(Psi)SeveredHead
Adventurer
Minor pedantic point. Monsters are entitled to one healing surge per tier, but they don't get Second Wind. (Of course, you could always give a monster the Second Wind power.)
D&D 4E The 4e Solo Thread
Minor pedantic point. Monsters are entitled to one healing surge per tier, but they don't get Second Wind. (Of course, you could always give a monster the Second Wind power.)
Quickleaf
Legend
Generally I don't like monster healing because it doesn't involve the players & makes combat last longer.
That said,one factor I've seen several times in solo fights is that the number of PCs makes a big difference. For example, a party of 4-5 PCs with classic party composition against an L to L+2 solo is about evenly matched. Make that 6-7 PCs or an all-striker/controller party and it's no longer a fair fight because they can lockdown and deal damage so fast the solo won't ever see it coming!
Normally I don't like the philosophy behind unexplained DC per level that was introduced in Essentials (I mean if it's a wooden door, it should break like a wooden door)...however solo monster mechanics are one area where it might make sense. What if solos were designed with abilities that had "per number of PCs it faces" clauses? For example, a lich with a "Soul Siphon" trait that gives it 125 HP per living creature fighting it at the start of initiative. Sort of a Schrodinger's Hit Points.
(Psi)SeveredHead
Adventurer
The colossus of Laam has Schrodinger's Actions.
But not hit points, though.
But not hit points, though.
Quickleaf
Legend
Thanks for the feedback up thread. Here's how my second pass at designing the monster for our upcoming adventure looks. This is just the wolf form, I'll get to the others when I have more time. As I haven't run this for my players yet, would love to hear how you think it gels together mechanically. 
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Beast of Bechauex (Level 13 Solo Brute)
Large natural humanoid (shapechanger) XP 4,000
HP 612; Bloodied 306
AC 25; Fortitude 26; Reflex25; Will 24
Speed 8; Initiative +11
Perception +13, low-light vision
Immune charm, polymorph
Resist 10 non-silver/blessed weapons
Vulnerable 15 criticals from silver/blessed weapons
Saving Throws +5; Action Points 1 (see skinchanging)
TRAITS
Blood Moon (Aura 5)
The Beast pinpoints invisible or hidden foes within his aura. The Beast and allies in his aura gain +2 attack and +5 damage against bloodied enemies.
Fierce Predator
The Beast treats immobilized as slowed, stunned as dazed, and when dazed can take opportunity and immediate actions.
Magic Wolfskin
Melee weapons that are not silver or blessed shatter after striking the Beast. If the weapon is magic it instead becomes useless until it is repaired.
Wolfpack Tactics (wolf form)
When the Beast hits a creature granting combat advantage, he knocks it prone. When he hits a prone creature he deals +2d10 damage.
STANDARD ACTIONS
Vicious Bite (wolf form) * At-Will
Attack:Melee 1; +18 vs AC
Hit: 3d10+10 damage and target contracts Moon Frenzy. Crit 40+2d10 damage and 15 ongoing damage (save ends) as Beast tears at their throat.
Cold Iron Great Axe (weapon) * At-Will
Attack: Melee 2; +18 vs AC
Hit: 3d12+10 damage. Crit 46+2d12+3d6 damage, or against fey 46+2d12+3d10 damage and immobilized (save ends).
Fury of the Wolf (wolf form)
Effect: The Beast makes two basic attacks and an ally in his aura makes one.
MINOR ACTIONS
Bloodcurdling Howl (fear, wolf form) * Recharge skinchanging
Attack: Close Burst 10 (all enemies); +16 vs Will
Hit: Cannot spend healing surges and suffer disadvantaged Perception checks until end of the Beast's next turn.
Effect: Summon 4 dire wolf minions at edge of burst.
Change Shape (polymorph) * At-Will
Effect: So long as he has his magic wolfskin, the Beast can alter his form to appear as a giant wolf or a man-wolf hybrid. This stat block assumes his hybrid form.
TRIGGERED ACTIONS
Takedown (wolf form) * At-Will
Trigger: When an enemy moves to flank the Beast or knocks him prone
Attack (Immediate Reaction): +16 vs Reflex
Hit: 2d10+10 damage, knocked prone, and the Beast can slide target to any unoccupied square adjacent to him.
Jaws of the Wolf (wolf form) * At-Will
Requirements: The Beast must be bloodied.
Trigger: When an enemy within 2 squares falls prone.
Effect (Free): The Beast shifts adjacent and makes a Vicious Bite against them. If the target attempts to stand while the Beast is adjacent, they provoke an opportunity attack from the Beast.
Skinchanging (polymorph) * Encounter
Trigger: When reduced to 460 HP
Effect (No Action): The Beast shakes off all conditions, shifts 2 squares, recharges and uses Bloodcrudling Howl as a free action, then assumes Werebear Form. His stats stay the same except that he loses all traits/powers with (wolf form) keyword and instead gains those with the (bear form) keyword. The same applies when he assumes Wereboar Form. When the Beast changes forms he gains an action point (and loses his action point from his last form if unspent).
Dark Will of the Wolfskin (polymorph) * At-Will
Trigger: When reduced to 0 HP by an attack lacking (silver) or (blessed)
Effect (No Action): The Beast assumes either of his alternate forms, regaining that any HP, but no action points. Alternately, he regains 154 HP.
Skills Acrobatics +16, Aletics +18, Insight +13, Intimidate +13, Stealth +13
Str 21 (+11), Con 21 (+11), Dex 21 (+11), Int 13 (+7), Wis 14 (+8), Cha 15 (+8)
Alignment chaotic evil
Languages Common, speak with wolves
Equipment magic wolfskin, cold iron greataxe +3
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Beast of Bechauex (Level 13 Solo Brute)
Large natural humanoid (shapechanger) XP 4,000
HP 612; Bloodied 306
AC 25; Fortitude 26; Reflex25; Will 24
Speed 8; Initiative +11
Perception +13, low-light vision
Immune charm, polymorph
Resist 10 non-silver/blessed weapons
Vulnerable 15 criticals from silver/blessed weapons
Saving Throws +5; Action Points 1 (see skinchanging)
TRAITS
Blood Moon (Aura 5)
The Beast pinpoints invisible or hidden foes within his aura. The Beast and allies in his aura gain +2 attack and +5 damage against bloodied enemies.
Fierce Predator
The Beast treats immobilized as slowed, stunned as dazed, and when dazed can take opportunity and immediate actions.
Magic Wolfskin
Melee weapons that are not silver or blessed shatter after striking the Beast. If the weapon is magic it instead becomes useless until it is repaired.
Wolfpack Tactics (wolf form)
When the Beast hits a creature granting combat advantage, he knocks it prone. When he hits a prone creature he deals +2d10 damage.
STANDARD ACTIONS
Vicious Bite (wolf form) * At-Will
Attack:Melee 1; +18 vs AC
Hit: 3d10+10 damage and target contracts Moon Frenzy. Crit 40+2d10 damage and 15 ongoing damage (save ends) as Beast tears at their throat.
Cold Iron Great Axe (weapon) * At-Will
Attack: Melee 2; +18 vs AC
Hit: 3d12+10 damage. Crit 46+2d12+3d6 damage, or against fey 46+2d12+3d10 damage and immobilized (save ends).
Fury of the Wolf (wolf form)
Effect: The Beast makes two basic attacks and an ally in his aura makes one.
MINOR ACTIONS
Bloodcurdling Howl (fear, wolf form) * Recharge skinchanging
Attack: Close Burst 10 (all enemies); +16 vs Will
Hit: Cannot spend healing surges and suffer disadvantaged Perception checks until end of the Beast's next turn.
Effect: Summon 4 dire wolf minions at edge of burst.
Change Shape (polymorph) * At-Will
Effect: So long as he has his magic wolfskin, the Beast can alter his form to appear as a giant wolf or a man-wolf hybrid. This stat block assumes his hybrid form.
TRIGGERED ACTIONS
Takedown (wolf form) * At-Will
Trigger: When an enemy moves to flank the Beast or knocks him prone
Attack (Immediate Reaction): +16 vs Reflex
Hit: 2d10+10 damage, knocked prone, and the Beast can slide target to any unoccupied square adjacent to him.
Jaws of the Wolf (wolf form) * At-Will
Requirements: The Beast must be bloodied.
Trigger: When an enemy within 2 squares falls prone.
Effect (Free): The Beast shifts adjacent and makes a Vicious Bite against them. If the target attempts to stand while the Beast is adjacent, they provoke an opportunity attack from the Beast.
Skinchanging (polymorph) * Encounter
Trigger: When reduced to 460 HP
Effect (No Action): The Beast shakes off all conditions, shifts 2 squares, recharges and uses Bloodcrudling Howl as a free action, then assumes Werebear Form. His stats stay the same except that he loses all traits/powers with (wolf form) keyword and instead gains those with the (bear form) keyword. The same applies when he assumes Wereboar Form. When the Beast changes forms he gains an action point (and loses his action point from his last form if unspent).
Dark Will of the Wolfskin (polymorph) * At-Will
Trigger: When reduced to 0 HP by an attack lacking (silver) or (blessed)
Effect (No Action): The Beast assumes either of his alternate forms, regaining that any HP, but no action points. Alternately, he regains 154 HP.
Skills Acrobatics +16, Aletics +18, Insight +13, Intimidate +13, Stealth +13
Str 21 (+11), Con 21 (+11), Dex 21 (+11), Int 13 (+7), Wis 14 (+8), Cha 15 (+8)
Alignment chaotic evil
Languages Common, speak with wolves
Equipment magic wolfskin, cold iron greataxe +3
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(Psi)SeveredHead
Adventurer
Here's one I intended to create for my now-finished Dark Sun campaign: Desverendi, an earth spirit of the land.
Desverendi is effectively an elemental/fey druid. I tried to include all of the abilities spirits of the land got in 2e and 3e.
This one is divided into three different roles.
For deciding on his solo resistances, I used this quick chart:
-Actions: Action Recovery (counters action denial) and immunity to sleep.
+Actions: Varied by forms, to avoid complacency.
Attack/damage penalty: Focused Brutality and Elder of Annihilation
Conditions: Varied by forms, to avoid complacency.
Flanked/surrounded: All-around vision. The last form is effectively impossible to stop moving.
Move: Relentless
Prone: Relentless
Desverendi is effectively an elemental/fey druid. I tried to include all of the abilities spirits of the land got in 2e and 3e.
This one is divided into three different roles.
For deciding on his solo resistances, I used this quick chart:
-Actions: Action Recovery (counters action denial) and immunity to sleep.
+Actions: Varied by forms, to avoid complacency.
Attack/damage penalty: Focused Brutality and Elder of Annihilation
Conditions: Varied by forms, to avoid complacency.
Flanked/surrounded: All-around vision. The last form is effectively impossible to stop moving.
Move: Relentless
Prone: Relentless
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Quickleaf
Legend
[MENTION=1165](Psi)SeveredHead[/MENTION]
Nice monster!
I have a design question, since I don't have experience with epic tier. Do you consider features like Focused Brutality (reduce attack penalties to Desverendi by 6) and Elder of Annihilation (prevent PCs from reducing damage deslt by Desverendi) necessary for epic solos to compete with epic PCs?
Nice monster!
I have a design question, since I don't have experience with epic tier. Do you consider features like Focused Brutality (reduce attack penalties to Desverendi by 6) and Elder of Annihilation (prevent PCs from reducing damage deslt by Desverendi) necessary for epic solos to compete with epic PCs?
(Psi)SeveredHead
Adventurer
My own experience with 4e is just up to 13th-level.
According to Sly Flourish (the site writer has epic experience) PCs frequently gain lots of resistance to damage at high levels. His recommended template gave monsters +5 damage per tier when bloodied to counteract this. That specific trait wouldn't really work for this multi-staged monster though, so I tried something different.
My own experience showed that attack penalties can come up a lot, and I don't think they're fun. I never throw attack penalties at PCs. If a PC is taking an attack penalty, it's because they're prone [and can get up] or blinded [and can often make AoE attacks] or marked (they can attack the soldier).
While in my current campaign I've banned AoE attack penalty powers, there's a shockingly large number of single-target powers like that, including an at-will paladin power in the PH1. If a PC blunts a single monster's attack that's not so bad, but the same power used on a solo can cripple it, the equivalent of five monsters, for a round. (To the point where I've had elites and solos not use their action points until the power wore off.) So now I have solos that resist that effect.
Quickleaf
Legend
Ok, so I think I've got a list of rules for solo design / major topics that should be covered in a design document:
Monster damage equivalence (e.g. solo should be worth 3-5 monsters' DPR)
Multi-attacks (connected to above, what is impact of choosing one type of multiattack vs. another? For example area attack vs. opportunity attack vs. minor action attack vs. dual basic attacks)
Schroedinger's stat block (i.e. needs to adapt to party size)
Action recovery (including mitigating attack penalties)
Auras (what makes a good solo aura? how to use effectively in encounter?)
Save...and then die powers (making "save ends" powers more suspenseful & increasing player agency...you don't just make a saving throw vs. fire, you leap into a waterfall!)
The Lair (how to design a lair to accentuate the solo's abilities?)
Combat Narrative/Development (solo fights are meant to take up table time, so the fight needs to evolve to stay interesting, what are some tricks to do this?)
Monster damage equivalence (e.g. solo should be worth 3-5 monsters' DPR)
Multi-attacks (connected to above, what is impact of choosing one type of multiattack vs. another? For example area attack vs. opportunity attack vs. minor action attack vs. dual basic attacks)
Schroedinger's stat block (i.e. needs to adapt to party size)
Action recovery (including mitigating attack penalties)
Auras (what makes a good solo aura? how to use effectively in encounter?)
Save...and then die powers (making "save ends" powers more suspenseful & increasing player agency...you don't just make a saving throw vs. fire, you leap into a waterfall!)
The Lair (how to design a lair to accentuate the solo's abilities?)
Combat Narrative/Development (solo fights are meant to take up table time, so the fight needs to evolve to stay interesting, what are some tricks to do this?)
Balesir
Adventurer
Linked to this one you might add "Mixing in other monsters with Solos to give Boss + Minion fights".
This works both to boost encounters for more characters and to give variety (below-level Solo plus a few Minions or a Standard or two).
Quickleaf
Legend
While you're absolutely right, I don't think there's a lot of design finesse with picking out other monsters to add to the encounter when compared to the complexities of designing a solo.
In other words, the pre-existing guidelines for encounter building suffice to cover that.
They do not suffice to cover everything else about the solo monster itself.
IMHO of course.
