How to describe combat with large size discrepancy?

[Chriskaballa]

Henry, I think, hit the nail on the head. DR and natural armor represent your inability to actually reach any point on the creature that will damage it. And then again there is only so much you can damage one part on any creature's body. How do you kill something really, really big by whacking it in the leg fifty three thousand times? (See what I mean?)

And no, I haven't seen any fantasy movies. I plan to see LotR (I will have to wait for the DVD, unfortunately) and will try to get Dragonslayer but it will all depend on whter or not I can get to the video store this week.

Thanks so far for all the help, guys. I really appreciate everyone on these boards coming back again and again to help me out, being that I am pretty young and inexperienced.

Any more ideas are welcomed and greatly appreciated.

~Chris

 

[Deedlit]

Look towards episode 8 of Record of Lodoss War:Chronicles of the Heroic knight.

 

[Vacuum Elemental]

In the case of dragons describe the action based on the the type of attack the dragon made for that round. For example, if the dragon is trying to bite a player in one round and the dragon is hit in that round it was probably received a head wound. If it's trying to claw you, you hurt its legs. Wings, tail, body (crush) etc. A dragon probably won't let you run up to its feet and keep hacking away at one spot until it's dead.

As far as damage from colossal creatures falling on PCs:

For each 200 pounds of an object’s weight, the object deals 1d6 points of damage, provided it falls at least 10 feet. Distance also comes into play, adding an additional 1d6 points of damage for every 10-foot increment it falls beyond the first (to a maximum of 20d6 points of damage).

Calculate the falling distance as half the height of the creature.

To determine if the creature fell on you, roll a reflex save if you are within its reach when it falls. The DC is 10 plus the number of 5 ft increments you need to travel to leave its reach.

Of course, this assumed the creature fell straight to the ground. If the creature is conscious it can choose the speed it drops to the ground.

 

[Chriskaballa]

Last bump.

*punches the post really hard, sends it to the top of the list, and hopes it stays there*

 

[Henry]

Well, that's just something unique to _dragons_. It isn't an inherent feature of big monsters; for example, dire animals and big monstrous vermin don't have any DR. The difficulty of hurting big things is modelled by giving them 1) lots of HD; and 2) natural armour bonuses to AC. Have a look at the rules for upsizing creatures on p.12 of the MM.

Oh, I know - note the IMO in the post. But lots of hit dice just don't do the trick in my mind if the creature has vulnerable spots that are well away from the source of damage.

I believe, however, that Vacuum Elemental is on to something here. IF the DM knows what the dragon is going to do that round, It gives him a point to work from with regards to hits and damage. It still gives me a queasy feeling trying to figure that a fighter can vorpally lop off a dragon's head, if the neck is no where near him, much less if the fighter is trying to do it with a "dragon-sized prison shiv." I have to come up with artistic ideas like "You slit the dragon's jugular."

But as per your rule, I'm going to stop thinking about it. THe answer? in D&D, you just have to be imaginative when describing huge discrepancies of size in combat. (Crushed toes, slashed tendons, bashing it on the nose as it comes in for a bite,etc.).