On the random encounter table for the module I'm going to run today is a Dire Crocodile that may attack the party's boat while they are sailing.
I'm just curious how this encounter and combat should play out.
The Crocodile is "gargantuan" (about 50 feet long and 80 tons, so as big or bigger than the boat), so it's not crawling onto the boat. I guess it's just sitting in the water and trying to smash the boat to pieces and meanwhile trying to gobble up anyone on deck?
(1) How does combat work with a gargantuan crocodile that is half in water, bashing a boat to smithereens, using its 15 foot reach to hit anyone on the deck that is close to it. Just not sure how mechanically I should run this, especially since the edge of the boat probably has 10 feet down to the water... I don't know where the players would have to be to be within melee range of the crocodile.
Any advice here is appreciated...
also, some other mechanics questions:
(2) Does it only get both its bite + tail slap as a full round action attack? Can it not move + do both?
(3) If a creature is unable to escape the crocodile's grapple during its turn, then the croc will try to "swallow whole" it with a "pin" move (not sure exactly how that works). But if the victim does get swallowed, what are the mechanics of it trying to break free? I understand it has to attack against HALF its natural AC (+15 natural AC, so what's half that, 7 or 8 - round up or down?) - but how does it attack if it's still grappled?
I don't see why a croc would engage players that are on the deck of a boat to begin with.
If I were running it, I'd have the crocodile sunder the bottom of the boat repeatedly until it sinks or the players come down to fight it under water. I'd also probably make the water muddy to give the croc concealment.
As far as your questions go, it only gets both attacks if it makes a full attack action. If it moves, have it bite. With the 'grab' ability, basically it will go like this:
Croc rolls to hit on a bit, bite hits
Croc does damage, then makes an immediate CMB roll to grapple
If successful, both the croc and the PC gain the 'grappled condition'
PC tries to escape on his turn with an opposed CMB or an escape artist check
If the PC is still grappled when the Croc goes again, Croc makes another CMB to swallow the PC
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You could really make this a pretty crazy encounter.
The croc may see the boat as a rival predator. Have it ram the ship once or twice. The boat will take damage and sway with each hit (acrobatics roll to not fall prone). Anyone near the side of the ship could fall overboard (which is probably a death sentence).
Think about what the captain would do. You can be pretty sure that he will believe that the dire croc will trash his boat, so he will definately try to make a run for it. As soon as he realizes its a croc, have him start belting out orders to the crew to get things moving (man the oars, raise the mid sail, batten down the hatches and all that stuff). You could also have one or two places on the deck where there is no deckhand, so the captain needs a character to let loose a rope (to unfurl a sail) or tie a rope (to tie a sail in place).
A dire croc does 18-31 damage per bite and 10-38 per tail slap. Against a large boat, a few croc attacks to one area of the ship would cause it to start taking on water. Perhaps you could have deck hands call out the damage after a strike and then the captain will try to steer the ship so the croc does not strike the same area more than once.
Also, be sure to have a few harpoons or long spears on board so that players have some effective weapons to use.
Thanks for the advice.
You could really make this a pretty crazy encounter.
The croc may see the boat as a rival predator. Have it ram the ship once or twice. The boat will take damage and sway with each hit (acrobatics roll to not fall prone). Anyone near the side of the ship could fall overboard (which is probably a death sentence).
Think about what the captain would do. You can be pretty sure that he will believe that the dire croc will trash his boat, so he will definately try to make a run for it. As soon as he realizes its a croc, have him start belting out orders to the crew to get things moving (man the oars, raise the mid sail, batten down the hatches and all that stuff). You could also have one or two places on the deck where there is no deckhand, so the captain needs a character to let loose a rope (to unfurl a sail) or tie a rope (to tie a sail in place).
A dire croc does 18-31 damage per bite and 10-38 per tail slap. Against a large boat, a few croc attacks to one area of the ship would cause it to start taking on water. Perhaps you could have deck hands call out the damage after a strike and then the captain will try to steer the ship so the croc does not strike the same area more than once.
Also, be sure to have a few harpoons or long spears on board so that players have some effective weapons to use.
MAN THE CANNONS!!!