Gort
Explorer
My party:
18 elf druid.
8 rogue/10 slayer of domiel halfling. (basically a good assassin)
18 human warmage.
14 human paladin cohort to the halfling.
Pretty well built characters, using most of the complete series of splatbooks.
In my last game I ran four advanced Chuuls (33 HD, huge, CR 14 each for a total of CR 18) The paladin and warmage both ended up grappled and paralysed for pretty much the entire fight. I reckon it would've ended up a TPK if the fight wasn't taking place on an asteroid on the astral plane, basically allowing the party to quicken one spell for free every round.
Later, once that horrible fight was finally over (with the death of two Chuuls and the successful retreat of the other two) the party encountered four Truly Horrid Umber Hulks. (20 HD, huge, CR 14 each for a total of CR 18) Since the hulks had a lot fewer hitdice than the chuuls, they failed saves quickly to the warmages prismatic spray spells and ended up insane, on other planes and turned to stone in short order.
These fights were nothing like the same CR, so I'm suspecting that I've missed something when levelling up the Chuuls.
They start with 11 HD and CR 7. I added 22 HD, and since aberration HD are 4 for each increase in CR, that's an extra 5 CR, for a total of 12. This increases their size to huge from large, so that's an extra 1 CR for a total of 13. I also based them on the elite array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8) which is one more CR, for the final score of 14.
Due to their massive HD, the DC for their paralysing effect became 37. 10 + half hitdice (16) + con mod (11). The final stat block is:
Str: 34 +12
Dex: 22 +6
Con: 32 +11
Int: 14 +2
Wis: 18 +4
Cha: 5 -3
AC: 27
Touch: 14
HP: 548
Fort: 21
Ref: 16
Will: 24
BAB: 24
Init: 10
Attacks:
2 Claws +34, 4D6+12
There are a bunch of feats that change things slightly (improved toughness, improved natural attack) so if the above look a little wrong that's why.
However, compared to the patheticness of the "truly horrid" umber hulk, I can't help but think I've done something wrong. Can anyone help illuminate what it might be?
18 elf druid.
8 rogue/10 slayer of domiel halfling. (basically a good assassin)
18 human warmage.
14 human paladin cohort to the halfling.
Pretty well built characters, using most of the complete series of splatbooks.
In my last game I ran four advanced Chuuls (33 HD, huge, CR 14 each for a total of CR 18) The paladin and warmage both ended up grappled and paralysed for pretty much the entire fight. I reckon it would've ended up a TPK if the fight wasn't taking place on an asteroid on the astral plane, basically allowing the party to quicken one spell for free every round.
Later, once that horrible fight was finally over (with the death of two Chuuls and the successful retreat of the other two) the party encountered four Truly Horrid Umber Hulks. (20 HD, huge, CR 14 each for a total of CR 18) Since the hulks had a lot fewer hitdice than the chuuls, they failed saves quickly to the warmages prismatic spray spells and ended up insane, on other planes and turned to stone in short order.
These fights were nothing like the same CR, so I'm suspecting that I've missed something when levelling up the Chuuls.
They start with 11 HD and CR 7. I added 22 HD, and since aberration HD are 4 for each increase in CR, that's an extra 5 CR, for a total of 12. This increases their size to huge from large, so that's an extra 1 CR for a total of 13. I also based them on the elite array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8) which is one more CR, for the final score of 14.
Due to their massive HD, the DC for their paralysing effect became 37. 10 + half hitdice (16) + con mod (11). The final stat block is:
Str: 34 +12
Dex: 22 +6
Con: 32 +11
Int: 14 +2
Wis: 18 +4
Cha: 5 -3
AC: 27
Touch: 14
HP: 548
Fort: 21
Ref: 16
Will: 24
BAB: 24
Init: 10
Attacks:
2 Claws +34, 4D6+12
There are a bunch of feats that change things slightly (improved toughness, improved natural attack) so if the above look a little wrong that's why.
However, compared to the patheticness of the "truly horrid" umber hulk, I can't help but think I've done something wrong. Can anyone help illuminate what it might be?