tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post3027784710123993219..comments2024-03-28T06:20:47.668-04:00Comments on GROGNARDIA: Retrospective: Against the GiantsJames Maliszewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-15161203063055166332012-04-14T21:20:00.099-04:002012-04-14T21:20:00.099-04:00The pastel G series were the first AD&D module...The pastel G series were the first AD&D modules I played. We got them right after 'upgrading' from the Holmes Basic set and B2.Jon Adairhttp://blog.jonadair.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-80046694211074444372012-04-08T10:52:48.849-04:002012-04-08T10:52:48.849-04:00Against the Giants gave me my one and only TPK, th...Against the Giants gave me my one and only TPK, that's Total Party Kill in case you don't know, I ever had as a DM. It was the Room 11: Long Hall, you know the one with 29 assorted giants, 8 ogres and a cave bear. My party peaked into the room, saw all the giants and the wiser players suggested not going in there. However, one of the players, the one that most often acted as the party's leader, had just broken up with his girlfriend, the player not the character, and had a few too many beers, once again the player, and decided to just waltz into the room. The other players then followed him, much to my horror. I tried to figure out a way to save the situation but when said depressed and drunken player then walked into the center of the room and started taunting the giants, I knew there was no hope. I played the combat out and my players, alas, did not survive. It's a shame, it was a really cool campaign. So let this be a lesson, Friends who let friends lead the party drunk, end up with dead characters.Ed Morettinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-7908823007642274582012-04-07T09:15:22.959-04:002012-04-07T09:15:22.959-04:00I also was run though this one by an older friend-...I also was run though this one by an older friend-of-a-friend named Damon, a legendarily killer DM. My story is similar to yours except that it happened in Damon's basement instead of outdoors. I take it as a point of pride that our party made it through Steading and did not die until somewhere in the Rift. Great modules!Carter Solesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-79555540928267496952012-04-06T09:26:55.384-04:002012-04-06T09:26:55.384-04:00I'll never forget the first time we played it....I'll never forget the first time we played it...I was a thief laying beneath one of those giant's bags hanging in the hall, at the threshold to the Steading. We had just slain the sleeping guards in the tower and a giant came around the corner to "relieve" himself. We all scattered and hid.<br /><br />The way the DM described the vibration we felt in the floor, w/ every footfall, and the way the dust motes jumped in the air w/ his approach, just sent shivers down my spine. Now here was a foe that was to be avoided!<br /><br />For some reason the sleeping giants weren't nearly as frightening. But when that live one came down the hall... Look out!<br /><br />Those were the 3 most memorable modules I have played to this day. (And this was back in '79 I think.)Jeff Fallernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-51935655756839946122012-04-06T03:23:42.515-04:002012-04-06T03:23:42.515-04:00Heh, I remember playing as Fonkin Hoddypeak who I ...Heh, I remember playing as Fonkin Hoddypeak who I picked because he had a bunch of javelins of lightning, which I loved.Jeremy Zharkovhttp://www.facebook.com/people/Jeremy-Zharkov/100000590970112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-72358134636977143792012-04-05T10:25:49.870-04:002012-04-05T10:25:49.870-04:00I think I ran these twice - but I ran G3 only once...I think I ran these twice - but I ran G3 only once. In my big high school AD&D game we sort of lost interest in fighting giants after a (spectacular) run through G2. The first time I ran them, I was much younger (I came into gaming in 1981, and I got these early). I can't remember much about running them with my elementary school group except very, very bitter arguments erupting around the treasures lost from the remorhaz burning through the ice. Some players had read the modules and knew what was lost, and it wasn't pretty.<br /><br />I do like the modules and I'm very glad I got the monochrome reproductions when I chanced on the Silver Anniversary Boxed Set late last year.Peter V. Dell'Ortonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-10535331376397126842012-04-05T02:45:52.384-04:002012-04-05T02:45:52.384-04:00Gleep Wurp the eyebiter and Beek Gwenders of Crood...Gleep Wurp the eyebiter and Beek Gwenders of Croodle have always stuck with me as the pinnacle of awesome D&D names!<br /><br />As a young kid when I first saw the 'eyebiter' title I didn't realize it refered to a spell - I just thought old Gleep was one mean badass... and a magic user to boot :)Victor Von Davehttp://victor-von-dave.myopenid.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-15321028386347209892012-04-04T23:33:46.460-04:002012-04-04T23:33:46.460-04:00Weird. One of my most vivid memories of G1 is a w...Weird. One of my most vivid memories of G1 is a well-deployed Creeping Doom, too.Adam Thorntonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-76819488582768644092012-04-04T22:35:30.843-04:002012-04-04T22:35:30.843-04:00Wow - almost the same exact story here, only I end...Wow - almost the same exact story here, only I ended up with "Gleep Wurp the Eyebiter". And we played in an old camper rooted in a friend's back yard. But I still remember all those things clear as day too.<br /><br />In time I decided I liked the crawl of D1-3 better than Gs, but G1-3 was the first real epic thing we ran.Michael Bristolnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-7365851166679026002012-04-04T15:20:00.333-04:002012-04-04T15:20:00.333-04:00Creating pre-gen characters was one of the least-l...Creating pre-gen characters was one of the least-liked jobs in the office. Giving them outlandish names became an inside joke and a form of passive/aggressive revenge for having to create them in the first place. I don't know who came up with the characters for the Giants series, because it was just before my time, but any of that late-'70s crew had the twisted sense of comedy to write those.Steven Winternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-17578570918383998802012-04-04T13:27:37.302-04:002012-04-04T13:27:37.302-04:00One of the great lacks of my "gaming life&quo...One of the great lacks of my "gaming life" is that I've never refereed nor played the Giants series. Funny thing about them: for all the sparse backstory, they're incredibly dramatic. And there's something about giants as a foe that I find very appealing. Combined with the Greyhawk folio, I had imagined a great, desperate war involving almost the whole southwest Flanaess. They're really a testament to lots of "fluff text" not being necessary, at least for D&D-style games.Anthony Raganhttp://breeland.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-87944259644321550902012-04-04T12:39:55.501-04:002012-04-04T12:39:55.501-04:00That module had the best pre-gen character names. ...That module had the best pre-gen character names. Complete list:<br />Gleep Wurp the Eyebiter (human MU)<br />Cloyer Bulse the Magsman (human thief)<br />Roakey Swerked (human cleric) <br />Frush O’Suggill (human fighter)<br />Flerd Trantle (human cleric)<br /> Redmod Dumple (dwarf fighter)<br />Faffle Dwe’omercraeft (human MU)<br />Beek Gwenders of Croodle (half-elf ranger)<br />Fonkin Hoddyspeak (high elf fighter/MU)Luke Duffhttp://www.facebook.com/lukeduffnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-91731640278377796722012-04-04T11:35:04.611-04:002012-04-04T11:35:04.611-04:00The really bizarre thing about these early modules...The really bizarre thing about these early modules (the A/D/Q series in particular) is that they were some of the very first published yet are for extremely high level characters -- the very opposite of the strategy you would expect TSR to take when rolling out adventures for a new game. <br /><br />For years their published modules were either entry level (B series) or very high level, with almost nothing for levels 4-8. Very odd strategy that never made sense to me.<br /><br />And while I love love love the D series, the Giants adventures always left me cold. James Cameronnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-73427186860528143142012-04-04T11:22:20.387-04:002012-04-04T11:22:20.387-04:00Fantastic module. One day I want to take my kids ...Fantastic module. One day I want to take my kids through it.Timothy Brannanhttp://timbrannan.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-54718889275251558192012-04-04T10:58:58.710-04:002012-04-04T10:58:58.710-04:00Have to say I don't care for the G series or f...Have to say I don't care for the G series or for any of the tournament style modules published around the same time. In G1 you have a bunch of giant sitting around eating dinner and the PCs have to break in and murder them all. It's more of an assassination mission than any heroic quest I wanted to be involved in (even as a 13 year old). Maybe that's because I view giants and just big people rather than monsters that need to be slain like manticores or carrion crawlers.<br /><br />I'm not sure if the G1-3 combo module had more backstory than the pastel G1 that I had.Aaron Daynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-10033583999926831422012-04-04T10:41:00.547-04:002012-04-04T10:41:00.547-04:00best module ever. best module ever. J Dnoreply@blogger.com