[Feedback] My solo Solo-Monster

[lgw]

Georg, Jürgen, Cersten, Joachim... raus hier !





OK, I just created a truely to be used solo monster from scrap, featuring the Classic Kraken, attacking the ship from underneath.
To get that to work, I did some major adjustments on the fly based on DMG / MM 1 solos. It is made to be scary and actually give the party a hard time in many ways (hindering them and dragging them out, the recurring Maw attack on semi-random targets, the nightmare of wildly drumming tentacles over the ship while bloodied). On the other hand it has some weaknesses (multi target attacks, acids, good postioning) to be found out or even forshadowed.

The party will be 14 level, probably go through 3-4 encounters of level 14 to 16 (depending on successes on skill rolls) before being attacked by this baddy. They'll be a 2h weapon Golith Warden, Barbarian / Sorceror Genasi Hybrid, charge focused Genasi Taclord and Dwarven Wrath Invoker, so not too squishy. In a different group set-up with me still as player we have gone through six level +2 to +6 Encounters (median being +4) on one day. Meaning that all of them are quite fit at challenging D&D encounters, although I'm probably a bit better at tactics than they are.
At the start of the encounter about 10 crewmen will help out, each holding a tentacle at bay. Each will have a 10% chance to be taken out each round, doubling when the Kraken gets bloodied. The players can dismiss them at any time, because losing one (random chance afterwards) will have consequences for the further trip with the ship.

What I'd like to hear if I did any major ommissions, making it either to easy (not likely) or to hard (rather possible) for the party. Any cool hints for improvement are also welcome.
Note that while we usually play the dice as they fall, we don't mind making sensible decisions on the fly to cover open questions in the rules. Nor do I have a problem if my players find a creative way out to avoid a TPK if the situation is dire.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Hmm.

I wouldn't put an attack power as a move action - either minor (you can limit it to once per round) or standard.

Have you considered making the Kraken just more than one monster? You create a lot of special rules to model its effects, like having individual parts attackable and markeable (or rather not markeable)?
For example, you could make several Tentacle Minions and regular Monsters. ("Simulation" explanation -the Kraken can't always use his Tentacles with best effect, so he focuses his on attacks on 3 or 4 of them, and the rests are just "flailing" away).
Say, 4 Kraken Short Tentacle (Soldier Minion), 4 Kraken Long Tentacle (Brutes) and 1 Kraken Bite (Lurker).

 

[lgw]

I wouldn't put an attack power as a move action - either minor (you can limit it to once per round) or standard.

Any particular reason why ?
Right now it is a move because it mostly is a move, but supposed to be used together with the regular tentacle actions. On the other hand it will hinder the tactically important repositioning, so I left it as such.

Have you considered making the Kraken just more than one monster? You create a lot of special rules to model its effects, like having individual parts attackable and markeable (or rather not markeable)?
For example, you could make several Tentacle Minions and regular Monsters. ("Simulation" explanation -the Kraken can't always use his Tentacles with best effect, so he focuses his on attacks on 3 or 4 of them, and the rests are just "flailing" away).
Say, 4 Kraken Short Tentacle (Soldier Minion), 4 Kraken Long Tentacle (Brutes) and 1 Kraken Bite (Lurker).

Well, really, that would defeat the whole purpose and just let the party slug away some stuff. It especially would miss the whole point of the party trying to fight back the tentacles coming up again and again, while they themselves try to not drown with them.
Further more it's nothing much beyond multiple entities on the board, on pool of actions and HP, and the retreat rules are almost a 1-to-1 translation of how to attack a Shaman's Spirit Companion. Many solos have special rules, and as this is foremost for my game, I don't mind this having these, too...

Updated the start block to correct some errors and add an inspiration from today at work.

 

[ChristopherA]

I think your general concept is really cool, I like the idea of the tentacles that get knocked back into the sea, but keep coming back.

Trying to figure out whether a solo monster will be too tough or too weak for a party always seem really difficult to me, because it depends so much on the exactly capabilities of the party - whether they have powers that totally hose the solo monster, or vice-versa. And it is really hard to understand how a complicated monster like this will work without playtesting. But I'll give you my general feedback, for what it is worth.

If you ignore the special head & tentacle rules, the monster looks tougher than a typical L18 encounter. It seems to have as much defense and offense as a party of L18 monsters, with the solo advantages that it can't be defeated piecemeal, has action points, and goes crazy when bloodied. So the question for me is what effect the fancy tentacle rules have on the combat.

I'm not clear on what happens when the head and tentacles are "in the water". The tentacles have the big advantage of being practically immune to effects (if one tentacle is dazed, the kraken just uses another). If the ranged characters can freely target the head, the players have a decent chance of putting some useful effects on the monster. If the head is in a place where it is immune to attack, the monster has a big advantage.

The kraken's big weakness seems to be that, unlike most solo monsters, it is very vulnerable to area effect attacks. But that depends on how you lay out the tentacles on the map. If some player can catch all 18 tentacles in one of those huge "close burst 5 enemies only" effects, he could potentially cause massive damage to the kraken and knock every tentacle off the ship. I'm thinking the ability to effectively use area attacks could make a huge difference in the fight.

Even if the players can't knock every tentacle into the sea at once, if the tentacles are laid out in such a way that they can get into a situation where all of the problematic tentacles are withdrawn, this could be really helpful. The players should be able to make tentacles withdraw much faster than they return, and if they can get some rounds where the kraken can't attack because it has no tentacles, this could help even the odds.

If a tentacle is attacked for 14+ damage, does it withdraw before it is allowed to perform a tentacle lash?

I don't understand the tentacle fury. I'm guessing every tentacle makes it own close burst 3 attack. Does each player get attacked a maximum of one time, regardless of the number of tentacles he is near? Or does a player get attacked over and over until he is hit once, then he can't be attacked any more?



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[lgw]

Thanks for the good feedback.

Some bits I might add for understanding:
* The PCs will be on a ship, which is likely about 10 or 12 sq (= 15-18m) at its widest point. That together with the behavior of the tentacles places heavy focus on good positioning.
* The PCs will have plenty of opportunity to gather information about The Kraken before going to sea, so they can prepare.

If you ignore the special head & tentacle rules, the monster looks tougher than a typical L18 encounter. It seems to have as much defense and offense as a party of L18 monsters, with the solo advantages that it can't be defeated piecemeal, has action points, and goes crazy when bloodied. So the question for me is what effect the fancy tentacle rules have on the combat.

Well, on normal rounds the offense will be somewhat limited, too, and focussing even takes more damage away. (NB: The head will not always make the most smart attack but rather go by the hit-what-hits-me principle usually.)
It does change when bloodied, though, and as well on Maw attack rounds and with APs.

I'm not clear on what happens when the head and tentacles are "in the water". The tentacles have the big advantage of being practically immune to effects (if one tentacle is dazed, the kraken just uses another). If the ranged characters can freely target the head, the players have a decent chance of putting some useful effects on the monster. If the head is in a place where it is immune to attack, the monster has a big advantage.

The head is basically only attackable with a ready action and (barring some stunts) savely in the water most of the time. It's a major point that the players figure that.

The kraken's big weakness seems to be that, unlike most solo monsters, it is very vulnerable to area effect attacks. But that depends on how you lay out the tentacles on the map. If some player can catch all 18 tentacles in one of those huge "close burst 5 enemies only" effects, he could potentially cause massive damage to the kraken and knock every tentacle off the ship. I'm thinking the ability to effectively use area attacks could make a huge difference in the fight.

Even if the players can't knock every tentacle into the sea at once, if the tentacles are laid out in such a way that they can get into a situation where all of the problematic tentacles are withdrawn, this could be really helpful. The players should be able to make tentacles withdraw much faster than they return, and if they can get some rounds where the kraken can't attack because it has no tentacles, this could help even the odds.

Yes, getting rid of the tentacles is a major point to find savespots. As long as more than 10 tentacles are out the party will probably be in quite some problem maneuvering and staying save - especially the bigger assets (strikes, controllers) due weaken / OAs / etc. A defender can probably savely cover 1-3 tentacles and won't mind the debuffs that much or simply ignore them due a good fortitude.
I'll be quite liberal for stunts that drive the tentacles away without doing formal damage - like setting a section of the ship on fire, raining down cannon balls from from atop, etc. The Kraken will also withdraw once all tentacles are scared away - if the PCs manage that, they deserve the earlier victory.

If a tentacle is attacked for 14+ damage, does it withdraw before it is allowed to perform a tentacle lash?

It will still lash back - but that can happen only once/round due the limit to immediate actions, and of course grabbing tentacles cannot do that due the limit of grab.
I'll also probably up the limit back to 19 (10 + 1/2 lvl, as the Shaman's Spirit Companion), because it's too easy to force them away. I was a bit careful due the resist 5 (untyped), but given the time to prepare and that about all of them have some other options in particular, I think they sitll have quite good chances.

I don't understand the tentacle fury. I'm guessing every tentacle makes it own close burst 3 attack. Does each player get attacked a maximum of one time, regardless of the number of tentacles he is near? Or does a player get attacked over and over until he is hit once, then he can't be attacked any more?

Yes, no PC will ever be target of more than one Tentacle Fury attack. Although I'm thinking about giving a +2 to attack for each extra tentacle in reach to add some scariness and enforce even more tactical movement.

 

[Piratecat]

Off to fan creations/house rules we go.