HERE BE GIANTS A solitaire skirmish wargame

by Tamás Kisbali

v.0.97. 2015

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HERE BE GIANTS

What is this? Here Be Giants (HBG) is a solitaire skirmish wargame. A brave band of warriors set out to destroy the

giant who has been laying menace to the countryside, destroying resources and buildings, eating

people, doing what giants are the best at.

How to play? You are going to need:

Miniatures from any manufacturer(s) or game line will do. Miniatures should be more or less

of the same scale. These figures will represent your giant hunters. Generally you are going to

need about 8-15 pieces. You are not restricted to humans: robots, dinosaur mounts or

vehicles are also welcome.

Ten-sided dice (d10).

A ruler to measure all those inches.

A giant. You have it. It’s you. You are the giant.

Flavour of the universe Take a look at your miniatures and decide upon a general theme that unites them. If they are from

the same game, you can plunder that for ideas, or just come up with your own version.

The archetypical setting is a bunch of enraged peasants with pitchforks & torches teaming up against

a giant who is destroying their crops and livestock. Other options include (but are not limited to) a

squad of interplanetary colonists defending their space dome against a monstrous giant alien, or

occult investigators trying to best an elder god. A jungle tribe running out of virgins might chose to

fight the giant ape after all.

Assembling the giant hunter team You are given 25 team points (TPs) to assemble the team. The giant hunting squad consists of several

different types of characters. Each type has different stats (more on this later), abilities and a price.

You can “recruit” any number of them (except for the leader – there can only be one!) by spending

your TPs. Give your leader and veterans names!

The leader (0 TP)

A charismatic, heroic figure.

Veteran (3 TP)

A well-trained, experienced fighter.

Novice (1 TP)

This is his/her first (and probably last) hunt.

Special (5 TP)

Something special, like a vehicle or a trained monster, whatever fits the theme of your hunters.

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Stats

Type Movement Willpower Combat

Leader 8 9 8 Veteran 8 7 5 Novice 6 4 3 Special: Vehicle 20 * 7 Special: Monster 12 4 8

Movement

The character can move up to this amount of inches in each turn. Climbing

and passing through heavy terrain requires a double amount of effort –

count each inch as two in such cases.

Example: Suzy Dupplo, a Veteran with [Movement 8] can move 8” or climb 4”. Dividing movement is also possible, e.g. she can move 4” to reach a wall, then use the remaining 4 Movement points to climb 2”.

Willpower

Fighting a giant is not an easy task. The mere sight of such an abomination might cause the whole

team to flee. This statistic represents the psychological proves of the character. At certain points in

the game, the team as a whole or a single unit needs to pass a Willpower check.

Vehicles usually have no Willpower of their own, but use the driver’s or rider’s stat instead – that

character is called the controller. Always designate a controller.

A monster type usually needs a controller as well – a trainer or beast master. If the controller is in

“walking distance” from the monster (that is, the distance between the two figures is less than the

controller’s Movement stat), the monster uses the controller’s willpower.

Combat

This statistic represents the ability of the character to cause damage to the giant. Did I say damage?

More like nuisance. Check against this stat to see whether the character succeeds.

Stat checks If a stat check is called, roll a single ten-sided die. If the result is

less or equal to the stat, the test is successful.

Example: Azul Guhh, the Novice hunter is trying to stick his spear under the giant’s toenail. This calls for a Combat check! Roll d10. If the result is less or equal than Azul Guh’s [Combat 3] stat, the attack is successful.

Abilities

Type Rope Lure Inspire Ride Dodge

Leader ✓ + ✓ + +

Veteran ✓ + + + +

Novice + ✓ X + +

Special X + X X +

✓ = default skill, + = might buy skill (1 TP), X = may not buy skill.

Characters start out with a set of skills (except novices) and may acquire additional ones for 1 TP

each. Some skills are restricted to certain character types.

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Rope

One of the most important abilities of the giant

hunters: the skill of tying down a giant, and also the

setting of simple yet effective traps.

At least two characters are required to execute a

Rope action. They have to be positioned as needed

for the chosen feat, for example by two sides of the

giant’s leg for a bounding, or at two trees to set up a

trap. The maximum length of rope available to the

hunters is 10”. Several actions may be executed to

cover a longer distance.

A successful Rope action requires a Willpower check.

For this test, use the higher stat available.

Example: Bonzo Beanstalk, the team’s Leader [Willpower 9] and a Novice [Willpower 4] try to tie down a sleeping giant. They are positioned as needed. For the Rope test, they roll against the Leader’s [Willpower 9]. Two Novices would have to use their measly [Willpower 4].

Lure

This ability allows the character to lure the giant into his or her direction. This is useful if the team

wants to save an important character in danger, or if they have set up a Rope trap somewhere.

Check against Willpower to see if the character is successful in luring the giant. If so, the giant has to

move into that direction on its turn.

Inspire

Once per game, the character might inspire her team-mates to accomplish something utterly stupid

and heroic. In the turn when this ability is activated (this is automatic, no checks required), all other

members of the team use the inspiring character’s Willpower stat for their own Willpower checks.

Also, they may re-roll all Combat checks! Keep in mind, this effect only lasts a single turn.

Example: Hunter Leader Bonzo Beanstalk shouts “This is our last chance, people! Remember your families at home!” and sends his people into battle. In this turn, all hunters have their Leader’s [Willpower 9] and may re-roll Combat checks.

Ride

A truly mad act! When the character with this ability is in contact with the giant, she may climb up on

it and “ride”. This requires a successful Willpower check. While “riding”, the character may re-roll all

Combat and Rope checks. Successful attacks from a “riding” character cause actual damage to the

giant (and not only nuisance)!! Each turn, a successful Willpower check is required to stay on the

giant (unless Grappling hooks are bought, see below). Failure means falling and automatic death.

Dodge

Normally, characters have no chance against a giant’s attacks (i.e. stomping feet), but with the Dodge

ability and a successful Willpower check, the character avoids the damage and leaps out of the way.

Move the miniature by up to half of the character’s Movement stat.

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Equipment All hunters are equipped with a default close combat weapon and a default projectile weapon

(maximum range of attack: 20”). There are various pieces of advanced weaponry for extra TPs.

Item Effect TP cost

Sniper weapon Range 30”, re-roll Combat check 1 Trophy weapon Close combat, re-roll Combat check, re-roll Willpower

check once a game 1

Superpoison Can be combined with default or advanced weapon; weapon causes damage even without Riding

2

Grappling hooks Character doesn’t have to roll for staying on the giant 1

Sample hunter team: “The Mad Stalkers” Flavour: Led by the fanatic Bonzo Beanstalk, this band of rag-tag anti-giant activists roam the Kingdom and face any oversized mayhem-causing monster they find. They are aided by Ol’ Mikey, the war dinosaur. Two trained veterans make it a strong team, but they lack hard hitting advances weapons.

Character Rope Lure Inspire Ride Dodge TP cost

Bonzo (Leader) ✓ ✓ ✓ 0+1

Suzy Dupplo (Vet.) ✓ 3

Lucky Fluke (Vet.) ✓ ✓ ✓ 3+2

3x Novices ✓ ✓ 3x(1+1)

5x Novices ✓ 5x1

Ol’ Mikey (Spec.) 5 = 11 characters and a monster TOTAL: 25

Now let’s see how the hunt is played!!

Gameplay The giant is sleeping. The hunters must act quickly!

Terrain

Play anywhere. The most convenient

place is your room when nobody else

is at home. Everyday objects (coffee

mugs, stacks of books, etc.) may serve

as terrain. Set up these objects close

enough to each other (<10”) to give

the hunters nice places to make rope

traps at.

Deployment

Sit down on the floor with your legs

spread. Deploy the hunters at a “safe” distance, that is a minimum of 10-minus-Willpower inches

from your body. For easier gameplay, let the hunters start next to the bottom half of your body.

After deployment, lay down on the ground for a few minutes, to let the feeling of a dormant giant

sink into your mind. You are now part of the game. Become one with the terrain. When done, sit up,

but don’t move your legs.

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Taking turns: Hunters

In the beginning of the game, the giant is asleep. The main goal of the hunters is to get closer, tie it

down, and then somehow kill it. Each hunter character can move and take one action. Move each

figure as needed, in no strict order, according to the Movement stat. Movement can be interrupted:

it’s possible to walk 4”, take an action, and then move some more.

Attacking and using Rope, Lure, Inspire or Ride are all considered actions. Dodge is a reaction and is

not listed here.

The turn ends when all the hunters that wanted to move or act have done so.

Taking turns: Giant

While the giant is asleep, it may not act. The giant is sleeping, but may stir from its slumber... It

depends on the amount of nuisance the hunters are causing.

Nuisance rules and checks

The giant has a nuisance counter, which starts at zero (0).

Whenever the hunters execute an action, consult this

chart and add the number to the nuisance counter.

At the beginning of the giant’s turn, if it is still asleep,

make a Nuisance check – if the d10 roll is lower or equal

to the current Nuisance rating, the giant awakens and may start acting instantly. Keep in mind, he is

still down lying on the ground, possibly with a few ropes already over its body! Otherwise, it’s the

hunters’ turn again.

Giant actions The giant has no stats (stats are for wussies).

It may execute TWO of the following actions each turn:

Standing up

If no ropes constrict it, the giant may stand up.

Tearing a rope

The giant automatically tears one rope.

Moving

The standing giant takes a huge step in any direction. If the

hunters are Luring him (see previous section), the giant MUST

move in that direction (and may not stand still!). If there is a rope

trap in the way, the giant automatically stumbles over (must take a Standing up action next turn),

possibly smashing any characters that happen to be under.

Attacking

The giant steps on any character. Or picks the poor human bean up and swallows him whole. Giants

do that. If the character has no Dodge ability, he’s dead. You can act it out in real life, by stomping on

or swallowing your precious miniatures. The author of this game does not support such display of

gigantic barbarism. The giant’s attacks may also cause the hunters to flee in terror.

Action Nuisance

Rope on body 1 Successful attack 2 Unsuccessful attack 1 Riding (each turn) 2 Successful luring 1 Stumbling (over rope trap) 5

Terror check Each time the giant kills a hunter (Dodges don’t count as kills!),

make a Terror check against the overall strength of the hunter

team, calculated according to this table and rounded down:

Example: The giant grabs Lucky Fluke and smashes him against a rock. Ouch. Say the team is down to the Leader (2), a Veteran (1), a Special (1) and seven Novices (7x0.5=3.5). The overall strength is 2+1+1+3.5 = 7.5, rounded down to 7. Make the Terror check against 7. If the result is more than the overall strength of the team, the hunters flee... But at least some of them survive the encounter!

Defeating the giant The hunters don’t really have a chance to kill the giant, of course. But after enough nuisance and

damage, the giant simply gets annoyed, and it leaves the premises. Keep track of the nuisance

counter (even after the giant has awoken) and the damage counter.

Damage

Damaging the giant is HARD. Default attacks only cause nuisance. Damage is done only if a character

Rides on the giant or if advanced weaponry is used (see Equipment section).

If the nuisance counter reaches a whooping 30, and there is at least 1 point of damage done, the

giant turns its back on the hunters and flees to the mountains.

If the damage counter reaches 10, the giant flees (regardless of the nuisance counter).

Defeating the hunters You, the giant, have it easy. If you kill off the whole hunter team, you win. Of course, if they flee, they

might be back!!

After the game: rewards

Outcome Reward

Hunters flee 3 TPs and 1d5 free foolish Novice recruits Hunters defeat the giant 7 TPs and promotion of one Novice to Veteran (give her a name!)

Written by Tamás Kisbali – kisbalim@gmail.com

Type Strength

Leader 2 Veteran, Special 1 Novice 0.5