DM advice needed - my party one-round BBEG's

[biktin]

To summarise:
Solo monsters are very poorly done. So get four monsters (what the encounter system is roughly based around), and make them one monster.
So four health bars, one turn in the Initiative order per Health Bar, no bleed over damage between health bars, and recovering from all inflictions when a health bar is fully depleted (and no healing depleted health bars).

That's really interesting, might try it on a "sub boss" to see how that pans out.

 

[Yunru]

That's really interesting, might try it on a "sub boss" to see how that pans out.

Best bit is, they don't even have to be exactly the same. Nor does the number of attacks have to equal the number of health bars left.

One of my bosses is a Vampire noble, who fights very calmly and collectedly.

Once you deplete is first (of two) health bars, his armour's shorn off and he transforms into a raging barbarian with two goes per round.

EDIT: Just remember to calculate the encounter budget and whatnot as if they were separate creatures. For instance, an encounter with two level 20 creatures, is the same adjusted Exp as one level 25 creature.

 

[Quartz]

Something you might try is to give the boss a large pool of Temporary (or Lair) HP, so that the PCs can strike it without killing it on the first round or two, but so that a second encounter isn't overwhelming if they force the boss to flee - the boss can't get healed back up to maximum.

 

[Bupp]

I've used a few converters, but it takes a while and actually I've found re-skinning existing monsters to be fun and quick. For example the Wyverns in Fortress of the Stone Giants were swapped with elder shadow drakes from tome of beasts.

I'm finding the AP a bit too combat-oriented for my taste but to be honest my players (mostly) prefer that.

I love throwing in new monsters that are just different enough to confound the players.

A lot of the APs have this problem. You needed fights to gain the XP to level up to the appropriate level for the next adventure.

Milestone leveling solves this problem, as well as making a lot less bookkeeping for you. If you don't want it to seem hand-wavy, or your players like counting XP, just assign XP to get them where they need to be.

 

[biktin]

I love throwing in new monsters that are just different enough to confound the players.

A lot of the APs have this problem. You needed fights to gain the XP to level up to the appropriate level for the next adventure.

Milestone leveling solves this problem, as well as making a lot less bookkeeping for you. If you don't want it to seem hand-wavy, or your players like counting XP, just assign XP to get them where they need to be.

I took on milestone-ish levelling once they reached level 5. At first I kept a rough tally but now I don't at all (particularly as the campaign gained momentum), and I can't imagine ever doing the other way again. Anyway, I expect that's another thread entirely!

 

[biktin]

One other thing: what CR monsters are you throwing at them? To even start to challenge 5 lvl 10 you need at least a CR 15 legendary. And quite possible higher (or you can use my suggestions to improve lower CR creatures)

Last session was mainly RP (yay) but we ended on a fight (which I try to do if possible). The fight was a single CR9 Glabrezu. It gave them real problems - it has some really neat abilities. I'd say I've seen them more easily handle 3 or 4 stone giants. CR is a funny old thing

However, I normally use Kobold Fight Club to calculate XP budgets etc.

Of course what they don't know, since we ran out of time for the session, is that they are only on wave one. Second wave is 3 x CR5, third is 3 x CR5 + CR15 legendary. But then they're done for that day, their next stop will be a few weeks travel (if they follow the clues, of course).

 

[dave2008]

Last session was mainly RP (yay) but we ended on a fight (which I try to do if possible). The fight was a single CR9 Glabrezu. It gave them real problems - it has some really neat abilities. I'd say I've seen them more easily handle 3 or 4 stone giants. CR is a funny old thing

However, I normally use Kobold Fight Club to calculate XP budgets etc.

Of course what they don't know, since we ran out of time for the session, is that they are only on wave one. Second wave is 3 x CR5, third is 3 x CR5 + CR15 legendary. But then they're done for that day, their next stop will be a few weeks travel (if they follow the clues, of course).

Magic Using monsters can be tricky for PCs - if the DM's can use them effectively. Sounds like they will have a quite a ride ahead of them.

 

[Nebulous]

Higher AC, more HP, permanent Lair effects that protect/alert it, and if the PCs have 2 Feats, I would give the BBEG two equivalent Feats tailored specifically to it.