Kraken Variants

[freyar]

Yeah, that's a bit more, but it is a good match to 1d100. Here's a question: did 1E and 2E have a standard trample damage, and were these much higher in comparison?

 

[Cleon]

Yeah, that's a bit more, but it is a good match to 1d100.

Yeah, we might as well leave the trample damage as is.

Here's a question: did 1E and 2E have a standard trample damage, and were these much higher in comparison?

You're expecting consistency in AD&D mechanics?!

 

[freyar]

Well, just more like wanting to know if these were also very high trample critters by comparison in AD&D.

Umm, normal Imp Grab and Constrict?

 

[Cleon]

Well, just more like wanting to know if these were also very high trample critters by comparison in AD&D.

Hmm… well off the top of my head the highest trample damage critter I can think of in standard AD&D sources is the Brachiosaurus*, which:

Monster Manual (1977) "Similar to apatosaurs, they might step on something small, causing 8-80 points of damage."
Monstrous Compendium Volume Three- Forgotten Realms Appendix (1989) "if it steps on something small, the giant beast inflicts 8d10 points of damage."​

The Apatosaurus (aka Brontosaurus) does 4d10 trample damage in the same sources.
*I italicize the dinosaurs' genera because a genus or species name should always be italicized according to the rules of taxonomy.

Of course, there's little consistency in trampling. An AD&D African Elephant does two lots of 2d6 trampling for 4d6 in total, but that's part of a five-attack multiattack:

Monstrous Manual (1993) "An elephant can make up to five attacks at one time in a battle. It can do stabbing damage of 2-16 points (2d8) with each of its two tusks; constricting damage of 2-12 points with its trunk; and 2-12 points of trampling damage with each of its front feet."​

A charging AD&D Rhinoceros is similar, making a triple multiattack with a double damage horn doing 4d6 or 4d4 plus two trampling forefeet for 2d4 each.

However, the most lethal trampling damage is a 1E AD&D Herd Animal stampede, which causes automatic death. By comparison, a 2E herd stampede does from 2d4 to 8d6 damage:

Monster Manual (1977) "As herd animals are not aggressive, they will stampede away from what they perceive to be the greatest threat to their safety. Humans or humanoids of about man-size or less, will be trampled to death if caught in the path of a stampede."
Monstrous Manual (1993) "If a herd stampedes, roll 2d4 for each creature in the path of the stampede who does not take cover (such as by hiding in a tree or behind a rock pile or wall). This is the number of herd animals trampling the exposed creature. Trampling causes either 1-4 hp of damage (camel, cattle, antelope, and sheep) or 1-6 hp of damage (buffalo) per herd animal trampling."​

So the 1d100 of a Krakentua is really hefty. It's 50.5 damage average is more than the 44 of a Brachiosaurus or 22 of a thunder lizard. That's slightly lower than the 55 average damage of a Reptilian or Humanoid Gargantua's 10d10 trampling damage, but they're Toho Godzilla and Kong expies.