Greywander
2020-07-22, 06:06 PM
You may remember this post (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?612607-Caltrops-are-pretty-handy-at-low-levels) from a while back. We were finally able to play again, and the old caltrops came in handy once more.
I started off as a 0th level commoner, now a 1st level rogue. Solo adventure. I was in a swamp for a few different quests (collect herbs, bounties on bullywugs and lizardfolk), but the "main" quest was to recover a lost locket. I avoid combat because I'm a solo 1st level character, collect a good haul of herbs (my Survival rolls were amazing), when I find the locket. There's a couple of lizardfolk by a big tree; one of them is wearing the locket. Normally, lizardfolk would have been too strong for me, but my DM said she weakened them, with the excuse that they were younger lizardfolk (not that my character knew that, since he doesn't have any sort of monster lore).
I find a bush on some dry ground and scatter the caltrops in front. I hide behind the bush and take aim with a crossbow. One of the lizardfolk has a club, the other, a javelin. The club one has the locket. I shoot, and hit, but it doesn't kill him. I roll a 6 on my initiative, but they roll 4 and 2, so I win initiative. I hide behind the bush, but the club lizardfolk sees me. He uses his action to Dash around behind me, his friend doesn't know where I am but sees where his friend is headed and comes at me from the front, running right into the caltrops. Unfortunately, he passes his save.
So there I am, sandwiched between two lizardfolk. With no other options, I whip out my rapier and stab, finishing off the club lizardfolk. The javelin lizardfolk misses me with his javelin, so I turn and make a stab at him as well. Unfortunately, I roll poorly on the damage, barely scratching him. His next attack hits, taking me from 9 HP down to 4. At this point, I figure I need two more hits to take this guy down, but I could be dead in one hit. Not liking those odds, I look for another option. The caltrops are behind him, and I wisely took Athletics proficiency earlier. I saw my chance, and I took it.
I shove him back into the caltrops, and this time he fails his save. I use my movement to get as far away as I can, but even with a reduced speed he can still Dash to get back within melee range. I could Disengage and move away, but he would just Dash to get back into melee range. He might at some point throw his javelin, but if I move away without Disengaging, I will for sure take an opportunity attack, and he'll still be able to throw the javelin. So I Disengage and circle around, trying to get the caltrops between me and him. It takes a couple rounds, but I'm finally in position. He can either (a) run into the caltrops again trying to get back into melee range, (b) go around the caltrops and maybe not be able to get in melee range (this one is iffy without a grid), or (c) throw the javelin.
He goes for (c), throwing his javelin at me. He hits, stopping just short of a crit. His damage roll? 1. And now he's disarmed. Enraged, he runs straight into the caltrops, again, and fails his save, again. At this point, the fight is over. I can kite him indefinitely with my crossbow, but it doesn't matter since my next shot ends him.
I almost want to start buying caltrops/ball bearings in bulk. I have the gold for it now (my haul from the herbs was 34 gold, not to shabby for nothing more difficult than a few skill checks), and as a solo adventurer they could be really handy to scatter all over the battlefield, or at least to surround my position. I wonder what the rules would be for layering several pouches of caltrops or ball bearings over the same spot? Higher DC or multiple saves?
I started off as a 0th level commoner, now a 1st level rogue. Solo adventure. I was in a swamp for a few different quests (collect herbs, bounties on bullywugs and lizardfolk), but the "main" quest was to recover a lost locket. I avoid combat because I'm a solo 1st level character, collect a good haul of herbs (my Survival rolls were amazing), when I find the locket. There's a couple of lizardfolk by a big tree; one of them is wearing the locket. Normally, lizardfolk would have been too strong for me, but my DM said she weakened them, with the excuse that they were younger lizardfolk (not that my character knew that, since he doesn't have any sort of monster lore).
I find a bush on some dry ground and scatter the caltrops in front. I hide behind the bush and take aim with a crossbow. One of the lizardfolk has a club, the other, a javelin. The club one has the locket. I shoot, and hit, but it doesn't kill him. I roll a 6 on my initiative, but they roll 4 and 2, so I win initiative. I hide behind the bush, but the club lizardfolk sees me. He uses his action to Dash around behind me, his friend doesn't know where I am but sees where his friend is headed and comes at me from the front, running right into the caltrops. Unfortunately, he passes his save.
So there I am, sandwiched between two lizardfolk. With no other options, I whip out my rapier and stab, finishing off the club lizardfolk. The javelin lizardfolk misses me with his javelin, so I turn and make a stab at him as well. Unfortunately, I roll poorly on the damage, barely scratching him. His next attack hits, taking me from 9 HP down to 4. At this point, I figure I need two more hits to take this guy down, but I could be dead in one hit. Not liking those odds, I look for another option. The caltrops are behind him, and I wisely took Athletics proficiency earlier. I saw my chance, and I took it.
I shove him back into the caltrops, and this time he fails his save. I use my movement to get as far away as I can, but even with a reduced speed he can still Dash to get back within melee range. I could Disengage and move away, but he would just Dash to get back into melee range. He might at some point throw his javelin, but if I move away without Disengaging, I will for sure take an opportunity attack, and he'll still be able to throw the javelin. So I Disengage and circle around, trying to get the caltrops between me and him. It takes a couple rounds, but I'm finally in position. He can either (a) run into the caltrops again trying to get back into melee range, (b) go around the caltrops and maybe not be able to get in melee range (this one is iffy without a grid), or (c) throw the javelin.
He goes for (c), throwing his javelin at me. He hits, stopping just short of a crit. His damage roll? 1. And now he's disarmed. Enraged, he runs straight into the caltrops, again, and fails his save, again. At this point, the fight is over. I can kite him indefinitely with my crossbow, but it doesn't matter since my next shot ends him.
I almost want to start buying caltrops/ball bearings in bulk. I have the gold for it now (my haul from the herbs was 34 gold, not to shabby for nothing more difficult than a few skill checks), and as a solo adventurer they could be really handy to scatter all over the battlefield, or at least to surround my position. I wonder what the rules would be for layering several pouches of caltrops or ball bearings over the same spot? Higher DC or multiple saves?