Dodkong minions

[Casimir Liber]

Not fussed about inclusion of nonwarlock spells. Can explain by saying 'twas olden times...so ancient...maybe he was a type of rune-wizard.

Maybe change Hellish Rebuke to be cold/necrotic/bludgeoning damage..calling it Icy/Deathly/Rocky Rebuke?

NB:SGW has tag now added and is here

 

[Cleon]

Anyway, here is the updated Dodkong

I've updated the Dodkong to have more necromancy and earth spells. However, warlocks don't have a lot of spell options. Any suggestions are welcome.

It's a monster, it doesn't have to follow any stinking PC rules!

If I were in your shoes I'd give it whatever spells seemed appropriate.

Ran my eyes across the latest edition and here's my first impressions.

Why does it have "bloodied" in its hit points? I thought this was a core rule only version.

The "tremor sense" in Senses should not be two words: it's tremorsense.

Having trouble figuring out if its DPR is appropriate for its CR.

I'm reading this right its most damaging arrangement for a round is a Slam (19½ damage) plus cone of cold (72 damage, as AoE count double) Multiattack followed by a Fling (33 damage) Bonus Action if its Slam grapples plus a Hellish Rebuke (33 damage) Reaction.

That's 157½ in total, which is pretty close to the Challenge 22 average of 159 to 176, but it can only use its powerful attacks like cone of cold or Arcanum Death a few times a day.

That seems a tad low.

Hold on, I've just noticed it's got "The Dodkong can take up to three reactions per round but only one per turn" in Reactions. Have you combined its Reaction and Legendary Actions? Whatever the case, if it can use Hellish Rebuke three times a round that's another 66 damage for 223½ "best damage on a round" which seems a tad high.

Have to think about this.

That Dodkong's AC and HP are lower than the CR 22 average suggesting it would need to do a bit more damage to compensate, plus it's got decent Resistances and Challenges.

Also not sure how the various condition-inflicting attacks will affect the Challenge, the Dreamwalker's Charm alone is a potential TPK if everyone saves badly. Charm is not a power to be taken lightly. Once wiped out a party using a Vampire using her charming gaze.

 

[Cleon]

Not fussed about inclusion of nonwarlock spells. Can explain by saying 'twas olden times...so ancient...maybe he was a type of rune-wizard.

Maybe change Hellish Rebuke to be cold/necrotic/bludgeoning damage..calling it Icy/Deathly/Rocky Rebuke?

NB:SGW has tag now added and is here

So do you prefer Huge undead (stone giant), neutral evil?

I was thinking the more generic Huge undead (giant), neutral evil was slightly better.

From what I can see, tags don't tend to be that specific in 5E.

For example, a Drow is humanoid (elf), not humanoid (dark elf), and they can still create items that only work for dark elves.

So long as it's got the giant tag I reckon it doesn't need stone too, especially as a Stone Giant Wights have stone in their actual name!

 

[Casimir Liber]

It didn't let me choose generic "giant" as subtype so option not available sadly.

 

[dave2008]

It's a monster, it doesn't have to follow any stinking PC rules!

I know that, I was just trying to give it the flavor of the fiction I was told (by @Casimir Liber). I'm not a slave to it, just a starting piont.

If I were in your shoes I'd give it whatever spells seemed appropriate.

Will do!

Ran my eyes across the latest edition and here's my first impressions.

Why does it have "bloodied" in its hit points? I thought this was a core rule only version.

I've been using the LevelUp standard in my thread for a while and it includes the "bloodied" state. When we get the design done I will make DnD Beyond version and it will not have the bloodied HP.

The "tremor sense" in Senses should not be two words: it's tremorsense.

Good catch - thanks!

Having trouble figuring out if its DPR is appropriate for its CR.

I'm reading this right its most damaging arrangement for a round is a Slam (19½ damage) plus cone of cold (72 damage, as AoE count double) Multiattack followed by a Fling (33 damage) Bonus Action if its Slam grapples plus a Hellish Rebuke (33 damage) Reaction.

That's 157½ in total, which is pretty close to the Challenge 22 average of 159 to 176, but it can only use its powerful attacks like cone of cold or Arcanum Death a few times a day.

That seems a tad low.

Hold on, I've just noticed it's got "The Dodkong can take up to three reactions per round but only one per turn" in Reactions. Have you combined its Reaction and Legendary Actions? Whatever the case, if it can use Hellish Rebuke three times a round that's another 66 damage for 223½ "best damage on a round" which seems a tad high.

Have to think about this.

That Dodkong's AC and HP are lower than the CR 22 average suggesting it would need to do a bit more damage to compensate, plus it's got decent Resistances and Challenges.

Also not sure how the various condition-inflicting attacks will affect the Challenge, the Dreamwalker's Charm alone is a potential TPK if everyone saves badly. Charm is not a power to be taken lightly. Once wiped out a party using a Vampire using her charming gaze.

The stat block is complex. I used this tool to calculate the CR: CR calculator

I actually calculated a CR 21 IIRC but bumped it up because of things like Dreamwalker's charm. Keep in mind it can only cast 3 warlock spells and per the DMG you don't assume it can get its extra actions (bonus actions and reactions) every time. Typically you just figure it once, but it is a judgement call:

If you prefer I can just give it the innate casting trait like the new WotC standard.

Also, @Casimir Liber mentioned he was a warlock, so I went with hexblade and gave him a sword. Casimir, is this what you want? What is you idea for him. I am open to any and all ideas.

 

[Casimir Liber]

Yeah - since Multiverse statblocks seem to have been looser when complying with spell/class limits, and often just becoming untethered completely, dividing spell-like powers into "at will" "3/day" and "1/day" - so I am not fussed to adhere to any spell limits as it is thousands of years old and virtually a demigod, but making powers and spells cohesive to the narrative really.

 

[dave2008]

Yeah - since Multiverse statblocks seem to have been looser when complying with spell/class limits, and often just becoming untethered completely, dividing spell-like powers into "at will" "3/day" and "1/day" - so I am not fussed to adhere to any spell limits as it is thousands of years old and virtually a demigod, but making powers and spells cohesive to the narrative really.

That is my plan. I am a bit busy for the next few days, but will update the Dod when I get a chance.

 

[Cleon]

It didn't let me choose generic "giant" as subtype so option not available sadly.

So what, D&D Beyond doesn't let you use a type name as a tag but you can have a type name as part of a tag?

I wonder whether it accepts (beast) or (undead) or (undead beast) as tags?

Oh well, sticking to Huge undead, neutral evil like the Enworld Stone Giant Wight works for me.

It's does seem rather redundant putting (stone giant) as a tag when its got Stone Giant as the first two words of its name and its Description explains their origins as ex-giants of the stony variety.

Besides, I'm not that bothered about it. It was more the Dodkong's magic crown that only worked for stone giants while he's an undead that raised the question, but it's easy enough to give the Dodkong a trait that gets around it, or just assume that the stone giant doesn't have to be alive to use it (as is clearly demonstrated by its stat block saying the Dodkong benefits from the crown's abilities!)

 

[Cleon]

Oh well, sticking to Huge undead, neutral evil like the Enworld Stone Giant Wight works for me.

So which would you rather use for the Stone Giant Wight, Huge undead, neutral evil or Huge undead (stone giant), neutral evil?

It makes little difference to me, so pick one and I'll deblue the Enworld version and add it to the Index.

 

[Cleon]

So what stats from earlier editions are there for the Dodkong, or the crown of Obadai for that matter?

All I could find was a mention of it (or should I say him) being a "The Dodkong (male lich stone giant sorcerer 10), master in Cairnheim" line in Underdark (2003).

That's not much to go on, and is rather low-powered for a 3E D&D big bad.

It's not surprising the Dodkong keeps a low profile, as Faerûn is jammed with epic level PCs a 10th-level giant lich would be nothing but a speedbump to.