clubs and javelins and boulders. Mostly skirmishers and raiders. Sometimes to tease victims their echoing laughter fills the mist and it is uncertain how many there are or how close.

Mountain Giants
These sleepy slow but huge giants think of mountains as their sleeping kin. When awake and mobilized they will not usually be interested in war but will compete for love and don't mind eating humans. They join the giant war for honour of giant kind but will not press the point or die for the cause. Mostly they are loners but might march with hill giants who revere them. Mostly throw rocks or use rock or tree trunk clubs. Some are good and might be persuaded to aid those resisting the giant forces.

Cloud Giants
These civilized giants consider themselves superior to most giants. They fly cloud castle kingdoms and some are good some are evil. The evil kind aid the giant war with aerial bombardment and giant troop carriers. The good ones might aid humanity and counter the superiority their evil kind provide the giants. Some are priests and wizards too. Long ago they left ruins around and ive most like humans. They think humans insignificant or snacks mostly and are not that interested in war. But they do think giants deserve power and are snobs.

Storm Giants
These giants are not malicious but do feel humans have done too well at giantkind expense. They quickly will tire of seeing giants eat people or other vile acts and leave the war. They live in mountains, cloud castles or under the sea. They may know great magic and knowledge and regard gods as their rivals.

Gargantua
Come in many forms but are generally colossal monsters. They may be insectoid, reptilian, bat, ape or even hideous humanoids. They devour everything and scour the land. They will fight giants amd men and might awaken from ancient slumber to lay waste to everything. The smartest of them, the humanoid ones might dealt with by giants but are still unstable and prone to rages.

Titans
Are Remnants of a great race that once battled the gods. The greatest of them have godlike power and are mostly dead or imprisoned. Their remaining lesser kin are resentful and would like to free their kin. Even the good ones feel hard done by the gods and mankind. They hope to release their kin and when they appear to direct giant armies the gods may indeed intervene or at least aid mortals with great weapons. Titans have many weapons of magic of their own but most are too big for mortals.

Part 2
d100 Encounters - Combat encounters on the road or countryside during the war
d100 Wonders - spectacles and events but not necessarily combat
Part 3
d100 Gossip - to cover wild stories of atrocities, failure and propaganda
d100 Loot - particular goods flooding the market during the invasion
Part 4
Giant Mutations - giant blood taint and the chaotic mutations of giants

Giant Class for BX
Giant Fortress Zone

Monster War Zones
Faerie 1 Faerie Forces
Faerie 2 Encounters Wonders
Faerie 3 Rumours Treasure
Faerie Maidens
Faerie Land Encounters
Peasant Revolt 1 Forces and Encounters
Peasant Revolt 2 Gossip
Draconic 1 Encounters and wonders
Draconic 2 Gossip
Draconic 3 Treasure
Necromancer 1 Causes and forces
Necromancer 2 Encounters and links
Necromancer 3 Rumours and treasure