One of my favourite optional rules from the 2014 Dungeon Master's Guide was the Climb onto a Bigger Creature rules. The long of short of it is a creature can climb onto a suitably larger target by making a "reversed" grapple (athletics or acrobatics vs targets athletics rather than athletics vs targets athletics or acrobatics). On a success, the creature can climb over the target. The target can attempt to shake off the creature by making a "typical" grapple check—targets athletics vs climbing creatures athletics/acrobatics.
I want to update this rule to the 2024 grapple rules. For the uninitiated, grappling in 2024 is a replacement effect for damage on an unarmed strike. On hitting a creature with an unarmed strike, the creature can force the target to make their choice of a strength or dexterity saving throw vs a DC of 8 + grapplers proficiency bonus + grapplers strength modifier.
Here's my idea for the 2024 of "Climb onto a Bigger Creature"
The creature makes an unarmed strike in the same way as 2024 grappling
The target makes a dexterity saving throw (no dexterity option) — parity with the 2014 version only allowing an acrobatics check
The saving throw is made vs a DC of 8 + climbers proficiency bonus + climbers strength or dexterity modifier — parity with the 2014 version allowing the smaller creature to make an athletics or acrobatics check
To shake a creature off, the target makes a strength saving throw — parity with the larger creature being able to only an athletics check
The save is made vs a DC of 8 + grapplers proficiency bonus + grapplers strength or dexterity modifier — parity with the 2014 version allowing the smaller creature to make an athletics or acrobatics check to stay on
I like the idea and your conversion of it seems pretty solid.
I wonder if there should be some limit to the number of creatures that can do this to the same target at the same time, maybe based on how many steps of size difference they have? The old version didn't have anything like this, but like...it seems perfectly reasonable to have five medium PCs all jumping onto a Dragon Turtle at the same time, but the same five PCs doing that to a horse stretches believability a bit.
I wonder if there should be some limit to the number of creatures that can do this to the same target at the same time, maybe based on how many steps of size difference they have? The old version didn't have anything like this...
A valid suggestion, but I'm not really looking to modify the existing rule beyond making it work within the 2024 framework. I used the rule often and honestly it only came up for gargantuan creatures and even then only one or two characters would attempt it.
but the same five PCs doing that to a horse stretches believability a bit.
It might be just how I read the original rule, but it seems to apply only to creatures the character can't grapple. So a medium character would only be able to climb onto huge and gargantuan creatures.
One of my favourite optional rules from the 2014 Dungeon Master's Guide was the Climb onto a Bigger Creature rules. The long of short of it is a creature can climb onto a suitably larger target by making a "reversed" grapple (athletics or acrobatics vs targets athletics rather than athletics vs targets athletics or acrobatics). On a success, the creature can climb over the target. The target can attempt to shake off the creature by making a "typical" grapple check—targets athletics vs climbing creatures athletics/acrobatics.
I want to update this rule to the 2024 grapple rules. For the uninitiated, grappling in 2024 is a replacement effect for damage on an unarmed strike. On hitting a creature with an unarmed strike, the creature can force the target to make their choice of a strength or dexterity saving throw vs a DC of 8 + grapplers proficiency bonus + grapplers strength modifier.
Here's my idea for the 2024 of "Climb onto a Bigger Creature"
Find my D&D Beyond articles here
I like the idea and your conversion of it seems pretty solid.
I wonder if there should be some limit to the number of creatures that can do this to the same target at the same time, maybe based on how many steps of size difference they have? The old version didn't have anything like this, but like...it seems perfectly reasonable to have five medium PCs all jumping onto a Dragon Turtle at the same time, but the same five PCs doing that to a horse stretches believability a bit.
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A valid suggestion, but I'm not really looking to modify the existing rule beyond making it work within the 2024 framework. I used the rule often and honestly it only came up for gargantuan creatures and even then only one or two characters would attempt it.
It might be just how I read the original rule, but it seems to apply only to creatures the character can't grapple. So a medium character would only be able to climb onto huge and gargantuan creatures.
Find my D&D Beyond articles here