Ropers -- wow

[Noumenon]

I tried a random dungeon generator and it put a Roper in there. I can't believe the way this monster plays out. First you roll six ranged touch attacks for each one. Obviously at least four of these are going to hit. Now you have to roll four to six Fortitude saves. Then on your turn you have to roll four to six Escape Artist checks, or someone else has to win four to six Sunder attempts (and the strands will be back next turn anyway). This is a crazy amount of rolling and you have to win them all or there's no point rolling them out. Also note all the paperwork involved with six strands, who each one is attached to, how many hitpoints each one has.

This is just so bizarrely removed from your typical claw-claw-bite or class-leveled encounter, I can't understand why they designed it this way at all. And the random dungeon generator I was using had four ropers, which was just completely ridiculous.

 

[Animal]

This is just so bizarrely removed from your typical claw-claw-bite or class-leveled encounter,

you kinda answered your own question there. typical encounters may quickly grow old if you don't throw in something unusual time after time.

 

[Thatwackyned]

Large Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 10d10+30 (85 hp)
Initiative: +5
Speed: 10 ft. (2 squares)
Armor Class: 24 (–1 size, +1 Dex, +14 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 23
Base Attack/Grapple: +10/+18
Attack: Strand +11 ranged touch (drag) or bite +13 melee (2d6+6)
Full Attack: 6 strands +11 ranged touch (drag) and bite +13 melee (2d6+6)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft. (50 ft. with strand)
Special Attacks: Drag, strands, weakness
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., immunity to electricity, low-light vision, resistance to cold 10, spell resistance 30, vulnerability to fire
Saves: Fort +10, Ref +8, Will +8
Abilities: Str 19, Dex 13, Con 17, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 12
Skills: Climb +12, Hide +10*, Listen +13, Spot +13
Feats: Alertness, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Weapon Focus (strand)
Environment: Underground
Organization: Solitary, pair, or cluster (3–6)
Challenge Rating: 12
Treasure: No coins; 50% goods (stone only); no items
Alignment: Usually chaotic evil
Advancement: 11–15 HD (Large); 16–30 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: —
Just one is cr 12 and it put 4. What lvl are the players?

 

[The_Warlock]

Ah Ropers!

Breaking the Law! Breaking the Law!

Curious note - their Weakness ability is a non-poisonous, non-disease, non-supernatural Extraordinary ability.

Try to stop that.

I scared the bejeezus out of a group of seven well equipped 16th level characters who's players were oriented toward teamwork, and tactically adept by using a quad of ropers.

They never treated a stalagmite filled caverns the same.

And let me not wax poetic about their mind-flayer infected Urophion kin.

 

[Noumenon]

Just one is cr 12 and it put 4. What lvl are the players?

I told the dungeon to design a level 13. That was wrong anyway because I only had three players, so that made things work even worse.

 

[Angrydad]

Ah, Ropers. I used one of these guys once, just for giggles, and it turned into a headache. However, some advice for tracking tentacles and grapples: keep some kind of markers, poker chips or some such thing, and hand one to a player if a tentacle attaches itself. When they break loose they give it back and then you know how many free tentacles there are and who has how many on them at a given time. I must say this, the Fort save is relatively low for a CR 12 so the party is only in danger if there are tons of tentacles relative to the number of party members and thus the likelihood of a failed save increases.

 

[Infiniti2000]

I must say this, the Fort save is relatively low for a CR 12 so the party is only in danger if there are tons of tentacles relative to the number of party members and thus the likelihood of a failed save increases.

That's why I like to include a 20HD advanced roper that has its 3 ability increases in CON, and equip him with an amulet of health +6 and give him Ability Focus (Weakness) as a feat. DC 30 is a little harder for CR 16.

In any case, the real kicked is the SR 30 at CR 12. That's a little tough to meet, and even assay resistance doesn't exactly make it a cakewalk. So, the real way to defeat a roper is a fire spell that doesn't allow SR, like an energy-substituted something-or-other.

 

[Jeff Wilder]

Forge of Fury, the second adventure WotC released for 3E, had a roper encounter, at a point where the PCs would be 4th level. (Maybe 5th, but doubtful.)

By the time it's even possible to see the roper, the PCs are in range of the tentacles. The text for the adventure says that after it kills one PC, it will negotiate for the delivery of a different kind of food. Sweet.

Some people claim they got through this encounter without losing a PC or having their DM take it easy on them. I just smile and nod. (I took it easy on my PCs, having the roper negotiate after one was simply paralyzed, and it was still a NTPK. Twice.)

Generally speaking, I like Bruce Cordell's adventures, but he was hittin' the crack-pipe hard when he wrote that encounter.

 

[Shin Okada]

Generally speaking, I like Bruce Cordell's adventures, but he was hittin' the crack-pipe hard when he wrote that encounter.

Or, maybe he was so busy at that time and asked Monte Cook to make an encounter.

 

[roguerouge]

Basically, their hide skill justifies their CR. If spotted at 70 feet (Spot DC 30), then they're toast. They only move 10, so you just fire at them and make sure to stay that 60-80' away. There's not much they can do to close the distance or escape.