Forging Formidable Frost Giants
Fighting giants should be terrifying. They should crack the sky with their voices and shake the ground with every step. The players should feel like they're about to crap their pants every time the giant readies a swing against their PC.
Unfortunately, giants in the 2014 Monster Manual were basically "tall bears". They had hit points. They had multiattack. They did not have flavor. The 2024 revision gave them a mild facelift, but there’s still a giant-sized gap between what giants should feel like and what those statblocks deliver. That's why I built Foe Foundry! With it, you can summon Frost Giants that will actually make your PCs fear being squashed like a bug.
Foe Foundry Frost Giant Statblocks
With Foe Foundry you can generate hundreds of different versions of these statblocks by combining unique and interesting powers. These are just a couple examples. With the Foe Foundry Monster Generator you can re-forge any of these statblocks with the roll of a die.
| Statblock | CR | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Frost Giant Reaver | 8 | A blood-hungry raider who lives for the clash of blades and the roar of storms. |
| Frost Giant Challenger | 10 | A towering duelist who seeks worthy foes to crush in ritual combat |
| Frost Giant Rimepriest | 12 | A storm-caller and rune-witch who bends wind and ice to her will |
| Frost Giant Thane | 16 Legendary | A legendary warlord, feared and admired by all who march beneath their frosty banner. |
Frost Giant Reaver
Summoned with Foe FoundryHuge Giant (Frost Giant)
AC 14 (Patchwork Armor) Initiative +2 (12)
HP 161 (14d12 + 70)
Speed 40 ft.
| Mod | Save | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Str | 23 | +6 | +9 |
| Dex | 9 | -1 | -1 |
| Con | 20 | +5 | +8 |
| Mod | Save | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Int | 9 | -1 | -1 |
| Wis | 10 | +0 | +3 |
| Cha | 14 | +2 | +5 |
Skills Athletics +9, Perception +3, Survival +3
Immunities Cold
Senses Passive Perception 13
Languages Common, Giant
CR 8 (3,900 XP; PB +3)
Actions
Multiattack. The frost giant makes two Biting Greataxe attacks.
Biting Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10ft., one target. Hit 19 (2d12 + 6) slashing damage and 7 (2d6) cold damage. On a hit, the target is knocked Prone
Grab and Go (Recharge 5-6). The frost giant attempts to grab a creature within 5 feet. The target must succeed on a DC 17 Strength saving throw or take 31 (9d6) bludgeoning damage and be flung. The frost giant whirls the creature wildly as a club, forcing each other creature within 10 feet to make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw, taking half the bludgeoning damage on a failure. A creature that fails either saving throw is also pushed 10 feet away and knocked Prone.
Winter's Shroud (1/day). The frost giant exhales freezing fog in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in the area must make a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or take 32 (13d4) cold damage. The area becomes heavily obscured, as under the effects of a Fog Cloud spell, though the frost giant can see through this fog as if it were clear.
Bonus Actions
Avalanche Charge (1/day). The frost giant charges up to its speed in a straight line. Each creature in its path must make a DC 17 Strength saving throw or be knocked Prone. If the terrain is snowy or icy, creatures have disadvantage on the save and do not get attacks of opportunity against the frost giant.
A storm-caller and rune-witch, the Frost Giant Rimepriest bends wind and ice to their will. Cloaked in frost and crowned with runic sigils of ancient power, she seeks out the next target for the clan's reavers.
Frost Giant Rimepriest
Summoned with Foe FoundryHuge Giant (Frost Giant)
AC 14 (Patchwork Armor) Initiative +3 (13)
HP 200 (16d12 + 96)
Speed 40 ft.
| Mod | Save | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Str | 16 | +3 | +7 |
| Dex | 9 | -1 | -1 |
| Con | 22 | +6 | +10 |
| Mod | Save | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Int | 12 | +1 | +1 |
| Wis | 22 | +6 | +10 |
| Cha | 14 | +2 | +6 |
Skills Insight +10, Perception +10
Immunities Cold
Senses Passive Perception 20
Languages Common, Giant
CR 12 (8,400 XP; PB +4)
Actions
Multiattack. The frost giant makes two Arctic Blast attacks. It may replace one attack with a use of its Spirit Wolves.
Arctic Blast. Ranged Spell Attack: +10 to hit, range 90ft., one target. Hit 37 (7d8 + 6) cold damage. On a hit, the target's movement speed is reduced by a cumulative 10 feet until the end of its next turn.
Spirit Wolves (1/day). The frost giant summons a pack of 2 (1d4) Winter Wolf as allies. The wolves act immediately after the frost giant in initiative order and use their first movement and action to appear at unoccupied spaces within 30 feet.
Biting Frost (Recharge 5-6). The frost giant creates a Medium Biting Frost Token (AC/DC 15, 3 Charges) in an unoccupied space within 30 feet. Each creature that starts its turn within a 30 foot emanation of the Biting Frost takes 16 (3d10) cold damage.
Spellcasting. The frost giant casts one of the following spells, using Wisdom as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 18):
1/day each: EntangleÈ», Faerie FireÈ», Plant Growth, Ice Storm (5th), Moonbeamc (5th)
12 Interesting Frost Giant Powers
Avalanche Charge
Bonus Actions
Avalanche Charge (1/day). The frost giant charges up to its speed in a straight line. Each creature in its path must make a DC 17 Strength saving throw or be knocked Prone. If the terrain is snowy or icy, creatures have disadvantage on the save and do not get attacks of opportunity against the frost giant.
Used by Frost Giant Challenger (CR 10), Frost Giant Reaver (CR 8), Frost Giant Thane (CR 16)
Avalanche Charge is a fun and flavorful way for your Frost Giant Reaver to close the distance to the party. It also has a nice little environmental interaction that makes the Frost Giant feel formidable in its home environment.
Crush the Insect
Bonus Actions
Crush the Insect (1/day). The frost giant stomps down on a creature within 10 feet. The target must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. If the target is prone, it has disadvantage on the save. On a failure, the target takes 27 (5d10) bludgeoning damage.
Used by Frost Giant Challenger (CR 10), Frost Giant Reaver (CR 8), Frost Giant Thane (CR 16)
Crush the Insect is great for really re-inforcing how much larger Giants are than the PCs. It gives the giant a noticeable damage bump and teaches the PCs to be afraid of being Prone near a Giant, but it's just 1/day so it doesn't make your encounters wildly unbalanced.
Earthshaker
Traits
Earthshaker. Whenever the frost giant moves, all medium or smaller creatures that are within 10 feet of the frost giant must make a DC 15 Strength check or fall Prone. A creature that falls prone in this way loses concentration.
Actions
Earthshaker Stomp (1/day). The frost giant stomps its foot, creathing a massive shockwave. Each creature in a 45 ft cone must make a DC 15 Strength saving throw or take 40 (9d8) Thunder damage and be Dazed. A Dazed creature can move or take an action on its turn, but not both. It cannot take bonus actions or free object interactions. A creature that is immune to being Stunned cannot be Dazed
Used by Frost Giant, Zombie
Earthshaker is another great opportunity to mechanically reinforce the flavor of towering giants. As a low-DC strength save, players of martial characters will feel just a bit more powerful as they make the save and their caster buddies struggle to maintain concentration on their spells. Adding a couple of these abilities to your campaign can help address the Martial / Caster divide.
Toss
Actions
Toss. The frost giant attempts to toss a large or smaller creature within 5 feet. The creature must make a DC 17 Strength saving throw. On a failure, it takes 42 (12d6) bludgeoning damage and is thrown up to 25 feet and falls Prone. If the thrown creature collides with another creature, then that other creature must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, the other creature takes half the damage.
Used by Animated Armor, Berserker, Tough, Chimera, Hydra, Frost Giant, Gorgon, Ogre, Orc, Zombie
I love Toss. It's such a simple ability, but there's something visceral about picking up a PC and throwing them into another PC, or off a cliff, or into a lava pit...
Grab and Go
Actions
Grab and Go (Recharge 5-6). The frost giant attempts to grab a creature within 5 feet. The target must succeed on a DC 17 Strength saving throw or take 31 (9d6) bludgeoning damage and be flung. The frost giant whirls the creature wildly as a club, forcing each other creature within 10 feet to make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw, taking half the bludgeoning damage on a failure. A creature that fails either saving throw is also pushed 10 feet away and knocked Prone.
Used by Frost Giant, Ogre, Zombie
Have you ever wanted your Frost Giant to pick up a PC and use them as a club? Grab and Go is the perfect power for you
Big Windup
Reactions
Big Windup. Whenever a creature hits the frost giant with a melee attack, The frost giant readies a powerful strike against its attacker. The frost giant has advantage on the next attack it makes against the attacker before the end of its next turn.
Used by Frost Giant, Ogre, Zombie
Big Windup is a simple power that adds some "telegraphing" mechanics to your fights. Nothing fancy, but it gives the PCs an incentive to vary their tactics.
Glory of the Hunt
Bonus Actions
Glory of the Hunt. the frost giant boasts about its most legendary kill, granting itself 30 temporary hit points and advantage on attacks until the start of its next turn. If an opponent can truthfully boast of a more impressive kill or successfully deceive the frost giant (DC 10 Deception check), then the frost giant loses the temporary hit points, has disadvantage on d20 tests until the end of its next turn, and can no longer use this ability.
Used by Frost Giant Challenger (CR 10), Frost Giant Thane (CR 16)
I love creating powers that reinforce the flavorful identity of monsters. Foe Foundry Frost Giants are fierce hunters and take pride in boasting about their trophies. Glory of the Hunt is a fun mechanical and flavorful way to show this off, and whichever PC decides to out-boast the giant and is then surprised to receive a mechanical advantage for it will feel extremely clever.
Chilling Challenge
Bonus Actions
Chilling Challenge (3/day). The frost giant challenges a creature it can see within 15 feet to a one on one duel. If the target does not attack the frost giant in melee by the end of its next turn, it must make a DC 17 Wisdom save or become Frozen (escape DC 17). A Frozen creature is partially encased in ice. It has a movement speed of zero, attacks made against it are at advantage, and it is vulnerable to bludgeoning and thunder damage. A creature may use an action to perform a DC 17 Strength (Athletics) check to break the ice and end the condition. The condition also ends whenever the creature takes any bludgeoning, thunder, or fire damage.
Used by Frost Giant Challenger (CR 10), Frost Giant Thane (CR 16)
Challenge
Actions
Challenge. The knight challenges another creature within 30 feet to the duel. The duel concludes when one of the targets is reduced to 0 hit points, is incapacitated, or dies. Any creature not part of the duel has disadvantage on attack rolls against the knight and the knight has advantage on any saves against effects or abilities caused by any creature not in the duel. The knight may only have one active duel at a time.
Used by Berserker, Frost Giant, Orc, Skeleton
Both Chilling Challenge and Challenge encourage you as the DM to inject some roleplay into combat, while also giving some mechanical reasons to shake up the standard tactics that PCs are used to using when engaging enemies.
Winter's Shroud
Actions
Winter's Shroud (Recharge 5-6). The frost giant exhales freezing fog in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in the area must make a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or take 32 (13d4) cold damage. The area becomes heavily obscured, as under the effects of a Fog Cloud spell, though the frost giant can see through this fog as if it were clear.
Used by Frost Giant Challenger (CR 10), Frost Giant Reaver (CR 8), Frost Giant Rimepriest (CR 12), Frost Giant Thane (CR 16)
Winter's Shroud augments the standard giant with a nice AoE and controlling ability. Especially useful to have the giant make a mighty leap over the front-line fighters and drop one of these on top of the casters or archers.
Spirit Wolves
Actions
Spirit Wolves (1/day). The frost giant summons a pack of 2 (1d4) Dire Wolf as allies. The wolves act immediately after the frost giant in initiative order and use their first movement and action to appear at unoccupied spaces within 30 feet.
Used by Frost Giant Rimepriest (CR 12), Goblin Foulhex (CR 1), Orc Bloodrite Elder Shaman (CR 5), Orc Bloodrite Shaman (CR 2)
A Winter Wolf is a Frost Giant Rimepriests best friend. This power is just a basic summon ability, but these sort of reinforcement abilities work surprisingly well to keep combats interesting and dynamic.
Hoarfrost
Traits
Hoarfrost. When a creature within 10 feet of the cryomancer mage takes cold damage, it must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, it is Frozen (escape DC 12) until the end of its next turn. A Frozen creature is partially encased in ice. It has a movement speed of zero, attacks made against it are at advantage, and it is vulnerable to bludgeoning and thunder damage. A creature may use an action to perform a DC 12 Strength (Athletics) check to break the ice and end the condition. The condition also ends whenever the creature takes any bludgeoning, thunder, or fire damage.
Used by Druid, Lich, Mage, Wolf, Skeleton, Frost Giant, Simulacrum
Hoarfrost is designed to showcase both the freezing nature of the Frost Giant, and also to introduce some controlling abilities to otherwise brutish enemies.
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