Dungeon Magazine 198.pdf

2 Warrens of the Stone Giant Thane

By Christopher Perkins

The lord of the stone giants has gone mad,

but he’s still the best chance the heroes have

of fracturing the giant alliance. A D&D ad-

venture for characters of levels 14–16, and

the second of four paragon-tier adventures

based on Gary Gygax’s classic Against the

Giants series.

63 Backdrop: Suzail

By Eric Menge

Visit a breathtaking city rife with intrigue and

adventure. Enjoy the rumors, festivals, land-

marks, and everything else Cormyr’s capital

has to offer.

40 Tavern Proile: Jaggerbad Skyhouse

By Will Doyle

A dragon with a tavern strapped to its back?

Better fasten your seat belts—it’s gonna be a

bumpy ride!

76 Monster Manual Updates:

Nightmare and Worg

By Logan Bonner

In this article series, we revisit monsters from

the 4th Edition Monster Manual , providing

new lore and revised stat blocks.

45 Cormyr Royale

By Brian Cortijo

She’s daddy’s little girl and the Archduke of

Malbolge, the sixth layer of the Nine Hells.

She’s also living proof that beauty runs only

skin deep.

Warrens of

the Stone

Giant Thane

A D&D ® adventure for characters of levels

14–16

By Christopher Perkins

Illustrations by Kalman Andrasofszky,

Noah Bradley, and McLean Kendree

Cartography by Mike Schley

I ntroductIon

This adventure draws its inspiration from the tri-

partite “G” series of modules written by Gary Gygax

in the 1970s—a series that was later collected into

a single adventure module titled Against the Giants ,

published in 1981 by TSR, Inc. The series pitted char-

acters against hill giants, frost giants, and fire giants,

but stone giants got the short end of the stick. This

adventure gives stone giants their moment to shine.

“Warrens of the Stone Giant Thane” is designed

for Dungeons & Dragons ® characters of levels

14–16. You can run it as a stand-alone adventure, or

you can play it as the second part of a four-part series

that begins with “Steading of the Hill Giant Chief ”

( Dungeon 197) and continues with “Glacial Rift of the

Frost Giant Jarl” ( Dungeon 199) and “Hall of the Fire

Giant King” ( Dungeon 200).

Janu ar y 2012 | DUNGEON 198

Warrens of the Stone Giant Thane

B ackground

Giants have been raiding the civilized lands in large

bands, visiting death and destruction upon villages,

towns, and farmlands. Entire militias have been con-

quered, entire crops wiped out. These marauding

bands consist of mixed groups of hill giants, stone

giants, frost giants, and fire giants, as well as ogres

and other monsters allied with the giants.

Determined to repel the invaders, local lords

have begun hiring brave adventurers. The first few

groups didn’t fare well. Some were crushed beneath

the boulders and jackboots of rampaging giants, and

others simply never returned from the wilderness.

However, a new band of adventurers has assembled to

punish the destructive giants and banish them from

the civilized lands.

Of all the giant lords, Thane Arnak of the stone

giants seems the least likely to rally behind the

banner of Snurre, king of the fire giants. Until

recently, the stone giant thane maintained a steady

truce with neighboring clans of dwarves, and stone

giants rarely ventured far from their warrens in the

craggy foothills of the Crystalmist Mountains. But

something has changed. Stone giants have emerged

from Howling Crag to join the rampaging hordes,

providing needed artillery to Snurre’s growing army.

Dwarves are convinced that Arnak still commands

the giants of Howling Crag, but they fear that a dark

inf luence has persuaded the thane to act against his

better nature. Thane Arnak has indeed gone mad

under the inf luence of an artifact known as the Stone

of Madness, which the giants recently unearthed.

If the truth can be revealed and the thane cured,

perhaps the alliance between the stone giants and

the other giant lords can be sundered. If the alliance

cannot be broken, the only recourse is to conquer the

Howling Crag and slay Arnak.

Arnak’s sister, Belastraya, serves as the castellan

of the stronghold and commands its defense. Her

Q uests

In addition to killing foes they encounter in Howl-

ing Crag, the characters can pick up a few quests.

Another quest might be gained during the adventure.

brother’s madness serves her ambitions, so she has

done nothing to rid Arnak of his malady. Instead, she

has cultivated promising relationships with the other

giant lords and pledged her full support.

B egInnIng the

a dventure

Minor Quest:

Retrieve the Battle Standard

15th-level Minor Quest (240 XP/character)

Stone giant marauders attacked an elven military encamp-

ment and stole a battle standard, atop which was a golden

falcon. The elves take it as a sign of ill omen that the falcon

was lost. Return it to them if you can.

The giants returned to Howling Crag with the

stolen battle standard and presented it to Belastraya,

who in turn gave it to Mirgvard (see area 2) as trib-

ute for the frost giant jarl, Grugnur. The heroes must

retrieve the battle standard to complete this quest.

The stone giants occupy a mountain retreat called

Howling Crag, named for the loud wind that blows

through its many caves. Howling Crag perches atop

a rocky hill sheltered by the Crystalmist Mountains,

several leagues from the hill giants’ steading. You can

change the crag’s location and the name of the moun-

tain range to better serve the needs of your home

campaign.

Characters who do some research on or legwork

about the Howling Crag might dig up a few facts.

Those who succeed on a DC 21 History check or

Streetwise check learn that the giants always have

a roc-mounted sentry watching the road to the crag

and the environs around it. It’s nearly impossible to

avoid notice while approaching the crag. A successful

DC 29 History check or Streetwise check reveals the

secret tunnel north of the crag.

It is assumed that the characters have safely

arrived at a spot near the stone giants’ stronghold—a

small cave, well hidden, where they can remain unde-

tected while they plan their offensive. If the party

decides to take an extended rest between forays to

Howling Crag, the characters can do it safely at the

hidden cave—provided they take precautions not to

leave a plain trail.

Minor Quest:

Find the Peace Delegates

15th-level Minor Quest (240 XP/character)

A delegation sent to negotiate a truce with Thane Arnak

never returned. The group included a human noble named

Merlian Saar, his two human bodyguards, and their

guides—a pair of goliaths. Find and rescue any survivors.

The delegation can be found in area 12. How-

ever, they have been convinced to join the giants and

betray their kin for the promise of power. The char-

acters complete this quest if they obtain proof of the

delegates’ treachery.

Major Quest:

Fracture the Alliance

15th-level Major Quest (1,200 XP/character)

Convince Thane Arnak to break his alliance with the other

giant lords.

Janu ar y 2012 | DUNGEON 198

Warrens of the Stone Giant Thane

2 Stone Giants

Level 14 Soldier

Madness has transformed the once-steady stone

giant thane into an evil monster bent on conquest.

Thane Arnak’s insanity ends with the destruction of

the Stone of Madness (area 15). However, even with

his wits restored, Arnak is reluctant to break his alli-

ance with King Snurre. If the characters convince the

thane to do so, they complete this quest. They cannot

complete the quest by slaying Arnak.

In addition to treasure, giants often possess mun-

dane items of little worth. As the characters loot

corpses and plunder treasure chests, feel free to

throw in a few items from the following table.

Large elemental humanoid (earth, giant)

XP 1,000 each

HP 140 ; Bloodied 70

Initiative +12

aC 30, Fortitude 27, reflex 24, Will 26

Perception +12

speed 8 (earth walk)

Low-light vision

Immune petrification

Standard Actions

m stone Greatclub (weapon) F at-Will

Attack: Melee 2 (one creature); +21 vs. AC

Hit: 2d10 + 11 damage, and the giant marks the target

until the end of the giant’s next turn.

R Hurl rock F at-Will

Attack: Ranged 20 (one creature); +21 vs. AC

Hit: 2d8 + 13 damage.

C staggering sweep (weapon) F recharge when first

bloodied

Attack: Close blast 2 (creatures in the blast); +19 vs. AC

Hit: 2d10 + 11 damage, the giant pushes the target up to 2

squares, and the giant marks the target until the end of

the giant’s next turn.

Effect: The giant shifts 2 squares but must remain within 2

squares of any creatures marked by it.

Triggered Actions

Hardened Threat F at-Will

Trigger: A creature marked by the giant and within its reach

willingly moves.

Effect (Opportunity Action): The giant uses stone greatclub

against the triggering creature.

stone Bones F at-Will

Trigger: The giant is hit by an attack.

Effect (Immediate Interrupt): The giant gains resist 5 to all

damage against the triggering attack.

skills Athletics +18, Stealth +15

str 22 (+13) dex 16 (+10) Wis 20 (+12)

Con 20 (+12) Int 10 (+7) Cha 11 (+7 )

alignment unaligned Languages Giant

equipment greatclub, 3 rocks

Mundane Treasures

d20

Mundane Item

Handaxe blade (used as a hand chopper)

Metal helm (used as a bowl) and wooden spoon

r unnIng the

a dventure

Moldy and stinky wheel of cheese

shabby cloak (wool or hide)

Bone comb

Iron cooking pot

This adventure is location-based. All of the encoun-

ters are keyed to the maps of Howling Crag that

appear throughout the adventure text.

drinking horn

skinning knife

Haunch of meat

Mangy fur pelt

Rests

The adventure is designed to allow characters to take

short rests between encounters. However, characters

needing an extended rest might have to withdraw

from the dungeon to avoid incessant attacks.

Players might be reluctant to take an extended rest

and thereby allow the giants to fortify their defenses,

but that’s a choice they must make. As the Dungeon

Master, you need to decide what happens while the

characters take an extended rest and the extent to

which the giants recover from the party’s most recent

assault. Consider adding one group of reinforcements

(see “Giant Reinforcements” below), and have the

giants take a few sensible precautions to prepare for

the party’s return.

small bag of salt

Old sandals

Waterskin (full)

Cask of ale (half empty)

necklace of animal fangs or finger bones

5-foot length of chain

Bag of skulls

Bag of dried mushrooms

50-foot coil of hemp rope

Carved wooden idol

Giant Reinforcements

Not all of the stone giants that live in Howling Crag

are present when the characters attack. A number

of them are out on raids and hunting expeditions.

Each time the characters take an extended rest

during their conquest of Howling Crag and its nest

of warrens, they run the risk of encountering giant

reinforcements.

Treasure

The treasure found in this adventure was assigned

using the parcel technique of distribution (see page

298 of Rules Compendium ™ ) to ensure that the charac-

ters get the appropriate amount of treasure for their

level. Feel free to replace listed items with other items

of a similar level.

Janu ar y 2012 | DUNGEON 198

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