The classic alignment grid consisting of three rows (Good, Neutral, and Evil) and three columns (Lawful, Neutral, and Chaotic) is a contentious topic in TTRPGs. A lot of games (including the Tales of the Valiant RPG) don’t use it, but it endures. Criticisms include that the system is too rigid and is not descriptive enough. And it essentially predestines certain creatures to be either good or evil.
Shortfalls aside, the alignment system leaves an open question: “Why are there good-aligned creatures in monster books?” Kobold Press’s own Tome of Beasts 1 includes several good-aligned creatures. These creatures make fantastic NPCs or allies for the party, but does that mean a party can never fight a buraq or a firebird?
A GM can ignore alignment and have the party fight an “evil” angel. But maybe a better choice is to find interesting narrative ways to make typically “good” creatures antagonists while maintaining their lore.
Catch up on all the goodness you missed—blink dogs, couatls, and more!
Storm Giants
Storm giants are the most powerful of giants! They stand atop the giant hierarchy. Storm giants can be known to live high in the clouds or deep beneath the oceans, but they usually dwell far from mortal civilization. Storm giants can even be so reclusive as to prefer solitude from others of their own kind. However, a single storm giant’s wrath can wreak devastation upon the land or sea.
Dream up a Storm
Storm giants may not often intentionally unleash a deadly storm upon mortals, but the forces of evil have ways of exerting dark influence. Perhaps a storm giant is wracked with terrible dreams by night hags. During these dreams, the giant’s subconscious unleashes terrible storms near its lair.
These storms cause loss of life for mortals in the coastal area between the destructive lightning and giant waves. Only knowing the location of the origin of this terrible magic, local leaders hire the party to investigate the situation and defeat the source. In this scenario, the storm giant may be used in the following ways:
- The party must contend with the giant’s guardians as well as the environmental effects of the weather caused by the hag’s torment.
- When the giant awakens, it assumes the party is a threat, regardless of their intentions, and it initiates combat. If the party convinces it that they mean no harm and wish to help it solve its problems, perhaps they can ally against the hags. Or perhaps the hags exert their will to fully mind-control the giant into a full-on fight.
Storm of Vengeance
While normally peaceful, storm giants have a terrible rage when angered. Perhaps a mortal stole something from the giant (maybe even the party on a prior quest—even if for the greater good) and the giant becomes furious and exerts vengeance on the local populace. The party is called upon to defend civilization from the incoming monsoon and lightning-weilding giant behind it. In this scenario, the storm giant may be used in the following ways:
- The battle can take place in the air or at sea to avoid civilian casualties. In either situation, the party may do battle from ships or airships, while the vessels contend with the currents and seas.
- When the party has nearly defeated the giant (or if the giant has nearly defeated them) it declares them the allies of cheats and thieves and exclaims the reason for its anger. At this point, the party may attempt to calm the giant’s wrath by helping it recover its stolen item.
Larger Foes
Sometimes a deal with the devil is necessary for the greater good. Storm giants have many enemies in the form of chromatic dragons or jealous lesser giants.
In an effort to get something from one of these evil creatures, the party must do a job for them. They must slay a storm giant that has caused trouble for the creature. The party must decide how to carry out this assassination (or how to convincingly fake it).
In this scenario, the PCs track the giant to its lair. Add the following lair actions to the storm giant to increase its challenge rating to 14. On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the giant takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the giant can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:
- A crack of thunder sounds in a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on a point the giant can see within 120 feet of it. Each creature within the radius must succeed on a DC 15 CON save or take 10 (3d6) thunder damage and become blinded for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.
- A harsh wind blows in a 60-foot line that is 10 feet wide originating at a point within 120 feet of the giant. Each creature within the area must succeed on a DC 15 STR save or be pushed 15 feet in the direction of the wind. Any creature in the line must spend 2 feet of movement for every 1 foot it moves while moving closer to the point of origin.
- Lightning arcs across the ground in a 60-foot radius centered on the giant, electrifying all surfaces within range. Any creature that ends its turn while touching an electrified surface takes 10 (3d6) lightning damage.
