| Author | 
                
                  Topic   | 
                  | 
              
              
                | 
                 Dargoth 
                Great Reader 
                      
                 
                
		                  
                Australia 
                4607 Posts  | 
                
                  
                    
                      
                       Posted - 07 May 2004 :  02:45:50
                        
                        
                 
                        
                        
                      
  | 
                     
                    
           	
                        Yesterday one of my players asked what ECL a Firbolg would be. I thought there Giantkin they'd probably have an ECL around the same as an Ogre or maybe a little higher. I remebered from 2ed that the Giantkin where lesser giants and not as strong as a real Giant,so I dug through my manual until I found its stats in MM2 and wohoooooo.
  The ECL for Firbolg is 18!
  More Bizarely its got a strength of 36! Which means its stronger than every giant except Storm Giants!
  What on earth happaned to the Firbolg?
           	 | 
                     
                    
                        “I am the King of Rome, and above grammar”
  Emperor Sigismund 
  "Its good to be the King!"
  Mel Brooks | 
                     
                   
                 | 
              
              
                | 
                 D-brane 
                Learned Scribe 
                   
                 
                
		                  
                United Kingdom 
                140 Posts  | 
                
                  
                    
                      
                       Posted - 07 May 2004 :  06:08:30
                        
                        
                 
                        
                      
  | 
                     
                    
                       Don't forget that they are over 10-feet tall and weigh more than 800 pounds. Those stats must also be taken into consideration afterall, since firbolgs do make rather imposing opponents.
  | 
                     
                    
                        "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence." | 
                     
                    
                        | 
                     
                   
                 | 
              
              
                | 
                 Arivia 
                Great Reader 
                      
                 
                
		                  
                Canada 
                2965 Posts  | 
                
                  
                    
                      
                       Posted - 07 May 2004 :  15:20:35
                        
                        
                      
  | 
                     
                    
                      |  It's mainly due to its 13 HD-That's 13 out of the 18 ECL-And the +5 LA isn't too bad; they do have that huge Strength bonus, as you've stated. | 
                     
                    
                        | 
                     
                   
                 | 
              
              
                | 
                 Dargoth 
                Great Reader 
                      
                 
                
		                  
                Australia 
                4607 Posts  | 
                
                  
                    
                      
                       Posted - 07 May 2004 :  15:43:50
                        
                        
                 
                        
                      
  | 
                     
                    
                       quote: Originally posted by Arivia
  It's mainly due to its 13 HD-That's 13 out of the 18 ECL-And the +5 LA isn't too bad; they do have that huge Strength bonus, as you've stated.
 
  
  My point is that the 3ed Firbolg doesnt resemble the 2ed version, The 2ed version was around the same level as a Hill Giant | 
                     
                    
                        “I am the King of Rome, and above grammar”
  Emperor Sigismund 
  "Its good to be the King!"
  Mel Brooks | 
                     
                    
                        | 
                     
                   
                 | 
              
              
                | 
                 Bookwyrm 
                Great Reader 
                      
                 
                
		                  
                USA 
                4740 Posts  | 
                
                  
                    
                      
                       Posted - 07 May 2004 :  16:11:24
                        
                        
                 
                        
                      
  | 
                     
                    
                       I don't remember any stats for the 2e firbolg, mosty because I never saw any. However, I remember them from at least one FR novel, which described them as the least of the giantkin. 
  Of course, I'm a bit confused on the name. The Irish firbolgs weren't giants in any of the versions I've read . . . . | 
                     
                    
                        Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
  Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. | 
                     
                    
                        | 
                     
                   
                 | 
              
              
                | 
                 Wooly Rupert 
                Master of Mischief 
               
                      
                 
                
		                  
                USA 
                36966 Posts  | 
                
                  
                    
                      
                       Posted - 07 May 2004 :  16:34:40
                        
                 
                        
                      
  | 
                     
                    
                       quote: Originally posted by Bookwyrm
  I don't remember any stats for the 2e firbolg, mosty because I never saw any. However, I remember them from at least one FR novel, which described them as the least of the giantkin. 
  
  Giant, Firbolg, page 136 of the 2nd edition Monstrous Manual. According to it, they are the most powerful of all the giant-kin. 10.5 feet tall, 800 pounds, 13+7 HD...
 
 quote: Originally posted by Bookwyrm
  Of course, I'm a bit confused on the name. The Irish firbolgs weren't giants in any of the versions I've read . . . .
  
  'Tis true. Of course, in Greco-Roman mythology, gorgons weren't evil metallic bulls, either. 
  And while I'm certainly no expert on draconic legends, I'm not recalling any tales (outside of modern fantasy fiction) that had dragons breathing anything other than fire...
 
  | 
                     
                    
                        Candlekeep Forums Moderator
  Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
  I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen!   | 
                     
                    
                        | 
                     
                   
                 | 
              
              
                | 
                 Bookwyrm 
                Great Reader 
                      
                 
                
		                  
                USA 
                4740 Posts  | 
                
                  
                    
                      
                       Posted - 07 May 2004 :  16:59:32
                        
                        
                 
                        
                      
  | 
                     
                    
                       Well, dragons breathing fire is purely western mythology. The Oriental dragons didn't have breath weapons (or wings, of course), though they had so much mana they didn't need it. 
  Of course, there is a dragon with a non-fire breath weapon. The real-life komodo dragon. Its breath is so bad it can make some small creatures faint.   | 
                     
                    
                        Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
  Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. | 
                     
                    
                        | 
                     
                   
                 | 
              
              
                | 
                 Chyron 
                Learned Scribe 
                   
                 
                
		                  
                Hong Kong 
                279 Posts  | 
                
                  
                    
                      
                       Posted - 07 May 2004 :  17:06:52
                        
                        
                 
                        
                      
  | 
                     
                    
                       quote: Originally posted by Wooly Rupert... And while I'm certainly no expert on draconic legends, I'm not recalling any tales (outside of modern fantasy fiction) that had dragons breathing anything other than fire...
 
  
  It is my impression that the some of the original Gygax dragons were based somewhat on some Chinese folklore.  Many are the tales of them being able to prew forth a variety of effects based on their title.  Some were lords of rivers, some of the sky, some of the various oceans etc...and as such they had different powers, could speak and were albe to shift forms and do magic.  Of course Tolkien's Smaug was an intelligent talker too.  So it seemed that the orginal design blended Western European forms with some Far Eastern characteristics. | 
                     
                    
                        Just My  Thoughts Chyron :)
 
  | 
                     
                    
                        | 
                     
                   
                 | 
              
              
                |   | 
                
                  Topic   | 
                  |