D&D 5E Warlock of the Archfey CR 4???

[Tormyr]

Summoning a CR 6 monster isn't the same as fighting a straight up CR 6 monster - you kill the caster, disrupt the concentration spell or dispel the creature and it's gone.

Actually, you disrupt concentration and the creature stays and becomes hostile to the caster.

 

[Olive]

Actually, you disrupt concentration and the creature stays and becomes hostile to the caster.

Ah - so it does... Well, regardless the point that it's not quite the same as fighting a CR monster on it's own remains.

 

[Caliburn101]

Having an encounter with a powerful monster does not require combat with that monster. Sometimes heroes need to figure out how they'll address monsters that are more powerful than their party.

The books assume PCs will face enemies that, individually, are more powerful than the PCs in the group. Whenever that takes place, the PCs need to have some preparation so that they don't get ambushed with no chance to protect themselves and get TPKed.

Common sense - D&D is a role playing game. The PCs play a role in a story. Make sure the story you're telling is fun.

This is why I rule of thumb encounters and don't particularly calculate CRs - they are guidelines for me only.

First off, they are wrong (mostly too easy at mid to high levels), and secondly, they engender a slavish attitude to running a game and playing in it.

If CRs are known to be applied in all cases, PCs rush in too much, knowing the threat is balanced for a third round death. Very few people ever negotiate, and hardly anyone AT ALL does something as creative as going to the nearest town to hire a few henchmen, building a pit trap and devising a cunning plan to lure the monster out of it's cave into the waiting trap, knowing that if they were to enter to kill it, they would definitely die in short order.

CR is the training-wheels end of the spectrum of roleplay and if you only ever stick to that and don't think outside of the box then your game will lack an edge that would really make it zing.

If you think that's a harsh assessment, then check out the many, many rpgs that don't use anything like CR and nevertheless expect and encourage the GM to create encounters that are balanced... and they do so... successfully...

 

[Xeviat]

Summoning a CR 6 monster isn't the same as fighting a straight up CR 6 monster - you kill the caster, disrupt the concentration spell or dispel the creature and it's gone.

Not Conjure Fey. You disrupt concentration, and the Fey turns hostile on the summoner. It says nothing about it becoming allies with you. And for a warlock that can easily just turn invisible and hide while the summon does its work, or should have been made at least CR 7 if it can summon a 6.


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[MechaTarrasque]

Not Conjure Fey. You disrupt concentration, and the Fey turns hostile on the summoner. It says nothing about it becoming allies with you. And for a warlock that can easily just turn invisible and hide while the summon does its work, or should have been made at least CR 7 if it can summon a 6.


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The spell says "You summon a fey creature of challenge rating 6 or lower, or a fey spirit that takes the form of a beast of challenge rating 6 or lower" (bolding mine). So if you are worried about it, give the warlock something "or lower." If the party is more role play than roll play, give the warlock a CR 3 ally. If it is one of Capn Zapp's 6 man parties with 48 magic items (6 of which are artifacts), then give the warlock a CR 6.

 

[Xeviat]

The spell says "You summon a fey creature of challenge rating 6 or lower, or a fey spirit that takes the form of a beast of challenge rating 6 or lower" (bolding mine). So if you are worried about it, give the warlock something "or lower." If the party is more role play than roll play, give the warlock a CR 3 ally. If it is one of Capn Zapp's 6 man parties with 48 magic items (6 of which are artifacts), then give the warlock a CR 6.

So it's not too powerful for it's CR because you can have it not use the full strength of it's ability? If that was the case, the stat-block should account for that and let you know. But it doesn't.

The monster is not a CR 4.

 

[Fanaelialae]

So it's not too powerful for it's CR because you can have it not use the full strength of it's ability? If that was the case, the stat-block should account for that and let you know. But it doesn't.

The monster is not a CR 4.

You break the warlock's concentration, then withdraw and let the fey (probably a hag) kill him for you. You rope trick or whatever, and an hour later the fey is gone and the warlock is dead. Easy.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

So it's not too powerful for it's CR because you can have it not use the full strength of it's ability? If that was the case, the stat-block should account for that and let you know. But it doesn't.

The monster is not a CR 4.

Monsters use spells exactly the same way as PC's, so they expected you would be able to understand it's use. Do you want them to chew your food for you too?

 

[Xeviat]

Monsters use spells exactly the same way as PC's, so they expected you would be able to understand it's use. Do you want them to chew your food for you too?

Wow, care to be more insulting?

I expect the CR system to be reasonably workable. If they expect a CR 4 summoner to summon a CR 3 creature, then that's what they'd do.


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[Darkness]

...they expected you would be able to understand it's use. Do you want them to chew your food for you too?

Keep it civil, please. This is just an internet forum about pretending to be an elf, so let's take it easy and try to have some fun.