(TFT) customizing giants

["Cas Liber" <casliber@ozemail.com.au>]

Dear Michael,
I guess there's a couple of ways of looking into customizing giants.
Currently, variants could include:

-ettins
-fomorians
-cyclopes
-fachans (1-legged, 1 armed, 1-eyed giants from the Isle of Man (great pic
in book "Faeries" by Froud & Lee)
-ogres (in ITL(p.55) - described as "a very stupid, very vicious giant" -
quite different from AD&D#1 where they were 4+1 & 8+1-2 HD respectively)
-Seareach Giants (from Thomas Covenant books - intelligent giants with
'seafaring' talent and immunity to fire (though it hurts them))
-Ogiers (from Wheel of Time - poncy & big eared, like inverted hobbits)
-stone, hill & mountain giants as described previously

(NB: fire & frost giants strike me as a bit distinct, so I'll leave them
out for the time being.)

Random Giant Table
`````````````````````````````
(1) roll a d6 to determine the number of times to roll on the tables:
once (1-4)
twice (5)
thrice (6)

(2) roll a d6 to determine which of the following tables to roll on:
- common (1-3)
-less common (4-5)
-rare (6)

Common Mutations or Fomorianisms
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````
1: tough skin - 'warrior' talent
2: big or odd eyes - 'alertness' talent
3:big/odd ears (can be humanoid-, donkey- or dog-shaped) - 'acute hearing'
talent
4: really dumb - IQ 6 (like an ogre)
5: 1 eye - -2 DX to throw, automatic 2d6/IQ to disbelieve illusions
6: acute smell ( & big nose) - 'tracking' talent
Uncommon 
`````````````````
1:odd eyes - 'eyes behind' talent
2:very tough skin- 'veteran' talent
3: long legs - ' running' talent
4:2 heads - ' 2 weapons' + "alertness' talents
5:HUGE - a 4-hex figure with a minimum of 50 ST.
6: club foot - MA reduced by 2.
Rare
```````
1:kinship for animals -'animal handler' talent (pick wild animals from
local encounter tables)
2: totally immune to fire
3: half body (fachanism) - hops for MA 8, can't use shield or 2-hands
    (obviously) or throw things, 1 eye (as above) 
4:True Sight - 'mage sight' (may have funny-looking eyes)
5: IQ 8 or 9 and a propensity to cast spells
6: REALLY tough skin - treat as 'stone flesh'

If the giants are a family group, related individuals are 3 in 6 likely to
have the same mutation(s) - roll for each.

I guess there are 2 ways giant communities and mutations could be thought
of in any particular GM's campaign, either:

(1) 'human' giants with a low incidence of mutations, where mutants
(fomorians, ettins, ogres, fachans etc.) are cast out and become rare and
distinct.

(2) or a view of giants as a motley and depraved bunch, with a high
incidence of individuals with mutations who live with their normal fellows.
Here, maybe up to 1 or 2 in 6 normal giants roll above. 
If one thinks of any mutation as a particular recessive gene, this stil
allows for bands of ettins, cyclopes or whatever as well as mixed groups of
giants.

thoughts?
Cas
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