Giant Frog Mount Questions

[tieren]

Ok, looking for a fun mount for my gnome pally/warlock/sorcerer idea.

1. If I cast enlarge on a giant frog, will it then be able to swallow medium creatures?

2. If the frog is my find steed mount so we share spells, and I cast alter self to give myself aquatic adaptation, can I choose a different alter self effect for the frog ( such as magical natural weapons)?

[Slipperychicken]

1. I believe that's intended. The giant frog should be able to swallow any creature one or more size categories smaller than itself.

2. I am not sure. I'd probably have to look into it more.

[MBControl]

I honestly don't know about those rules questions, but I would love it if you had to make a DEX DC 2 check on every hop, or fall off.

Nah . . . might slow the game down too much, huh.

[Foxhound438]

1) RAI yes, RAW no. The text of its swallow ability is that it has to be small or tiny.

2) pretty sure no, but a DM ruling can change that. It wouldn't be at all broken. From a rules perspective it'd be like in magic the gathering, copying a spell on the stack that says "choose one:" in that one option is chosen before it's target is chosen, but then again this isn't MTG. the rules are WAAAAY more flexible in d&d.

3) if you can get a giant toad you have no issue for part one, since it itself is large and can in fact swallow medium creatures.

[tieren]

I honestly don't know about those rules questions, but I would love it if you had to make a DEX DC 2 check on every hop, or fall off.

Nah . . . might slow the game down too much, huh.

I imagine I'd have to have a pretty specialized saddle built, maybe out of sharks kin or something to deal with the amphibious conditions.

I suppose a corollary to the alter self question is disguise self for paladins, do they share that with their steeds and get to look different or do they share it and have to look like they are riding themselves.

[Mellack]

I honestly don't know about those rules questions, but I would love it if you had to make a DEX DC 2 check on every hop, or fall off.

Nah . . . might slow the game down too much, huh.

Since there is not automatic failure on a roll of 1, anyone would automatically pass if they have a +1 Dex bonus. So the vast majority of characters could just ignore it.

[tieren]

3) if you can get a giant toad you have no issue for part one, since it itself is large and can in fact swallow medium creatures.

I want to keep it to a medium sized beast so I can ride it indoors and dungeon crawling.

I suppose the alternative is to reduce medium targets to swallow able size.

[Biggstick]

Ok, looking for a fun mount for my gnome pally/warlock/sorcerer idea.

1. If I cast enlarge on a giant frog, will it then be able to swallow medium creatures?

2. If the frog is my find steed mount so we share spells, and I cast alter self to give myself aquatic adaptation, can I choose a different alter self effect for the frog ( such as magical natural weapons)?

Omg this sounds like amazing fun. Got a sudden bolt of inspiration to run something that can pick up the Mounted Combatant feat early (Looking at Human or Half Elf in particular), go 5 levels of Paladin, then 3 levels of Sorcerer. Those aren't the best break points at all, but at level 8 you'd be able to cast Enlarge upon yourself and the mount at the same time!

I know most spaces aren't big enough to allow for this, but imagine the shenanigans this could bring about lol.

[djreynolds]

I want to keep it to a medium sized beast so I can ride it indoors and dungeon crawling.

I suppose the alternative is to reduce medium targets to swallow able size.

Just on coolness alone, I'd let you do it. Even riding a crab would be cool.

[tieren]

Just on coolness alone, I'd let you do it. Even riding a crab would be cool.

I looked at giant crab, the AC is better, but it doesn't have the flavor I want.

Black bear or ape would be different with a climbing speed, or giant badger with a burrow speed. Nothing seems to compete mechanically with the wolf and it's pack tactics, keen senses, and knock prone, but I keep coming back to the giant frog.

[Slipperychicken]

I imagine I'd have to have a pretty specialized saddle built, maybe out of sharks kin or something to deal with the amphibious conditions.

Well, the PHB already has you covered. Exotic saddles are listed at 60gp, as such are required for aquatic mounts.

[tieren]

Do you think it's safe to assume the carrying capacity of a frog mount is about the same of a mastiff?

[Slipperychicken]

Do you think it's safe to assume the carrying capacity of a frog mount is about the same of a mastiff?

Well, you don't need to assume. PHB 176 has you covered. Just multiply its strength score by 15 and double it for each size category over medium. That's how many pounds it can carry on its back.

If you want it to pull a cart of a wagon, you take its carrying capacity times five, and that's the weight of stuff it can pull. To know how much you can put in the wagon, you need to subtract the wagon's weight first. Those rules are located on PHB 155.


A giant frog is a medium beast with strength 12. That means its carry capacity is (12x15)= 180lb. If attached to a cart or wagon, it could pull up to (180x5)= 900lb. If you enlarged it to large size, both these figures would be doubled.

A mastiff is also a medium beast, but it has strength 13, putting its carry capacity at (13x15)= 195lb. If attached to a cart or wagon, it could pull up to (195x5)= 975lb. If you enlarged it to large size, both these figures would be doubled.

[MBControl]

Yeah, I was joking. I would never bog down play with that kind of constant rolling. No pun intended.

[Toadkiller]

I would let you do it.

But there would be 9 kinds of hell in every single village you come to. Nothing that would, automatically, get you killed or arrested. But lots and lots of issues at the stables and on the road. Oh, and feeding it would be a significant amount of your downtime. It would be very, very picky regarding what it would eat.

My point - you would get fun mechanics. Everyone else would get silly role playing.

[tieren]

I would let you do it.

But there would be 9 kinds of hell in every single village you come to. Nothing that would, automatically, get you killed or arrested. But lots and lots of issues at the stables and on the road. Oh, and feeding it would be a significant amount of your downtime. It would be very, very picky regarding what it would eat.

My point - you would get fun mechanics. Everyone else would get silly role playing.

That ties back to the disguise self question. If I have the disguise self at will invocation and share spells with my find steed, can I choose different effects for each of us, maybe to make us appear as a halfling peddler on a pony?

Since it is my find steed I can always just dismiss it and resummon as necessary.

[tieren]

Well, you don't need to assume. PHB 176 has you covered. Just multiply its strength score by 15 and double it for each size category over medium. That's how many pounds it can carry on its back.

If you want it to pull a cart of a wagon, you take its carrying capacity times five, and that's the weight of stuff it can pull. To know how much you can put in the wagon, you need to subtract the wagon's weight first. Those rules are located on PHB 155.


A giant frog is a medium beast with strength 12. That means its carry capacity is (12x15)= 180lb. If attached to a cart or wagon, it could pull up to (180x5)= 900lb. If you enlarged it to large size, both these figures would be doubled.

A mastiff is also a medium beast, but it has strength 13, putting its carry capacity at (13x15)= 195lb. If attached to a cart or wagon, it could pull up to (195x5)= 975lb. If you enlarged it to large size, both these figures would be doubled.

Ok, so the carrying capacity is 180 lbs.

I'm a gnome which is about 45 lbs. I wear plate and shield which the phb says weigh 71 lbs (is there a weight break for small sized armor?), and an exotic saddle is 40 lbs, and my quarter staff is 4 lbs. That comes to 160 lbs, with capacity for 20 lbs of other equipment.

I guess barding isn't really an option then.

[Slipperychicken]

Ok, so the carrying capacity is 180 lbs.

I'm a gnome which is about 45 lbs. I wear plate and shield which the phb says weigh 71 lbs (is there a weight break for small sized armor?), and an exotic saddle is 40 lbs, and my quarter staff is 4 lbs. That comes to 160 lbs, with capacity for 20 lbs of other equipment.

I guess baring isn't really an option then.

If I was the one DMing, I'd cut the weight of the exotic saddle in half because those weights are probably intended for horse-sized creatures. Same goes for the armor and any other small-sized equipment; it should be half weight because your PC isn't human-sized. I want to say it's RAW, but I'm not sure where it's stated exactly.

Even if it's somehow not RAW, I don't think it'll be a problem unless your GM is really strict about encumbrance.

[tieren]

http://www.puttyandpaint.com/images/uploads/artistworks/5053/cache/squarg_finished2a__sized_l.jpg

[djreynolds]

I looked at giant crab, the AC is better, but it doesn't have the flavor I want.



Crab legs or frog's leg, both are flavorful. I love it.

[tieren]

Crab legs or frog's leg, both are flavorful. I love it.

Thats funny :smallsmile:

What I meant was comparing the giant crab and the giant frog, they are both medium sized beasts with the same movement and swim speeds, same amphibious trait and same damage attack.

Mechanically the crab is superior, it has more AC, more strength, and more dexterity. It can also grapple two targets at the same time.

However, I am a forest gnome with a strong backstory related to the fey in the enchanted forest where he grew up. Now I suppose there could be the same gnomes and fey in a coastal region that might make sense, but it doesn't really fit the picture I've had in my head.

[djreynolds]

http://www.puttyandpaint.com/images/uploads/artistworks/5053/cache/squarg_finished2a__sized_l.jpg

Yes, this is cool, do it. And post, awesome idea.