Though just because it was easy doesn't mean I did a good job.
What are your experiences making a Legendary creature to challenge your players? Here's mine.
I like that Legendary creatures exist to make solo monsters tougher and I like the UA article on monster encounters that has a specific table for solo Legendary monsters.
The party I am DMing for will be 6 5th level PCs by the time they encounter the BBEG. The BBEG in question is a creature called Kartoeba from the module B10 Night's Dark Terror.
Its description from the module:
The mindless abomination known as
Kartoeba is the ancient guardian of the
Hutaakan Temple of Pflarr. It has a
nightmarish form — a large green mound
of ooze with four 40-foot-long tentacles and
a hideous gaping glutinous maw — and
any characters seeing it for the first time
will be affected by the equivalent of a cause
fear spell unless they make a successful
saving throw vs. Spells at +4. Despite its
size, Kartoeba can move silently and climb
vertical surfaces, leaving only occasional
smears of slime to mark its passing.
The creature has Hit Dice of 10** where each star indicates a special power. I've generally discovered that a creature with a few * is roughly equal to its CR in Hit Dice. Conveniently, a 10 CR creature is what the UA article says would be a "deadly" battle for 6 5th level characters. The PCs should have full HP since it should be their only battle of the day.
The stats for the original creature:
ARMOUR CLASS: 6
HIT DICE: 10**
MOVE: 60' (20')
ATTACKS: 4 tentacles (+ acid slime)
DAMAGE: 1-4 (x4) (+ 2-12)
NO. APPEARING: Unique
SAVE AS: Fighter: 10
MORALE: 10
TREASURE TYPE: G
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
XP VALUE: 2500
It also has these abilities as described in the module:
In addition to causing damage by lashing
(usual chance to hit), Kartoeba's tentacles
also wrap around and grasp opponents if
the to hit roll was sufficient to hit armour
class 6 (modified by the target's dexterity
adjustments). Grabbed characters are automatically
dragged into Kartoeba's maw at a
rate of 10' per round, and held there while
it secrets a digestive slime over them. This
slime has the same effects as the acid of
black puddings (EX46) except that it
inflicts only 2d6 points of damage per
round. Kartoeba's maw can only attack
held characters.
Looking at Legendary creatures I found the Kraken is basically a CR 20 version of the same thing (tentacles, acid maw) and I got a rough idea of what CR10 creatures can do by looking at their MM entries.
This is what I came up with:
KARTOEBA
AC: 17
HP: 170 (20d10+60)
Speed: 20 ft., climb 20 ft.
STR: 18(+4) DEX: 14(+2) CON: 16(+3) INT: 3(-4) WIS: 14(+2) CHA: 8(-1)
Saving Throws: Str +8, Con +7, Wis +6
Skills: Stealth +10, Perception +6
Senses: Darkvision 90 ft.
Languages -
Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)
Fear Aura. Any characters seeing Kartoeba will be affected by the equivalent of a fear spell unless they make a successful DC 14 Wisdom saving throw. Once a creature makes a successful save, it can't be affected by this ability until the next day. Kartoeba can use this effect without needing to Concentrate.
Regional Effect. Kartoeba emits copious amounts of slime. Within Kartoeba's lair all movement within 60 feet of Kartoeba is considered difficut terrain.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. Kartoeba makes four tentacle attacks, each of which it can replace with one use of Drop or Pull to Maw.
Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: + 8 to hit, reach 40 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d4+4) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 16). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained. Kartoeba has four tentacles, each of which can grapple one target.
Drop. One Large or smaller object held or creature grappled by the Kraken is dropped up to 30 feet onto the ground and knocked prone. If the dropped creatured strikes a solid surface, the target takes 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet it was dropped. If the target is dropped upon another creature, that creature must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or take the same damage and be knocked prone.
Pull to Maw. One Large or smaller creature grappled by Kartoeba may be pulled into Kartoeba's maw, and the target is grappled (escape DC16) by Kartoeba's jaws. Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained. Once per turn, on Kartoeba's turn, Kartoeba may inflict 10 (3d6) acid damage from acidic saliva upon one creature grappled by Kartoeba's jaws.
LEGENDARY ACTIONS
Tentacle Attack or Drop or Pull to Maw. Kartoeba makes one tentacle attack, uses its Drop, or uses its Pull to Maw.
What are your experiences making a Legendary creature to challenge your players? Here's mine.
I like that Legendary creatures exist to make solo monsters tougher and I like the UA article on monster encounters that has a specific table for solo Legendary monsters.
The party I am DMing for will be 6 5th level PCs by the time they encounter the BBEG. The BBEG in question is a creature called Kartoeba from the module B10 Night's Dark Terror.
Its description from the module:
The mindless abomination known as
Kartoeba is the ancient guardian of the
Hutaakan Temple of Pflarr. It has a
nightmarish form — a large green mound
of ooze with four 40-foot-long tentacles and
a hideous gaping glutinous maw — and
any characters seeing it for the first time
will be affected by the equivalent of a cause
fear spell unless they make a successful
saving throw vs. Spells at +4. Despite its
size, Kartoeba can move silently and climb
vertical surfaces, leaving only occasional
smears of slime to mark its passing.
The creature has Hit Dice of 10** where each star indicates a special power. I've generally discovered that a creature with a few * is roughly equal to its CR in Hit Dice. Conveniently, a 10 CR creature is what the UA article says would be a "deadly" battle for 6 5th level characters. The PCs should have full HP since it should be their only battle of the day.
The stats for the original creature:
ARMOUR CLASS: 6
HIT DICE: 10**
MOVE: 60' (20')
ATTACKS: 4 tentacles (+ acid slime)
DAMAGE: 1-4 (x4) (+ 2-12)
NO. APPEARING: Unique
SAVE AS: Fighter: 10
MORALE: 10
TREASURE TYPE: G
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
XP VALUE: 2500
It also has these abilities as described in the module:
In addition to causing damage by lashing
(usual chance to hit), Kartoeba's tentacles
also wrap around and grasp opponents if
the to hit roll was sufficient to hit armour
class 6 (modified by the target's dexterity
adjustments). Grabbed characters are automatically
dragged into Kartoeba's maw at a
rate of 10' per round, and held there while
it secrets a digestive slime over them. This
slime has the same effects as the acid of
black puddings (EX46) except that it
inflicts only 2d6 points of damage per
round. Kartoeba's maw can only attack
held characters.
Looking at Legendary creatures I found the Kraken is basically a CR 20 version of the same thing (tentacles, acid maw) and I got a rough idea of what CR10 creatures can do by looking at their MM entries.
This is what I came up with:
KARTOEBA
AC: 17
HP: 170 (20d10+60)
Speed: 20 ft., climb 20 ft.
STR: 18(+4) DEX: 14(+2) CON: 16(+3) INT: 3(-4) WIS: 14(+2) CHA: 8(-1)
Saving Throws: Str +8, Con +7, Wis +6
Skills: Stealth +10, Perception +6
Senses: Darkvision 90 ft.
Languages -
Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)
Fear Aura. Any characters seeing Kartoeba will be affected by the equivalent of a fear spell unless they make a successful DC 14 Wisdom saving throw. Once a creature makes a successful save, it can't be affected by this ability until the next day. Kartoeba can use this effect without needing to Concentrate.
Regional Effect. Kartoeba emits copious amounts of slime. Within Kartoeba's lair all movement within 60 feet of Kartoeba is considered difficut terrain.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. Kartoeba makes four tentacle attacks, each of which it can replace with one use of Drop or Pull to Maw.
Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: + 8 to hit, reach 40 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d4+4) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 16). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained. Kartoeba has four tentacles, each of which can grapple one target.
Drop. One Large or smaller object held or creature grappled by the Kraken is dropped up to 30 feet onto the ground and knocked prone. If the dropped creatured strikes a solid surface, the target takes 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet it was dropped. If the target is dropped upon another creature, that creature must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or take the same damage and be knocked prone.
Pull to Maw. One Large or smaller creature grappled by Kartoeba may be pulled into Kartoeba's maw, and the target is grappled (escape DC16) by Kartoeba's jaws. Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained. Once per turn, on Kartoeba's turn, Kartoeba may inflict 10 (3d6) acid damage from acidic saliva upon one creature grappled by Kartoeba's jaws.
LEGENDARY ACTIONS
Tentacle Attack or Drop or Pull to Maw. Kartoeba makes one tentacle attack, uses its Drop, or uses its Pull to Maw.
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