As I am planning to run an underdark adventure in the future, I am statting all kinds of monsters that the party could encounter. Pretty typical stuff, mostly Drow are the main villains.
The adventure is a paragon level adventure, so I am looking for things that fit the environment and are from levels 11-17. I do not have any plot yet, just trying to get a bunch of stuff together and then figure out how to make a good adventure out of it.
I will likely be using the MM stats for most of the basic drow, but I need some special ones too.
Example. A drow priest (MM) with the cleric template and a slight reflavoring of powers.
(All actions are assumed to be standard actions unless specified different)
Drow High Priest
lvl 15 Elite controller (cleric NPC)
Initiative: +9
Senses: Perception +13, darkvision
Speed: 6
Action points: 1
Saving throws: +2
HP: 270 (135), 2 healing surges (surge value 67hp)
Aura: Lolth’s authority: range sight: +1 to hit and +2 to damage for drow and spider
allies.
Defenses: AC 28; Fort24; Reflex 26; Will 30
Basic melee attack: Mace +18 vs AC, 1d8+1 damage
Basic melee attack: (only when bloodied) Spider bite - +17 vs AC, 2d6+6 damage
At-will (priest): Pain web - ranged 5 +18 vs. reflex, 1d6+6 necrotic and target is immobilized and weakened (save ends both)
At-will (cleric): Lolth’s mark - +19 vs. reflex 1d8+6 necrotic damage, an ally gets +2 to hit vs. that enemy for his next attack.
At-will (priest, minor action): spider link - transfers 22 damage to a spider or drow ally within 5 squares.
Encounter power (cleric7): Venom splash - +19 vs. ref, 2d6+6 poison damage and the target is blinded until end of priest’s next turn.
Encounter power (cleric13): Plague of doom - ranged 10, +19 vs. Fort 3d8+6 damage and -5 to defenses until end of priest’s next turn.
Encounter power (Drow racial, minor action): Darkfire - ranged 10, +18 vs. reflex, target grants combat advantage and cannot gain concealment or invisibility until end of priest’s next turn.
Encounter power (cleric, twice per encounter): Healing word (minor action, close burst 10) - the priest or an ally can spend a healing surge and gains surge value + 4d6 + 6 hp)
Encounter power (cleric utility6): Bastion of health - minor act. ranged 5, use 1 surge + 11 + 1d6)
Daily power (cleric utility10): Mass cure light wounds - heals surge v. +11 +1d6 within close burst5, does not expend surges.
Daily power (Cleric15): Unholy flames - area burst 2 within 10, +19 vs. reflex, 3d10+6 fire damage and 10 ongoing fire damage (save ends), allies heal 11 if adjacent to targets with ongoing damage.
Recharging powers (6): Wrath of Lolth - Kills one willing bloodied ally + 20 vs. reflex within area burst 5 of that ally, 4d8+5 necrotic damage.
Channel divinity: The priest can use one of the following once per encounter: +1 to hit or save, turn undead, Llolth’s blessing (channel divinity): free action, usable when the priest hits with an attack. One enemy hit by the attack takes ongoing 5 poison damage and is weakened (save ends both)
Alignment: evil
Languages: Abyssal, Elven, Common
Skills: Bluff17, Diplomacy 17, Intimidate17, Insight19, Religion15, Stealth10
Str 12 (+8) Dex 15 (+9) Wis 23 (+13)
Con 11 (+7) Int 16 (+10) Cha 21 (+12)
Equipment: Lolth’s holy symbol of power +2 (see PHB), chainmail, mace
I am trying to make other elite drow, and any good suggestions are welcome.
Particularly an Elite and normal version of a Drow wizard (reskinning some other mage type or making from scratch) and a Solo Drow priest (which obviously is not too good as a leader, since the encounter cannot have too many enemies to lead...)
Feel free to critique the NPC above and to suggest stuff that will fit in.
I ran into that problem when I created a warlord bad guy. There were simply not enough surges to go around with all of his healing. I’d just choose those powers that heal independently of surges (such as Cure Serious Wounds). That way, you can say you did it all by the book if your players ask.
Though really I don’t think 1 surge is gonna break the game. It might add an extra 50 or 100 xp; or nothing at all. Who knows?
Yeah, the idea is not to let the priest heal more in one combat, but to be able to recover if she escapes.
The healing the priest has is more for use on allies.
Any ideas on how to build a solo high priest? It cannot obviously be a leader, since that would be pointless.
You could go with a more combat oriented priest and build it around a Paladin or even make it a leader and give it a few really low level minions. According to the DM’s Guide, any baddie that has some lackies is at most an Elite and not a solo...even giving a Priest example (pg 185):
Iconic D&D villains, such as the vampire Count
Strahd von Zarovich or the demilich Acererak, are
solo monsters. Such enemies are powerful enough by
themselves to take on an entire party of adventurers.
Elite monsters are tough enough to fight a lower-level
party on their own, but normally they have a few allies
on hand. Lareth the Beautiful, an evil cleric of Lolth,
is a good example. Although powerful, he never enters
battle without bandits, gnolls, or ghouls at his side.
I figured it might be best to make her a mix of warlock and paladin flavors.
Basically just build a solo from scratch and borrow power ideas from Warlock and Paladin, both of which fit to some extent.
Meanwhile, what do you think about the Drow battlemage? I did not use the arachnomancer, since I see drow wizards a bit more focused on just evil combat powers and less on the spider stuff.
Drow Battlemage
lvl 15 Elite Artillery
Initiative: +10 Senses: Perception +11, darkvision
Speed 7, levitate 2 (also, see dimension door below)
Action points 1
Saving throws: +2
HP: 212 (106), 2 healing surges (surge value 53hp)
Defenses: AC 29; Fort26; Reflex 28; Will 32
Basic attack: Staff: +18 vs. AC, 1d10+4 damage
Ranged Basic attack: Flame arrow - Ranged 15; +20 vs. reflex, 2d8 + 8 fire damage
At-will: Fiery barrage: The battlemage makes two Flame arrow attacks against different targets.
Recharging power (recharges on 6): Shadow tendrils: Area burst 1 within 10 squares, +20 vs. will, 3d10+6 psychic damage and target is immobilized (save ends). A zone remains in the area until the end of the battlemage’s next turn, and it attacks creatures at the beginning of their turn if they remain in the area. +18 vs. will 1d10+6 damage and the target is immobilized (save ends). The battlemage may sustain the zone as a minor action, but only one zone at a time.
Encounter power (recharges when first bloodied): Finger of death – ranged 10, + 20 vs. fort. 4d8+6 necrotic damage and the target is weakened (save ends), half damage on a miss. This power gets +1 to hit and +1d8 to damage against bloodied targets.
Recharging power (immediate interrupt, recharge 6): Shield – triggers when an enemy hits the battlemage, the battlemage gains +4 AC and reflex defense until the end of its next round.
Encounter power (move action): Dimension door - the battlemage teleports up to 10 squares.
Encounter power (minor action): Cloud of darkness – close burst 1, see drow racial ability.
Alignment: evil
Languages: Abyssal, Elven, Common
Skills: Arcana 15, History 15, Stealth 9, Insight 15, Intimidate 20
Str 10 (+7) Dex 15 (+9) Wis 20 (+12)
Con 10 (+7) Int 16 (+10) Cha 23 (+13)
Items: Staff of the warmage +3 (daily ability = increase the area of one spell by 1), potion of vitality (heals 25 hp), Ritual book
I like the flavor that comes of this. With the loss of spider focus, it makes this easier to use in Eberron. I particularly like the d-door option. Nice work. Any way we can get a database going of the various works? Similar to this: http://www.dragon-above.com/index.php?p=4ebestiary
What I really would like to know is that are these monsters looking scary (just right) or over/underpowered for adventurers of 13-15th level? I have very little experience in paragon level play. If you guys have played paragon level characters, what would you think if you encountered these enemies?
What I really would like to know is that are these monsters looking scary (just right) or over/underpowered for adventurers of 13-15th level? I have very little experience in paragon level play. If you guys have played paragon level characters, what would you think if you encountered these enemies?
That I can’t help with. My party is only level 2 (almost 3) lol.
Drow Master Scout
lvl 15 Elite Skirmisher (Ranger NPC)
Initiative: +14 Senses: Perception +19, darkvision
Speed 7 (see items)
Action points 1
Saving throws: +2
HP: 248 (124), 2 healing surges (surge value 62hp)
Defenses: AC 30; Fort27; Reflex 30; Will 26 (NOTE: subtract 1 from AC if the magical armor is not used)
Basic attack: Scimitar +18 vs AC, 1d8+6 damage (14+1d8+1d6 on a crit. Also,special: when the Master scout makes an attack and hits for the first time in the encounter, it makes a secondary attack: 18 vs. Fortitude; see drow poison for the effect.)
Ranged Basic attack: Hand Crossbow - Ranged 10/20; +19 vs. AC; 1d8 + 6 damage, and the Master Scout makes a secondary attack against the same target.
Secondary Attack: +18 vs. Fortitude; see drow poison for the effect.
At-will (ranger): Twin strike - The Master scout makes two scimitar attacks (damage is 1d8+2 per attack, 10+1d8+1d6 on a crit) or two hand crossbow attacks (1d8+2 damage).
Encounter power: Hawk’s talon: The master scout makes a melee or ranged basic attack with +3 to hit, it deals an extra +1d8 damage (melee) or +1d10 damage (ranged).
Encounter power (Drow, minor action): Cloud of darkness, see drow racial power for the effect.
Utility power (encounter, immediate interrupt, recharges when the master scout is bloodied the first time): Weave through the Fray – triggers when an enemy moves adjacent to Master scout, the master scout may shift up to 3 squares.
Utility power (daily, minor action): Undaunted stride (stance), the Master scout is not hindered by difficult terrain while the stance is active.
Daily power (ranger): Confounding arrows - The Master scout makes three ranged attacks (basic attack), A target hit once is dazed (save ends). A target hit twice is stunned (save ends). A target hit three times is stunned (save ends) and takes +2d10 damage.
Hunter’s quarry: The master scout has the ranger class ability of the same name and deals an extra +2d6 damage against his quarry once per round.
Combat Advantage
The drow warrior deals an extra 2d6 damage on melee and ranged attacks against any target it has combat advantage
against. (only once per round)
Drow Poison
A creature hit by a weapon coated in drow poison takes a –2
penalty to attack rolls (save ends). First Failed Save: The target is
also weakened (save ends). Second Failed Save: The target falls
unconscious until the end of the encounter.
Alignment: evil
Languages: Abyssal, Elven, Common
Skills: Dungeoneering14, Stealth17, Intimidate11, Perception19, Athletics13, Acrobatics13
Str 15 (+9) Dex 23 (+12) Wis 10 (+8)
Con 16 (+8) Int 20 (+11) Cha 12 (+9)
Items: Two hand crossbows (10 poisoned bolts and 10 unpoisoned), Two scimitars (Drow enchanted), Drow Battle armor +3 (drow chainmail, but treat as elven battle armor: +5 to saves vs. immobilize or stun, encounter power: minor action - gain +2 speed until end of your next round)
Note: Drow chainmail is treated as equivalent paragon level hide armor (same weight etc.) but can hold enchantments that are for either hide or chainmail armor.
Drow weapons deal an extra +1d6 damage on a crit if they are not already otherwise magical (effect of the underground radiation and enchantment that is powered with it).
The last notes are just flavor to keep the old edition fluff going with some mechanical effects.
This NPC/monster combo also alerted me to the potential problems in making monsters use PC powers, since the damage expressions are not compatible. I tried to make it so that the powers have the ranger “flavor” but are comparable to monster powers in damage when the combat advantage and quarry are used.
This NPC has a potentially very evil attack though. Confounding arrows with combat advantage agaist his quarry is a real killer: 3 x 1d8+6 damage for the basic attacks and then 4d6 extra for CA and quarry, additionally stun and drow poison are likely plus if all hit add further 2d10 damage. That is 3d8+4d6+2d10+18 damage for the whole barrage… 56.5 damage on average assuming they all hit.
Funny thing is that I made it using the DMG monster making rules. It should be “legal”.
Well, the confounding arrows will not all hit in practice and so forth.
This one depends quite a bit on combat advantage, though the quarry makes it quite tough even if it does not have CA.
It seems to have about 3 extra things than the Gith Gish when compared (not counting some things). The combat advantage/hunter’s quarry seems to be what puts it over the edge.
*edit: why does yours get surges? also, it seems quite a bit less powerful than the next level of elite skirmisher (the Dire Bulette at lvl 18).
All monsters have surges, one per tier. They are just normally not listed since monsters cannot use second wind.
I tend to list them for villains that might escape and get to use the surges when they rest, and also because they might have healing potions or a cleric leader can heal them (like the high priest above).
I suppose the power from having many abilities is not necessary so useful for monsters since the gap between their basic and encounter attacks is lesser than for PC’s. Also, NPC templates and monsters tend to have more abilities than monsters and elite monsters of the same level, this is fine with me as it makes NPC’s a bit more special.
Why does everyone think solo monsters cannot have allies? In the MM, solo monsters appear with other monsters exclusively in the example encounters. Nowhere is there listed an encounter that has just one solo monster. You just have to make sure the xp budget stays within the encounter level you wish to create. Also keep in mind that a fresh party can take out an encounter 4 levels higher than they are without much trouble.
So to answer your concern, a solo leader is fine. It just can’t have as many allies as an elite leader.
Oh, and the surges: if the extra surges are just for healing if she gets away? You’re the DM. Cheat. She’s got a potion that restores all her hit points. She owns the Fountain of Youth. She casts a ritual scroll that transfers all her damage to someone else (best).
