D&D 5E A better model for Legendary Resistance

[Reynard]

I think this is the closest to what I think might be a good solution. Move Legendary Resistance to the Legendary Actions/Reactions section. Using the Resistance uses up one of its actions for the round so it has less offensive thing its doing. Using the Resistance might have a "backlash" effect on more powerful creatures, sort of like a Hellish Rebuke. For example, a Beholder's Legendary Resistance when it fails a spell save is that it instead makes the save AND the anti-magic field from its central eye refocuses on the person who casts a spell on it.

Legendary Resistance as a reaction is interesting.

 

[Reynard]

1 X cr is the number of legendary resistances per day.

You think a Ancient dragon should have 24 legendary resistances per day? Why not just make it immune to magic?

 

[jayoungr]

Also the 3/day model is very skewed, if you have one caster in the party it means you might as well give up on saving throws for that fight. If you have 3 casters in the party, its might just be a speed bump.

As far as I know, there's no rule that legendary resistances have to be always 3 per day. That's just kind of the default number.

 

[Hussar]

Isn’t it auto saves because so many save effects are auto win?

Maybe a better solution would be to remove all spell effects that are auto win? Then we wouldn’t need legendary saves.

Oh but then we’d have to take toys away from casters and that’s just not possible.

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

Isn’t it auto saves because so many save effects are auto win?

Maybe a better solution would be to remove all spell effects that are auto win? Then we wouldn’t need legendary saves.

Oh but then we’d have to take toys away from casters and that’s just not possible.

5e has auto win spells? Most of them let you save on consecutive rounds and there are no more save or die. What spells are you talking about specifically? Hold Monster is one where they lose a round of actions or more. I what else?

 

[James Gasik]

Let's be fair though, even 1 round of confusion or paralysis can be critical in a fight against a solo creature. Legendary resistance wasn't the answer in 4e, it's not the answer now.

Solo fights don't work, always have minions!

EDIT: due to action economy, though legendary ACTIONS and lair actions help.

EDIT EDIT: how about this, instead of legendary resistance, how about "every time this monster fails a saving throw, add another monster to the fight" lol.

 

[Hussar]

5e has auto win spells? Most of them let you save on consecutive rounds and there are no more save or die. What spells are you talking about specifically? Hold Monster is one where they lose a round of actions or more. I what else?

And we have a winner.

 

[jayoungr]

Hold Monster is one where they lose a round of actions or more. I what else?

Hypnotic Pattern is a big one. It could, for example, put the boss completely out of commission while the PCs deal with the minions, no matter how long it takes, and then they all focus-fire the boss.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

I noticed in the Vecna book, the new thing is that when a big bad counterspells you, you take psychic damage. Maybe instead of LR, there is some kind of effect if you try to inflict a condition (except for invisibility) on the legendary monster and fail. The obvious one would be you get the condition for a turn, but maybe something less, like having disadvantage on all saves for a turn.

For creatures with lair actions, it could turn on a nastier lair action (like @James Gasik's add a monster).

Of course, if the big bad is a demon lord or an aberration, you could get into some body horror, like replacing an arm with a tentacle (you get a tentacle attack but can't hold anything with the arm).

 

[Laurefindel]

Legendary Resistance remains (…) completely hated.

It is? I like legendary resistance as is. Actually, I wish the same mechanics was also used for fighter’s indomitable feature.