IK:R 5E Monster Tactics - Gorax Tactics

One of the things I love about the Iron Kingdoms is the lore, particularly the monsters and creatures - from the original Witchfire trilogy, the earliest web supplements to the appearance of the first 3.5E Monsternomicon. The creatures all had amazing detail, often covering 2-pages per creature and presented with snippets of "Extraordinary Zoology" wisdom from none other than Professor Viktor Pendrake, the flamboyant adventuring scholar. This was then built on and fleshed out by the subsequent Warmachine and Hordes games, further complemented by the "2nd edition" Iron Kingdoms RPG that used a specially derived D6 based mechanic derived from the wargame rules.

Unfortunately, the new 5E Monsternomicon is less generous with background lore, although this can be supplemented by existing online resources such as the Lexicanum. One thing the new monsters share with the classic 5E Monster Manual monsters however is the lack of tactical guidance for encounters and more than a few basic clues on how to run them in combat in interesting ways. Sure, Mordenkainen's, Volo's and other later supplements address this a bit for some of the major groups but as far as I know at the time of writing (early Jan 2022), there are no plans for similar supplements from Privateer Press.

I'd like to try and fill this gap somewhat.

To do this, I'm going to reference the first two chapters of Keith Amman's amazing The Monster's Know What They're Doing and the second chapter "How to Analyse a Stat Block" found in his third book that covers the Volo's and Mordenkainen's supplements, known as Moar - The Monster Know What They're Doing. It provides a guide on how to take the raw materials and spin them into varied encounters for your players, making combats more than swing hit / swing miss / rinse / repeat... His background and premises are given in Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 of the original book and can also be found on Keith's blog, but this latter key chapter is only in the third book, "Moar: the Monsters Know What They're Doing", and *not* on his blog. Seriously buy his books.

This chapter importantly breaks down Keith's method for others to use - as he says he can only work through so many of the official monsters in the time available... realistically with all the remaining 5E corebook monsters to work on, the iconic 5E Iron Kingdoms monsters aren't going to be on the list.

I'm going to take this as a challenge and see what I can do with his guidelines.

So let's start with something iconic... the Gorax.

"Come at me bro!" (Gorax)

5E Gorax Tactics

The Gorax is detailed in MN:5E, page 76. Additional lore details can be found on the Lexicanum.

So at first glance, I thought the bestial gorax would be similar enough to a 5E Ogre (MM 237) and that this would be a short first post but there are enough differences I think to make this a useful starting exercise - for reference, see Keith's original Ogre tactics breakdown, which also includes the various ogre variants. 

The first difference is that the gorax is a neutral beast, not a chaotic evil giant. This is significant, particularly as the "giants" in the Iron Kingdoms are represented by the various Iron Kingdom troll species and very different from standard 5E giants who are noted to be characterised by rivalry. Gorax however are often solitary and driven by food - they are noted to be aggressively carnivorous and angry suggesting they are automatically hostile to anything they perceive as a potential meal. 

From an armour class, hit point and speed perspective, the Gorax is almost identical to the ogre with low AC of 11 and a high speed of 40 ft. but no other modes of movement - the difference is one less 1d10 hit die and 14 fewer hit points. Normally, Keith's method would suggest a beast seeks to break off attacks when it reaches 70% of its hit points (31hp) but some of its other features and the lore suggest otherwise (see below).

Likewise, a gorax's ability contour has the same shape as an ogre, the high STR and CON of a brute unsurprisingly, although the gorax's abilities are slightly lower. In terms of mental characteristics,  a gorax does have a significantly higher WIS than an ogre, suggesting it would know when to flee even if it chooses targets indiscriminately but again tits lore suggest an alternative interpretation.

It doesn't have any resistances or immunities to consider but does have darkvision 60 ft., suggesting it prefers to hunt at night through the forests or ruins. It's not an ambush predator though, lacking the Stealth and Perception proficiencies that support this behaviour.

Instead, a Gorax has proficiency in Athletics which is relevant when combined with its Large size. I think this is the key to its tactics, and given we don't have to worry about bonus actions, reactions,  spellcasting or legendary/lair actions lets get into the meat of this now... 

The primary combat use of Athletics in 5E is to Grapple or to Shove and this is where things start to get interesting when you consider their passive traits and attack options. Let's start with Multiattack, which is notable for applying to "melee attacks" and doesn't specify that these have to be its claw attacks like a lot of versions of this trait do. This means a gorax can use its attacks to grapple and/or shove as they are both are considered melee attacks - neither on their own are particularly useful perhaps but if successfully chained together in succession can result in an opponent being both grappled (0 movement) and prone (advantage on attacks against, disadvantage to attack). As a grappled creature cannot stand up without movement and is therefore stuck prone and can be *dragged* away to be eaten across the battlefield by the gorax at half movement (20 ft.per round) unless it uses its action and successfully breaks the grapple. 

The optimal sequence if you consider that the advantage to the attacker for attacks against a prone opponent applies to a grapple (and I would consider it does even though mechanically it uses an ability check) is to *shove* first, creating advantage on the next Athletics check used to Grapple as the opponent is prone unless it can use a reaction to move, in which case the reverse order is better although the gorax is not intelligent enough to vary its sequence in response to the situation.

Once the gorax has an opponent down, using up one of its attacks per round, a couple of effects kick in.

The first is its Stench which kicks in when any creature starts its turn within 5 ft. of the gorax - a creature held down by the gorax is definitely within 5 ft., and even if the effect only lasts one round, being unable to move guarantees it needs to save again *next* round. The poisoned condition creates disadvantage on attacks against the gorax but also to ability checks ie checks needed to break free of the grapple. By the time a creature successfully saves and becomes immune, the gorax has had ample opportunity to wail on its victim. Otherwise stench only has a minor defensive role against melee opponents.

The second effect is its Pain Fueled trait which adds an extra 1d6 damage to its attacks until the end of its next turn, offsetting the loss of the usual second claw attack because of similar damage and the advantage. This is triggered if its grappled opponent attacks it successfully instead of trying to break the grapple, but also if the gorax is damaged by its opponents allies - attacking the gorax instead of trying to help break the grappled creature free actually intensifies the gorax's lethality!

Oddly, perhaps the thematically defining trait of Reckless is perhaps less useful to a gorax:

Fueled by Pain. A gorax’s response to pain is even more terrifying than its brutish physique. Gorax are not simply inured to the effects of injury; they’re fueled by it. This paradoxical response drives an injured gorax to attack with ever-increasing savagery until it enters a blind frenzy of bloodlust. A fully enraged gorax is strong enough to tear a warhorse in half. 

Sure, the advantage on two claw attacks is great (average damage 10) especially if the Pain Fueled trait has already been activated (average 13), but there is no damage bonus or resistance to physical atatcks as this is not a barbarian's rage. Importantly, once engaged with an opponent the trait gives resultant advantage to the opponent *and* all other attackers, and particularly if multiple attackers this outweighs the benefit that can be gained by the shove / grapple combo especially if the gorax default behaviour is to drag off its prey, provoking potentially multiple opportunity attacks. Against a single weak unarmored opponent this boost may allow a rapid kill but in most other cases the shove / grapple / drag away sequence sets up a superior outcome.

I'd note a gorax is an eligible Devourer Warbeast according to the 2nd Iron Kingdoms 5E Kickstarter  "Borderlands and Beyond" early backer PDF, which includes the potential effects of fury and frenzy, as well as animi (innate spells that can be activated) but I'll have to return to that aspect at a later date.

Conclusion 

So let's put all this together and double-check against the lore (both 3.5E Monsternomicon and that from the Lexicanum) - how to marry up the higher WIS with the implied recklessness? The clue is in a gorax's bestial nature:

Any animal that comes close enough for a gorax to grab will be eaten, although they seem to hold human flesh in high regard... 

To me, this then all implies a gorax attacks preferably from darkness, closing rapidly on an isolated target that passes within range of senses or waiting for a weaker looking straggler in a group, snatching its prey, likely becoming pain fueled in the process as it takes damage dragging away its next meal into the darkness to eat without disturbance. If pursued, it is too fanatic/hungry to give up its prey despite the higher WIS score than most beasts, as its empty stomach and bloodlust takes over. Only when reduced to 5hp or less (10%, seriously wounded) will it consider instinctively using Disengage and its faster movement, releasing its meal as it attempt to flee.

The Pendrake Encounters: Bite Club variant ("Stinktooth")

This is an offering from the new Iron Kingdoms: Requiem website, based on the series of articles from the now-defunct No Quarter magazine. The primary tactics remain the same - 'Stinktooth" has a few extra hit points and a slightly higher challenge rating (CR3)which does not change its proficiency bonus, plus the following enhanced stench related ability, Foul Breath (Recharge 5-6):

The gorax bellows producing a stinking cloud of breath in a 15-foot cone that smells of rotting meat and decaying tusks. Each creature in the area must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself with a successful save.

So this looks like an improved Stench ability - short range not just in melee, a slightly higher DC and no immunity to the poison effect on a successful save to offset its need to recharge. 

I can see this being useful at the start of combat in the wild, especially against a group of bunched opponents where being poisoned reduces their attack effectiveness assisting the gorax to drag off its chosen meal. Against an isolated opponent in an enclosed space however (like in the presented "Bite Club" scenario where the arena is 20 ft. by 40 ft. only), this adds little as "Stinktooth's" movement allows it to close with an opponent rapidly and employ its usual foul odour. 

Tactically, a smarter creature could wait for the opponent to try and close to within range but not into melee or advance slowly remaining just out of range and releasing its "breath weapon" but unless "Stinktooth" has been trained specifically to do this, its basic gorax tactics still hold as Stench is a passive ability and does not use an action. 

It's great thematically though. 

I mean even the description gives me rancor vibes LOL.

Further Thoughts

Well, I hope you enjoyed this first installment of "The Monsters Remember What They're Meant to be Doing" or whatever I'll end up calling this type of blog post. Leave a comment either here or on the Iron Kingdoms: Requiem General Discussion private FB group!

Which creature should I tackle next?

Addit with Minor Spoiler: Murder in Corvis

<if you haven't read this book, don't scroll down, go read the book first!>

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

OK, for those of you that have read the prequel / prelude Black River Irregulars book, you'd know the mystery is the murders are conducted by a *trained* gorax. Oddly for a gorax, it doesn't eat its prey and uses a rudimentary disguise suggesting it may have higher INT and/or Stealth proficiency thanks to its training. Strikes me it wouldn't be easy training a groax to not only seek out specific prey (I think this is explained by pheremones being discreetly sprayed onto the target) but also *not* eat its prey once killed without some sort of magical coercion or control.