D&D 5E Contagion and Boss Fights

[Andor]

No one seems to have an issue with Lair actions, correct?

So there is that at least.

For a Red dragon that includes fire damge, knocking people prone and poison gas clouds. For a Sphinx that includes time travel and fleeing to another dimension, so he's just going to go away until he feels better then come back and age you into dust, or turn you into a baby and sell you to a bad guy to use as armour.

 

[Dionysos]

No one seems to have an issue with Lair actions, correct?

So there is that at least.

For a Red dragon that includes fire damge, knocking people prone and poison gas clouds. For a Sphinx that includes time travel and fleeing to another dimension, so he's just going to go away until he feels better then come back and age you into dust, or turn you into a baby and sell you to a bad guy to use as armour.

Yay. They get something like 1/5th of their functionality. If they are in their lairs.

Anyway, my houserule is to have the disease have no effect until the third failed save. This makes the spell more sensible in terms of power level, and it has the bonus effect of modeling a creature attempting to "fight off" an infection before succumbing to it.

 

[Andor]

Anyway, my houserule is to have the disease have no effect until the third failed save. This makes the spell more sensible in terms of power level, and it has the bonus effect of modeling a creature attempting to "fight off" an infection before succumbing to it.

That's probably a sensible rule. Otoh if they make the save, you wasted a 5th level spell slot on nothing. Even if they fail it's been 3 to 5 rounds with no effect. The fights probably over.

But damn that is a potent spell. And it works on things it probably shouldn't work on, like Zombies.

 

[Paraxis]

Yay. They get something like 1/5th of their functionality. If they are in their lairs.

Anyway, my houserule is to have the disease have no effect until the third failed save. This makes the spell more sensible in terms of power level, and it has the bonus effect of modeling a creature attempting to "fight off" an infection before succumbing to it.

That makes the spell almost pointless, most fights are over by round 3 or 4 anyway just from damage.

 

[MightyZehir]

I think the main problem is just the stunned condition form slimy doom which doesn't even make sense. Since it is suppose to make the target bleed uncontrollably, I'll just rule that when the target takes damage , it take some extra damage from bleeding.

 

[Dionysos]

That makes the spell almost pointless, most fights are over by round 3 or 4 anyway just from damage.

Meh. It is useful as a way to curse sinners with a pestilence from the Lord/Mother Earth, which sounds like an awesome and appropriate cleric/druid spell to me. I'd much rather have it be a spell with marginal combat utility that tends toward roleplay uses than a stupid I Win button against what are supposed to be the toughest opponents in the game. YMMV.

 

[Li Shenron]

If the problem is with specific diseases, I'd just rule that either Contagion doesn't let you select ANY possible disease, or that Slimey Doom doesn't exist at all in our world.

That makes the spell almost pointless, most fights are over by round 3 or 4 anyway just from damage.

That's because Contagion possibly should have better been pointless in combat.

An evil spellcaster capable of spreading a disease in a kingdom, or using it to assassinate an enemy is narratively cool.

A spellcaster killing an opponent in combat with a spell that makes the target go sick for 12 seconds before being stabbed to death anyway is only very marginally cool. It's only a narratively minor variation of "we'll kill you in 3 rounds anyway". (Although tactically, it does increase your range of options, which is good).

Really this kind of problems are the result of wanting to "combat-ize" everything in a RPG. Disease and poison become just another flavor variation of damage, instead of being plot hooks.

 

[Cybit]

That, or Lesser Restoration is going to be a must have on my BBEGs. (Or they are going to be undead / other immune to natural disease monsters). I thought they were going to make this so you had to fail at least one save before the disease kicked in. >_<

 

[pemerton]

No one seems to have an issue with Lair actions, correct?

I'm not sure what you mean by "issue". It seems to me that, inherent in the label "lair action", is the status of these as a variety of action. And hence something that a stunned creature can't perform.

That makes the spell almost pointless, most fights are over by round 3 or 4 anyway just from damage.

if they make the save, you wasted a 5th level spell slot on nothing. Even if they fail it's been 3 to 5 rounds with no effect. The fights probably over.

I'm with [MENTION=21540]Dionysos[/MENTION] and [MENTION=1465]Li Shenron[/MENTION]. A spell that causes disease isn't a combat spell (or, rather, that shouldn't be its primary function). It is a type of curse.

 

[MightyZehir]

Another option is allowing the legendary resistance to work even though it requires 3 saves. I don't see why a legendary creature can end effect from 9th level spell but not one from 5th level. The goal of the game is creating fun and exciting encounters, not taking turns beating on a sack of hit points for 3 turns.