D&D Why Cows Are A Deadly Threat To LowLevel Parties

D&D: Why Cows Are A Deadly Threat To Low-Level Parties

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Cows are a surprisingly potent threat to a Dungeons & Dragons party, thanks to an overpowered gore attack that can instantly KO a low-level character.

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D&D Why Cows Are A Deadly Threat To LowLevel Parties

There are some incredibly powerful high-level monsters in Dungeons & Dragons, but most players never get far enough to fight the Tarrasques and Prismatic Dragons of the world. Instead, they will spend most of their time fighting common enemies in low-level dungeons, many of which include wild animals that have decided to pick a fight with a group of armed warriors. There is one wild animal that is stronger than many others of its type, with a power level that outstrips many of the common foes in the game, as the cow is a surprisingly powerful monster in D&D.

Cows aren’t exactly known for being the roughest or toughest creatures in the animal kingdom, save for the frightening ones of the Secret Cow Level in the Diablo series. There are instances where cows cause fatalities in the real world, where they accidentally trample someone. Cows are actually one of the deadliest animals in the United Kingdom due to these accidental fatalities, which says a lot more about the ferocity of the wildlife in the region than it does about the combat prowess of Heffer Wolfe and his ilk.

The DMs who badly wanted a showdown between their players and a herd of vicious cows in Dungeons & Dragons finally had their chance in 2016, when Volo’s Guide to Monsters was released. Volo’s Guide to Monsters featured a section that statted out wild animals, which included the cow. The stat block is used as a catch-all term for different varieties of cattle, but can still be used for regular cows, hence the name. The creators of the game went a little overboard with their interpretation of the power level of a cow, as it’s far stronger than it seems.

Cows Share The Same Power Level As Fearsome Monsters In D&D

D&D Why Cows Are A Deadly Threat To LowLevel Parties

D&D uses the Challenge Rating system, where a monster is assigned a ranking that gives a rough estimate of its power level. A creature with a Challenge Rating of 2 will present a reasonable challenge to a party of four level two adventurers. A cow has a D&D Challenge Rating of 1/4, which means four of them present a threat to a level one party. This means that cows are considered to present the same level of threat as boars, constrictor snakes, derro, drow, elk, flying swords, giant owls, giant poisonous snakes, giant wolf spiders, goblins, panthers, skeletons, velociraptors, wolves, and zombies. The Walking Dead starring cows wouldn’t be quite as scary, but it would be much harder to get them into makeup and make them moo in a scary manner.

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Cows Are Considered Way Stronger Than Most Common Threats In D&D

D&D Why Cows Are A Deadly Threat To LowLevel Parties

There are also many Challenge Rating 1/8 creatures in Dungeons & Dragons that cows are considered to be much stronger than. These include bandits, camels, cultists, flying snakes, giant crabs, giant rats, guards, kobolds, mastiffs, poisonous snakes, tribal warriors, and tree blights. All of these are common foes in D&D that most adventuring parties will have faced at one point or another, yet they pale in comparison to the might of a mere cow. The bandits and cultists are especially notable here, considering how often they show up in adventures, yet they aren’t on the same level as domesticated farm animals.

A Charging Cow Can Instakill A Level 1 D&D Character

So, what exactly is it that makes cows so powerful in D&D? It’s all down to their main attack. To give some examples of what other Challenge Rating 1/4 creatures can do: a flying sword deals 1d8+1 slashing damage with its attack, a panther’s bite deals 1d6+2 piercing damage, and a skeleton’s shortsword deals 1d6+2 damage. The cow is capable of dealing far more damage in a single action.

If a cow moves 20ft in a straight line before attacking, then it deals 3d6+4 piercing damage on a hit, with a +6 to the attack roll. This is more than enough to instantly drop a level one D&D character to zero hit points in a single action, considering the average maximum hit points range is roughly 8-12, save for Barbarians, who could potentially be higher. The fact that four cows are expected to present a challenge means that their charge in the first round of combat is akin in power to that of King Théoden leading the Rohirrim at the Battle of Pelennor Fields in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

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It’s interesting to compare the strength of a cow to animals with a similar D&D Challenge Rating. A charging boar only deals 2d6+1 damage, with a chance of knocking the enemy prone. A wolf only deals 2d4+2 damage with its attack, but it has a chance of knocking the opponent prone. Wolves also gain advantage to attack rolls when next to each other. The elk is stronger than all of them, as it deals 3d6+3 damage with a charge, while also potentially knocking the enemy prone with its attack. The elk and wolf are deadlier opponents in D&D for a number of reasons, but that’s to be expected, considering the fierce reputation of wolves in real life, and the massive bulk and horns that elk possess.

What cows lack in armor class and special abilities, they make up for with a brutal opening attack that could TPK a low-level D&D party. The balance is meant to come from the defensive capabilities of some of the monsters of the same Challenge Rating. A skeleton might not pack as much of a punch as a cow, but it has a higher armor class score, a ranged attack, and several immunities/resistances. However, the party probably isn’t going to notice this difference if they endure a cow charge that is enough to level the group.

The might of the cow seems like a weapon wielded by the DM, but there are also ways for the players to utilize the strength of bovines for their characters. The most obvious way is with the Wild Shape ability of the Druid class. The cow fits the restrictions of the ability, and it could give level two Druids are a fearsome charging attack, should they need it. If the DM allows it, then a Beast Master Ranger could also have a cow as a companion. The groups that use the Sidekick rules from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything could also allow for a cow companion who could valiantly fight alongside the party, and even gain levels in the Warrior class, becoming one of the most fearsome cows in the history of Dungeons & Dragons.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/dungeons-dragons-challenge-rating-cows-dnd-enemy-monster/

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