Stone Giant

A stone giant on the party's side is calm, competent, and a little disappointed in everyone present. The natural framing is a clan elder protecting a high pass, a sculptor-priest who has agreed to escort the party to a sacred quarry, or a stone giant artisan who owes a debt to the party's dwarven contact. Stone giants speak only Giant, so plan a translator or a casting of Tongues into the meeting, and accept that the conversation will be slow.

In a fight, the giant is your artillery and your backstop. Boulder at +9 for 15 average bludgeoning out to 240 ft. lets the giant stand behind the party and lob into back ranks while the front line holds; Stone Club at reach 15 ft. with two attacks per turn at 22 average each makes the giant a wall that nothing wants to charge. Ask the players to stay out of the throwing lane. Friendly fire from a 2d8+6 boulder is a real concern, and the giant will not adjust its arc for sentimental reasons.

Deflect Missile is the favor you remind the table about. Once per recharge, an arrow or a Magic Missile or a thrown axe aimed at a PC standing within 60 ft. of the giant can be reduced to zero and redirected as 11 force damage at DC 17 Dex against an enemy. Save it for the round the rogue is one bow shot from going down.

The giant will fight one fight, then leave. They consider mortal politics small and brief, and a stone giant who has paid its debt walks back into the mountain and is not seen again that season. Have it leave a single shaped stone token behind for the PC it judged most worth remembering.

A stone giant fights at range and does not enjoy the conversation. Boulder hits at +9 for 15 average bludgeoning at 60/240 ft. and knocks Large or smaller targets Prone on a hit, and Multiattack lets the giant throw two boulders a turn from outside most parties' effective response range. AC 17 and 126 HP at CR 7 means the giant absorbs whatever finally reaches it.

Open at long range. Stealth +5 and a Passive Perception of 14 mean the giant sees the party first, blends against the scree, and the first thing they know about it is a boulder against the wizard's flat-footed AC. Spend the first two rounds raining boulders, knocking different PCs Prone in turn so the melee can never close cleanly. Anyone who answers with archery or a ranged spell triggers Deflect Missile (Recharge 5-6): the giant reduces the damage by 11, and on a zero, redirects 11 force at DC 17 Dex against another visible PC within 60 ft. Use that redirect on the cleric or whoever just healed somebody.

When melee finally arrives, switch to Stone Club. +9 to hit, reach 15 ft., 22 average bludgeoning per swing, two swings a turn. The 15 ft. reach is the part the players forget. A martial PC who closes to 10 ft. has not closed at all. Save Boulder for any PC who breaks back to 30 ft. or further; do not switch to club just because the rogue got close.

Stone giants do not love a losing fight. Once Bloodied, the giant climbs scree, retreats to higher ground, and uses 240 ft. of long boulder range to cover its withdrawal. If the party has bottled it in a cave, it digs in at the back wall and accepts the math.

Have the first boulder land before initiative is rolled. The surprise round and the Prone condition together set the tone of the whole fight.