Item - Brimstone, the Fire Giant

Like the other Chessex books, this is a unique character. In addition to a variety of fun moves involving rocks, Brimstone has the mysterious and silly "Grab Beard" attack!

Cards I Got - 134 Glenna's Touch, 147 Surturaxe, 182 Sideslip, 189 Parry & Trip

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Three things stand out when looking at Brimstone -- that he is Height 5, with all that that implies in terms of advantages to Orange and Red manoeuvres; that he does higher than average damage if he connects; and that he has 3-point Fire Resistance (which may explain why, so far, fire-breathing Dragons have stayed out of the Lost Worlds environment: namely that Brimstone and his kin have exterminated them).

That said, Brimstone lacks a shield, and therefore has no Shielded Manoeuvres or Shield Blocks (replacing the latter, when he has a Rock in his hand, by Blocks with a Lava Rock, which in turn prevent him using Down Swings because he needs both hands for those). He also eschews Fake moves (perhaps he prefers honourable conflict, without artifice). In their place he has three Hand-to-Hand moves (for which he need not relinquish his Axe), and the restricted Grab Beard manouevre (usable only on bearded opponents -- which lets ladies, lizard men and most undead out (and would be very silly against the Wraith)).

Interestingly, that said, he is also quite tough, taking only the odd point extra damage when wounded (touch hide, presumably), and, once he has his hands on a Rock, he can also Throw it, with substantial effect (8 to 10 points) if he hits. In simple terms, if you don't avoid it, you're either dead or badly wounded. Added to the Critical Wounds rules in some of the other later books, this one move equates to a "sudden-death" kill.

Overall, a formidable opponent, and a character who needs some study to use effectively (knowing when to Grab a Rock, when to use the Axe, and when to go Hand-to-Hand.

My random cards were 2 Tactics cards -- Blind Swing and Dodge and Swing, both (at 3 points) usable, and apparently useful -- and 2 Items -- Magic Prism (only useful to Magic Users) and Thunder Boots (which require Height = 4) -- both, therefore useless to Brimstone.

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