I've been running a campaign for a while, and my Players are getting close to the end. However, there is a specific NPC that feels a bit odd. Every time the Players see him or come in contact with him, they want to get away as fast as possible. (He's a villain)
I will give a very brief and simple explanation of this NPC (ignoring his backstory or how he gained said power). This NPC can summon invisible hands/tentacles to attack and/or grab creatures. I treat these 'things' as Familiars. As he can control them as he wills. If he attempts to grab a Player, what should happen?
Should the Player roll against the grab with a disadvantage? As the character the Player is controlling can't actually see the tentacle trying to grab them. Should the Player just be grabbed automatically? Should the Player just roll against the grab as normal?
What is your thought on how to handle this? If needed, I can give a bit more information on how he works.
(F.Y.I. I should state that even if this NPC is a villain in the story, he never kills any creature unless he absolutely has to. Moreover, the Players did come to this conclusion when they did their stealth mission.)
Invisibility gives the creatures Attack Rolls advantage but a grapple attack action is an ability check against the target's Athletics or Acrobatics.
RAW the invisible hands don't get any benefits to a grapple attempt by being invisible. But as this is a homebrew NPC and homebrew "hand" creature/familiars, you can homebrew any rule you like into them and grand advantage if you think its warranted. I'm not sure what "size" you have these creatures/familiars set to but grapple rules also stipulate that you can only grapple a creature one size larger than you. So if the creatures/familiars are "Tiny" then they won't be capable of grappling targets that are "Medium" size or larger.
Again, those are the Rules As Written (RAW), but as DM you can set a rule that these creatures can grapple larger sizes or grapple with advantage as long as they are invisible or such.
For other ways to thwart Adventurers in a way that doesn't kill them, you obviously have various spells like Hold Person, but there's also the Net, poisons you can state which only knock them out or leave them paralised and finally melee attacks that bring a character to 0hp can instead knock them unconscious. Beyond that you can setup the area with something like a pit trap that would take them too long to get out while the BBEG gloats and leaves.
I've been running a campaign for a while, and my Players are getting close to the end. However, there is a specific NPC that feels a bit odd. Every time the Players see him or come in contact with him, they want to get away as fast as possible. (He's a villain)
I will give a very brief and simple explanation of this NPC (ignoring his backstory or how he gained said power). This NPC can summon invisible hands/tentacles to attack and/or grab creatures. I treat these 'things' as Familiars. As he can control them as he wills. If he attempts to grab a Player, what should happen?
Should the Player roll against the grab with a disadvantage? As the character the Player is controlling can't actually see the tentacle trying to grab them. Should the Player just be grabbed automatically? Should the Player just roll against the grab as normal?
What is your thought on how to handle this? If needed, I can give a bit more information on how he works.
(F.Y.I. I should state that even if this NPC is a villain in the story, he never kills any creature unless he absolutely has to. Moreover, the Players did come to this conclusion when they did their stealth mission.)
Invisibility gives the creatures Attack Rolls advantage but a grapple attack action is an ability check against the target's Athletics or Acrobatics.
RAW the invisible hands don't get any benefits to a grapple attempt by being invisible. But as this is a homebrew NPC and homebrew "hand" creature/familiars, you can homebrew any rule you like into them and grand advantage if you think its warranted. I'm not sure what "size" you have these creatures/familiars set to but grapple rules also stipulate that you can only grapple a creature one size larger than you. So if the creatures/familiars are "Tiny" then they won't be capable of grappling targets that are "Medium" size or larger.
Again, those are the Rules As Written (RAW), but as DM you can set a rule that these creatures can grapple larger sizes or grapple with advantage as long as they are invisible or such.
For other ways to thwart Adventurers in a way that doesn't kill them, you obviously have various spells like Hold Person, but there's also the Net, poisons you can state which only knock them out or leave them paralised and finally melee attacks that bring a character to 0hp can instead knock them unconscious. Beyond that you can setup the area with something like a pit trap that would take them too long to get out while the BBEG gloats and leaves.
Okay, that makes sense. Thank you for the response.