Need Help with Homebrew Final Boss

[Dr_Ruminahui]

Quickleaf has said most of what I would, but here are a few other comments:

Time's Erosion:
1. What does "no character can benefit from another character's effects, including flanking" mean? Does that mean they can't be healed by another character?

2. Replace the words "even if" with "whether".

3. As writen, it really messes with "once per when you die" effects - which may or may not be a good thing. If the PCs have used such effects a lot already, that's not a problem - however, if they haven't, with this being the last and most epic of their battles, taking those away just seems like a "screw you - I'm taking away your fun stuff" move.


Wrinkle in Time:
While characterful, mechanically I really don't see the purpose of this power - as noted, its basically just a table wide teleport (though, unlike teleport, moving away from an adjacent PC will provoke). Why not just up his teleport range and describe it as him exploiting time?

Not that its likely to come up, but why does he have truesight?

Timeline Blade Empowerment:
Swapping out ALL his powers seems, well, overly complicated for both you as a DM and for the players. Rather, I would have any blade he picks up give him a new power (depending on the blade), and he could only have one such power at a time. Perhaps use the following language: "Once per turn as a free action he may pick up a Timeline Blade, or swap a Timeline Blade he is currently holdiing with a new one. He gains the power associated with the Timeline Blade he picks up, and loses the power associated with the Timeline Blade he was previously holding".

Rewind Time:
As this is a rather huge nerf to characters who use zones (which are in turn typically dailies) I would make this a standard action.

Time Stealing Blade:
As noted by Quickleaf, the wording of this (and its interaction with Time's Reward) is confusing. Additionally, even though he can use action points as interupts, isn't getting a minor (which can be used to attack) AND a standard better (or at least of similar power)? Personally, I would simply remove the "critical" language from this power - IMHO all it does is add complexity.

 

[Arctic Wolf]

Time's Erosion:
1. What does "no character can benefit from another character's effects, including flanking" mean? Does that mean they can't be healed by another character?

2. Replace the words "even if" with "whether".

3. As writen, it really messes with "once per when you die" effects - which may or may not be a good thing. If the PCs have used such effects a lot already, that's not a problem - however, if they haven't, with this being the last and most epic of their battles, taking those away just seems like a "screw you - I'm taking away your fun stuff" move.


Wrinkle in Time:
While characterful, mechanically I really don't see the purpose of this power - as noted, its basically just a table wide teleport (though, unlike teleport, moving away from an adjacent PC will provoke). Why not just up his teleport range and describe it as him exploiting time?

Not that its likely to come up, but why does he have truesight?

Timeline Blade Empowerment:
Swapping out ALL his powers seems, well, overly complicated for both you as a DM and for the players. Rather, I would have any blade he picks up give him a new power (depending on the blade), and he could only have one such power at a time. Perhaps use the following language: "Once per turn as a free action he may pick up a Timeline Blade, or swap a Timeline Blade he is currently holdiing with a new one. He gains the power associated with the Timeline Blade he picks up, and loses the power associated with the Timeline Blade he was previously holding".

Rewind Time:
As this is a rather huge nerf to characters who use zones (which are in turn typically dailies) I would make this a standard action.

Time Stealing Blade:
As noted by Quickleaf, the wording of this (and its interaction with Time's Reward) is confusing. Additionally, even though he can use action points as interupts, isn't getting a minor (which can be used to attack) AND a standard better (or at least of similar power)? Personally, I would simply remove the "critical" language from this power - IMHO all it does is add complexity.

Time's Erosion: Yes I plan to include healing with this effect. To me it represents that since the PCs *time paths* no longer cross, they cannot help each other. And thanks, I suck at wording things xD. I am planning to revert the cannot come back to life thing now since there will be no healing, we shall see though.

Wrinkle in Time: To be honest, I couldn't come up with anything worthy of a name for it and wanted to try to keep it there but yeah, I will just make his teleport speed higher.

With the truesight thing, he sees everything by seeing the timelines of everyone there (can't see the future though since everything can change based on an action) and to be honest, the book didn't really give me a good idea of what truesight is xD. So if you could tell me, that would help.

Timeline Blade Empowerment: True, that would be a lot of work. I think I will add a standard or minor action like you said, no point in redoing everything.

Rewind Time: Makes sense, I will do that. Will make another minor action though.

Time Stealing Blade: Yep, and I know I suck at wording things as previously stated xD. Yeah, I think I will make it just so he gets to use a minor action and forgo the crit mechanic. Or just make it if he crits he gets a minor action.

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hi there Arctic Wolf!

Almost 1am here, I'll take a longer look tomorrow.

First Impressions of the above (Stage 3 I presume) form:

1. I'd add my Boss Monster and Boss Resilience Traits, giving him two turns of actions per round.

2. I'd allow him to crit normally on a 17-20. If he scores a crit he steals a standard action (otherwise just a minor action).

3. His damage is weak, plus (IMO) you are using the wrong die size for a controller.

His average damage should be 43. Therefore his standard attacks should be doing something like 8d6 + 15 (Time Stealing Blade) or 12d6 + 15 (Sphere of Ultimate Destruction).

4. His hit points are a bit pants - if the PCs know what they are doing they could kill him in one round. Maybe he should gain the insubstantial trait against any opponents he wins initiative against (let PCs reroll initiative each round)?

I'll maybe have some more thoughts on it tomorrow.

 

[Arctic Wolf]

Hi there Arctic Wolf!

Almost 1am here, I'll take a longer look tomorrow.

First Impressions of the above (Stage 3 I presume) form:

1. I'd add my Boss Monster and Boss Resilience Traits, giving him two turns of actions per round.

2. I'd allow him to crit normally on a 17-20. If he scores a crit he steals a standard action (otherwise just a minor action).

3. His damage is weak, plus (IMO) you are using the wrong die size for a controller.

His average damage should be 43. Therefore his standard attacks should be doing something like 8d6 + 15 (Time Stealing Blade) or 12d6 + 15 (Sphere of Ultimate Destruction).

4. His hit points are a bit pants - if the PCs know what they are doing they could kill him in one round. Maybe he should gain the insubstantial trait against any opponents he wins initiative against (let PCs reroll initiative each round)?

I'll maybe have some more thoughts on it tomorrow.

1) I will look at those again, they did look fun . It is funny you mention that because I was planning on doing that in the beginning but stepped away from it heh.

2) You don't think that will push it a bit? Critting on a 17 just seems dirty lol. I might make he that he gains an action point on a crit so he can use it anytime. What do you think?

3) Yeah, I am not sure what he is suppose to be yet lol. Maybe I should make him a skirmisher with his present set. I am not sure how the dmg thing works, is there a place where they give averages for a role?

4) Yeah, I orginally planned for this to be around 1500 hp when he wasn't a super solo but I may bump it up to 3000. That would be 1000 for each phase and would make it interesting . The plan for initiative is that he will prolly go first and such.

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hey Arctic Wolf!

1) I will look at those again, they did look fun . It is funny you mention that because I was planning on doing that in the beginning but stepped away from it heh.

2) You don't think that will push it a bit? Critting on a 17 just seems dirty lol. I might make he that he gains an action point on a crit so he can use it anytime. What do you think?

He's level 35. Critting on a 17-20 should be

Heroic Tier - Crit on 20
Paragon Tier - 19-20
Epic Tier - 18-20
Immortal Tier - 17-20

3) Yeah, I am not sure what he is suppose to be yet lol. Maybe I should make him a skirmisher with his present set.

Make his 3rd Phase role different to any others.

I am not sure how the dmg thing works, is there a place where they give averages for a role?

The average is always Level + 8 (halved for minions).

-25% for Minor Actions or Triggered Actions
-25% for Artillery Melee
-25% for attacks which target multiple foes
+25% for Recharge 4/5, +50% for Recharge 6/encounter/death
+25% for Brutes
+25% for Skirmishers with Combat Advantage
(Arguably) -25% for Lurkers, +50% for Lurkers attacking from hiding

4) Yeah, I orginally planned for this to be around 1500 hp when he wasn't a super solo but I may bump it up to 3000. That would be 1000 for each phase and would make it interesting . The plan for initiative is that he will prolly go first and such.

At Level 35, I assume he's going to be facing a Party in and around Level 30. They could easily deal 600 damage in one round. That's why I think the Insubstantial trait (when he wins initiative) is a good idea.

 

[dave2008]

Danger - Danger Artic Wolf!

Artic Wolf,
I fear you are committing one of the major sins of deadly Epic Campaigns. Taking out all of the fun for the PCs. What is the point of them being Epic if they don’t get to use their Epic powers. A good DM makes the fight difficult and engaging, maybe even a TPK, but you can’t take everything away from them.

Unfortunately I am only coming in at phase 3 of the fight, but it seems that at this point, based on the demon’s traits and powers, the PCs are only going to be able to spam at-wills. A pretty boring fight.

I would suggest that you try to lessen the impact (0of its traits/pwers) or make the PCs choose to use their cool powers (against some negative effect) rather than take them away completely. Remember, by level 30 they are demigods themselves. Just my 2 cents.

By the way, I really like how his powers build up its time theme – nice job

 

[Arctic Wolf]

Artic Wolf,
I fear you are committing one of the major sins of deadly Epic Campaigns. Taking out all of the fun for the PCs. What is the point of them being Epic if they don’t get to use their Epic powers. A good DM makes the fight difficult and engaging, maybe even a TPK, but you can’t take everything away from them.

Unfortunately I am only coming in at phase 3 of the fight, but it seems that at this point, based on the demon’s traits and powers, the PCs are only going to be able to spam at-wills. A pretty boring fight.

I would suggest that you try to lessen the impact (0of its traits/pwers) or make the PCs choose to use their cool powers (against some negative effect) rather than take them away completely. Remember, by level 30 they are demigods themselves. Just my 2 cents.

By the way, I really like how his powers build up its time theme – nice job

You do make a point there. How about if I were to make it so when they pick up a blade, they gain an encounter or daily power back? So they gain a power based on the sword and they also gain a power back.