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  1. Upper_Krust

    D&D 5E (2024) Check Out The New Monster Manual’s Ancient Gold Dragon

    Well when I say AC 25-30 is common, I mean among Fighters, Paladins, Barbarians and front line martial types. I am just assuming a typical game with typical magic items, not a Low Magic Campaign - which obviously the GM may have to make allowances for. Edit: Might be worth adding I don't...
  2. Upper_Krust

    D&D 5E (2024) Check Out The New Monster Manual’s Ancient Gold Dragon

    All you need to do is stick to the XP budgets for the characters in your group. You don't need to match Challenge Ratings. We know at what the XP Budgets is for PCs in for a Low Difficulty, Moderate Difficulty or Highly Difficult challenge.
  3. Upper_Krust

    D&D 5E (2024) Check Out The New Monster Manual’s Ancient Gold Dragon

    Which was why I asked for clarification. You DID say a PC caster using one of its higher level spells against the dragon was a big deal - which I countered it wasn't because they have 6 spells of levels 6-9 and most combats only last 3-4 rounds. You DID mention "Adventuring Day" and how the...
  4. Upper_Krust

    D&D 5E (2024) Check Out The New Monster Manual’s Ancient Gold Dragon

    There are not too many Epic Hero write ups. That might be a great idea for my new website, a place where people can showcase their Epic Tier characters and then others can use them as NPCs or as ideas for their own PCs.
  5. Upper_Krust

    D&D 5E (2024) Check Out The New Monster Manual’s Ancient Gold Dragon

    Exactly. That's why high CR Monsters are almost zero challenge for Epic Tier PCs. Their damage is too low.
  6. Upper_Krust

    D&D 5E (2024) Check Out The New Monster Manual’s Ancient Gold Dragon

    For a Highly Difficult (or even more dangerous) Challenge what we generally want is a fight that pushes PCs to their limits. To do that a CR 24 solo monster needs to be in the ballpark of dropping 1 average PC of average HP per turn. I know that sounds crazy on paper, but in practice Epic PCs...
  7. Upper_Krust

    D&D 5E (2024) Check Out The New Monster Manual’s Ancient Gold Dragon

    Not sure what you are getting at then, are Epic Tier casters never supposed to use 6-9th level spells? If Epic Tier casters use two or three 6-9th level spells are they now 'ineffective' in the next encounter? Is battling a CR 24 Ancient Dragon not likely to be the culmination of that...
  8. Upper_Krust

    D&D 5E (2024) Check Out The New Monster Manual’s Ancient Gold Dragon

    Will reply to your longer reply in the morning Chaosmancer. Didn't want you to think I was ignoring you. Cool discussion.
  9. Upper_Krust

    D&D 5E (2024) Check Out The New Monster Manual’s Ancient Gold Dragon

    Agreed with the 2024 Indomitable upgrade. But not every class has a "get out of jail free" card. I still say the Save system is broken in 5e at high and epic tier.
  10. Upper_Krust

    D&D 5E (2024) Check Out The New Monster Manual’s Ancient Gold Dragon

    Cheers amigo. I have a handful of new ideas for monster design (and the monster stat-block) coming soon in the new GOD RULES: Players Guide book and subsequent Bestiary (or three). I have a cool redesign for how these Reactions get implemented that I really think people will love. Tricky trying...
  11. Upper_Krust

    D&D 5E (2024) Check Out The New Monster Manual’s Ancient Gold Dragon

    Which is why I suggest Legendary Resistance should require using a Reaction (or Legendary Action in this case) - then the opponent's attacks are diminished.
  12. Upper_Krust

    D&D 5E (2024) Check Out The New Monster Manual’s Ancient Gold Dragon

    Epic Casters have at least 6 high level spells. Most combats only last 3-4 rounds. Expending a few of their powerful spells doesn't render them impotent. I am following it. The two main problems seem to be: 1. Banish is extremely annoying - as I have stated it would be. 2. The PCs (even...
  13. Upper_Krust

    D&D 5E (2024) Check Out The New Monster Manual’s Ancient Gold Dragon

    It sounds a lot like the class you were playing was not for you. If you weren't having fun with that class and the other players were having fun with theirs, maybe it just wasn't the class for you. I loved playing my Ranger in 4E...played it all the way to Level 30. I had powers for Crowd...
  14. Upper_Krust

    D&D 5E (2014) 4E Cosmology

    I liked 4E Cosmology from a design perspective. The vast majority of the Great Wheel (much as I enjoyed it back in the AD&D days) is pointless and underused. 4E streamlined everything and worked much better. Planescape, for me, largely destroyed perception of the Great Wheel realms as dangerous...
  15. Upper_Krust

    D&D 5E (2024) Check Out The New Monster Manual’s Ancient Gold Dragon

    Surely the onus was on the player to pick their Class (Controller, Defender, Leader, Striker) and choose powers appropriately. Obviously a mix of classes are better 'all round' whereas 4 Strikers maybe make mince meat of a Solo monster but struggle against larger groups.
  16. Upper_Krust

    D&D 5E (2024) Check Out The New Monster Manual’s Ancient Gold Dragon

    If the monster should do 'x' damage to meet its DPR target then I don't consider a PC dying because the monster dealt a lot of damage "bad dice rolls". Statistically it might be "unlucky" for all the monster's attacks to land, or maybe it gets one big crit in. But I think in terms of a "Highly...
  17. Upper_Krust

    D&D 5E (2024) Check Out The New Monster Manual’s Ancient Gold Dragon

    Maybe because its been 10 years since I played 4E, I am losing the gist of your point here amigo... Are you saying 4E Solo monsters were less effective vs. the Party or more effective?
  18. Upper_Krust

    D&D 5E (2024) Check Out The New Monster Manual’s Ancient Gold Dragon

    1. Statistically speaking unless you give a monster a ridiculous Initiative Bonus its very unlikely it will win against all the party. 2. Dropping an Epic Tier PC to 0 HP is unlikely to be the last we see of them in the fight...and that's why the monsters need to hit hard. 3. High damage is one...
  19. Upper_Krust

    D&D 5E (2024) Check Out The New Monster Manual’s Ancient Gold Dragon

    CR 30 DPR should be around 325 ish in my opinion. Off the top of my head... Actions (Bite + Claw + Tail) Bite: 210 (20d10 + 10 maximised) slashing + sharpness (on a 20) + swallow or toss 100 ft. vs. Huge size or smaller target (50% chance of either). Claw: 80 (20d6 + 10) slashing. Tail: 100...
  20. Upper_Krust

    D&D 5E (2024) Check Out The New Monster Manual’s Ancient Gold Dragon

    I agree, doubly so in the case of the Banish tactic by the dragon. The DPR average of five Level 17 characters likely outstrips the three Level 20 characters. Which is why a solo monster needs the capacity to drop one PC per round, otherwise it has no chance of success. Designers weaken...
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