If you’re able to make multiple Attacks with the Attack Action, this Attack replaces one of them. When you want to grab a creature or wrestle with it, you can use the Attack Action to make a Special melee Attack, a grapple. I’ll highlight combinations I think are especially effective.įrom the System Reference Document OGL 1.0, we read what it means to Grapple: Note: This article is an info dump, but it’s up to you how to craft a grappling character. Unique ideas for how to use the grapple mechanic Monsters That Grapple or Cannot be Grappled We’ll also evaluate grapple mechanics for beasts and monsters, and how Dungeon Masters can construct wily encounters using the grapple mechanic.īeasts That Grapple or Cannot be Grappled In this article, we’ll examine how players can use grapple as an action, including unique ideas to utilize in encounters. While the mechanics of grappling are fairly straightforward, a player or a dungeon master can gain many strategic ideas from exploring this action. Whether waterlogged, highly-vertical, pitch-black, etc… It’s rare for a fight to take place in a clean simple area.Grappling in D&D 5e is a melee attack action in hand-to-hand combat. They’re mostly for situations where a typical combat form might struggle with an unexpected or unoptimal environment. Though I should note, like the snake, you can’t use this form until you hit 4th level thanks to its swim speed.Īgain, I’m not suggesting you use any of these forms all the time. The main reason I love it are the prehensile tentacles, letting me pick locks/open doors/etc while still in combat form. But that’s usually more than enough for a single session. Its main downside is that it can only hold its breath for an hour. Outside combat, you get a stealth bonus, enhanced climbing, an ink-spray disengage, and a great swim speed. You get a ton of hitpoints, darkvision, and auto-grappling attacks in combat. The Giant Octopus is my favorite shapeshift form in the game, hands (tentacles?) down. Alternately, cast Fog Cloud beforehand and blind everything on the battlefield except yourself. If you’re fighting in the darkness, or in a cave, or in an area with verticality, consider using the Giant Spider to take advantage of your environment. Plus you can fire webs at people to restrain them, or poison them with your bite. You get blindsight, a massive stealth bonus, and wallclimbing abilities. I’m truly surprised more druids don’t ever use the Giant Spider. Though I should note, this form’s main downside is that the swim speed prevents you from using it until level 4. Outside combat, my team has occasionally used me as a bridge or a multi-person riding mount due to my massive size. Moon Druids can use the even-chonkier Giant Contrictor Snake, with all the same upsides but Huge-sized and hitting like a truck. It’s Large-sized, gets blindsight, and has an auto-grapple attack. The Constrictor Snake can excel in situations where ordinary animals may struggle to maneuver. And it also means you could hypothetically wield a weapon or carry a potion if you wanted. This can be good for environments that require the druid to interact with doors/switches/ropes mid-combat. And finally you get to keep your opposable thumbs. Then you get a climb speed, which is always useful. Firstly, you get a ranged attack, very rare for beast forms. ApeĪt CR½, the Ape is a useful form even for non-moon druids. When exploring/fighting in caves, I’ve found the burrowing ability incredible for bypassing obstacles, ambushing targets, and leaving a tunnel behind for my team to follow. Not only do they come with tremorsense and keen smell, they get multiattack and (most importantly) can burrow medium-sized tunnels. Cave BadgerĬave Badgers are an enhanced variant of the Giant Badger, released as part of the Out of the Abyss adventure. Even so, this list will also mostly be useful for Moon Druids due to their higher likelihood of shapeshifting in combat.) 1. (This article is focused on lower-level druids, so CR2 or below. Often I’m looking for environmental or situational opportunities where I can take maximum advantage of their unique upsides. And trust me, I understand where they’re coming from.īut there are so many crazy options available if you expand your horizons! In this article, I wanted to discuss five alternate combat forms I like to use. Generally, these two can get your basic job done, and some druids never use anything else. In a vacuum, these two options deal the most damage and have the most hitpoints for their level. Everybody knows about the ‘typical’ druid combat forms, specifically wolves and bears.
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