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  1. - Top - End - #1
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    GreenSorcererElf

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    Feb 2019

    Default Ever run an encounter with gargantuan+? Does gargantuan+ suck in 5e?

    From tiny to huge, the grid space is locked in. But gargantuan is 20'×20' or more. And from some art and lore, we're talking significantly larger than 20×20.
    But it doesn't seem like the game mechanics can really handle a fight with a village sized titan or a greatwyrm the size of a stadium.
    For starters the stat blocks for gargantuan creatures are written as 20×20. The speeds, the reach of attacks, etc. Then there's some feature mechanics that don't make sense with a truly colossal monster. I just read the chromatic greatwyrm block and they have an aura that's 60' radius centered on them. That's fine for a 20×20, but how does that even work for a 300'×300' greatwyrm?
    But what happens when a DM scales everything up? I'm struggling to wrap my head around balancing such an encounter. What's a melee PC to do with a super massive creature that has 150' reach and over 100' land speed?

    Has anyone successfully pulled off an encounter with a super massive creature? How did you run it? What are things to consider?
    TIA.

  2. - Top - End - #2
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    SwashbucklerGuy

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    Default Re: Ever run an encounter with gargantuan+? Does gargantuan+ suck in 5e?

    Typically I run them as parts. IE: legs, arms, tail, each one has its own AC, DR, and HP. Each part also has various strengths and weaknesses and reactions. A back leg might kick as a reaction. A tail might thrash about. Armor plates might have gaps and holes that require checks to find (and thus gain you lower AC, bonus damage, and other effects when attacked).

    The melee creature should probably climb up on it's back and chip at it from there. WoW-style running up and hitting it, even shooting it from range with spells or arrows probably isn't going to do much either. The challenge is less in whittling down it's HP, and more about finding the right spot to strike.
    Last edited by False God; 2021-11-27 at 07:44 PM.
    Knowledge brings the sting of disillusionment, but the pain teaches perspective.
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    "...yeah, but it makes me feel better."

  3. - Top - End - #3
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Greywander's Avatar

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    Nov 2017

    Default Re: Ever run an encounter with gargantuan+? Does gargantuan+ suck in 5e?

    Quote Originally Posted by TyGuy View Post
    I just read the chromatic greatwyrm block and they have an aura that's 60' radius centered on them. That's fine for a 20×20, but how does that even work for a 300'×300' greatwyrm?
    You could have it begin at the edge of the greatwyrm's space, not the center. Thus with a 300x300 foot greatwyrm, a 60 foot radius aura becomes a 210 foot radius aura (sort of, it wouldn't be a true circle since it's emanating from the edge of a square, more like a 420x420 foot square with rounded corners). I believe reach already originates from the edge of a creature's space; IIRC I found one listed monster who has a reach that is smaller than their size, so if reach was from the center of their space they wouldn't be able to reach anything.

  4. - Top - End - #4
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Imp

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    Feb 2017

    Default Re: Ever run an encounter with gargantuan+? Does gargantuan+ suck in 5e?

    Quote Originally Posted by Greywander View Post
    You could have it begin at the edge of the greatwyrm's space, not the center. Thus with a 300x300 foot greatwyrm, a 60 foot radius aura becomes a 210 foot radius aura (sort of, it wouldn't be a true circle since it's emanating from the edge of a square, more like a 420x420 foot square with rounded corners). I believe reach already originates from the edge of a creature's space; IIRC I found one listed monster who has a reach that is smaller than their size, so if reach was from the center of their space they wouldn't be able to reach anything.
    That's indeed how the rules of 5e do it. The aura starts at the edge of the creature's controlled space.

    Otherwise auras would be worse the bigger you are.
    Last edited by Unoriginal; 2021-11-27 at 02:03 PM.

  5. - Top - End - #5
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    MonkGirl

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    Default Re: Ever run an encounter with gargantuan+? Does gargantuan+ suck in 5e?

    There are some oddities with how mounts are handled in such situations I think... your kobold riding the gargantuan+++ dragon can reach all sides with his little spear, or even one space beyond with his whip

  6. - Top - End - #6
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Imp

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    Default Re: Ever run an encounter with gargantuan+? Does gargantuan+ suck in 5e?

    Quote Originally Posted by Naanomi View Post
    There are some oddities with how mounts are handled in such situations I think... your kobold riding the gargantuan+++ dragon can reach all sides with his little spear, or even one space beyond with his whip
    Supposedly the mount can move freely within its controlled space, putting the kobold in reach.

  7. - Top - End - #7
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    BarbarianGuy

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    Default Re: Ever run an encounter with gargantuan+? Does gargantuan+ suck in 5e?

    One thing I do with stuff this big is treat the creature more as an environmental hazard than a "creature." So, lots of saving throws and such.

    I tend to think human-sized heroes, regardless of their individual power levels, are not going to really be able to kill something like a kaiju. All you can do is drive it off, or distract it from its goal, or something along those lines. I wouldn't give Godzilla hit points, for example. Fighting him is like a mini-dungeon -- you do different things, make progressive changes to his goals and attention, and eventually "succeed" by getting him to dive back into the ocean or whatever makes sense in context.

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