Once the characters enter the hex containing
the steading of the hill giant chief, it
should be clear to them they are in the correct
area. Well-worn paths, giant tracks, lair cairns
of great boulders, and warning signs declaring
(in rough giant) the rulership of Nosnra,
Chief of the Hill Giants.


 

The player characters should soon be able to
locate the steading itself in the base of a broad
valley. The surrounding mountains are rough
and riddled with caves, any one of them sufficient
to serve as a hiding place.

If the party decides to retire between forays
against the Steading, they may be assured of
relative safety at the hidden cave base campprovided
they take moderate precautions not
to leave a plain trail or to be followed to this
sanctuary. There are sufficient supplies there
for several week’s stay. Each time they return
to this base camp they may receive experience
points benefits, if any, accruing to them because
of the previous adventure. It may likewise
be assumed that magic-users have their
spell books hidden there.

The steading itself appears to be a solid,
wooden fortress without visible windows, but
no giants, or any other creatures, can be seen
about the place, and only the occasional
bursts of shouting or laughter can be heard
disrupting the quiet dusk. If there are guards
at the main gate, they are either well-hidden
or derelict in their duties.

Notes For The Dungeon Master
There is considerable information contained
herein which is descriptive and informative
with respect to what the players see and
do. This does not mean that you, as Dungeon
Master, must surrender your creativity and become
a mere script reader. You must supply
considerable amounts of additional material.
You must make up certain details of areas.
There are actions which are not allowed for
here, and you must judge whether or not you
will permit them. Finally, you can amend and
alter monsters and treasures as you see fit,
hopefully within the parameters of this adventure,
and with an eye toward the whole, but to
suit your specific players. Morale should not
be a factor in most giant actions.

If time permits, the giants organize traps,
ambushes, and last ditch defenses against continuing
forays into their stronghold. You must
work up such cases and plans according to existing
circumstances, but assuming clever advice
to the giants.

If you plan to continue the campaign by using
the other adventures in the series, be certain
to keep track of the fate of important
giants and their allies or captives. The former
will generally flee to the next higher ranking
stronghold, and the latter will be available for
assistance to some parties. This assumes survival
of course, as well as opportunity. Some
provision for movement of surviving giants is
given in the latter scenarios, but you must
modify or augment these groups according to
the outcome of previous adventuring by your
party. This principle also holds true with regard
to any additional scenarios which you use
if they concern any of the creatures connected
with this series. Such continuity of encounters
will certainly tend to make the adventures of
the party more meaningful and exciting.

Upper Works
The map shows the huge timber stronghold
of the local clan of hill giants. All outer walls
are of logs of at least 3 feet in diameter. Inner
walls dividing rooms and the like are about 2
feet thick, and doors are great iron-bouad log
affairs of 1-meter thickness-single doors being
approximately 7 feet wide and 6 feet high.
All inside floors are of stone. Ceiling height
varies from about 16 feet at the edges to 32
feet at the center, and there are great blackened
rafters above which hold up the roof.
The Steading is in a nasty damp area, where
hard rain is a daily occurrence and wet fogs a
nightly event. All wood in the place is very
damp. (Normal fire has only a 2 % chance per
round of burning or setting the place afire,
and even magical fires have only an 8%
chance per round of the same.) If the party
should manage to set the upper works of the
Steading aflame, they will be forced to wait a
week before trying to discover a way into the
lower (dungeon) level, for hot embers will
prevent entry before this period of time. All
loot from the upper works is lost in such a fire,
but all giants from location 11 of the upper
level escape to safety in the lower level, going
to location 26.

A standard die roll is required to open all
doors because of their great size and weight.
Doors stay open if left that way. Fireplaces are
indicated but the location of cressets and braziers
are not. Location 22 is an open stockaded
yard, while rooms 23-25 are an outbuilding
which is connected to the main lodge by a
huge palisade of tree trunks 3 feet in diameter
and 30 feet tall.

Giants' Bags
There are numerous occasions when bags
and chests are searched by the party. The contents
of these containers may be determined
randomly by using the table hereafter. The
number of items in the bag or container is
simply determined by rolling 5d4 to obtain a
random number of items between 5 and 20. A
roll for each item is then made on the Contents
Table (following). If any item would be
duplicated, roll again to select a replacement.

Giant’s Bag Contents Table
Idloo Item in Bag or Other Container
01-03 old axe blade for use as hand chopper
04-17 boulders, small (1-4)
18-19 bowl and spoon, tin or pewter, battered
20-21 brass items, various and sundry, bent
22-23 caltrops, iron, large (1-6)
24-25 cheese, hard, slightly moldy, and stinky
26-30 cloak, shabby, wool or hide
31-32 comb and hairpins, bone
33-40 cooking pot, iron
41-43 horn, drinking
44-47 knife, skinning
48-53 linen:, various, soiled, patched
54-60 meat, haunch of
61-64 money, copper (100-400 pieces)
65-67 money, silver (20-80 pieces)
68-69 money, gold (10-40 pieces)
70-76 pelt, fur, worthless and mangy
77-83 rope, 10(FM)-120(FM) coil, very strong
84-85 salt, small bag or box of
86-90 teeth or tusks, animal, no ivory value (1-8)
91-98 sandals, old
99-00 skin, water or wine, full
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Encounter Key: Upper Level
Wandering Monsters
Western Sections (West of Great Hall): encounter
1 in 10
1. 4-12 orcs rushing to get shields for platters.
2. 2 hill giants from Room 11 going to sleep
off a drunk.
3. 3 ogres from Room 11 going to get one of
the guards.
4. 1 hill giant from Room 11 taking a stroll.

Great Hall to Room 11: Encounter 1 in 8
1. 1-4 hill giants heading for Room 13 from
Room 11.
2. 1 cloud giant from Room 11 heading for
front gate.
3. 2 stone giants from Room 11 heading for
front gate.
 

Eastern Section: Encounter 1 in 12
1. The giantess coming from Room 11 to get
her cave bear in Room 7.
2. 1 hill giant with 1-4 dire wolves from Room
22 going to Room 4.
3. The chief and 2 ogres going to get some trophies
from Room 6 to show off in the Great
Hall.
4. 2-8 young giants from Room 3 heading
through Room 22 to raid the pantry (Room
18).

Rooms and Areas