I know it will be a lot of problems for the dm to balance things out but the idea of a bunch of humanoid races with spells, magical weapons and armors taking down creatures or literal demigods above CR 40+ was quite unbelievable. So here is my homebrew plan, what if the PCs themselves started as CR 20 gargantuan monsters (that has been balanced out the dm) go on an adventure together and in this case with the perspective of building sized monster.
I already thought about two simple plots, it's either the party of monsters saving the world and prove themselves that they are not evil or just straight up being an evil party of world breaking titans that seeks out more powerful monsters to prove that they are the strongest.
Therefore bumping up the range of CR from the average DnD campaign of CR 1/2 through 20+, to CR 5 through 50+. Instead of goblins, kobolds or skeletons as cannon fodders, the party would encounter groups of hill giants, chimeras or even tyrannosaurus rexes. The main problem is the combat, it is very slow, like, i have play tested it twice and after 10 rounds of the CR 20 monster party of 5 against 5 ancient dragons, both the party and dragons still got like 50% hp left. I homebrewed the monsters to make the normal lv. 20 adventurer party of 5 to struggle and still searching on how to push a party of CR 20 monsters to the brink.
Instead of class feature, they used race feature, here is the gargantuan monster level up chart:
Hit Points Hit Points at 1st Level: base monster Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d12 or 1d20 (depends on the monster) + Constitution modifier per monster level after 1st
Level 1st - Base Monster Stats
2nd - (Monster Race Feature)
3rd - Base hit points increased by 30
4th - Armor Class increased by 1
5th - (Monster Race Feature)
6th - (Monster Race Feature)
7th - Movement speed increased by 5 ft.
8th - (Monster Race Feature)
9th - (Monster Race Feature)
10th - Armor Class increased by 1
11th - Base hit points increased by 30
12th - (Monster Race Feature)
13th - (Monster Race Feature)
14th - (Monster Race Feature)
15th - Movement speed increased by 5 ft.
16th - Armor Class increased by 1
17th - (Monster Race Feature)
18th - (Monster Race Feature)
19th - (Monster Race Feature)
20th - Armor Class increased by 2, base hit points increased by 60, unlocked Legendary Action
And for an example, i have this homebrew battle mech that goes:
LanguagesAll can understand any language if given enough time to study it, from a few hours to days depending on the difficulty, Common
Challenge22 (41,000 XP)
Proficiency Bonus+7
Adaptive Alloy. If the mech drops below 100 hit points, it permanently gains 4 (1d6 + 1) bonus AC and reduces incoming magic damage by 11 (2d8 + 3) until it dies.
Immutable Form. The mech is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form.
Lightning Absorption. Whenever the mech is subjected to lightning damage, it takes no damage and instead regains a number of hit points equal to the damage dealt.
Magic Resistance. The mech has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Magic Weapons. The mech's weapon attacks are magical.
Actions
Punch. Melee Weapon Attack:+16 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 34 (5d8 + 13) bludgeoning damage.
Elbow Rocket (3/Long Rest). Melee Weapon Attack:+16 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 24 (3d10 + 10) bludgeoning damage. The target must make a DC 21 strength saving throw or be knocked back 20 ft. away, taking extra 12 (2d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage when hit a wall or hard object. When hit another creature, both takes damage and be knocked back with the main target. On a successful save, is not knocked back.
Focus Fire. Ranged Weapon Attack:+16 to hit, range 40/160 ft., one target. Hit: 30 (10d6) piercing damage.
Bonus Actions
Lil Turret (5/Long Rest). The mech drops a turret anywhere on the battlefield. The turret have 50 hit points and 20 AC. Size medium.
Turret Attack. The mech order all of its turret to attack a target within each turret's range. Ranged Weapon Attack:+16 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (4d8) piercing damage.
Reactions
Real Steel. The mech can use its reaction to add 4 AC against an opportunity attack that would hit it.
And the race feature that goes:
Voltax, the Battle Mech
2nd - Action: Missile Launch (2/Long Rest). The mech launches four missiles into the sky and it will hover in the air for the next 4 turns.
2nd - Bonus Action: Missile Strike. The mech called one missile hovering in the air to strike a creature that the mech chooses. Creature must make DC 21 Dexterity saving throw, taking 25 (6d8) force damage and is knocked prone on a failed save. On a successful one, take half as much damage and is not prone.
5th - Focus Fire damage increased by 2d6
6th - Punch base damage increased by 10
8th - Missile Strike's missile damage increased by 2d8
9th - Lil Turret's turret hit points increased by 30
12th - Elbow Rocket can be used 5/Long Rest
13th - Lil Turret's attack range increased from 30/120 to 40/160 ft.
14th - Focus Fire damage increased by 4d6
17th - Lil Turret's turret damage increased by 3d8
18th - Elbow Rocket knockback increased by 10 ft.
19th - Missile Strike's missile damage increased by 4d8
20th - Legendary Action:
Im still struggling on how to insert feats or subclass and also monster jobs (pretty much a simplified class) like Wrecker who specialized destroying the terrain or constructs and Defender who could possibly negate damage to 0. Ok so what do yall think? should i add some gargantuan feats? or this is too much stuff to do?
A much simpler way to do this would be to use normal rules for the characters starting at a low level, and nurf everything else to largely descriptive effects and smaller stat blocks. Hill giants would have commoner stats for example. Lots of effects the enemies have become completely cosmetic. It allows you to get right to kaiju hi-jinks.
Ok so hear me out,
I know it will be a lot of problems for the dm to balance things out but the idea of a bunch of humanoid races with spells, magical weapons and armors taking down creatures or literal demigods above CR 40+ was quite unbelievable. So here is my homebrew plan, what if the PCs themselves started as CR 20 gargantuan monsters (that has been balanced out the dm) go on an adventure together and in this case with the perspective of building sized monster.
I already thought about two simple plots, it's either the party of monsters saving the world and prove themselves that they are not evil or just straight up being an evil party of world breaking titans that seeks out more powerful monsters to prove that they are the strongest.
Therefore bumping up the range of CR from the average DnD campaign of CR 1/2 through 20+, to CR 5 through 50+. Instead of goblins, kobolds or skeletons as cannon fodders, the party would encounter groups of hill giants, chimeras or even tyrannosaurus rexes. The main problem is the combat, it is very slow, like, i have play tested it twice and after 10 rounds of the CR 20 monster party of 5 against 5 ancient dragons, both the party and dragons still got like 50% hp left. I homebrewed the monsters to make the normal lv. 20 adventurer party of 5 to struggle and still searching on how to push a party of CR 20 monsters to the brink.
Instead of class feature, they used race feature, here is the gargantuan monster level up chart:
Hit Points
Hit Points at 1st Level: base monster
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d12 or 1d20 (depends on the monster) + Constitution modifier per monster level after 1st
Level
1st - Base Monster Stats
2nd - (Monster Race Feature)
3rd - Base hit points increased by 30
4th - Armor Class increased by 1
5th - (Monster Race Feature)
6th - (Monster Race Feature)
7th - Movement speed increased by 5 ft.
8th - (Monster Race Feature)
9th - (Monster Race Feature)
10th - Armor Class increased by 1
11th - Base hit points increased by 30
12th - (Monster Race Feature)
13th - (Monster Race Feature)
14th - (Monster Race Feature)
15th - Movement speed increased by 5 ft.
16th - Armor Class increased by 1
17th - (Monster Race Feature)
18th - (Monster Race Feature)
19th - (Monster Race Feature)
20th - Armor Class increased by 2, base hit points increased by 60, unlocked Legendary Action
And for an example, i have this homebrew battle mech that goes:
Adaptive Alloy. If the mech drops below 100 hit points, it permanently gains 4 (1d6 + 1) bonus AC and reduces incoming magic damage by 11 (2d8 + 3) until it dies.
Immutable Form. The mech is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form.
Lightning Absorption. Whenever the mech is subjected to lightning damage, it takes no damage and instead regains a number of hit points equal to the damage dealt.
Magic Resistance. The mech has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Magic Weapons. The mech's weapon attacks are magical.
Punch. Melee Weapon Attack: +16 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 34 (5d8 + 13) bludgeoning damage.
Elbow Rocket (3/Long Rest). Melee Weapon Attack: +16 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 24 (3d10 + 10) bludgeoning damage. The target must make a DC 21 strength saving throw or be knocked back 20 ft. away, taking extra 12 (2d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage when hit a wall or hard object. When hit another creature, both takes damage and be knocked back with the main target. On a successful save, is not knocked back.
Focus Fire. Ranged Weapon Attack: +16 to hit, range 40/160 ft., one target. Hit: 30 (10d6) piercing damage.
Lil Turret (5/Long Rest). The mech drops a turret anywhere on the battlefield. The turret have 50 hit points and 20 AC. Size medium.
Turret Attack. The mech order all of its turret to attack a target within each turret's range. Ranged Weapon Attack: +16 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (4d8) piercing damage.
Real Steel. The mech can use its reaction to add 4 AC against an opportunity attack that would hit it.
And the race feature that goes:
Voltax, the Battle Mech
2nd - Action: Missile Launch (2/Long Rest). The mech launches four missiles into the sky and it will hover in the air for the next 4 turns.
2nd - Bonus Action: Missile Strike. The mech called one missile hovering in the air to strike a creature that the mech chooses. Creature must make DC 21 Dexterity saving throw, taking 25 (6d8) force damage and is knocked prone on a failed save. On a successful one, take half as much damage and is not prone.
5th - Focus Fire damage increased by 2d6
6th - Punch base damage increased by 10
8th - Missile Strike's missile damage increased by 2d8
9th - Lil Turret's turret hit points increased by 30
12th - Elbow Rocket can be used 5/Long Rest
13th - Lil Turret's attack range increased from 30/120 to 40/160 ft.
14th - Focus Fire damage increased by 4d6
17th - Lil Turret's turret damage increased by 3d8
18th - Elbow Rocket knockback increased by 10 ft.
19th - Missile Strike's missile damage increased by 4d8
20th - Legendary Action:
Im still struggling on how to insert feats or subclass and also monster jobs (pretty much a simplified class) like Wrecker who specialized destroying the terrain or constructs and Defender who could possibly negate damage to 0. Ok so what do yall think? should i add some gargantuan feats? or this is too much stuff to do?
A much simpler way to do this would be to use normal rules for the characters starting at a low level, and nurf everything else to largely descriptive effects and smaller stat blocks. Hill giants would have commoner stats for example. Lots of effects the enemies have become completely cosmetic. It allows you to get right to kaiju hi-jinks.