D&D 5E What are the optimal construct choices for the UA Artificer

[dropbear8mybaby]

Rhino... because my dwarven artificer deserves to ride on one.

 

[Awesome Adam]

From a mechanical point of view, I'm leaning heavily towards the Allosaurus.

From a Role Playing point of view, riding a giant metal dinosaur is completely metal.

I shall name him Grimloche (not to be confused with Grimlock)

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

Allosaurus... meh. It's like a rhinoceros that always attacks at disadvantage on a charge, only it's even worse because it takes three rolls to land the bite and not just two. (First, you have to hit with the claw, then the enemy has to fail its Strength save, then you have to hit with the bite.)

If Allosaurus had multiattack it would be quite tempting, and the speed is nice, but... meh.

I'd rather have a flying Giant Owl or a Giant Toad that can give everybody in the whole party advantage on their attacks.

 

[Ancalagon]

Rhino... because my dwarven artificer deserves to ride on one.

You and I sir are of like mind.

 

[JackOfAllTirades]

Giant Eagles, Owls and Vultures are all actually intelligent, and able to understand some languages. They are human-level independent thought processes, not trained animal level: in 5e beast-type creatures don't have an intelligence restriction.

Exactly. The ability to use Infusions makes it possible to augment them with False Life, Blur, and so on to make them more survivable and harder to hit.

 

[Awesome Adam]

Allosaurus... meh. It's like a rhinoceros that always attacks at disadvantage on a charge, only it's even worse because it takes three rolls to land the bite and not just two.

I'm not following how it's like always attacking at disadvantage ?

Rhinoceros
Large Beast, unaligned
Armor Class: 11
Hit Points: 45(6d10+ 12)
Speed: 40 ft. ft.
STR 21 (+5) DEX 8 (-1) CON 15 (+2) INT 2 (-4) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 6 (-2)
Proficiency Bonus: +2
Passive Perception: 11
Challenge: 2(450 XP)

Charge: If the rhinoceros moves at least 20 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a gore attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 9 (2d8) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Actions
Gore.Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

I'm not following how it's like always attacking at disadvantage ?

Other way around. An Allosaurus that charges has a damage ceiling almost identical to a rhino's, but it has to jump through a lot more hoops to get the same damage. Much of the time it will just get a claw attack, not a claw and a bite. I'm drawing an analogy to disadvantage here because I'd guesstimate that an Allosaurus will do about the same damage that a rhino would if the rhino had disadvantage.

E.g. against an AC 16 Bugbear, a charging rhino will hit on a 9+ for 4d8+5 damage, yielding DPR of 14.70 and knocking the Bugbear prone (60% * 60%) 36% of the time. If it were attacking at disadvantage, it would have a DPR of 8.33.

Against an AC 16 Bugbear, a charging Allosaurus will hit with its claw on a 10+ for d8+4, yielding DPR of 4.9. It will knock the Bugbear prone (55% * 50%) 27.5% of the time, and if it does it will get an extra attack hitting on 10+ for 2d10+4, which is 8.8 DPR. Its total DPR is (4.9 + 0.275 * 8.8) is 7.32.

The Allosaurus's DPR without disadvantage is lower than the rhino's DPR with disadvantage. Allosaurs are bad at doing damage.

The higher the target's AC and/or Strength save, the more the Allosaur's limitations hurt.

 

[MarkB]

The nice thing is that you can make it look however you like, within reason. So it can have the stats of the rhino, but look like a dinosaur - or have the stats of a giant owl, but look like a gyrocopter.

 

[Colder]

The nice thing is that you can make it look however you like, within reason. So it can have the stats of the rhino, but look like a dinosaur - or have the stats of a giant owl, but look like a gyrocopter.

This is literally the only thing that can make me excited about this feature. A mechanical beast is one thing, but a magitech-powered suit of armor is another entirely.

 

[Awesome Adam]

The Allosaurus's DPR without disadvantage is lower than the rhino's DPR with disadvantage. Allosaurs are bad at doing damage.

Okay, I follow your thinking this time around, but you're formula is contingent on them charging the required distance to get the extra damage.

After the initial charge, their damage becomes comparable.

Allosaurus: Armor Class: 13 Hit Points: 51 (6d10+ 18) Speed: 60 ft. Passive Perception: 15 Attack:+6 hit 15(2d10+4) damage
Rhinoceros: Armor Class: 11 Hit Points: 45 (6d10+ 12) Speed: 40 ft. Passive Perception: 11 Attack:+7 hit 14 (2d8+5) damage.

The Rhino generates more damage on a charge, but Allosaurus has 2 points better AC, more hit points, 20ft faster move, and 4 points higher perception.

You want a Rhino, go team Rhino, but I think the Allosaurus is most survivable of the choices.