Advice on running this boss: a Storm Giant riding a Roc

[supergoji18]

I'm going to run a one shot dungeon crawl next week. It will take place in an ancient tower, which the party will have to climb through and solve puzzles to progress. There will be 3 combat encounters total, the final one being the final boss of the dungeon fought at the top of the tower: a Storm Giant riding a Roc.

How should I run this encounter? I feel that if I run it completely by RAW, the Roc will only be able to contribute speed and extra HP. I want both to play an important part in this encounter. This will be the first time I ever run something like this, and I want it to feel like an epic encounter.

Here were some things I were considering for this encounter.

- The two will have different initiatives, so the Roc can make use of its attacks while the Storm Giant can attack with its Lightning Strike or with its weapon when in range (I will likely give it a Pike or Glaive in place of its Greatsword).
- Giving the Roc Legendary Actions, with the following options: Move (half its flying speed) and the Wing Attack of an Adult or Ancient dragon.
- The Storm Giant will be casting Control Weather the entire encounter in order to create a storm. This should make ranged attacks more difficult. I would likely make the Roc immune to the flight hinderance because being the Roc its supposed to be used to these conditions.

I welcome any and all suggestions.

BTW: there will be 4 level 10 players. The arena is a large open arena atop the tower, with only some pillars and a throne for the Storm Giant.

[Unoriginal]

You could say the Rock counts as a sapient mount and use those rules.

Just out of curiosity, you have the Volo's? There's some nice giants there.

Don't worry about details like "the Roc isn't affected by the weather", it's an ability the DM can give at will.


If I were the Roc Rider, I'd chain myself to the saddle so I don't risk to fall. Or I'd have some kind of protective magic against falls, if possible.

[supergoji18]

You could say the Rock counts as a sapient mount and use those rules.

Just out of curiosity, you have the Volo's? There's some nice giants there.

Don't worry about details like "the Roc isn't affected by the weather", it's an ability the DM can give at will.


If I were the Roc Rider, I'd chain myself to the saddle so I don't risk to fall. Or I'd have some kind of protective magic against falls, if possible.

That's what I think I'll do. I do have Volo's, but I think I want to stick with the vanilla Storm Giant.

The Storm Giant has Feather Falling as an at will innate spell, so that issue is covered.

[JackPhoenix]

The first is already RAW how independent mount works.

However, Control Weather is completely useless in combat. 10 minutes casting time means the battle will be long since over before the giant can finish casting it, and it would take 10-40 minutes for the first changes to show up. In addition, you can only change the weather one step at a time, so if it's nice and you want a storm, it'll take you a whole hour since the start of the casting before any results. You may as well make the weather natural.

I'd suggest giving the giant ranged attack instead of poking the PCs with a melee weapon. Giant-sized longbow is weak compared to thrown rocks with 3d6+Dex damage, but it's more practical on the birdback, and you can give him two attacks, like with the greatsword.

Roc can also autograpple when it hits with its talons, which can be nasty: just grab an enemy, fly a bit away from the tower, and drop them.


If I were the Roc Rider, I'd chain myself to the saddle so I don't risk to fall. Or I'd have some kind of protective magic against falls, if possible.

Storm giants already have Feather Fall and Levitate at will, so he's covered. While the later is less practical at the moment of falling, the PC's are obviously going to focus on the roc instead of the giant. When the giant falls out of sight, it can get on the ground with Feather Fall, and then use Levitate to get back up after the PCs think they've won and started looting his stuff.

Levitate can also be used to lift a PC and potentially keep them out of combat, if they lack good ranged options.

[supergoji18]

The first is already RAW how independent mount works.

However, Control Weather is completely useless in combat. 10 minutes casting time means the battle will be long since over before the giant can finish casting it, and it would take 10-40 minutes for the first changes to show up. In addition, you can only change the weather one step at a time, so if it's nice and you want a storm, it'll take you a whole hour since the start of the casting before any results. You may as well make the weather natural.

I'd suggest giving the giant ranged attack instead of poking the PCs with a melee weapon. Giant-sized longbow is weak compared to thrown rocks with 3d6+Dex damage, but it's more practical on the birdback, and you can give him two attacks, like with the greatsword.

Roc can also autograpple when it hits with its talons, which can be nasty: just grab an enemy, fly a bit away from the tower, and drop them.



Storm giants already have Feather Fall and Levitate at will, so he's covered. While the later is less practical at the moment of falling, the PC's are obviously going to focus on the roc instead of the giant. When the giant falls out of sight, it can get on the ground with Feather Fall, and then use Levitate to get back up after the PCs think they've won and started looting his stuff.

Levitate can also be used to lift a PC and potentially keep them out of combat, if they lack good ranged options.

It would have cast the spell before the encounter begins. The backstory for this encounter is that there is a terrible storm that is affecting the entire coast, and the source is the tower atop which the Storm Giant lives (unknown to the general population). The party is sent to investigate and eliminate the source by the King. So the storm would have been up and ready by the time the players get there.