The party had encountered a group of red caps and killed them but then raided their stuff and the goblin cleric decided to put on the boots. Could anyone help me with what should happen from that point on
Iron Boots. While moving, the redcap has disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
...
Ironbound Pursuit. The redcap moves up to its speed to a creature it can see and kicks with its iron boots. The target must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or take 20 (3d10 + 4) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone.
I'd give them the former penalty and a watered-down version of the kick, say by adding the prone rider to an unarmed attack after a charge.
I would be very careful about giving monster features to characters. If taking those boots gives the cleric a kick power, soon the whole party is going to be dismantling monsters and expecting to get powers from it. And if you "balance" it by making the powers bad, you're just making extra work on things no one will use. This is the kind of slippery slope that gets out of hand quickly.
I would be very careful about giving monster features to characters. If taking those boots gives the cleric a kick power, soon the whole party is going to be dismantling monsters and expecting to get powers from it. And if you "balance" it by making the powers bad, you're just making extra work on things no one will use. This is the kind of slippery slope that gets out of hand quickly.
Meh, I think that concern is a little bit out of place. First, the dismantling seems to be a ship that's already sailed. Second, plenty of RPGs have a history of encouraging looting and salvaging parts of monsters. Why not add a little flavor here or there as long as it doesn't unbalance?
Iron Boots. While moving, the redcap has disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
...
Ironbound Pursuit. The redcap moves up to its speed to a creature it can see and kicks with its iron boots. The target must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or take 20 (3d10 + 4) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone.
I'd give them the former penalty and a watered-down version of the kick, say by adding the prone rider to an unarmed attack after a charge.
If you made the kick an action then it would probably be ok I would think. It does decent damage at low level but the dex save isn't really high and if the creature makes the save nothing happens since they dodged the kick. You could lower the DC for a creature that hasn't worn the boots for an extended length of time if the DC14 is too high. Also, keep in mind that the listed damage includes the +4 strength modifier from the Redcap. It is likely to be lower for a cleric character. Also, the need to move your speed towards a creature to use the ability will also limit its use ... so it seems relatively balanced at least for level 5+ and would probably be ok before that.
Also, in terms of looting creatures and NPCs ... characters do that all the time. There doesn't seem to me to be much difference between characters taking some boots from a Redcap, or a wand from a wizard NPC.
Finally, this interpretation is treating the boots as a magic item that grants the special attack. Nothing in the creature description actually says this. It could be that Redcaps have special training or special physiology that makes it easy to use heavy iron boots to make special kicking attacks - no magic involved. In this case, a character wearing the boots would just be loud and clunky walking around but without the training/muscles etc ... they might be unable to make a special kicking attack at all.
So .. DM call - the boots could be a magic item granting a special attack - they could be mundane heavy iron boots that Redcaps have trained to use to make a special running/jumping/kicking attack - no magic involved and nothing special happens to the character when they wear the boots.
Iron Boots. While moving, the redcap has disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
...
Ironbound Pursuit. The redcap moves up to its speed to a creature it can see and kicks with its iron boots. The target must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or take 20 (3d10 + 4) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone.
I'd give them the former penalty and a watered-down version of the kick, say by adding the prone rider to an unarmed attack after a charge.
I agree. This is how I would play it.
ironbound pursuit. If you move at least 10 feet toward a creature, you can use an action to attempt to kick that creature if it is within 5 feet of you. The target must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or take 20 (3d10 + 4) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone.
Might be worth doing the following: If they use the redcaps Wicked Sickle then treat it as a Longsword for proficiency/damage etc. But for the boots, treat them as an improvised weapon, if the character isn;t proficient with improvised weapons they don;t get their prof bonus to hit and the damage is equal to a club and there is no additional effects if you hit them. If you become proficient with improvised wepaons then then when you use the boots as a weapon the damage remains as per club but gain they gain the Charger feat with them, this means the benefits of the feat replace the chance to knock osmeone prone.
I would treat it more like a combination of the updated Gore/Charge/Trample attacks some monsters have and a Cantrip, like this:
Redcap’s Iron Boots
Wondrous Item
Whenever you move while wearing these boots you have disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
As an action you can make an attack with these magic boots, you are proficient with this attack, and add your Strength modifier for the attack and damage rolls. On a hit the target takes 1d10 bludgeoning damage, and If you moved at least 10 feet straight toward the target immediately before the hit, the target must succeed on a Strength saving throw with a DC = 8 + your Strength modifier + your proficiency bonus or have the prone condition. The damage for this attack increases by 1d10 when you reach higher levels: 5th (2d10), 11th (3d10), and 17th level (4d10).
That way they aren’t too powerful at lower levels, but retain relevance into higher levels. And since the redcap’s DC 14 is calculated from 8 + Str + PB anyway, it tracks to tie it to the user’s Str too. That’s how I would do it at any rate.
There is really no reason to think the iron boots do anything at all if you aren't a redcap; the kick attack is a property of the redcap, not a property of the boots. I'd treat them as mundane iron boots. Which would probably give a bonus to kick damage but penalize mobility and stealth.
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The party had encountered a group of red caps and killed them but then raided their stuff and the goblin cleric decided to put on the boots. Could anyone help me with what should happen from that point on
I'd say that the boots are too heavy to be used by the average character. I would give them disadvantage on stealth and half their movement speed.
From the redcap stat block we have:
I'd give them the former penalty and a watered-down version of the kick, say by adding the prone rider to an unarmed attack after a charge.
I would be very careful about giving monster features to characters. If taking those boots gives the cleric a kick power, soon the whole party is going to be dismantling monsters and expecting to get powers from it. And if you "balance" it by making the powers bad, you're just making extra work on things no one will use. This is the kind of slippery slope that gets out of hand quickly.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
Meh, I think that concern is a little bit out of place. First, the dismantling seems to be a ship that's already sailed. Second, plenty of RPGs have a history of encouraging looting and salvaging parts of monsters. Why not add a little flavor here or there as long as it doesn't unbalance?
If you made the kick an action then it would probably be ok I would think. It does decent damage at low level but the dex save isn't really high and if the creature makes the save nothing happens since they dodged the kick. You could lower the DC for a creature that hasn't worn the boots for an extended length of time if the DC14 is too high. Also, keep in mind that the listed damage includes the +4 strength modifier from the Redcap. It is likely to be lower for a cleric character. Also, the need to move your speed towards a creature to use the ability will also limit its use ... so it seems relatively balanced at least for level 5+ and would probably be ok before that.
Also, in terms of looting creatures and NPCs ... characters do that all the time. There doesn't seem to me to be much difference between characters taking some boots from a Redcap, or a wand from a wizard NPC.
Finally, this interpretation is treating the boots as a magic item that grants the special attack. Nothing in the creature description actually says this. It could be that Redcaps have special training or special physiology that makes it easy to use heavy iron boots to make special kicking attacks - no magic involved. In this case, a character wearing the boots would just be loud and clunky walking around but without the training/muscles etc ... they might be unable to make a special kicking attack at all.
So .. DM call - the boots could be a magic item granting a special attack - they could be mundane heavy iron boots that Redcaps have trained to use to make a special running/jumping/kicking attack - no magic involved and nothing special happens to the character when they wear the boots.
I agree. This is how I would play it.
ironbound pursuit. If you move at least 10 feet toward a creature, you can use an action to attempt to kick that creature if it is within 5 feet of you. The target must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or take 20 (3d10 + 4) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
Might be worth doing the following: If they use the redcaps Wicked Sickle then treat it as a Longsword for proficiency/damage etc. But for the boots, treat them as an improvised weapon, if the character isn;t proficient with improvised weapons they don;t get their prof bonus to hit and the damage is equal to a club and there is no additional effects if you hit them. If you become proficient with improvised wepaons then then when you use the boots as a weapon the damage remains as per club but gain they gain the Charger feat with them, this means the benefits of the feat replace the chance to knock osmeone prone.
I would treat it more like a combination of the updated Gore/Charge/Trample attacks some monsters have and a Cantrip, like this:
That way they aren’t too powerful at lower levels, but retain relevance into higher levels. And since the redcap’s DC 14 is calculated from 8 + Str + PB anyway, it tracks to tie it to the user’s Str too. That’s how I would do it at any rate.
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There is really no reason to think the iron boots do anything at all if you aren't a redcap; the kick attack is a property of the redcap, not a property of the boots. I'd treat them as mundane iron boots. Which would probably give a bonus to kick damage but penalize mobility and stealth.