D&D 5E Mummy Lord spellcasting level.

[Satyrn]

I'm gonna go off topic, too, but then the OP's question has already been decently answered - it was either a typo so and the DM could reasonably up the caster level if he wanted to bother; or it's one of those weird exceptions designers sometimes make and the DM could reasonably up the caster level if he wanted to bother.

Anyway, onward to the offtopic portion:

It's also a CR 15 creature, it should be 15th level and have an 8th lvl slot.

CR doesn't equate to class level, or character level, or hitdice, and is not intended to.

What CR 15 means is something more along the lines of

1) "this creature ought to be about one-eighth of the reason a party of four 15th level characters decides to take a long rest" but
2) "be careful about using this monster against characters less than 15th level because, if the dice all fall in favour of the monster, it might kill such a character in the first round of combat."


At least, that's the closest definition of CR that I've been able to figure out from what little the game says about it.

 

[cbwjm]

As others have said, it looks like a misprint. You could always just say that it is a 10th level caster that can cast harm 1/day and then remove that 6th level slot so that it cannot be used for other spells or just replace 10th with 11th so the caster level matches the spell slots. You may even want to add in another 3 cantrips, I'd choose the infestation and toll the dead cantrips from Xanathar's if you have it, regardless of whether or not they are cleric cantrips, they would be quite fitting for a mummy lord. Of course, they may not really have a chance to use them since they'll probably be using their more powerful spells and abilities.

 

[neogod22]

I'm gonna go off topic, too, but then the OP's question has already been decently answered - it was either a typo so and the DM could reasonably up the caster level if he wanted to bother; or it's one of those weird exceptions designers sometimes make and the DM could reasonably up the caster level if he wanted to bother.

Anyway, onward to the offtopic portion:



CR doesn't equate to class level, or character level, or hitdice, and is not intended to.

What CR 15 means is something more along the lines of

1) "this creature ought to be about one-eighth of the reason a party of four 15th level characters decides to take a long rest" but
2) "be careful about using this monster against characters less than 15th level because, if the dice all fall in favour of the monster, it might kill such a character in the first round of combat."


At least, that's the closest definition of CR that I've been able to figure out from what little the game says about it.

They really screwed up the CR ratings in this edition. I think what they did was keep them the same as what they were in previous editions while nerfing more powerful monsters. The lower CRs make sense, the upper ones don't. Anyway, a mummy lord is supposed to be the cleric version of the lich. They are supposed to be really powerful (like the lich), and they used to be really powerful. The problem is, well, it has less than 100HP, as a CR 15, it needs to have over 200, maybe around 250-300, or it will die in the 1st round, maybe last 2 tops. If you look at a normal CR 3 mummy, that has 58HP on average, that should be a big indicator of how nerfed the Mummy Lord is.

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[neogod22]

What the CR is supposed to mean is the monster should be able to be a threat to 5 players of the same level of the CR. The perfect example is the Succubus which is a CR 4. That thing is a boss fight for 5 level 4 characters. If the Succubus charms the fighter, the party might die. The mummy lord in his lair can probably be soloed by 1 level 15 character. The CR does not like up with the power of these monsters at higher level. As a DM, you will have to put in work to make these encounters feel epic.

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[Stalker0]

That's why I said what I said. Look a t their average HP, 78. They can be killed in 1 round of combat. There has to,be some,major tweaking of boss level villains.

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Exactly what happened in my game. The mummy lord ranks as one of the most disappointing monsters for its CR I have run to date. The party's fighter beat it so laughably quick it might as well have not even been in the fight.

 

[neogod22]

Exactly what happened in my game. The mummy lord ranks as one of the most disappointing monsters for its CR I have run to date. The party's fighter beat it so laughably quick it might as well have not even been in the fight.

Yeah, I am confident my level 16 warlock can solo one and kill it in less 3 rounds or less.

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[jasper]

BEEP the Mummy Lord.
I want stats on the Mummy Mom.
Bonus Epic Legendary Action Cost 0 Thrown Shoe attack. The mummy mom makes one attack with advantage at any pc. Hit does 14 (3d6+4) bludgeoning damage plus 21 ( 6d6) piercing damage, plus 1 psychic (boy that going to leave a mark) damage.

 

[Motorskills]

In a pinch, overlay the stats with those of a Lich (keep all the bandagey-stuff), but make the guy an 18th level cleric instead of a mage.

You could do worse than amp up the Lair actions by stealing every cool move from the recent Mummy movies (Creeping Doom scarab beetles, Kensai Monk skeletons, the works).