The size and strength of Giants?

[Ferretz]

Hi,

Checking out Fantasy Craft again these days, now that it has it's second printing. Noticed that in the errata, Giants still don't get any bonuses on their Str. Is this intentional? So a common giant won't do any more damage on a solid unarmed hit than a human? This is a bit strange, unless I'm missing something, which might be the case.

-Eirik

[Gentry]

Giants get a massive carrying capacity in lieu of massive combat bonuses. They're strong--just not bruisers.

[TheTSKoala]

Actually, it's not that unrealistic.  While physical size does enhance the force of a punch, the overall speed is the real go-getter.  

Captain Obvious example:

Ford Focus moving at one foot per minute.  It'll bump you.  Not much else.  Baseball moving at 150 miles per hour can kill you.  

So, while the Giants are bigger, more times than not they're slower in some instances.  I'm going to assume it was a book keeping wash.  Bigger, but slower, but not in all things.. so.. just leave it be.  At least, that's my thinking on it.

[paddyfool]

It's unrealistic, certainly (there are good reasons why boxing weight categories are so narrow, even relative to those for grappling martial arts, and why people who move "up" a weight category are rare) but intentional.  See here for a prior discussion.

The point is, that playing as a giant you can carry around ludicrously heavy weaponry, threaten a large area of the battlefield, pick up and throw around lighter characters (friend or foe) or anything else you feel like, take as many levels in whatever classes you like as with any other race, and still be balanced with other players.  Because fantasy craft is about awesome cinematics slightly more than it is about realism.

Alternatively, if you just want to play as someone who hits people hard, take a look at the Orc or Ogre instead and reflavour to taste.

[Blankbeard]

Also giants gain a trample attack that could be used to represent any situation in which they can bring their full size and weight to bear.  Also, grapples benefit from the giant's size and improved stability will help with tramples. 

[mind flayer]

really, I like the way that Crafty has worked the size differential.  I defy you to find a large-sized character race from a Wizards of the Coast product with an ECL of less than 5.  The fact that most Giant-subtype creatures had between +6 and +18 strength renders them unplayable.

From a realism perspective, I don't think it is too hard to believe.  Giants may not deal extra damage if they punch you, but they have a potent natural attack to use against smaller folk and they carry bigger, more damaging weapons.  Is there any strength-based roll that Giants don't get a bonus to that doesn't make sense?

[Catodon]

Mind Flayer hit it on the head. (he he)
The reason FC can have the fantasy mainstays giants and drakes finally evevated to core species where they belong is because of the way ST is handled.
On another note size L (up to about 15') is a bit small for a giant. While bigger NPCs wont suit every campaign for those who want them and have only seen the second printing check out Truly Massive in the first.
That said given that dungeons are still common fare I think it was a good choice by the designers to cut 30' giants from the core book which should include stuff suitable for play out of the box in most campaign worlds.

[pawsplay]

It is pretty likely for a giant to buy a high Str. Adding a modifier on top of it  kind of distorts what a giant's stats look like. Given that Str is fairly arbitrary in many respects, except for determining weight carried, the lack of a Str bonus is unlikely to trigger one of those "Are you serious?" suspension-of-disbelief moments.

[Morgenstern]

I always find it interesting how rarely people ask "why don't Goblins/Pech have a Strength penalty?"

[Agent 333]

I will say one thing about the size of giants: A great way to see far is to stand (or sit, as the case with the guy on page 47) on their shoulders.

[Mister Andersen]

I always find it interesting how rarely people ask "why don't Goblins/Pech have a Strength penalty?"

That was asked a lot around the time of OotS: Classic Fantasy came out. It got much the same answer.

[Ferretz]

So, the Strength of a character in Fantasy Craft really has more to do with his Strength in relation to other characters of his size? This might work, as Size offers other advantages and disadvantages in in the rules.
Just unusual.

Eirik

[pawsplay]

It has a lot to do with melee capability, which is fundamentally abstract.

[Catodon]

It could also represent strength to weight

[Fortinbras]

The only time it really stretches suspension of disbelief is when it comes to unarmed damage, and anyone who cares about that is going to take Martial Arts anyway.