Two questions: Dragons attacks; and attacking while prone

[Spiral Architecht]

The second question seems like it would be the easiest to answer. What are characters' options while prone? I've not been able to find a concrete rule anywhere on this, so I've made up my own.

The second seems fairly simple as well, but is confusing to me. The MM lists many attack forms for Dragons, based on the size of the Dragon in question. For example, a juvenille blue can attack with a bite, claws, wings, and a tail slap. So if the juvenille blue takes the full attack action (BAB +18) the attack sequence would be like this:

Bite at +18
Claw at +13
Claw at +8
Wing at +3

The same dragon with the hover feat could hover and attack like this:

Bite at +18
Claw at +13
Claw at +8
Claw at +3

Regardless of whether the Dragon is hovering, or what attack forms its using it will never get more than 4 attacks a round when using the full attack action.

Is my thinking correct on this? Am I giving the Dragon too many attacks, not enough, or just the right amount?

 

[Jhamin]

You are operating on the assumption that monsters use the same iterative attacks that characters do. This isn't quite how it works. Only monsters using artificial weapons follow those rules.


Monsters with natural weapons choose a main attack that works with their full attack bonus and *all* of their natural secondary attacks are at -5. Note that just like characters monsters have to use the full attack option to get off all of their attacks. If they user a regular attack they can only strike with their primary natural weapons.

So your dragon will strike with his bite at +18 and with everything else (claws, wings, and tail) at +13.

Stay away from dragons if you want to stay healthy.

 

[Hypersmurf]

A Juvenile Blue is a Large creature. So in one round making a full attack on the ground, it can bite, use two claws, two wings, and a tail slap. In the air (hovering), it can bite, make four claw attacks, and a tail slap, but no wings.

It's attack bonus is +18, and everything except the bite gets a -5.

So a full attack on the ground would be :

Bite +18
2 claws +13
2 wings +13
Tail slap +13

Natural weapons don't necessarily follow the same progression as a classed character using weapons. Where a fighter with a +18 BAB would get four attacks at +18, +13, +8, and +3 respectively, natural attacks are assigned a "primary" or "secondary" designation. Usually all secondary attacks get -5.

Check out a Belker, for example. Its wings are its primary attack. Its listed attack routine is 2 wings +9 melee, bite +4 melee, 2 claws +4 melee.

Or some of the dinosaurs. Same thing.

Does that all make sense?

-Hyp.

 

[Hypersmurf]

As for prone - I'm not sure what you mean by options?

You can stand up as an MEA which does not provoke an AoO.
You can make melee attacks or Attacks of Opportunity at a -4 penalty.
You can fire a crossbow at no penalty.
People attacking you with melee weapons have a +4 bonus; people attacking you with ranged weapons have a -4 penalty.
There's no rule preventing you casting a spell while prone that I've come across.

Most of this is on Table 8-8 on p132 of the PHB.

-Hyp.