CapnZapp
Legend
Forked from: Best and worst of 4th Ed. Monsters
Questions regarding this monster (MM page 34):
First and most important question: is it at all possible to tell the original apart from the duplicates? Or do you need to realize "let's attack the one not causing psychic damage?".
"Duplicates last until the berbalang reaches 0 hit points, absorbs them, or uses sacrifice."
So a duplicate isn't "killed" when it reaches zero hp, only when the berbalang itself does?!?
"A duplicate must stay within 10 squares of the berbalang at all times or it disappears."
So one easy way of winning the fight is to force-move the berbalang out of range of its duplicates? (Not outright winning, but at least depriving the monster of its "allies", and a bucketload of hp as well)
"When the berbalang manifests a duplicate, the berbalang loses one-quarter of its current hit points"
So each manifested duplicate has less hp than the last?
#1: 102 hp (Barbalang has 306 hp remaining)
#2: 76 hp (Barbalang has 229 hp remaining)
#3: 57 hp (Barbalang has 172 hp remaining)
#4: 43 hp (Barbalang has 129 hp remaining)
With Excel, this was easy to calculate. But in play? (Isn't this too complicated for 4E, you think?)
"Summon Duplicate (minor, not while bloodied; at-will)"
(My emphasis)
"It can have no more than four duplicates at once"
The barbalang becomes bloodied at 204 hp. How does it ever manifest its fourth simultaneous duplicate?!
"Absorb Duplicate
The berbalang absorbs a duplicate adjacent to it and regains 50 hit points."
Okay, so it makes sense for the berbalang to reabsorb duplicates that have taken lots of damage, healing itself in the process.
Now, I haven't done the math, but my first thought was that if it could manifest that crucial fourth duplicate (which the text heavily suggests), it has a ready source of exactly 28 free hp.
Manifest a fourth duplicate, lose 43 hp. Absorb, gain 50 hp. Repeat until duplicate manifests with exactly 50 hp. Then begin combat.
(No, it really doesn't work... If it somehow heals those 204-172=32 hp needed to manifest a fourth time, that duplicate starts out with 51 hp, which is exactly the amount needed for reabsorbtion to work at a loss. At least here the designer did his homework
My final question is for those who have run this monster in actual play. It seems the Berbalang exposes itself to tremendous risk - it will quickly lower its hp to about half. Doesn't this equip the monster with a glass jaw?
Its reabsorption ability sounds good in theory, but as its attacks differ from those of its duplicates, it seems to be easy to tell them apart. A party that doesn't waste any attacks on duplicates will win the encounter fairly quickly, assuming the monster appears alone.
If the berbalang chooses to heal, it does nothing but reabsorb duplicates. This also removes opponents, so this strategy fails quickly.
It seems its best strategy is simply to fight on, hoping to have enough time to sacrifice all its duplicates before it dies. But removing an ally and risking 25 hp seems an awfully steep price to pay, even for the extra damage...
To me the berbalang is either an easy win (if you ignore its duplicates) or almost an unbeatable encounter (if you run it so duplicates and original can't be told apart).
Zapp
PS. I didn't see a way to fork this new thread directly into the 4e rules forum. Mods, feel free to move it there.
PPS. Yes, I checked the errata. Nothing on the berbalang.
Wik said:
Questions regarding this monster (MM page 34):
First and most important question: is it at all possible to tell the original apart from the duplicates? Or do you need to realize "let's attack the one not causing psychic damage?".
"Duplicates last until the berbalang reaches 0 hit points, absorbs them, or uses sacrifice."
So a duplicate isn't "killed" when it reaches zero hp, only when the berbalang itself does?!?
"A duplicate must stay within 10 squares of the berbalang at all times or it disappears."
So one easy way of winning the fight is to force-move the berbalang out of range of its duplicates? (Not outright winning, but at least depriving the monster of its "allies", and a bucketload of hp as well)
"When the berbalang manifests a duplicate, the berbalang loses one-quarter of its current hit points"
So each manifested duplicate has less hp than the last?
#1: 102 hp (Barbalang has 306 hp remaining)
#2: 76 hp (Barbalang has 229 hp remaining)
#3: 57 hp (Barbalang has 172 hp remaining)
#4: 43 hp (Barbalang has 129 hp remaining)
With Excel, this was easy to calculate. But in play? (Isn't this too complicated for 4E, you think?)
"Summon Duplicate (minor, not while bloodied; at-will)"
(My emphasis)
"It can have no more than four duplicates at once"
The barbalang becomes bloodied at 204 hp. How does it ever manifest its fourth simultaneous duplicate?!
"Absorb Duplicate
The berbalang absorbs a duplicate adjacent to it and regains 50 hit points."
Okay, so it makes sense for the berbalang to reabsorb duplicates that have taken lots of damage, healing itself in the process.
Now, I haven't done the math, but my first thought was that if it could manifest that crucial fourth duplicate (which the text heavily suggests), it has a ready source of exactly 28 free hp.
Manifest a fourth duplicate, lose 43 hp. Absorb, gain 50 hp. Repeat until duplicate manifests with exactly 50 hp. Then begin combat.
(No, it really doesn't work... If it somehow heals those 204-172=32 hp needed to manifest a fourth time, that duplicate starts out with 51 hp, which is exactly the amount needed for reabsorbtion to work at a loss. At least here the designer did his homework
My final question is for those who have run this monster in actual play. It seems the Berbalang exposes itself to tremendous risk - it will quickly lower its hp to about half. Doesn't this equip the monster with a glass jaw?
Its reabsorption ability sounds good in theory, but as its attacks differ from those of its duplicates, it seems to be easy to tell them apart. A party that doesn't waste any attacks on duplicates will win the encounter fairly quickly, assuming the monster appears alone.
If the berbalang chooses to heal, it does nothing but reabsorb duplicates. This also removes opponents, so this strategy fails quickly.
It seems its best strategy is simply to fight on, hoping to have enough time to sacrifice all its duplicates before it dies. But removing an ally and risking 25 hp seems an awfully steep price to pay, even for the extra damage...
To me the berbalang is either an easy win (if you ignore its duplicates) or almost an unbeatable encounter (if you run it so duplicates and original can't be told apart).
Zapp
PS. I didn't see a way to fork this new thread directly into the 4e rules forum. Mods, feel free to move it there.
PPS. Yes, I checked the errata. Nothing on the berbalang.
