Giant Shepherds

[AMFV]

I have a question for a worldbuilding exercise I'm doing. This is pretty critical and challenging so any answer is much appreciated. Would a giant shepherd have lots of regular sized sheep or would they have giant sheep? I very much appreciate the Playground's response to this dilemma.

[JNAProductions]

The correct answer is mammoths.

[AMFV]

The correct answer is mammoths.

I like that answer, although I'm already having another group of giants do the mammoth thing (and Elk, although that's more sheep equivalent for that group). But the issue I have is the one giant group I'm talking about doesn't really live in an environment that would support mammoths, it's rocky islands the equivalent of the Hebrides, which aren't really well equipped to deal with mammoths, as awesome as mammoths are.

[JNAProductions]

Giant goats, maybe? Goats are cool.

But I do think Giant Shepherds should shepherd Giant Animals.

[Mr Beer]

I mean this is very clearly whichever you think is cooler, personally I think giant sheep are cooler than normal sheep but whatever you prefer.

If you want to justify it, Island Gigantism is a thing:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_gigantism

[Friv]

I'd say dire goats. They already have a Pathfinder entry and everything.

[AMFV]

I mean this is very clearly whichever you think is cooler, personally I think giant sheep are cooler than normal sheep but whatever you prefer.

If you want to justify it, Island Gigantism is a thing:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_gigantism

To be fair, my issue was that when I thought of it, I honestly couldn't figure out which was cooler, so I figured I'd ask the coolest people I knew, which naturally is a bunch of D&D nerds.

Edit: Actually apparently dire goats are not that much bigger than regular goats. Like maybe a foot bigger than regular goats at the shoulder, huh.

[Dimers]

Giants traditionally love human bones (grinding to make bread, crunching in teeth, that kind of thing). Giant Sheep bones wouldn't be good for that sort of thing. And if you have Giant Sheep, then your food size question just gets kicked down the road a ways -- are you going to have Dire Grass on the island, too? So I'd vote for regular sheep.

EDIT: Plus, snack-sized stuff is fun! *grab* Baa!-- *nom*

[JNAProductions]

Giants traditionally love human bones (grinding to make bread, crunching in teeth, that kind of thing). Giant Sheep bones wouldn't be good for that sort of thing. And if you have Giant Sheep, then your food size question just gets kicked down the road a ways -- are you going to have Dire Grass on the island, too? So I'd vote for regular sheep.

EDIT: Plus, snack-sized stuff is fun! *grab* Baa!-- *nom*

Bolded the bit that made me literally laugh out loud. :)

[Slipperychicken]

What if giant shepherds are humans with giant sheep?

[AMFV]

What if giant shepherds are humans with giant sheep?

Or humans herding giants... my mind is completely blown by this concept.

[Anxe]

In the Odyssey were Polyphemus's sheep big or normal?

[dps]

Giants traditionally love human bones (grinding to make bread, crunching in teeth, that kind of thing). Giant Sheep bones wouldn't be good for that sort of thing. And if you have Giant Sheep, then your food size question just gets kicked down the road a ways -- are you going to have Dire Grass on the island, too? So I'd vote for regular sheep.

EDIT: Plus, snack-sized stuff is fun! *grab* Baa!-- *nom*

I agree, particularly with the edit. "These sheep are great! They come in handy bite-sized morsels!".

[Satinavian]

Sheep are classical for giants.

I mean even Polyphem in the Odysseus-story had sheep. And those were oversized sheep.

[Lvl 2 Expert]

People herd some pretty small animals, like runner ducks. So there's no real reason a giant couldn't herd a giant amount of regular sheep, meaning you can just go with what's coolest, or what works best in the setting. Personally I think there's something to be said for buffalo like creatures (whether you're talking about the African, American or European kind, the Indian ones are maybe a little tame for this idea) because they're less vulnerable to predators in the harsh lands where giants often live.

[Nifft]

Giants herd humans.

The humans herd sheep.

The motivation for keeping a good flock of sheep is: if they run out, you're next.

[Lord Torath]

Okay, yes, humans herd small animals. But how would you like to have to sheer 300 guinea pigs every spring? With scissors, not with electric shearers?

[Waddacku]

Okay, yes, humans herd small animals. But how would you like to have to sheer 300 guinea pigs every spring? With scissors, not with electric shearers?

I'd assume the giants weren't keeping sheep breeds that need shearing.

[Nifft]

I'd assume the giants weren't keeping sheep breeds that need shearing.

Or they do like Victorian England did, and delegate the textile work to smaller hands.

[DigoDragon]

Edit: Actually apparently dire goats are not that much bigger than regular goats. Like maybe a foot bigger than regular goats at the shoulder, huh.

I think D&D 3.5's Monster Manual 2 had a template to make gargantuan-sized animals. Just steal that idea to super-size your goats, sheep, and other herd animals for giants to shepard around.

[LibraryOgre]

I'd go with a mixture, personally. Like, the giant sheep may provide the bulk of their diet, but they often have non-giant servitors, and may like regular sheep like humans like popcorn shrimp.

[Lvl 2 Expert]

I'd go with a mixture, personally. Like, the giant sheep may provide the bulk of their diet, but they often have non-giant servitors, and may like regular sheep like humans like popcorn shrimp.

This might make a lot of sense if the giants don't exist in a cultural vacuum. If they trade with or steal from humans or other medium sized humanoids regularly there will be human sized animals mixed into their flock. A herd of mammoth-sheep, rhino-pigs or buffalo's could have normal sheep, cows and goats mixed in. Ones they're used to their new flockmates they'll notice how this new herd provides even better protection from predators than a normal one, so they'll fall in line just fine.

[KillianHawkeye]

Okay, yes, humans herd small animals. But how would you like to have to sheer 300 guinea pigs every spring? With scissors, not with electric shearers?

I'd assume the giants weren't keeping sheep breeds that need shearing.

Or they do like Victorian England did, and delegate the textile work to smaller hands.

Like how the Transformers got human-sized Minicons.

[Lvl 2 Expert]

Maybe his sheepdogs are actually some form of werewolfs.