D&D 5E Bigger monsters do more damage

[dave2008]

How would you write this?

I do it like this:

Stomp. Melee Weapon Attack: +19 to hit, reach 75 ft., one Gargantuan or smaller target or prone or incapacitated target with the colossal trait. Hit: 307 (35d8 + 150) bludgeoning damage and fall prone. Until Godzilla uses its Stomp again or moves, the target is restrained. While restrained in this way, the creature (or another creature within 5 feet of it) can use its action to make a DC 27 Strength check. On a success, the creature relocates to an unoccupied space of its choice within 5 feet of Godzilla and is no longer restrained. Each creature within a 30-foot radius of the target must make a DC 27 Dexterity saving throw or take the same damage, knocked prone, and restrained as the target.

 

[dave2008]

Pretty sure there are some Level Up A5E monsters that do something in this vein- I need to take a look. But I do think that a tail swipe affecting a 10ft cube or all creatures within the tail reach within some range of one-another... But I can't say that would reduce the number of attack types in a statblock without changing how those statblocks are presented.

You'd have to say "tail does XY damage," and then present a few different methods for how it could be applied (single target multi-attack, area, whatever). That'd be a bit of a change to a 5e monster statblock.

Yep, I do tail sweeps as cone of damage, but same idea

 

[Blue]

The CR could increase yes. That is not issue. It is conceptually what it means to be bigger. Bigger stronger things do more damage when they hit. I know this doesn't 100% jive with the abstract nature of D&D combat and damage. Also, I am not talking about DPR, but simply attack damage. You could, in theory adjust the DPR to stay in the original CR range. See the revised red dragon I just posted in this thread.

There is no link between size and damage, only CR. If you want a creature to do more damage because it's "bigger", you increase the CR and the damage increases.

In other words, all you are saying is "make larger creatures have a higher CR to justify more damage" - there can not be a link between damage and size that bypasses CR.

 

[Distracted DM]

Yep, I do tail sweeps as cone of damage, but same idea

Do you make a single roll to hit, a roll vs each affected, or a dex save?

 

[Stormonu]

I like that idea! Doesn't really help the bite though

Actually, it does - you could have the dragon do a "bite and fling" (dragon chooses to grapple or toss the opponent some distance).

 

[Distracted DM]

If you want a creature to do more damage because it's "bigger", you increase the CR and the damage increases.

I'm unfamiliar with the monster-building rules, Is there a formula somewhere that increases damage based on CR?

 

[Stormonu]

I'm unfamiliar with the monster-building rules, Is there a formula somewhere that increases damage based on CR?

It's actually the reverse. DPR is one of the factors used to determine CR. The more damage a creature does, generally the higher the CR.

 

[dave2008]

Actually, it does - you could have the dragon do a "bite and fling" (dragon chooses to grapple or toss the opponent some distance).

Yes you could, but not the raw crunching damage I am looking for!

 

[dave2008]

I'm unfamiliar with the monster-building rules, Is there a formula somewhere that increases damage based on CR?

There is a whole section in the DMG about design monsters. DPR is a big part of calculating the CR.

 

[dave2008]

Do you make a single roll to hit, a roll vs each affected, or a dex save?

I have done it both ways. Here is one from a black dragon I made:

Tail Sweep (Costs 3 Actions). The dragon makes a tail attack on each creature within a 30-foot cone and it can then take the hide action if it is in a swamp or darkness. On a hit, the target is also knocked prone.