Here there be GIANTS...

 

Against the Giants: A Mega-Dungeon Crawl Where You're the Ants

The year was 1978. Disco was king, bell bottoms were the height of fashion, and Gary Gygax unleashed a mega-adventure upon the world that would have Dungeons & Dragons players trembling in their chainmail boots for decades to come: Against the Giants. This epic trilogy, comprising "Steading of the Hill Giant Chief," "Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl," and "Hall of the Fire Giant King," threw players into a brutal conflict against, well, giants. Lots and lots of giants.

Now, before we delve into the meat of this colossal campaign, let's address the elephant in the room (or should I say, the hill giant in the steading?). This is 1st edition AD&D we're talking about. Rules were… let's just say "loosey-goosey." Character creation involved rolling 3d6 in order for your stats (sorry, weaklings!), magic was wild and unpredictable, and falling down a flight of stairs could genuinely be a campaign-ending event.

But hey, that was part of the charm, right?

Against the Giants was a meat grinder, a true test of player skill and DM sadism. It was less about intricate plots and nuanced roleplaying, and more about dungeon crawling, tactical combat, and looting the enormous corpses of your foes. And you know what? It was glorious.

So, what made Against the Giants so special?

• Epic Scope: This wasn't just some goblin-infested cave; you were taking the fight to the giants in their own lairs. Each adventure was a sprawling dungeon filled with unique challenges, deadly traps, and, of course, giants of every flavor.
• A Sense of Escalation: You started by infiltrating the relatively "mundane" steading of the hill giants, then graduated to the frigid wastes of the frost giants, culminating in a fiery showdown in the heart of the fire giant king's volcanic domain. Each step up the giant ladder brought deadlier foes, more powerful magic, and a greater sense of impending doom.
• Loot, glorious loot! Let's be honest, one of the main draws of D&D is the opportunity to amass a hoard of treasure that would make Smaug drool. And Against the Giants delivered in spades. Giant-sized weapons, magical artifacts, and enough gold to fill a swimming pool (assuming you could find a way to carry it all).

A Typical (and potentially fatal) Encounter:

Imagine this: your party, battered and bruised but still relatively intact, stumbles into a vast cavern in the fire giant king's domain. The air shimmers with heat, and the ground is covered in a layer of ash. In the center of the chamber, a colossal forge roars, tended by a squad of fire giant smiths. But that's not what catches your attention.

No, your eyes are drawn to the massive, obsidian-like egg perched precariously on a rocky outcropping. It pulsates with an inner light, radiating an almost unbearable heat. Naturally, your party's kleptomaniac halfling rogue, we'll call him "Fingers," can't resist the urge to investigate. He scurries towards the egg, his eyes gleaming with avarice.

Now, a sensible party might try to stop him. They might even consider the possibility that a giant, obsidian egg in the lair of the fire giant king might be, you know, dangerous. But this is 1st edition, and common sense is often in short supply.

Fingers reaches the egg and, with a mischievous grin, gives it a little tap. The egg wobbles. He taps it again, harder this time. The egg cracks. A fiery glow erupts from within. And then…

BOOM!

The egg explodes in a volcanic eruption of fire and molten rock, instantly incinerating poor Fingers and showering the rest of the party in lava. The fire giant smiths, startled by the commotion, turn and charge, bellowing with rage.

Congratulations, you've just triggered a TPK (Total Party Kill) thanks to a curious halfling and a poorly placed egg.

But hey, that's Against the Giants for you!

Why you should play it (or at least read it):

Even if you're not a hardcore 1st edition grognard, Against the Giants is worth checking out for its historical significance and its sheer, unadulterated "old-school cool." It's a reminder of a time when D&D was less about storytelling and more about survival, when character death was a real possibility (nay, a probability), and when giants were truly terrifying.

Of course, you could always adapt it to a more modern edition. Just be prepared to adjust the difficulty. Those giants hit hard, and they don't pull their punches.

In Conclusion:

Against the Giants is a classic for a reason. It's a challenging, exciting, and often hilarious adventure that will test your skills and your luck. So gather your party, stock up on healing potions, and prepare to face the giants. Just try not to tap any suspicious eggs.

P.S. If you do manage to defeat the fire giant king, be sure to check his pockets. Rumor has it he carries a +5 flaming battleaxe that can talk. But be warned, it's a bit of a chatterbox.