D&D 5E Better Beasts?

[dave2008]

Diadochi Wars by ManuLaCanette

War Elephant	Challenge 6
Huge beast, unaligned	3,450 XP

Armor Class 16 (armor)
Hit Points 114 (12d12 + 36; bloodied 57)
Speed 40 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
22 (+6)	9 (-1)	17 (+3)	4 (-3)	12 (+1)	6 (-2)

Saving Throws Str +9, Con +8, Wis +4
Skills Athletics +9, Intimidation +9
Senses Passive Perception 10
Languages --
Proficiency Bonus +3 Maneuver DC 17

Siege Monster. The elephant deals double damage to objects and structures.

ACTIONS
Multiattack. The elephant makes two attacks: any combination of gore and stomp attacks.

Gore. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (3d8 + 6) piercing damage. If the elephant moves at least 20 feet straight toward a creature immediately before the hit, the target takes an additional 15 (3d8) bludgeoning damage and must succeed on a DC 17 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Stomp. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one prone creature. Hit: 22 (3d10 + 6) bludgeoning damage.

Trunk. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one Large or smaller object. Hit: The target is grappled. On a critical hit the creature is also restrained.

Throw. A object held or creature grappled by the elephant is thrown up to 20 feet in a random direction and knocked prone. If a thrown target strikes a solid surface, the target takes 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage for every 5 feet it was thrown. If the target is thrown at another creature, that creature must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take the same damage and be knocked prone.

BONUS ACTIONS
Crush. The dire mammoth can use a bonus action to make a stomp attack on a prone target.

REACTIONS
Throw. If a creature is grappled by the elephant at the end of its turn, the elephant can use its throw action.

 

[Tonguez]

Oh you revealed your Tarrasque seige engine is showing

 

[bedir than]

A reminder - size in 5e isn't about the actual size, but how the creature interacts mechanically. Dwarves aren't medium because they have the height of medium creatures, but because dwarves need to interact with certain other parts of the game world as if medium.

For this reason, I think cheetahs should be small. They should be able to weave through an area occupied by an elephant.

 

[dave2008]

For this reason, I think cheetahs should be small. They should be able to weave through an area occupied by an elephant.

Possibly, but I don't imagine a cheetah ever thinking of doing that. I mean at speed a cheetah is covering 20+ feet per stride. Not a lot of maneuvering in the space of an elephant going on at that speed.

 

[bedir than]

Fine, weaving through a full grown giraffe's legs to get the young

Possibly, but I don't imagine a cheetah ever thinking of doing that. I mean at speed a cheetah is covering 20+ feet per stride. Not a lot of maneuvering in the space of an elephant going on at that speed.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Possibly, but I don't imagine a cheetah ever thinking of doing that. I mean at speed a cheetah is covering 20+ feet per stride. Not a lot of maneuvering in the space of an elephant going on at that speed.

Okay, but regardless of whether you see them doing it, should a Ranger’s cheetah companion be capable of doing it?

I don’t think we should limit critters based on RL behavior.

 

[Tonguez]

Okay, but regardless of whether you see them doing it, should a Ranger’s cheetah companion be capable of doing it?

I don’t think we should limit critters based on RL behavior.

after looking I see that there use to be a ‘giant’ European Cheetah that was about the height of a lion and the build of a snow leopard. They were much slower than modern cheetah though but were capable of taking down larger prey.

Which really suggest that my earlier point about ‘generic Big Cat Build A, B,C’ might be the best way to go

A - Medium-Large Lion, Tiger, Sabretooth = Power build (pounce/rend, intimidating roar)
B - Medium Cougar, Leopard, Bobcat = Stealth build (pounce)
C - Small-Medium Cheetah = Dash build (trip)

 

[doctorbadwolf]

after looking I see that there use to be a ‘giant’ European Cheetah that was about the height of a lion and the build of a snow leopard. They were much slower than modern cheetah though but were capable of taking down larger prey.

Which really suggest that my earlier point about ‘generic Big Cat Build A, B,C’ might be the best way to go

A - Medium-Large Lion, Tiger, Sabretooth = Power build (pounce/rend, intimidating roar)
B - Medium Cougar, Leopard, Bobcat = Stealth build (pounce)
C - Small-Medium Cheetah = Dash build (trip)

I’m fine with that being sort of the hidden design paradigm, but I prefer most of the critters to have a name and a thematic identity.

 

[dave2008]

Okay, but regardless of whether you see them doing it, should a Ranger’s cheetah companion be capable of doing it?

No idea, not really my concern when I made it. Nor am I concerned about that now.

I don’t think we should limit critters based on RL behavior.

For RL creatures I prefer the design challenge of trying to mimic RL behavior. I have no issue with making fantasy versions of RL creatures do whatever you want. However, that is personally not as interesting or as fun to me.

 

[dave2008]

after looking I see that there use to be a ‘giant’ European Cheetah that was about the height of a lion and the build of a snow leopard. They were much slower than modern cheetah though but were capable of taking down larger prey.

Which really suggest that my earlier point about ‘generic Big Cat Build A, B,C’ might be the best way to go

A - Medium-Large Lion, Tiger, Sabretooth = Power build (pounce/rend, intimidating roar)
B - Medium Cougar, Leopard, Bobcat = Stealth build (pounce)
C - Small-Medium Cheetah = Dash build (trip)

I don't find that as less interesting. A tiger and lion are very similar in build, but they actually behave quite different;y. And they both behave differently (we think) than the saber-cats. Similarly, the leopard, jaguar, and cougar are similar in size, but behave differently. I would prefer to keep those distinct flavors.