Casimir Liber
Adventurer
Ok aligned - so question is whether to cap at 6 or 8 spectral hyenas then
Ok aligned - so question is whether to cap at 6 or 8 spectral hyenas then
I can't see anything in DMG on this. Maybe if a person is getting CR for hte spectral hyenas then they are getting the reward separately? Or for calculating difficulty of encounter, the spectral hyena CRs are being added separately, hence if including in shaman CR is being added twice..?
Fourthly, the Bite should be higher than +2 to hit. With DEX 14 and CR 1/4 shouldn't it be +4. I'd suggest making it a rank higher DEX to 16 or 17 (+3) so it has +5 to hit like the Beast Shaman.
The 4E Hyena Spirit and Chosen of Yeenoghu both have +12 vs. AC melee attacks and I'd favour these 5E spectral beasts also being Level-matched companions to their boss and having the same to hit in melee.
Gnoll Beast Shaman
Medium humanoid (gnoll), chaotic evil
Armor Class 16 (demonhide)
Hit Points 117 (18d8 + 36)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 17 (+3) 12 (+1) 15 (+2) 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 15 (+2)
Saving Throws CON +5, WIS +5, CHA +5
Skills Skill +#, Skill +#
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages Gnoll
Challenge 7? (2,900 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3
Brute. A melee weapon deals one extra die of its damage when the beast shaman hits with it (included in the attack).
Demonhide. A beast shaman's skin is supernaturally tough and covered in shaggy fur, the shaman's AC can't be less than 16, regardless of what kind of armor it is wearing.
Rampage. When the gnoll reduces a creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack on its turn, the gnoll can take a bonus action to move up to half its speed and make a bite attack.
Actions
Multiattack. The beast shaman makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its flail.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d4 + 6) piercing damage.
Flail. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d8 + 6) bludgeoning damage.
Bolt of Ruination. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 150 ft., one target. Hit: 39 (6d12) necrotic damage. A spectral hyena within 30 feet of the beast shaman teleports to within melee range of the target.
Bonus Actions
Conjure Spirit. The beast shaman summons a spectral hyena, which materializes within 30 feet of the shaman.
Spirit Strike. The beast shaman spurs one spectral hyena within ## feet to make a bite attack with advantage.
alright, let's go with that
I'm thinking we should either reduce the damage of the Spectral Hyenas by, say, making it 4 (1d8) necrotic or 5 (2d4) necrotic for Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) or maybe 3 (1d6) necrotic for Challenge 1/8 (25) OR increase the damage of the Beast Shaman's attacks (boost the Multiattack, give them back a high-damage Bolt of Ruination or similar attack, et cetera.).
Or maybe do both?
Yes, that would work. For Challenge 7 we want the DPR to be between 45 and 62.
If we bring back the "two attacks: one with its bite and one with its flail" Multiattack that's 29 damage. Make the Jaws of Ruination three 2d6 attacks for 21 (it doesn't have to match the bite damage of the spectral hyena.)
So that's 25 damage plus any Bonus Action or Reaction damage it'll do on average. Let's say another 7 for 32 DPR.
If we add six to eight 1d6 damage spectral hyena bites that's another 21 to 28 damage, so the Spectral Pack is contributing roughly half the damage rather than most of it.
That ought to keep the DPR inside the Challenge 7 range, although I'd be fine kicking it up a notch to Challenge 8.