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Immortals Handbook: Gods & Monsters 5E Early Preview (Feedback encouraged)
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<blockquote data-quote="Upper_Krust" data-source="post: 8781783" data-attributes="member: 326"><p>Howdy Lordnightshade2! <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /> </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Okay lets break this down.</p><p></p><p>1. The breath weapon can be used in conjunction with its bite and claws. Its no longer an either/or scenario.</p><p>2. Once bloodied, the dragons breath weapon jumps to 80/160* damage.</p><p>3. Insidious Gaze (Legendary Ability) let's the dragon strip away Fire Resistance.</p><p>4. Note this Ancient Red Dragon rates in at CR 20 (and its balanced for CR 20...even though it does far more damage than the official dragon stats).</p><p></p><p>*160 is higher than a maximised 26d6 from the official Ancient Red dragon.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Note how many of the dragon's attacks knock a target prone, grapple and throw them or swat them away (if problematic). Plus Smoke Snort can give a temporary Disadvantage debuff.</p><p></p><p>Flight is certainly an advantage, but increasingly less of an advantage the higher level the PCs are since they will likely also have flight or at least access to it.</p><p></p><p>The Dragon has Damage Threshold 20, so it needed a weak spot somewhere.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>I'll consider it. I have a specific way of balancing various attacks/abilities as Legendary Actions for monsters. I do admit they were initially set up to have 3 Legendary Actions (the reason its dropped to 2 is because of the CR drop, with Legendary Actions increasing by 1 per 4 CR after 13 - I'll think about buffing it to CR 21).</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Thanks.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>That's a good idea. </p><p></p><p>In my defense, this monster is something of an after-thought, rather than a true champion. That said, it does guard the door to his workshop, so by rights it should have something unique to it...maybe a breastplate that covers its weak-spot (until some Rogue cuts the straps).</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>True and technically that was my goal, simply to see what my take on an Ancient Red Dragon would be.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>All monsters with Legendary Actions treated as if 'magical' for the purposes of attacks - I'm trying to keep the stat-blocks to 1 page (where possible, hence that wasn't mentioned).</p><p></p><p>Ardalus is the adopted Son of Hephaestus, I agree it should have some unique item/gift to set it beyond a typical Ancient Red (albeit I had only designed it as an Ancient Red to contrast my methods with the official counterpart).</p><p></p><p>Thank you very much for the feedback. Greatly appreciated.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Upper_Krust, post: 8781783, member: 326"] Howdy Lordnightshade2! :) Okay lets break this down. 1. The breath weapon can be used in conjunction with its bite and claws. Its no longer an either/or scenario. 2. Once bloodied, the dragons breath weapon jumps to 80/160* damage. 3. Insidious Gaze (Legendary Ability) let's the dragon strip away Fire Resistance. 4. Note this Ancient Red Dragon rates in at CR 20 (and its balanced for CR 20...even though it does far more damage than the official dragon stats). *160 is higher than a maximised 26d6 from the official Ancient Red dragon. Note how many of the dragon's attacks knock a target prone, grapple and throw them or swat them away (if problematic). Plus Smoke Snort can give a temporary Disadvantage debuff. Flight is certainly an advantage, but increasingly less of an advantage the higher level the PCs are since they will likely also have flight or at least access to it. The Dragon has Damage Threshold 20, so it needed a weak spot somewhere. I'll consider it. I have a specific way of balancing various attacks/abilities as Legendary Actions for monsters. I do admit they were initially set up to have 3 Legendary Actions (the reason its dropped to 2 is because of the CR drop, with Legendary Actions increasing by 1 per 4 CR after 13 - I'll think about buffing it to CR 21). Thanks. That's a good idea. In my defense, this monster is something of an after-thought, rather than a true champion. That said, it does guard the door to his workshop, so by rights it should have something unique to it...maybe a breastplate that covers its weak-spot (until some Rogue cuts the straps). True and technically that was my goal, simply to see what my take on an Ancient Red Dragon would be. All monsters with Legendary Actions treated as if 'magical' for the purposes of attacks - I'm trying to keep the stat-blocks to 1 page (where possible, hence that wasn't mentioned). Ardalus is the adopted Son of Hephaestus, I agree it should have some unique item/gift to set it beyond a typical Ancient Red (albeit I had only designed it as an Ancient Red to contrast my methods with the official counterpart). Thank you very much for the feedback. Greatly appreciated. [/QUOTE]
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