Kalendraf
Explorer
I have a question regarding the Trample ability of the Stag Beetle in the Monster Manual. It's not clear from the description of the creature or the reference to trample in the PHB about how this really works.
1. Does the trample require an attack roll for it to occur? I have no experience with the Horseriding feat they refer which is probably half of my problem here.
2. If a character is hit by the trample, are they automatically knocked prone? (The save mentions reflex save for 1/2 damage, but doesn't talk about the knockdown effect).
3. Can the beetle combine the trample attack with its bite attack?
4. What's the best method to abuse this creature's ability as a DM?
FYI, I sent 4 of them at a 7th level party trying to knock some characters down on the 1st pass, making it easier for the other beetles to hit them. But I also ruled that attack rolls were needed to cause the trample. That seemed too weak as only 1 character was affected this way while several AoO were suffered by the 4 beetles in the process, so I'm quite sure that I was playing them very poorly here. The bite for 4d6+9 is nasty, so the beetle would likely want use that most often., but that leaves the trample ability mostly unused unless I can find a way to work that in somehow.
Any help would be appreciated for future reference.
1. Does the trample require an attack roll for it to occur? I have no experience with the Horseriding feat they refer which is probably half of my problem here.
2. If a character is hit by the trample, are they automatically knocked prone? (The save mentions reflex save for 1/2 damage, but doesn't talk about the knockdown effect).
3. Can the beetle combine the trample attack with its bite attack?
4. What's the best method to abuse this creature's ability as a DM?
FYI, I sent 4 of them at a 7th level party trying to knock some characters down on the 1st pass, making it easier for the other beetles to hit them. But I also ruled that attack rolls were needed to cause the trample. That seemed too weak as only 1 character was affected this way while several AoO were suffered by the 4 beetles in the process, so I'm quite sure that I was playing them very poorly here. The bite for 4d6+9 is nasty, so the beetle would likely want use that most often., but that leaves the trample ability mostly unused unless I can find a way to work that in somehow.
Any help would be appreciated for future reference.