The Devil's in the Details: Slavicsek reveals the Pit Fiend in all its glory

[helium3]

How does 3e not do this? You are given a stat block for a monster. How is that monster not "the exact same for every encounter"?

You give them class levels. You give them unique abilities. You give them the McGuffin that does what you want.

The designers have said you can do all of the above in 4e.

Where's the issue?

Where did they say this? I've not heard anything in any of the podcasts or read anything in any of the design and development articles that says that monsters will be mod-able beyond the existence of a table that breaks out the various monster roles and the appropriate range of values for each role at a given table.

 

[Rolzup]

I would expect that the demons that he summons will generally not be used as suicide bombers, but will be capable combatants in their own right...which he can turn into weapons when and if the PCs put them on the ropes.

Plus, it also allows a use for those lesser devils who would normally be completely irrelevant to a high-level fight. The Fiend directs a bunch of Dretch to grapple the wizard, and then spends a few actions to immolate them and the poor caster.

How many Minor actions can be taken in a single round, if that's all you're doing?

 

[Lizard]

In addition, the fear aura inflicts a penalty on attacks instead of making the opponent run. This is possibly another change in line with the philosophy of keeping the player in the game as much as possible.

I'd call that last a Win, since there are few things more boring than a PC just running away for half the fight. The same applies to "Stunned for 3d4 turns" or what-not. Saves every round are definitely an improvement.

The other changes...less so. The creature is so...so...*specialized*. It doesn't FEEL like something which has a life outside of an encounter. (This problem is pretty much endemic to 4e. I would have something like 'Common combat abilities' and 'full abilities', the latter being additional powers to round out the beast and make them more interesting for worldbuilding and social encounters.)

 

[ThirdWizard]

Where did they say this? I've not heard anything in any of the podcasts or read anything in any of the design and development articles that says that monsters will be mod-able beyond the existence of a table that breaks out the various monster roles and the appropriate range of values for each role at a given table.

Someone from WotC (mearls?) posted that you can add class levels to monsters.

 

[ThirdWizard]

How many Minor actions can be taken in a single round, if that's all you're doing?

The article mentions turning a Move action into a Minor action, so it seems reasonable to do so with a Standard as well, meaning 3 times if he spent all actions on that. Or, if you're feeling crazy, 4 times with an Action Point.

 

[Reynard]

Compared with the 3e version, the pit fiend has lost:

1. Immunity to fire and poision (has resistance instead)
2. Resistance to cold and acid
3. Spell resistance
4. Damage reduction
5. Regeneration
6. Spell-like abilities such as blasphemy, create undead, fireball, greater dispel magic, greater teleport, invisibility, magic circle against good, mass hold monster, persistent image, power word stun, unholy aura, meteor swarm (making allies explode recalls fireball/meteor swarm, though)
7. Diseased bite
8. Improved grab and constrict

In addition, the fear aura inflicts a penalty on attacks instead of making the opponent run. This is possibly another change in line with the philosophy of keeping the player in the game as much as possible.

In addition, the pit fiend possessed skills that allowed it to actually fill its role (not Role, but you know, job): Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate most notably. Given that there is an intention to create social skill contests in 4E, one might have suspected a noble of hell to have some stat element related to leadership or diplomacy.

EDIT: I take it back. After thinking about it for a minute, maybe it is better this way. Stuff that isn't written down on a sheet or in a stat block aren't things a creature/character can't do, they are things that remain the purview of the DM.

 

[yipwyg42]

I noticed that it does not list the save for the ongoing fire damage from the mace. Any idea how this is handled. The poison, from the stinger, actually lists that it is fortitude based, and the number you add to the d20 roll is 29.

Just wondering

 

[A'koss]

In addition, the pit fiend possessed skills that allowed it to actually fill its role (not Role, but you know, job): Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate most notably. Given that there is an intention to create social skill contests in 4E, one might have suspected a noble of hell to have some stat element related to leadership or diplomacy.

Remember, the Pit Fiend can still make "untrained" Diplomacy checks @ +22, nothing to sneeze at. Intimidation is going to see far more use in handling "negotiations" anyway...

 

[Reynard]

Remember, the Pit Fiend can still make "untrained" Diplomacy checks @ +22, nothing to sneeze at. Intimidation is going to see far more use in handling "negotiations" anyway...

see my edit.

 

[helium3]

And why do people think suicide bomber devils are so cool? To me, it makes everything seem painfully gamey...the summoned devils aren't "really" devils, they're a special effect for an explosion power. I find it almost unbearably cheesy. Can they explode normally? If not, how does he "command" them to explode? The power isn't "Irresistible command" it's "Make Devil Go Boom", which makes one wonder why he can't make the PCs go boom instead...it's an odd sort of power that lets you make a summoned ally explode.

The more I look at this, it sure seems like a sucky power unless there's some specific detail we don't know.

It does what, 16 points of damage on average? Aren't the PC's going to be fairly heavily warded against fire damage at the point in the encounter when flinging your nearly dead mook's makes strategic sense?