In the grand history of Dungeons & Dragons, few adventures hold the same legendary status as G1-3: Against the Giants. Originally released in 1978 and penned by the mighty Gary Gygax himself, this trilogy of modules – G1: Steading of the Hill Giant Chief, G2: The Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl, and G3: Hall of the Fire Giant King, stands as one of the first true dungeon crawling epics. It’s a brutal, relentless campaign where players are pitted against some of the toughest creatures in the game. And if that wasn’t enough, these adventures were designed for characters between levels 8 and 12, meaning that if you weren’t already an experienced adventurer, you were about to become a pile of bootless ash in King Snurre’s lair.

So, grab your magic sword, don your best flame resistant armour, and let’s stomp our way through this titan of an adventure.

The Origins of Against the Giants

The G-series was originally developed as a tournament adventure for Gen Con XI in 1978, with the modules seeing official publication shortly thereafter. This was early in TSR’s golden age, and Against the Giants became one of the first adventure series ever released. It was so well received that it was later compiled into GDQ1-7: Queen of the Spiders in 1986, merging the Giants series with the equally punishing Drow and Queen of the Demonweb Pits modules.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Before the drow ever showed up, before Lolth loomed over the adventure like an eight legged mastermind, players had to contend with the giants. And oh boy, were they in for a rough time.

G1: Steading of the Hill Giant Chief

The adventure begins in classic tabletop fashion: The realm is in peril. Giants are rampaging across the land, and someone has to stop them. That someone? Your party, of course. You’re sent to investigate a massive wooden fort, home to the hill giant chieftain Nosnra and his band of oversized hooligans.

Hill giants, being the most dim witted of their kin, are prone to drinking, feasting, and throwing wild parties, so much so that when players first arrive, the fort is in the middle of a drunken revelry. This presents an interesting challenge: Do you sneak through and take out key targets one by one? Or do you kick down the door and start swinging? The latter is a valid choice, but unless you enjoy being bludgeoned into adventurer flavoured paste, stealth is usually the preferred option.

Aside from the giants themselves, there are a number of fun little encounters in this module. Ogres and bugbears prowl the halls, and players who dig deep enough may find evidence of a deeper conspiracy, one that suggests someone (or something) is pulling the giants’ strings.

G2: The Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl

After thrashing Nosnra and his rowdy crew, the adventurers move northward to take on the frost giants. This is where the real pain begins.

The second module in the series dumps players into the bitter, ice-ravaged lands of Jarl Grugnur, whose fortress is a treacherous maze of tunnels and caverns. The terrain itself is a major hazard, slippery ice, deep crevasses, and freezing temperatures make survival a challenge before you even factor in the towering, axe-wielding giants who call this place home.

Unlike their hill giant cousins, the frost giants are smarter and much more organized. They’ve got winter wolves, yetis, and even white dragons at their disposal. Expect brutal ambushes, cold based magic, and the occasional party member being yeeted into an icy chasm.

And just like in Steading of the Hill Giant Chief, clues abound that suggest the giants aren’t acting alone. Someone, or something, has been rallying them into a greater war effort. But who?

G3: Hall of the Fire Giant King

And now, for the grand finale: Hall of the Fire Giant King.

If the first two modules were tough, this one is downright merciless. Players travel to a volcanic stronghold, home to the most powerful of the giants: King Snurre Iron Belly and his elite fire giant warriors.

Here’s what makes G3 so deadly:

• Fire giants hit like runaway boulders.
• The fortress is loaded with lava pits, magma rivers, and scorching hot terrain.
• There are drow, yes, actual drow, lurking in the shadows, hinting at a far greater evil at work.
• The adventure doesn’t just have giants; it’s got hell hounds, salamanders, and even a red dragon. Because why not?

By the time players make it through, they’ll have battled their way through one of the most dangerous dungeons in D&D history, defeated a literal king, and uncovered the dark truth behind the giants’ aggression: The drow, specifically the priestesses of Lolth, have been manipulating events from behind the scenes.

This revelation sets the stage for D1-2: Descent into the Depths of the Earth, leading adventurers straight into the web of one of D&D’s most infamous villains. But that’s a tale for another day.

The Lasting Legacy of Against the Giants

So why is Against the Giants still considered a masterpiece?

For one, it was one of the first adventure series to offer a grand, interconnected campaign, rather than a single dungeon or isolated event. It also set the precedent for high level play, proving that D&D wasn’t just about fighting goblins in caves, it was about storming strongholds, battling legendary foes, and uncovering world shaking conspiracies.

The modules have been republished multiple times, adapted for D&D’s various editions, and even reimagined in 4th Edition as Revenge of the Giants. They’ve appeared in video games like Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition and have inspired countless homebrew adventures.

Ultimately, G1-3: Against the Giants is D&D at its finest. It’s got intrigue, it’s got brutal combat, and it’s got some of the most memorable dungeon crawling experiences ever penned by Gygax himself. And if you and your party can survive all three modules? Well, you’re probably ready to take on the gods themselves.

Good luck, adventurers. You’ll need it.