Anyway, I was really bored one day and I wanted to make a silly monster who happens to swallow enemies. I could simply define how swallowing works on a per-creature basis, but I wanted a unified "swallowed" condition/mechanic because I like things such as that. (And maybe other people will use it! :D)
Without further ado, the Swallowed condition.
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SWALLOWED
• You're restrained and are inside the swallowing creature.
• You cannot target or be targeted by anyone outside of the swallowing creature.
• You are considered a part of the swallowing creature for its movement purposes, forced or otherwise.
• On a successful Escape check, you may negate the condition and must place yourself on a square adjacent to the swallowing creature.
• You're restrained and are inside the swallowing creature.
• You cannot target or be targeted by anyone outside of the swallowing creature.
• You are considered a part of the swallowing creature for its movement purposes, forced or otherwise.
• On a successful Escape check, you may negate the condition and must place yourself on a square adjacent to the swallowing creature.
If you make it a condition, you're not going to make an escape check against it, you're just going to make a save, so maybe offer a bonus to the save equal to your Dex modifier, or something similar.
Check chapter 9 of the PHB for more info. I don't think you're looking to make a new condition, but rather, a new combat action: Swallowing.
If you make it a condition, you're not going to make an escape check against it, you're just going to make a save, so maybe offer a bonus to the save equal to your Dex modifier, or something similar.
Check chapter 9 of the PHB for more info. I don't think you're looking to make a new condition, but rather, a new combat action: Swallowing.
Yes, I had thought about making it a combat action, since there are no other conditions which require an escape check (or teleportation) in order to end it. The problem is that combat actions in 4th edition, or at least from my perspective of the PHB, allow any player or monster to use them, so long as they have the correct conditions.
Think back to third edition: grappling, disarming, sundering, and tripping. These are no longer in 4th edition. Why? Because they could too easily hinder an opponent's choices if it worked. The worst thing every PC class can do in 4th edition is grab someone, and all it does is keep them from moving and maybe provokes an AoO if they use a ranged attack. If I added swallowing to the list, it would bring back the same sort of problem. With my current houserule, being swallowed makes you invulnerable to all outside forces, and you can attack the creature from the inside (at a -2 penalty). Also, swallowing does not harm the creature at all: my intent was that creatures made to swallow the players would have passive abilities that harm those inside. I would have to make new rules as to what creatures can swallow other creatures, damage dealt while being digested (to make it 'useful' in battle), as well just making sure it works.
In short, I much prefer making Swallowed a status condition that only affects gameplay when a monster is made with that ability, rather than turning it into a combat action that can be used by every creature in the game (and thus requires massive balancing).
The Chain Golem from DDM has an ability that would pass for a "swallowed" ability. It's basiclly that when it works, the creature hit is taken off the battlemat and placed aside until they escape, meaning until then all they can do is make saves, which might need to be tweaked as that is rather boring. They take ongoing damage (20 in Minis game for the Golem) until they make a save to escape.
That is pretty much how most monster abilities will work for swallowed; however, the main difference is that players can make two Escape checks (Escape = Move action) if they desire. Or, they could whack the monster with their daily power as revenge for failing their escape check. :D
I don't have my MM on me, but the Gelatinous Cube has a swallowing-type attack. It's treated as a forced pull, IIRC.
Hmm, interesting! Can a player target an ally with a forced push ability if they have a reach weapon? (I'm assuming the gelatinous cube is Large.)
[INDENT]While swallowed, there is no line of effect to or from the creature. The creature can only make melee basic attacks with one-handed weapons against the inside of the creature (though generally at a lower AC). The character is not allowed to take any other actions while inside and takes ongoing damage from "stomach juices". [/INDENT]
It works rather well for solo creatures (as that is how it mitigates not having extra actions like other solos, by limiting that of the players). In any case, feel free to check it out when you get the Monster Manual.
Hmm, interesting! Can a player target an ally with a forced push ability if they have a reach weapon? (I'm assuming the gelatinous cube is Large.)
Actually now that I think about it, it's treated like a Grab.
The purple worm (a level 19?? Solo) can already swallow creatures.
[INDENT]While swallowed, there is no line of effect to or from the creature. The creature can only make melee basic attacks with one-handed weapons against the inside of the creature (though generally at a lower AC). The character is not allowed to take any other actions while inside and takes ongoing damage from "stomach juices". [/INDENT]
It works rather well for solo creatures (as that is how it mitigates not having extra actions like other solos, by limiting that of the players). In any case, feel free to check it out when you get the Monster Manual.
Cool. I was curious what "no line of effect" meant and found out that it means the same thing as "cannot be targeted". (I'm going to update that right now!
) I also notice that they by limiting swallowed players to basic attacks, they removed the absurd idea that you could bull rush or grab the monster that swallowed you.Anyway, how does the character get out of the monster? Is it a save-ends condition?
(Edit: Actually, I'm not going to change the wording. It's hard to add "line of effect" in a sentence that starts with "you" and not make it sound clunky.)
Actually now that I think about it, it's treated like a Grab.
Huh, so that means a warlord could use a power to shift an ally out of the gelantinous cube, ending the effect.