Hey. To me a snake with poison seems very hard monster. For example Giant Poisonous Snake has bite "Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one."
Is there some reason why poison is so powerful on at least low levels?
It is just the way it is. It has 11 HP and can do an average of around 12 damage per turn. That can down a few characters in 1 shot. And with that many dice, a crit can instakill. But if 2 players target it, it can be killed before getting the chance.
Level 1 and 2 is basically full of encounters where either side can be killed instantly.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage.
Giant Poisonous Snake
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
Armor Class 14
Hit Points 11 (2d8 + 2)
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Based on my experience Giant Lizard is much weaker than Giant Poisonous Snake. In general I think monsters with more health and less damage are more "reliable" because damage is much more steady. With less than 4 characters monsters with high damage become even more dangerous.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage.
Defensive CR 1/8. Offensive CR 1/2. CR 1/4.
Giant Poisonous Snake
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
Armor Class 14
Hit Points 11 (2d8 + 2)
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Defensive CR 1/8. Offensive CR 2 or 3. CR 1/2 or 1.
Based on my experience Giant Lizard is much weaker than Giant Poisonous Snake.
Based on the DMG's CR calculations, too.
In general I think monsters with more health and less damage are more "reliable" because damage is much more steady. With less than 4 characters monsters with high damage become even more dangerous.
Poison (which should be "venom") is a powerful thing in real life so why would it not be in D&D? There are many snakes, spiders and more that are commonplace but have extremely powerful venom that can easily kill people (people would be dying a lot more from venomous bites and stings if we didn't have antivenin).
But as has been said: they can kill in a bite/sting, but the saving throw DC is low (even at level 1, you should be saving successfully about half the time or more) and the creature is very easy to kill for a party. So, ultimately, the deadliness is more dependent on the circumstances of the encounter as presented by DM than by the creature itself.
Funny, I think poison is weak. I am used to 1e where poison was a "save or die" effect. Just taking damage, especially with death saves, is not nearly as scary as potential instant death.
AC 14 and 11 hit points gives a reasonable chance of being able to kill it before it bites if the party gets initiative on it.
We did just have a character die from poisonous snake bite though. No critical, but he got bitten by two of them and failed one poison save. He was only first level. First encounter.
Hey. To me a snake with poison seems very hard monster. For example Giant Poisonous Snake has bite "Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one."
Is there some reason why poison is so powerful on at least low levels?
My current projects, One click download PDFs:
- Clam Island campaign questbook: https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/By3s5Uqqf (Levels 1-4)
- Frostglade Tundra campaign questbook: https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/SyZ_4eEyKE (Levels 1-4)
- Goldfish Archipelago campaign questbook: https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/-3HajWXM (Sequel to Clam Island, Levels 5-8)
It is just the way it is. It has 11 HP and can do an average of around 12 damage per turn. That can down a few characters in 1 shot. And with that many dice, a crit can instakill. But if 2 players target it, it can be killed before getting the chance.
Level 1 and 2 is basically full of encounters where either side can be killed instantly.
Comparison:
Giant Lizard
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
Armor Class 12 (natural armor)
Hit Points 19 (3d10 + 3)
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage.
Giant Poisonous Snake
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
Armor Class 14
Hit Points 11 (2d8 + 2)
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Based on my experience Giant Lizard is much weaker than Giant Poisonous Snake. In general I think monsters with more health and less damage are more "reliable" because damage is much more steady. With less than 4 characters monsters with high damage become even more dangerous.
My current projects, One click download PDFs:
- Clam Island campaign questbook: https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/By3s5Uqqf (Levels 1-4)
- Frostglade Tundra campaign questbook: https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/SyZ_4eEyKE (Levels 1-4)
- Goldfish Archipelago campaign questbook: https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/-3HajWXM (Sequel to Clam Island, Levels 5-8)
Defensive CR 1/8. Offensive CR 1/2. CR 1/4.
Defensive CR 1/8. Offensive CR 2 or 3. CR 1/2 or 1.
Based on the DMG's CR calculations, too.
I agree.
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Poison (which should be "venom") is a powerful thing in real life so why would it not be in D&D? There are many snakes, spiders and more that are commonplace but have extremely powerful venom that can easily kill people (people would be dying a lot more from venomous bites and stings if we didn't have antivenin).
But as has been said: they can kill in a bite/sting, but the saving throw DC is low (even at level 1, you should be saving successfully about half the time or more) and the creature is very easy to kill for a party. So, ultimately, the deadliness is more dependent on the circumstances of the encounter as presented by DM than by the creature itself.
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Funny, I think poison is weak. I am used to 1e where poison was a "save or die" effect. Just taking damage, especially with death saves, is not nearly as scary as potential instant death.
AC 14 and 11 hit points gives a reasonable chance of being able to kill it before it bites if the party gets initiative on it.
If anyone else was wondering how offensive / defensive CR is calculated check this page: https://*******.com/crcalculator.html#0,13,1,3,false,Medium,1,10,false,0,false,0,
My current projects, One click download PDFs:
- Clam Island campaign questbook: https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/By3s5Uqqf (Levels 1-4)
- Frostglade Tundra campaign questbook: https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/SyZ_4eEyKE (Levels 1-4)
- Goldfish Archipelago campaign questbook: https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/-3HajWXM (Sequel to Clam Island, Levels 5-8)
We did just have a character die from poisonous snake bite though. No critical, but he got bitten by two of them and failed one poison save. He was only first level. First encounter.
Sometimes official monsters don't follow the recommended CR of the DMG. Looks like a giant poisonous snake should have a CR of 1 according to DMG.