New DM here! I have been running a ToA campaign now for over a year for a group of friends. They are coming close to the end, if they survive.., of the adventure, and as I read ahead, I have a question about one encounter they could come across.
Stone Juggernaut in 62D of the adventure. I think its obvious or makes sense they the intent of the Juggernaut is to smash characters and roll them over, but the descriptions do not make it clear about how it accomplishes this. The creature stats appear that it only gets one attack a round, possibly knocking a character prone so that it can roll over it with its devastating roll. The problem i have with this is, if two characters and side by side, and the juggernaut fills the room width and height, it can roll through a prone character, but with one slam attack a round, how would it ever get through them.
Reading the description of the area, it has everyone roll initiative, and it states that the juggernaut attacks everyone standing in its way. It feels like a cross between a trap wish specific mechanics, and a monster encounter and I was wondering how others ran this encounter.
My gut tells me to run it in such a way that the Juggernaut can take its full movement, allowing a slam attack against anyone in its path. If they fail the save, they get crushing damage, if they pass , they get shoved down the hall in front of it or they somehow squeeze by and end up behind the juggernaut. Maybe a possible athletic skill check or something.
I am just trying to be fair to the group, but at the same time make them feel the real threat of this rolling machine of squishy death! Any advice would be appreciated.
It’s a trap. The initiative and attack are to create an orderly mechanic about how it does stuff. Your gut feel on how to deal with the situation is correct.
New DM here! I have been running a ToA campaign now for over a year for a group of friends. They are coming close to the end, if they survive.., of the adventure, and as I read ahead, I have a question about one encounter they could come across.
Stone Juggernaut in 62D of the adventure. I think its obvious or makes sense they the intent of the Juggernaut is to smash characters and roll them over, but the descriptions do not make it clear about how it accomplishes this. The creature stats appear that it only gets one attack a round, possibly knocking a character prone so that it can roll over it with its devastating roll. The problem i have with this is, if two characters and side by side, and the juggernaut fills the room width and height, it can roll through a prone character, but with one slam attack a round, how would it ever get through them.
Reading the description of the area, it has everyone roll initiative, and it states that the juggernaut attacks everyone standing in its way. It feels like a cross between a trap wish specific mechanics, and a monster encounter and I was wondering how others ran this encounter.
My gut tells me to run it in such a way that the Juggernaut can take its full movement, allowing a slam attack against anyone in its path. If they fail the save, they get crushing damage, if they pass , they get shoved down the hall in front of it or they somehow squeeze by and end up behind the juggernaut. Maybe a possible athletic skill check or something.
I am just trying to be fair to the group, but at the same time make them feel the real threat of this rolling machine of squishy death! Any advice would be appreciated.
It’s a trap. The initiative and attack are to create an orderly mechanic about how it does stuff. Your gut feel on how to deal with the situation is correct.
Thanks for the response and confirmation on how i felt it should be handled. Appreciate it!