It’s late at night, and the party is making its way through the woods. They’ve just killed a formidable necromancer and are now returning to the town’s safety.
They’re battered and bloodied, and they’re almost out of goods and spells. But, just as they think they’ve reached safety, howls fill the air, and a massive wolf emerges from the woods, followed by a swarm of others. Take the initiative!
Dire wolves are significantly larger and more dangerous versions of the regular grey wolves, and you shouldn’t underestimate them in the fight because their size and power are enough to knock most adventurers unconscious. Plus, when it comes to fighting, they are rarely alone.
But what makes this Dungeons & Dragons monster so deadly? What are the chances that you’ll run into them? What is your strategy for combating them? Here’s what you need to know about the ferocious dire wolf 5e.
What Is A Dire Wolf?
A dire wolf 5e is an old variant of a grey wolf that is significantly larger and more savage than the world’s regular wolf. They are roughly 9 feet long and weigh about 800 pounds on average. They worked alone or in packs of 3-5 wolves and were exceedingly ferocious.
They have an AC of 14, an average of 37 hitpoints, 50 feet of speed, and the following abilities in their stat block:
A keen sense of smell and hearing. The dire wolf 5e enjoys a benefit on Wisdom (Perception) that depends on hearing or smell.
Tactics of the Pack. If at least one of the wolf’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and isn’t incapacitated, the dire wolf 5e has an advantage on attack rolls against that monster.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, 5 ft. range, single target 2d6 + 3 piercing damage if hit. If the target is a creature, it must make a DC 13 Strength saving throw or be knocked unconscious.
When we break things down, we can see that the wolf has an edge on the roll if they need to hear or smell someone approaching their territory. They also function well in groups, so if they’re next to an ally and they’re both targeting the same target, they’ll have an edge.
They also have a big bite attack that isn’t particularly damaging, but if the victim is a creature (including humans), they must roll a 13 or higher on a strength check to remain upright when bitten. As they maul their prey, the wolf has an advantage on attacking dice if they fall.
How long does it take for a Dire Wolf 5e to grow?
There is only one person who could give you answers to these questions. The rest is dependent on your DM because you’re already on new territory for house rule.
Based on the principle of the Beastmaster Ranger, they cannot be the status of a Dire Wolf due to their animal partner. There aren’t any guidelines for dogs or creatures to coach. Therefore, instead of posting random strangers on the internet you’ll need talk to your DM regarding the matter.
The most straightforward approach is to follow the standard Beastmaster rules for companion animals, using the same stats as an ordinary wolf, and call it an infant Dire Wolf. This will be more challenging as a regular wolf which is why that approach works. But, even when you’re following this kind of simple, book-based way, you’ll need to speak to your DM about the path.
Tactics of a dire wolf 5e
If you have a pack of 3-5 dire wolves, they will work together to hunt down the group’s weakest prey. They will do so by flanking, coming close to one another, yanking the target down with their powerful jaws, and generally gaining an advantage.
They will also hit and run, using their superior speed to split up the party before returning for another attack. They will often smell or hear the party before they are noticed, and will use their excellent stealth skills to approach close enough for an ambush without being discovered.
Because these wolves are violent and designed to kill, if you get into a fight with them, they will very certainly fight to the death. Other wolves, on the other hand, may only fight to hunt or defend their territory and will run if they are injured severely or their prey departs the area.
Furthermore, they are enraged by blood and gore in the same way as regular wolves are. If your party has been injured and bloodied in a prior battle, dire wolf 5e becomes much more hostile.
All wolves understand that blood indicates that the target is damaged and weak and that weakness indicates that the target is food to be consumed, making them much simpler to bring down.
Fighting Dire Wolf In A Pack
While most dire wolf 5e prefer to fight alone or in a pack of their own kind, there’s no reason why a Dire couldn’t have alpha wolfed their way to the top of a normal wolf pack. They can fight alongside a weaker pack of wolves, which leads the wolf’ tactics to shift.
Wolf packs are always on the move since they strive to split up the party as much as possible in order to go after the weakest member.
They’ll dash inside, bite their foe, and flee. If the bites work, the normal wolf will strive to position themselves around the enemy so that the pack tactics can be used by other wolves. In the same way, the ferocious dire wolf 5e will act.
wolves in the actual world know how to bring down prey while avoiding getting in each other’s way. Instead, they’ll dash around and feint at their targets, hoping to draw the party’s attention to themselves.
The main onslaught will begin after a few bites when the wolf rush in greater numbers, some still circling the party while others make rush attacks on the weakest individuals.
They will attack in pairs, giving each other an advantage and attempting to generate chance assaults so that additional wolves can freely enter and exit a player’s space.
This will usually go on until the party is knocked unconscious or until roughly a quarter to a half of the pack has been injured or killed by the party. Hurt signifies they’ve lost half their health or less, and they’ll flee the conflict.
Dire wolf Variants
If your group will be spending a lot of time in the woods and will be seeing a lot of wolves, some dire wolf 5e varieties can be a lot of fun to fight.
Perhaps they’ve heard rumors about a massive dire wolf 5e with not only superior stats to the traditional dire wolf 5e but also a magically resistant pelt. Some stories even claim that they have the ability to teleport.
Other magical dire wolf 5e, known as runebound dire wolf 5e, have runes all over their bodies and can use them to obtain powers. Others have established pacts with werewolves and other supernatural beings, enlisting their help and inspiring their kin with a cry of sheer dread and bloodlust.
Fighting a few exceptional wolves may make long walks through the woods much more fascinating, and can lead to epic and memorable battles.
How Do You Fight Dire wolf?
Your players must know how to fight dire wolf 5e, whether they are with their own kind or commanding a pack of normal wolves.
For starters, melee players may find their tactics of hitting and running, as well as their great natural speed, to be exceedingly irritating.
The greatest thing the heavily armored melee players can do is construct a wall around the weakest members of the party, forcing the wolf to pass through them before attacking their teammates.
Because the dire wolf 5e do not have the highest AC in the world, ranged and magic-casting characters may readily target them, and some AoE spells can aid harm to a large portion of the pack when needed. This method works as long as they don’t get besieged by wolves and knocked down by the dire wolf’s powerful bite.
Furthermore, the dire wolf 5e has no damage type resistance, so you can strike them with anything and they will take full damage. When wolves are confronted with a fire spell, some DMs play on the animal’s natural fear of fire by forcing them to make a will save or panic.
Can Dire wolf be used by enemies?
While ordinary wolves are used by some goblin tribes as mounts, and orcs and bandits have been known to utilize wolves as attack animals and guards, it’s difficult to say with dire wolf 5e.
When compared to the massive number of grey wolves in the world, dire wolf 5e is very uncommon. They will also be difficult to train due to their inherent aggressiveness.
Perhaps an enemy druid or sorcerer has one of these rare wolves as a pet, or perhaps a woods ranger has one as a lifetime companion.
However, because these are the exceptions rather than the rule, you won’t see many dire wolf 5e marching alongside opposing troops as they attack your towns and villages.
Is it Possible for dire wolf 5e to Use Their Claws?
If you look closely at the stat block, you’ll find that the dire wolf’s primary weapon is its strong biting mouth. Other four-legged creatures, on the other hand, are vulnerable to claw assaults. You can give dire wolf 5e, as well as any other wolf, a claw attack if you wish to make them more dangerous.
However, you should probably make the extra attack weaker than the bite attack and make it conditional to keep it balanced.
Wolves bite and drag their prey down in the real world, and they often utilize their claws for traction and running. Rather than fighting with prey, they will use their claws to hold them in place. So have the wolf use a bite attack to knock its opponent prone, then grapple with their claws.
If the victim tries to get up, they must make a check to break free from the hold and wrestle the wolf’s claws. That would be more realistic, but if you want to play more of a fantasy game, you can give the wolf relatively weak claw attacks to employ.
Giant Wolf 5e
Tremendous monster, unaligned
Armor Class 17 (natural compound )
Strike Points 84 (8d12 + 32)
Rate 60 ft.
Abilities: Str 22 (+6), Dex 15 (+2), Con 19 (+4), Int 3 (-4), Wis 14 (+2), Cha 12 (+1)
Senses passive Perception 15
Keen Hearing and Smell. The wolf is ahead in Wisdom (Perception) assessments that are based on the sense of hearing or smell.
Pack Approaches. The wolf will have an advantage in an attack roll against an animal if at the very the very least, one of their allies lies at least 5 yards from the creature, and the ally doesn’t become disabled.
Dire Wolf 5e vs. Giant Wolf 5e
5e Big Wolf New Monster for the Maximum Edition
Giant wolf 5e could be far too dire wolves, which is what dire wolves mean to normal forest wolves. With a size of more than 30 feet in length, these massive lupines are the forest’s true kings and queens.
As a”celestial persona,” they are looked at by their smaller relatives. The giant wolf packs consist of many smaller predators, such as dire wolves and occasionally a winter wolf or warg. Some clans of werewolves also run massive wolves.
The Tribal Humanoids pay respects to giant wolves with prayers and respect. Lands protected by a giant Wolf are usually regarded as”off-limits” by those who do not belong there.
The behaviour that exists in Dire Wolf 5e
Dire wolves are more aggressive than regular predators, killing and attacking any animal they could catch. They are often seen as lone wolves, or in groups of three and five desperate wolves.
Ecology:
The HTML0’s usually occur in temperate forest ecosystems.
Capabilities:
They had keen senses, including the ability to scent, allowing them to locate their prey with the smell. They could also be sneaky to search for their prey.