How many attack variations are allowed for an enemy? Ex. a ghoul has slash and bite. Is the dm supposed to have the ghoul slash and bite each turn or pick only one attack type? Thanks.
A ghoul can use their claws or bite. It's up to the DM to choose which. A bite does more, but claws can potentially paralyse. Choosing which might depend on how hungry the ghoul is...
How many attack variations are allowed for an enemy? Ex. a ghoul has slash and bite. Is the dm supposed to have the ghoul slash and bite each turn or pick only one attack type? Thanks.
A creature picks one of its available actions. Some creatures have multiattack, but a ghoul does not, so it can only do one or the other (I gave ghouls multiattack in my game, because baseline ghoul is kinda wimpy for CR 1, but that was definitely a house rule).
Unless stated otherwise, NPCs will use one action or another, not both (e.g Mummy's "Multiattack. The mummy can use its Dreadful Glare and makes one attack with its rotting fist." or the Mummy Lord's Legendary Action which grants it an extra attack, "Attack. The mummy lord makes one attack with its rotting fist or uses its Dreadful Glare.").
Zero is the most important number in D&D: Session Zero sets the boundaries and the tone; Rule Zero dictates the Dungeon Master (DM) is the final arbiter; and Zero D&D is better than Bad D&D.
"Let us speak plainly now, and in earnest, for words mean little without the weight of conviction."
That being said, if you need to spice up the ghoul, go ahead and have it bite and use its claw every turn. The Dm is encouraged to change up the rules to suit the situation. Just be consistent within the encounter, so the players understand what to expect.
@TexasDevin I would use slash and bite but these players are level 1's. One of them already took a slash hit and nearly died. I realize now it's a matter of the player's game experience and level. If I think bite and slash is too much I can adjust.
Ghouls have roughly typical hp and damage for CR 1/2. I really don't think a DC 10 paralysis on hit is sufficient to push the CR up to 1. However, this doesn't mean that CR 1/2 creatures aren't a potential threat to level 1 PCs.
The player had shield spell up but the ghoul rolled high enough to break through it. Since they're new to the game they're not skilled with combat yet. They need to understand speed, positioning and ranged attacks more.
@TexasDevin I would use slash and bite but these players are level 1's. One of them already took a slash hit and nearly died. I realize now it's a matter of the player's game experience and level. If I think bite and slash is too much I can adjust.
Oh god a level 1 party... yeah ghouls are no joke. You definitely don't need to be doubling up claw and bites. When I was playing in a low level party and our tank got paralyzed by a ghoul, my wizard had to levitate him out of the ghoul's reach until he made his save.
@TexasDevin I would use slash and bite but these players are level 1's. One of them already took a slash hit and nearly died. I realize now it's a matter of the player's game experience and level. If I think bite and slash is too much I can adjust.
Oh god a level 1 party... yeah ghouls are no joke. You definitely don't need to be doubling up claw and bites. When I was playing in a low level party and our tank got paralyzed by a ghoul, my wizard had to levitate him out of the ghoul's reach until he made his save.
Just FYI to OP ... using the D&D Beyond encounter generator ... one ghoul is supposed to be an easy encounter for five level 1 characters. However, two ghouls is considered deadly. :)
The difficult part to balance, especially at level one, is the paralyze effect. A paralyzed target gives the attacker advantage and makes every hit within 5' a critical hit. It is a very nasty condition to inflict at first level since there is a decent possibility that the paralyzed target could be instantly killed by damage.
Level 1 characters are very fragile.
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How many attack variations are allowed for an enemy? Ex. a ghoul has slash and bite. Is the dm supposed to have the ghoul slash and bite each turn or pick only one attack type? Thanks.
A ghoul can use their claws or bite. It's up to the DM to choose which. A bite does more, but claws can potentially paralyse. Choosing which might depend on how hungry the ghoul is...
A creature picks one of its available actions. Some creatures have multiattack, but a ghoul does not, so it can only do one or the other (I gave ghouls multiattack in my game, because baseline ghoul is kinda wimpy for CR 1, but that was definitely a house rule).
Monsters use the same Action Economy as PCs, they get 1 Action per turn.
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Thanks for clearing that up.
Unless stated otherwise, NPCs will use one action or another, not both (e.g Mummy's "Multiattack. The mummy can use its Dreadful Glare and makes one attack with its rotting fist." or the Mummy Lord's Legendary Action which grants it an extra attack, "Attack. The mummy lord makes one attack with its rotting fist or uses its Dreadful Glare.").
Zero is the most important number in D&D: Session Zero sets the boundaries and the tone; Rule Zero dictates the Dungeon Master (DM) is the final arbiter; and Zero D&D is better than Bad D&D.
"Let us speak plainly now, and in earnest, for words mean little without the weight of conviction."
- The Assemblage of Houses, World of Warcraft
That being said, if you need to spice up the ghoul, go ahead and have it bite and use its claw every turn. The Dm is encouraged to change up the rules to suit the situation. Just be consistent within the encounter, so the players understand what to expect.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
@TexasDevin I would use slash and bite but these players are level 1's. One of them already took a slash hit and nearly died. I realize now it's a matter of the player's game experience and level. If I think bite and slash is too much I can adjust.
Ghouls have roughly typical hp and damage for CR 1/2. I really don't think a DC 10 paralysis on hit is sufficient to push the CR up to 1. However, this doesn't mean that CR 1/2 creatures aren't a potential threat to level 1 PCs.
The player had shield spell up but the ghoul rolled high enough to break through it. Since they're new to the game they're not skilled with combat yet. They need to understand speed, positioning and ranged attacks more.
Oh god a level 1 party... yeah ghouls are no joke. You definitely don't need to be doubling up claw and bites. When I was playing in a low level party and our tank got paralyzed by a ghoul, my wizard had to levitate him out of the ghoul's reach until he made his save.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
Just FYI to OP ... using the D&D Beyond encounter generator ... one ghoul is supposed to be an easy encounter for five level 1 characters. However, two ghouls is considered deadly. :)
The difficult part to balance, especially at level one, is the paralyze effect. A paralyzed target gives the attacker advantage and makes every hit within 5' a critical hit. It is a very nasty condition to inflict at first level since there is a decent possibility that the paralyzed target could be instantly killed by damage.
Level 1 characters are very fragile.