D&D 5E Stampede

Jordan Hardwick · Feb 14, 2018

I want an encounter for my level 10 adventures where they are traveling through the woods and a stampede of beasts come charging through i was wondering how you would run it and if they get caught in it how much damage and such should they take thank you in advance

pukunui · Feb 14, 2018

Depending on the specifics, I would probably make it either a Dex save to avoid getting caught up in the stampede or a Con save to simply survive getting buffeted about and trampled on and such. You could maybe make it a series of checks and saves, rather than just one, if you want it to be more complex.

In terms of damage, I'd most likely use one of the tables in the DMG, either the Damage Severity by Level table (pg 121) or the Improvising Damage table (pg 249).

EDIT: If a player wants their character to "go with the flow", you could allow them to make an Intelligence check that would grant them advantage on their next save. If they want to cast a spell to startle the beasts and have them change direction or something, you could allow them to do that as well. Be open and flexible to the players' ideas.

MonkeezOnFire · Feb 14, 2018

I would recommend first telegraphing the danger to the players first. Describe how the more perceptive characters start to hear a low rumbling, then the noise quickly escalates and finally they start to feel the ground and surroundings shake. Then ask what the characters do. Give them each an action (or two if you're generous) to do something to protect themselves. Climbing a nearby, sturdy looking tree could be possible and require an athletics check. Perhaps there is a river or cave nearby to dart into for shelter. Then when the stampede hits you can throw some complications their way. For instance the tree a character has climbed is taking some hits, have them make a strength saving throw to hang on.

robus · Feb 14, 2018

I’d figure out how many rounds the PCs will have to endure the stampede and then once it hits use their choices to determine what happens (of course telegraphing the looming threat as Monkeez suggests).

Having it occur over 3 rounds (for example) gives lots of opportunity for surprises and excitement. And hey perhaps some other creature follows a PC up the same tree and doesn’t appreciate the company

they aren’t the only things in the woods. In fact fleeing creatures is a great way to telegraph the threat.

jasper · Feb 14, 2018

How about a couple of swarms? Or mob rules

Nevvur · Feb 15, 2018

A stampede in the forest? How does that even work?

Eltab · Feb 15, 2018

Use swarm rules, but make the swarm a dozen-ish squares big. It auto-attacks anything it runs over during its move; maybe "sword-blow"-scale damage with a push aside. Plus anybody who is in its square(s) at the end of its turn receives a deer / elk trample attack.
Think for a bit beforehand and write down some descriptive notes. This ought to be something the players remember, not "just another random encounter". Maybe you can find a National Geographic article or something to inspire you?

Getting run over by a half-dozen deer can be quite discombobulating - ask any car that faced a challenge for the right-of-way.

Sunseeker · Feb 15, 2018

Nevvur said:
A stampede in the forest? How does that even work?

THANK YOU.

You don't get stampedes in the forest. Stampeding animals tend to be primarily limited to large open spaces (horses, bison, cattle, etc..) and they percieve, during a stampede, things fairly simply: "what is open" is where they'll go. "what is moving" is part of the herd and "what is not moving" as where not to go. Forests by and large present large obstacles and tell their instinctive animal brains "don't go here!"

jasper · Feb 15, 2018

shidaku said:
THANK YOU.

You don't get stampedes in the forest. Stampeding animals tend to be primarily limited to large open spaces (horses, bison, cattle, etc..) and they percieve, during a stampede, things fairly simply: "what is open" is where they'll go. "what is moving" is part of the herd and "what is not moving" as where not to go. Forests by and large present large obstacles and tell their instinctive animal brains "don't go here!"

What you never seen any documentary, where the animals dash out the forest fire and the firemen duck out of the way? So stampede is not the officially correct American English word. Do you have one?

MechaTarrasque · Feb 15, 2018

I think this is a connotation vs. denotation issue. The dictionary definition (as seen at http://www.dictionary.com/browse/stampede?s=t) does not specify "open spaces", but does mention "frightened animals" (like those escaping the fire in [MENTION=277]jasper[/MENTION]'s post), but the connotation (largely from to Western and Tarzan movies) is of large animals on an open plane. This is useful since the DM should have to decide what kind (or at least how large) of animals are stampeding. If it is a bunch of big animals, I would treat it as if two animals attacked each PC every round, if it is a bunch of little animals, one or two swarms should do it, and if it is a mix, maybe one large animal and one swarm per round.