Encounter: The Ransacking Hill Giant

Encounter Level: 5

Background: The party is traveling through a series of forested hills, known for being dangerous and frequented by various creatures. Recently, the nearby villages have reported a hill giant causing havoc, stealing livestock, and smashing through homes.

Encounter Setup: As the party navigates the winding paths of the forested hills, they hear distant sounds of crashing and see smoke rising from a nearby hill. Upon investigation, they find a hill giant ransacking a small, isolated farmstead.

Description: The farmstead is in chaos. The giant, named Grak, is a towering brute with matted hair and a wild look in his eyes. He is throwing furniture and livestock around, searching for food. The farmer, a stout middle-aged man named Olrik, and his family are hiding in the root cellar, terrified.

Encounter: The party arrives just as Grak is about to tear the roof off the root cellar. They have a chance to engage the giant before he finds the terrified family. Grak is hungry and agitated but not beyond reason.

Combat Encounter:

Hill Giant (Grak): CR 5

Tactics: Grak will use his enormous strength to his advantage, attempting to smash and grab whatever he can. If the party tries to reason with him, he might be swayed if offered a large amount of food. Otherwise, he will fight until he is badly injured, at which point he might attempt to flee.

Resolution: If the party defeats or drives off Grak, they save the farmstead and the family. Olrik is deeply grateful and offers them a reward of 50 gold pieces and a bag of fresh produce. The party might also find a small hidden chest in the farmhouse containing an Amulet of Proof against Detection and Location (uncommon magic item).

Treasure:

Gold Reward: 50 gold pieces
Fresh Produce: Non-monetary reward
Amulet of Proof against Detection and Location: Uncommon magic item

Follow-Up:

The farmer mentions that Grak came from deeper within the hills, where other giants might be dwelling, hinting at future encounters.
The party finds a map among Grak’s belongings, leading to a rumored giant’s treasure hoard in a distant cave.