Strength bonuses	Wrong-sized weapons	Large-sized weapons	Missile weapons	Tactics and exceptions
MM	-	-	-	Dragon 109

As described in the Monster Manuals
and the FIEND FOLIO® Tome, most giant
types do the same amount of damage no
matter what weapon they use. Hill giants do
2-16 points of damage with "any weapon
available," stone giants "with stone weapons
" do 3-18 points of damage, and fomorian
giants using weapons that "range from
huge clubs to chains with heavy balls attached
" do 4-32 points of damage.

Humans, demi-humans, and humanoids
do damage by weapon type. This article is
based on the contention that giants and
other large, weapon-using creatures should
have that same characteristic.

Table I accompanying this text gives
damages of weapons for large races as a
function of damage for human-sized weapons.
To use the chart, locate the damage a
human-scaled weapon does and read across
to the appropriate column to see what the
larger race's version of the weapon does.
The basic assumption used in creating
Table I is that weapon lengths and damage
figures vary proportionately with the height
of the wielder's race. Thus, larger races use
larger weapons (and do correspondingly
more damage with them) even if they are
weaker than some smaller races.

TABLE I: Weapon damage figures
 

Human-scaled	A	B	C	D	E	F
1	1-2	1-2	1-3	2-3	2-4	2-5
1-2	1-3	1-4	2-4	2-5	2-7	2-8
1-3	2-4	1-6	2-6	1-8	3-9	2-12
1-4	1-6	2-6	2-8	1-10	3-12	2-16
1-6	2-8	1-10	2-12	3-13	3-18	5-20
1-8	1-12	3-12	2-16	2-20	3-24	3-30
1-10	3-13	2-16	2-20	2-24	3-30	4-32
1-12	3-17	2-20	2-24	6-24	3-36	5-40
2-5	2-8	1-12	2-12	3-12	3-18	5-20
2-7	2-12	3-12	2-16	2-20	3-24	3-30
2-8	2-12	3-13	3-17	3-21	6-24	5-30
2-12	3-18	3-21	4-24	3-30	6-36	7-42
2-16	3-24	6-24	4-32	6-36	6-48	3-60
3-9	2-16	3-18	3-21	4-24	4-32	6-36
3-12	2-20	5-20	6-24	7-28	5-40	6-48
3-18	3-30	7-28	6-36	7-42	3-60	8-64

Group A (7 1/2?-9? tall, 340-690 lbs. weight) includes cyclopskin, verbeeg giant, ogre, planetar, qullan.
Group B (9 1/2?-11? tall, 691-1200 lbs. weight) includes dao, djinn, firbolg giant, hill giant, ogre mage, solar, giant troll.
Group C (11 1/2? -13? tall, 1201-2000 lbs. weight) includes efreet, ettin, fire giant, stone giant, large spriggan.
Group D (13 1/2? -16? tall, 2001-3600 lbs. weight) includes fomorian giant, frost giant, mountain giant.
Group E (16 1/2?-19 1/2? tall, 3601-6500 lbs. weight) includes cloud giant, fog giant, marid, titan.
Group F (20? + tall, 6500 + lbs. weight) includes storm giant.

Strength bonuses
A number of races have great strength,
and add a bonus to damage done whenever
they use a weapon. They do not gain ?to
hit? bonuses, because these are subsumed
by the combat matrix. Table II lists damage
bonuses due to strength for all creatures
mentioned in the group lists under Table I.
These bonuses have been taken from
rule-book descriptions where possible.
Other creature types were assigned bonuses
equal to those of a known creature that does
roughly the same amount of damage. The
exception to this method is the ogre mage,
assigned a + 6 to make him weaker than a
hill giant but as strong as smaller races.
Comparison with ogre leaders, who do 2-12
points of damage or gain a + 3 with weapons,
could justify a bonus as low as + 3.
Other creature types and individuals can
easily be fit into Tables I and II by comparing
their sizes and damage figures with the
creatures discussed here.

TABLE II: Damage bonuses
 

0	qullan
+2	cyclopskin
+ 2 - + 4	o g r e
+ 3- + 6	verbeeg giant
+ 6	ogre mage
+ 7	djinn, ettin (left arm), hill giant, planetar, spriggan (large), giant troll
+ 8	dao, ettin (right arm), stone giant
+ 9	efreet, fog giant, frost giant
+ 10	firbolg giant, fire giant, fomorian giant
+11	cloud giant, mountain giant, marid
+12	storm giant, solar
+ 14	titan

Wrong-sized weapons
Any creature can use a weapon scaled for
a smaller creature, assuming the weapon is
large enough to hold, with no penalties. A
creature may use a weapon designed for a
larger creature if the weapon is no longer
than 1/2 times his height and it weighs no
more than his normal size's version of a
two-handed sword.

Table III gives information on how to
gauge the length and weight of larger-than-human-scaled weapons,
plus figures for the
increased range of large missile weapons
(add the given amount to the upper limit for all three ranges).
It also includes a row of
"penalty" figures, used as described below:

Any figure using an oversized weapon
will suffer a penalty equal to the difference
between the "penalty" figure given for his
size category and the "penalty" figure for
the category the weapon was designed for.

This penalty applies to both "to hit" and
damage rolls. Characters will also suffer
a non-proficiency penalty for trying to use
a weapon type they are not accomplished
with, unless and until the owner of a giant-sized
weapon gains proficiency with it.

Creatures smaller than human-size
suffer even greater penalties when trying to use an
oversized weapon. Those about the size of
dwarves and elves suffer an additional -1
"to hit" and on damage, and can use weapons
weighing no more than 150 gp. Those about
the size of halflings and gnomes suffer
an additional -2 penalty (in addition to the penalty for humans) and
can use oversized weapons weighing no more than 80 gp.
Humanoids with a height listed as ?7? + ?
(such as gnolls) can use weapons weighing
up to 375 gp, but penalties still apply.

Example 1: Brute the Barbarian has just
defeated a stone giant that had a short
sword and a dagger. The giant?s weapons
are 2 times as long and 8 times as heavy as
the human versions. Thus, the short sword
is 4? long and weighs 280 gp. Brute can?t
use it because it?s too heavy ? not too
heavy for him to lift, but too heavy for him
to use with any hope of success in combat.
The dagger is 2 ½' long and weighs 80
gp. A human-scaled dagger does 1-4/1-3
points of damage, so the giant?s does 2-8/2-
6. However, Brute would suffer a - 4 penalty
on both ?to hit? and damage rolls, and
an additional - 1 ?to hit? for nonproficiency
with a giant dagger. He hefts the
dagger, decides it would be tough to handle
in combat, and keeps the sword instead: He
can?t swing it, but it will make an impressive
trophy.
Later, an ogre finds the dagger. He suffers
a - 2 penalty on ?to hit? and damage
rolls with it. He?d be better off using the
dagger than using some ogre-sized weapons,
but can usually use his talons more
effectively anyway.

Example 2: Before he became renowned
as a giant-slayer, Brute fought many ogres.
While doing so, he acquired an ogre?s trident.
Fortunately, it was a small one, only
6? long and 150 gp in weight, and he could
use it in battle with a - 3 ?to hit? (counting
non-proficiency) and a - 2 on damage.
Since it did 2-12/2-20 points of damage,
Brute liked it despite the penalties.
Once when a small group of bandits
kidnapped some elven dignitaries, Brute led
a few friends to rescue them. The rescuers
sneaked into the bandits? camp and freed
the prisoners, but were seen when they tried
to sneak out again. In the ensuing fight,
Brute was knocked out and one of the elves,
a fighter whose weapons had been taken,
grabbed Brute?s trident. He was able to use
it, but at - 3 penalties for its size and an
additional - 2 ?to hit? for non-proficiency.

TABLE III: Comparative information
 

Humanscaled	A	B	C	D	E	F
Length: x 1	x 1½	x 1 2/3	x 2	x 2 1/3	x 3	X 3 1/2
Weight: x 1	x 3	x 5	x 8	x 13	x 27	x 43
Range: + 0 "	+ 2"	+ 3"	+ 4 "	+ 5 "	+ 6 "	+ 6 "
Penalty: 0	2	3	4	6	8	10

Large-sized creatures
With respect to the damage a weapon
causes, a large (size L) creature is any creature
larger than the creature type for which
the weapon was designed. Man-sized (size
M) creatures are those of approximately the
same size as the creature type in question,
and smaller (size S) creatures are any
smaller than that type. Thus, Brute?s trident
will only inflict 2-12 points of damage
on an ogre, not 2-20, because an ogre is size
M in relation to another ogre (or another
ogre?s weapon).

Missile weapons
A true giant?s most effective missile
weapon is the hurled boulder. These rocks
are about 1? in diameter and weigh 80-90
lbs. each. Throwing such rocks affords the
benefits of high damage figures, good
ranges, no ?to hit? penalties for medium
and long ranges, and not allowing the target
to apply a dexterity bonus to its armor
class. The rocks are cumbersome, however,
and giants found in eareas where rocks are
not readily available will probably carry no
more than one or two, if any at all.
A more suitable size of rock for carrying
is the 14-21 lb. size that the wearer of a
girdle of giant strength can use. Such boulders
would do less damage, of course, and
intermediate-sized boulders would do intermediate
damages. Table IV lists the range
and damage figures of standard boulders for
those giants who throw boulders, followed
by modifications for non-standard sizes.

TABLE IV: Hurled boulders
 

Giant type	Range	Damage
Hill giant	20"	2-16
Mountain giant	20?	2-16
Fire giant	20"	2-20
Frost giant	20"	2-20
Fog giant	24?	2-20
Cloud giant	24?	2-24
Storm giant	24?	3-36
Stone giant	30?	3-30

Non-standard boulders
 

Weight	Damage	Range
15-30	- 3 per die	150% normal
31-50	- 2 per die	135% normal
51-75	- 1 per die	120% normal
76-100	no change	normal
101-125	+ 1 per die	75% normal
126-150	+ 2 per die	50% normal

Weight given in pounds.
Minimum damage: 1 point per die.
For simplicity, round range figures to the
nearest whole number; e.g., 135% of normal
range would be 27?, 32?, or 40?.

The damage figure for the storm giant?s
boulder was taken from Appendix E of the
DMG; the range figure was assigned on the
basis of size. The other giant races are
assumed not to possess the ability

which allows effective boulder-throwing and
are thus not included in the table.
Other large creatures may prefer other
types of hurled weapons, such as darts,
javelins, and spears. For such weapons,
long range is determined by adding 1" per
?plus? of the thrower?s damage bonus to
the long range for a human-scaled weapon.
Short and medium range limits are 1/3 and
2/3 of long range, respectively.
Ranges for propelled missiles such as
arrows, bolts, and sling stones are calculated
differently. Short range is equal to the
human-scaled short range, plus the range
modifier from Table III. Medium range is
equal to human range plus double the modifier,
and long range is equal to human long
range plus triple the modifier.

Tactics and exceptions
A number of weapons have special uses,
and intelligent creatures of larger-thanhuman
size will be familiar with those that
benefit them the most. In the hands of all,
creatures mentioned here except the qullan,
the sap can be a most effective weapon,
especially for gathering slaves. It may be
possible in some worlds for ogre magi to
learn to use martial-arts weapons, including
the weapon catch and weapon breaker
maneuvers. In isolated areas, there may be
tribes that fight from mounts such as elephants
or baluchitheria.

In some cases a large creature may have a
special proficiency with a weapon, such as
the giant troll?s spiked club or the mountain
giant?s club. In these cases where damage
with a specific weapon is given in the creature
?s description, the assigned damage
should be used instead of that determined
by Table I. This does not necessarily mean
that the weapon is the best available at all
times, however. Whether any strength
bonuses are included on top of the listed
damage is a question for the DM to resolve.
(It may not be overpowering to give a giant
troll a + 7 damage bonus with his spiked
club, but it seems devastating to award a
mountain giant an extra + 11 to damage
with his club.)
Likewise, other special weapon properties
are retained. Qullan swords are still + 3, for
instance, while the weapons of solars and
planetars are usually magical.

-
Use of this system for giant-sized weapons
will slightly increase the power of the
larger humanoid creatures. But, more
importantly, it will allow a little variety in
an interesting set of foes, and can be used to
make these foes a challenge for characters
over a wider range of levels.
 

THE FORUM
"Giant-sized weapons" by Stephen Martin
(issue #109) was an excellent piece of writing
that goes a long way toward individualizing the
many giant-sized, weapon-using humanoids in
the AD&D® game. His division of these creatures
into groups based on height, weight, and
strength was a sound, logical approach to the
question. The only minor quibble I have is that
Mr. Martin, who was so thorough in differentiating
between the various giant-sized humanoids,
and even the demi-humans, seems to have
overlooked the fact that humans also come in an
enormous variety of shapes and sizes.

What Mr. Martin left out of his description of
Brute the Barbarian were details such as Brute's
height, weight, and strength. A normal-sized
human might not be able to wield a stone giant?s
short sword, but what about one of those Conan
clones who seem to inhabit most AD&D campaigns?
In the game I am currently participating
in, one of the other players has a character
named Kraven the Bold, a 10th-level fighter who
is 6? 7" tall, weighs 257 lbs., and has a strength
of 18/00. When talking about such a mountain
of a man as Kraven, I find it hard to agree with
Mr. Martin?s restriction against humans using
any giant-sized weapon that weighs more than
250 gp. The stone giant?s short sword weighs
only 280 gp, which is only 30 gp more than a
two-handed sword; and it shouldn?t prove too
much of a task to wield it for a character who
has a +3,000 gp weight allowance bonus for
strength.

What I suggest is that humans be divided into
two groups:

Those in Group X are less than 6' 6" tall, or
weigh less than 240 lbs., or have a strength of
18/75 at most. Such characters cannot use any
weapon weighing more than 250 gp, as Mr.
Martin specified for humans of all sorts.

Those in Group Y are more than 6' 6" tall, and
weigh at least 240 lbs., and have a strength of at
least 18/76. These characters can wield weapons
weighing as much as 300 gp, and in addition
they receive a +1 modifier to the penalty for
using giant-sized weapons. This means that
Group Y humans are only -1 (not counting any
nonproficiency penalty) on ?to hit? and damage
rolls when using Group A giant-sized weapons,
-2 for Group B, and so on. I base this modifier
on the fact that the enormous size and strength
of a character such as Kraven should count for
something. He may not be able to equal even a
gnoll in height or weight, but he is much largerthan
most humans and as strong as any ogre
can be.

James A. Yates
Rockwood, Mich.
(Dragon #112)