FRENCH FOLKLORE · UNIQUE LEGENDARY GIANT
Gargantua is a living giant of prodigious appetite, strength and good humour. At some ninety feet in height, he towers over town walls and can pick up stones that would take teams of oxen to shift. Broad-faced and extravagantly dressed, he thinks nothing of stopping an entire caravan while he eats. At Montreuil-sur-Mer, villagers say that the Canche began when he relieved himself. He still wanders the roads, river valleys and uplands of France. He may rescue a stranded boat, share a feast with travellers or ruin a harvest merely by sitting down; his goodwill is real, but so is the danger of his carelessness.
At a Glance
| Identity | Unique legendary giant descended from the ancient Titans |
|---|---|
| Creature type | Giant; Pathfinder 1e uses humanoid (giant subtype) |
| Height in play | Approximately 90 ft (27 m); legendary tellings describe much greater heights |
| Campaign range | France, especially regions with recorded Gargantua traditions |
| Temperament | Ravenous, amused, boastful, occasionally kind; inattentive to human scale |
| Threat | Falling stones, displaced waterways, immense strides and conflicts of scale |
| Challenge | CR 24 (original, untested game statistics) |
| Family | Father of Pantagruel; his son is an educated giant prince and traveller |
| Present day | Alive and roaming France; his arrival can change the fate of a whole valley |
The Great Traveller
Gargantua belongs to a surviving family of giants descended from the primordial Titans. Titan is not a label limited to the Greek pantheon: the world holds different elder powers and giant bloodlines, including the northern jötnar. Gargantua’s precise ancient forebear is unknown. With the giantess Badebec he fathered Pantagruel, a learned traveller whose adventures reach far beyond his father’s familiar haunts. Badebec died following the birth of their son, a loss that tempered Gargantua’s otherwise boundless delight in life.
Where Gargantua walks, the landscape remembers. He has thrown boulders as playthings, emptied stones from his boots to make mounds, and drunk from rivers deeply enough to trouble the boats upon them. He follows no fixed road, lingering where there is good food, lively company or a sight that catches his fancy. A prudent settlement keeps open fields available for his rest, for he is capable of kindness but seldom judges how fragile small folk and their buildings are.
In Rouergue, people tell how he drank from a flooded river and swallowed a cart without noticing. Normandy has stones remembered as his seats and playthings. In Savoy, the great rock called Pierra Menta is said to be a stone he kicked away—or even a lost tooth. At Montreuil-sur-Mer, the people say the torrent he released became the River Canche. These tales differ from place to place, and no mortal has mapped every stage of his travels.
Gargantua still walks the world. Villages along his old routes remember him with a mixture of affection and alarm. News of his approach can empty a marketplace or inspire a feast: one misplaced step might crush a bridge, yet a few minutes of his strength could save the same bridge from a flood.
Habits and Temperament
Appetite comes before malice. A well-stocked granary interests Gargantua more than a fortress. He can empty it without ever intending harm. If people feed him, tell him a fine story and give him room to sit, he may help move a fallen bridge pier or pull a stranded boat free.
Signs of passage. A boulder too large to have rolled into place; a drinking hollow beside a river; a line of crushed woodland with no axe marks; a flattened ridge where he rested. Old place-names can be clues, but some are only tales.
When angered. He shouts a warning, hurls stones and sweeps his club across those who threaten him. He often leaves a pointless quarrel once it endangers smaller people he has befriended. Deliberate cruelty, treachery or repeated attacks may turn a comic meeting into a disaster.
Meeting Gargantua. Those who offer him space to rest, food enough to interest him and a good story can earn a powerful ally. He listens more readily to a bold, clear request than to threats. Trying to drive him away by force may turn a peaceful visit into a catastrophe.
Encounters with Gargantua
- The blocked road. The giant sits eating where the safest route crosses a flooded valley. A feast, a well-told tale or a different path can resolve the obstruction. Driving him away with arrows risks a slide of loose rock into the river below.
- The misplaced boulder. An enormous stone has diverted a town’s spring. Convince Gargantua to move it again, engineer a channel round it or find out why he put it there.
- The great mark at the Canche. At Montreuil-sur-Mer, an ancient footprint is exposed by falling water. A barge lies stranded and a child has vanished into the mud. If word reaches Gargantua, he may offer his help, but his enormous footsteps could sweep away the very mills and boats the townsfolk seek to save.
Combat. Gargantua seldom strikes without a warning. He hurls a boulder to scatter attackers, then advances with strides that shake the earth and an enormous club that can splinter a gate. His reach makes open ground dangerous; fast-moving foes can evade his path, and those who reach him with an offer of peace may find that he is as quick to laugh as to rage.
Gargantua — Game Statistics
Gargantua is a unique CR 24 legendary giant. These four edition-specific stat blocks are original, untested conversions, not official rules. His grandest landscape-shaping feats take time and can alter a whole adventure; they are not extra attacks available every round.
Gargantua — D&D 2024
Original D&D 2024-compatible monster. CR 24* (62,000 XP; proficiency bonus +7). Untested estimate, not official.
Gargantuan Giant, Chaotic Neutral
AC 20 (natural armor) Initiative +0 (10)
HP 490 (28d20 + 196) Speed 50 ft.
| Ability | Score | Mod | Save |
|---|---|---|---|
| Str | 30 | +10 | +17 |
| Dex | 10 | +0 | +0 |
| Con | 24 | +7 | +14 |
| Int | 15 | +2 | +2 |
| Wis | 16 | +3 | +10 |
| Cha | 18 | +4 | +4 |
Skills Athletics +17, Perception +10, Persuasion +11
Resistances Thunder; Immunities Frightened condition
Senses Passive Perception 20; Languages Common (French and regional dialects), Giant
CR 24 (62,000 XP; PB +7)
Traits
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). When Gargantua fails a saving throw, he can succeed instead.
Siege Giant. His attacks deal twice the usual damage to objects and structures. He can instead handle buildings and boulders carefully, allowing negotiation and repair without automatic destruction.
Enormous Appetite. He may eat a village feast in one sitting; this creates no supernatural hunger or automatic damage.
Actions
Multiattack. Gargantua makes three Greatclub attacks. He can replace one attack with a Boulder attack.
Greatclub. Melee Attack Roll: +17, reach 25 ft. Hit: 43 (6d10 + 10) Bludgeoning damage.
Boulder. Ranged Attack Roll: +17, range 120/360 ft. Hit: 49 (6d12 + 10) Bludgeoning damage.
Earth-Rocking Stride (Recharge 5–6). Gargantua moves up to 40 feet in a straight line instead of making Multiattack. Every grounded creature in a path 20 feet wide makes a DC 25 Dexterity saving throw, taking 55 (10d10) Bludgeoning damage and gaining the Prone condition on a failure, or half damage and not falling Prone on a success. Flying creatures above the path are unaffected.
Reactions
Interpose His Hand (1/Round). When a visible creature within 15 feet is hit by a ranged attack, Gargantua gives it Half Cover against that attack, possibly converting the hit to a miss.
Legendary Actions
Three Legendary Actions, spent at the end of another creature’s turn one at a time, regained at the start of Gargantua’s turn.
- Long Step (1 action). Move up to half speed without provoking Opportunity Attacks.
- Thunderous Laugh (2 actions). Creatures Gargantua chooses within 60 feet who can hear him make a DC 19 Constitution saving throw or are Deafened until the end of their next turn.
- Greatclub (2 actions). Make one Greatclub attack.
Gargantua — D&D 2014
Original D&D 2014-compatible conversion. CR 24* (62,000 XP; estimated, not official or playtested).
Gargantuan giant, chaotic neutral
Armor Class 20 (natural armor); Hit Points 490 (28d20 + 196); Speed 50 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 (+10) | 10 (+0) | 24 (+7) | 15 (+2) | 16 (+3) | 18 (+4) |
Saving Throws Str +17, Con +14, Wis +10. Skills Athletics +17, Perception +10, Persuasion +11. Damage Resistance thunder. Condition Immunities frightened. Senses passive Perception 20. Languages Common (French), Giant; Challenge 24 (62,000 XP).
Traits
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Gargantua fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Siege Giant. Gargantua deals double damage to objects and structures with his attacks, but does not accidentally damage everything he touches.
Actions
Multiattack. Gargantua makes three Greatclub attacks, replacing up to one with a Boulder attack.
Greatclub. Melee Weapon Attack: +17 to hit, reach 25 ft., one target. Hit: 43 (6d10 + 10) bludgeoning damage.
Boulder. Ranged Weapon Attack: +17 to hit, range 120/360 ft., one target. Hit: 49 (6d12 + 10) bludgeoning damage.
Earth-Rocking Stride (Recharge 5–6). Instead of Multiattack, move up to 40 ft. along a straight, 20-ft.-wide route. Each grounded creature along the path makes a DC 25 Dexterity saving throw: 55 (10d10) bludgeoning damage and knocked prone on a failed save, half damage and not prone on a success. Creatures flying above the route are unaffected.
Reactions
Interpose His Hand. Gargantua provides half cover against one ranged attack targeting a visible creature within 15 feet, possibly causing that attack to miss.
Legendary Actions
Three actions each round, taken one at a time at the end of another creature’s turn and regained at the start of his turn.
- Long Step (1). Move up to half speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
- Thunderous Laugh (2). Selected creatures within 60 feet that can hear Gargantua make a DC 19 Constitution save or are deafened until the end of their next turn.
- Greatclub (2). Make one Greatclub attack.
Gargantua CR 24 — Pathfinder 1e
Original Pathfinder First Edition monster. CR 24* (provisional). Not Paizo-published statistics.
Colossal humanoid (giant), chaotic neutral · Init +4; Senses low-light vision; Perception +43.
DEFENSE
AC 36, touch 2, flat-footed 36 (–8 size, +34 natural); hp 558 (36d8 + 396, including Toughness); Fort +30, Ref +14, Will +18; Immune fear; Resist sonic 15; Defensive Abilities rock catching.
OFFENSE
Speed 50 ft.; Melee 2 slams +37 (8d8+18); Ranged rock +20 (10d6+18, range increment 120 ft.); Space 30 ft.; Reach 30 ft.; Special Attacks rock throwing, earth-rocking stride (1d4 rounds).
STATISTICS
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46 (+18) | 10 (+0) | 30 (+10) | 14 (+2) | 18 (+4) | 18 (+4) |
Base Atk +27; CMB +53; CMD 63; Skills Climb +57, Knowledge (geography) +20, Perception +43, Sense Motive +22, Survival +30, Intimidate +26; Languages Giant, Common (French). Feats (18) Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush, Greater Bull Rush, Awesome Blow, Improved Sunder, Greater Sunder, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Toughness, Skill Focus (Perception), Combat Reflexes, Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Vital Strike, Improved Vital Strike, Greater Vital Strike, Step Up.
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Rock Throwing (Ex). Gargantua hurls a huge stone as a standard action with a 120-foot range increment. The listed attack bonus includes the +1 racial bonus for rock throwing. This is not an extra ranged attack during a two-slam full attack.
Rock Catching (Ex). Once per round, if aware and not flat-footed, Gargantua may attempt a Reflex saving throw (base DC 15 for a Small rock, +5 for each size larger) to catch a rock of a size his hands can manage.
Earth-Rocking Stride (Ex). As a standard action every 1d4 rounds, move 40 feet in a single straight path 20 feet wide. Each grounded creature along the path takes 15d6 bludgeoning damage (Reflex DC 38 half), and falls prone if it fails the save. No two-slam full attack in the same round. Save DC is Constitution-based: 10 + 18 (half HD) + 10 (Con modifier) = 38. Flying and stepping out of the path are meaningful counters.
ECOLOGY
Environment temperate land (France); Organization solitary (unique); Treasure incidental giant-sized possessions and food.
Gargantua — D&D 3.5e
Original D&D 3.5e conversion. CR 24* (untested; not published SRD statistics).
Colossal giant, chaotic neutral · Initiative +4; Senses low-light vision; Listen +31, Spot +31.
Hit Dice 36d8+360 (522 hp); Initiative +4; Speed 50 ft.
Armor Class 36 (–8 size, +34 natural), touch 2, flat-footed 36; Base Attack/Grapple +27/+61.
Fort +30, Ref +14, Will +18; Special Qualities low-light vision, immunity to fear, sonic resistance 15, rock catching.
Attack slam +37 melee (8d8+18) or rock +20 ranged (10d6+18); Full Attack 2 slams +37 melee (8d8+18 each).
Space/Reach 30 ft./30 ft.; Special Attacks rock throwing, earth-rocking stride; Rock Throwing Range Increment 120 ft.
Abilities, Skills, and Feats
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46 (+18) | 10 (+0) | 30 (+10) | 14 (+2) | 18 (+4) | 18 (+4) |
Skills Climb +54, Jump +62, Listen +31, Spot +31, Survival +19. Feats (13) Power Attack, Cleave, Great Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Awesome Blow, Improved Sunder, Improved Overrun, Combat Reflexes, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot. Languages Giant, Common (French).
Special Abilities
Rock Throwing (Ex). One boulder is thrown as a standard action; range increment 120 feet. The listed attack bonus includes the +1 racial bonus for rock throwing. It cannot be combined with the full attack.
Rock Catching (Ex). Once per round, if aware and not flat-footed, Gargantua may make a Reflex saving throw (DC 15 for a Small rock, +5 for each size larger) to catch one suitable incoming boulder.
Earth-Rocking Stride (Ex). Every 1d4 rounds, as a standard action, move 40 feet straight forward through a path up to 20 feet wide. Grounded creatures take 15d6 bludgeoning damage (Reflex DC 38 half) and fall prone if they fail. The DC is Constitution-based: 10 + half HD (18) + Constitution modifier (10). No full attack this turn. Creatures clear of the path or in flight avoid the effect.
Environment temperate land (France); Organization solitary (unique); Challenge Rating 24 (untested); Treasure incidental giant-sized possessions; Alignment usually chaotic neutral; Advancement — (unique).
Places and Lasting Effects
Gargantua’s passage has left stones, hollows and hills that people still name after him. The people of Montreuil-sur-Mer point to the Canche itself. Elsewhere, his discarded stones and resting places are remembered in local tales. The giant remains alive, and an old landmark may become important again if he returns to see what has become of it.
Gargantua can be a formidable enemy, but a willing giant is worth an army of labourers. He can clear a blocked road, lift a fallen bridge or change a watercourse. Any such deed has consequences for the fields, boats and settlements nearby. Wise negotiators find out where he will put his feet before asking him to move a mountain.
Related reference: Giant subtype and the Giant Bestiary.
Folklore and Source Notes
- Alicia Yllera Fernández (2006), Gargantua in medieval French folklore — older oral traditions and early evidence.
- Joseph Gaurichon (1913), traditions of Gargantua’s stones — named stones and landscape traces.
- Institut occitan de l’Aveyron, Gargantuan — oral stories of Gargantua’s immense drinking and landscape marks.
- Savoie heritage, Gargantua and the Pierra Menta — a recorded Alpine regional tradition.
- Montreuil municipal heritage, the Canche and Bascon mills — the local River Canche explanation.
- Gustave Doré (1873), Gargantua engraving — public-domain artwork. This later image illustrates Rabelais, not a surviving medieval portrait.
Rules provenance: Each stat block is a newly authored compatible conversion. No official creature stat block is reproduced; apply each system’s rules and licence independently.
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