D&D 5E Ghouls and Ghasts

[Agamon]

No rime or reason that I can tell; I've seen a few other monsters where the attack modifier isn't simply (stat + prof) like you'd expect. Black bear is an example I've noticed.

I think it's a case where they're building monsters to fit roles, rather than building out from formula.

Right. Same reason the Carrion Crawler is +8 with it's tentacles. It's a flavor thing. Ghouls prefer to attack with claws, the bite is more clumsy (it did used to be human, using the hands to attack is easier than the mouth), and the crawler has 8 tentacles flailing about in front of it.

Nice to see monsters aren't a picture and a formula.

 

[aramis erak]

If the attack mod is PB+SB+2, then the monster has a combat style... just like a level 1 fighter.
PB+SB+3 or more? It's getting a second attribute. Like the Level 20 ranger's ability, only less specific.

 

[Shadowdweller00]

WHILE we're on the subject: Brown bears. Brown bears have a 19 str (+4) and SHOULD have a +2 proficiency bonus based on HD. And yet they only have a +5 to hit from claws and bite. SOMEHOW brown bears get more than just their strength bonus to hit. But not their full proficiency bonus. Why?

 

[Boarstorm]

Someone on the dev team clearly hates brown bears.

 

[trentonjoe]

The Brown Bear has to be a mistake.

I kinda like the ghouls don't get PB on the bite.

I am digging the few "flavor" exceptions. I like neat formulas but outliers are cool if they make sense.

 

[Joe Liker]

I don't know why everyone's so eager to assume these are errors. The formulas they give are guidelines, not hard-and-fast rules.

I, for one, am extremely glad every monster doesn't fit into a prescriptive little box. That would be boring, lazy design.

 

[trentonjoe]

The Bear doesn't make any sense.

The ghould and carrion crawler have "good reasons".

 

[Cyberen]

I guess animals get a special treatment because of wildshape.

 

[Henrix]

I don't know why everyone's so eager to assume these are errors. The formulas they give are guidelines, not hard-and-fast rules.

Precisely.

Reasonably some monsters are better suited to using their weapons offensively - a panther is better at attack than a moose, despite similar strength.

It is easier to hit with claws than with a bite, if you're a humanoid.

There are no hard rules for what value an attack has, no more than there are hard rules for how much damage a claw does.
There are guidelines.