Benefits of a Tail [Archive] - Wizards Community

Benefits of a Tail [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
BelRex
06-30-05, 10:07 PM I was wondering if there are any other benefits of having a tail other than perhaps (+4 to Jump, Swim, and Balance), on a bipedal creature. At what size would you allow a tail attack, large like dragons or medium like some animals?
CzarGarrett
07-01-05, 09:22 AM If its like a monkey and a prehensile tail, it could be used to grab things, maybe adding a bonus to sleight of hand (who watches the tail?). Perhaps even a third attack with a light weapon.

If the tail was thick and muscular enough, yes, I'd allow a tail attack at large size and up. Medium size, I don't think I'd go for an attack.
howlingwolf
07-01-05, 04:56 PM Heck, open a whole new can of worms and get specific.

As a rule of thumb, I'd say a bonus to balance only, as that's what a good 80% of animals use a tail for. But that's just my two pennies.

Anyway. Could get nice and ridiculous, and have people needing suitable tails for other bonuses. Eg. Someone with a beaver / shark / dolphin tail if they want a +4 to that swim check. :D

Perhaps a springy tigger tail if they want a bonus to their jump. *Insert Milne reference here* :)

As for attacks, definitely gotta agree with Czar. The average homicidal dungeon dweller isn't going to worry about being paffed with a fluffy tail, but surely won't be happy if smacked with what amounted to a tree-trunk with some fur on. :D

All in all, depends what sort of mood your campaign has, and what tail it is!
Rakasha#5
07-02-05, 01:04 PM In a OA i'm playing a nezumi and my dm says maybe bonus on trip and disarm.
sparticus_eleisum
07-02-05, 01:14 PM ->Can get caught by traps or mechanism. just like cloaks, but you can not cut the tail:(
->Any enemy is tempted to grab, bite or cut it.
->If it is severed you get a nice -4 to balance for a long time
:/

Also a question,
A lizardfolk or troglodyte tail, regenerates after severed?
Rotipher
07-02-05, 01:28 PM For most creatures with tails (e.g. lizardfolk, kobolds), any benefits of having one is already incorporated into their Dex modifiers for race. Only if a tail has an attack of its own -- it's prehensile, club-tipped, ends in a poisonous sting, etc -- should it impose additional changes to a creature's capabilities; in most cases, it just affects the racial Dexterity score (and movement rates, for races like sahuagin that swim using their tails).

If a tail *does* have special abilities, those are defined in the creature's racial description. A kind DM might allow a tailed PC to develop additional uses for that appendage (e.g. a lizardfolk PC might learn to use a tail-slap in combat), but that should require expending a feat, if it's not already a part of the creature's baseline racial description.

Loss of a tail in reptilian races isn't likely to trigger regeneration of the tail. Only a few lizard-species "drop" their tails, and the MM reptilians don't look like them; besides, they have intelligence and weapons, so hardly need to use tail-loss as a defense against predators.
GodSlayer
07-02-05, 03:43 PM Loss of a tail in reptilian races isn't likely to trigger regeneration of the tail. Only a few lizard-species "drop" their tails, and the MM reptilians don't look like them; besides, they have intelligence and weapons, so hardly need to use tail-loss as a defense against predators.

Hmm. I don't know I'd almost be tempted to give Lizardfolk and Trogs tails that do grow back. It just wouldn't be very rapidly i'd make it take months. Maybe 1d2+3 Months. That way it takes 4-5 months for the tail to grow back. After all even an adult Igunana can regrow its tail. Not common but can happen as long as the Igunana is Healthy. So maybe a Fort Save once a month until the tail grows back DC:15+1 per month with out the tail? Maybe each check shows the growth of the tail for that month.
BelRex
07-02-05, 05:49 PM The main reason I asked this the other day is an odd thought came up during a discussion on another thread. Having a large human with the half dragon template. I was considering adding a tail along with it's wings. Bringing the total LA for the creature to a +5 or something.

Large Half Dragon(Augmented humanoid)
Was going to give the bonuses listed at the first of the thread, plus a tail attack dealing damage for a large creature(1d8). I was going to use the base human, modified exactly by the medium->large chart +8 str, -2 dex, +4 con, +2 NA, -1 to ac/attack, -4 hide, also increase land speed by 10 feet, then add the half dragon template. Totals like this: +16 STR, -2 DEX, +6 CON, +2 INT, +2 CHA, +6 NA, Speed 40, Fly 80(Average). Think the +5 is good enough? +3 for the half dragon, +1 for 10ft reach, and an additional +1 for unbalanced ability scores.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
BelRex 06-30-05, 10:07 PM	I was wondering if there are any other benefits of having a tail other than perhaps (+4 to Jump, Swim, and Balance), on a bipedal creature. At what size would you allow a tail attack, large like dragons or medium like some animals?
CzarGarrett 07-01-05, 09:22 AM	If its like a monkey and a prehensile tail, it could be used to grab things, maybe adding a bonus to sleight of hand (who watches the tail?). Perhaps even a third attack with a light weapon. If the tail was thick and muscular enough, yes, I'd allow a tail attack at large size and up. Medium size, I don't think I'd go for an attack.
howlingwolf 07-01-05, 04:56 PM	Heck, open a whole new can of worms and get specific. As a rule of thumb, I'd say a bonus to balance only, as that's what a good 80% of animals use a tail for. But that's just my two pennies. Anyway. Could get nice and ridiculous, and have people needing suitable tails for other bonuses. Eg. Someone with a beaver / shark / dolphin tail if they want a +4 to that swim check. :D Perhaps a springy tigger tail if they want a bonus to their jump. Insert Milne reference here :) As for attacks, definitely gotta agree with Czar. The average homicidal dungeon dweller isn't going to worry about being paffed with a fluffy tail, but surely won't be happy if smacked with what amounted to a tree-trunk with some fur on. :D All in all, depends what sort of mood your campaign has, and what tail it is!
Rakasha#5 07-02-05, 01:04 PM	In a OA i'm playing a nezumi and my dm says maybe bonus on trip and disarm.
sparticus_eleisum 07-02-05, 01:14 PM	->Can get caught by traps or mechanism. just like cloaks, but you can not cut the tail:( ->Any enemy is tempted to grab, bite or cut it. ->If it is severed you get a nice -4 to balance for a long time :/ Also a question, A lizardfolk or troglodyte tail, regenerates after severed?
Rotipher 07-02-05, 01:28 PM	For most creatures with tails (e.g. lizardfolk, kobolds), any benefits of having one is already incorporated into their Dex modifiers for race. Only if a tail has an attack of its own -- it's prehensile, club-tipped, ends in a poisonous sting, etc -- should it impose additional changes to a creature's capabilities; in most cases, it just affects the racial Dexterity score (and movement rates, for races like sahuagin that swim using their tails). If a tail does have special abilities, those are defined in the creature's racial description. A kind DM might allow a tailed PC to develop additional uses for that appendage (e.g. a lizardfolk PC might learn to use a tail-slap in combat), but that should require expending a feat, if it's not already a part of the creature's baseline racial description. Loss of a tail in reptilian races isn't likely to trigger regeneration of the tail. Only a few lizard-species "drop" their tails, and the MM reptilians don't look like them; besides, they have intelligence and weapons, so hardly need to use tail-loss as a defense against predators.
GodSlayer 07-02-05, 03:43 PM	Loss of a tail in reptilian races isn't likely to trigger regeneration of the tail. Only a few lizard-species "drop" their tails, and the MM reptilians don't look like them; besides, they have intelligence and weapons, so hardly need to use tail-loss as a defense against predators. Hmm. I don't know I'd almost be tempted to give Lizardfolk and Trogs tails that do grow back. It just wouldn't be very rapidly i'd make it take months. Maybe 1d2+3 Months. That way it takes 4-5 months for the tail to grow back. After all even an adult Igunana can regrow its tail. Not common but can happen as long as the Igunana is Healthy. So maybe a Fort Save once a month until the tail grows back DC:15+1 per month with out the tail? Maybe each check shows the growth of the tail for that month.
BelRex 07-02-05, 05:49 PM	The main reason I asked this the other day is an odd thought came up during a discussion on another thread. Having a large human with the half dragon template. I was considering adding a tail along with it's wings. Bringing the total LA for the creature to a +5 or something. Large Half Dragon(Augmented humanoid) Was going to give the bonuses listed at the first of the thread, plus a tail attack dealing damage for a large creature(1d8). I was going to use the base human, modified exactly by the medium->large chart +8 str, -2 dex, +4 con, +2 NA, -1 to ac/attack, -4 hide, also increase land speed by 10 feet, then add the half dragon template. Totals like this: +16 STR, -2 DEX, +6 CON, +2 INT, +2 CHA, +6 NA, Speed 40, Fly 80(Average). Think the +5 is good enough? +3 for the half dragon, +1 for 10ft reach, and an additional +1 for unbalanced ability scores.