Attack of the Winged Riders

[ghrezdd]

I am trying to setup an encounter for my 10th level PCs where they are attacked by a bunch of wyvern-mounted baddies and I have several questions.

How would you make mounted baddies minions? Do you make both the mount and the rider minions or do you treat them as a single stat block?

In the same vein, how do you handle non-minons? Again do you stat them up separately or as one entity?

Any help you all can provide will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Piratecat]

Hi!

I'd probably be more likely to structure this encounter as two wyvern-riders (statting out the wyvern and the rider separately, although having both at once would be cool) and about 8 minion wyvernlings, trained attack dwarf wyverns who are directed by one of the wyvern riders. That way you get some fun minion action happening without making the actual wyvern-riders seem like wusses.

If you wanted more than two wyvern riders, I'd make the wyvern and the rider one creature and have four of them (plus the wyvernlings.)

The advantage to statting out the wyvern and the rider separately is that it allows you to easily run the combat after the PCs aim all of the attacks at either the rider or the mount. The advantage to statting them up as one creature is that you can have more of them and the combnat is probably easier to run.

 

[ghrezdd]

Thanks for the advice PC. I decided to take your suggestion and mix it up a bit. I am going to make the minions a combined wyvern+rider entity and then stat up standard baddies and mounts separately.

I just have this vision of the pcs blowing up minion wyvern riders out of the sky like clay pigeons and narrating the ensuing carnage.

 

[Klaus]

Hi!

I'd probably be more likely to structure this encounter as two wyvern-riders (statting out the wyvern and the rider separately, although having both at once would be cool) and about 8 minion wyvernlings, trained attack dwarf wyverns who are directed by one of the wyvern riders. That way you get some fun minion action happening without making the actual wyvern-riders seem like wusses.

If you wanted more than two wyvern riders, I'd make the wyvern and the rider one creature and have four of them (plus the wyvernlings.)

The advantage to statting out the wyvern and the rider separately is that it allows you to easily run the combat after the PCs aim all of the attacks at either the rider or the mount. The advantage to statting them up as one creature is that you can have more of them and the combnat is probably easier to run.

That approach works, but how's this:

- Wyvern Rider (Level x Artillery) as a single entity, with the notation under Bloodied:
"Fallen Rider (when first bloodied)
The Wyvern's rider dies and falls off the saddle. Replace the Wyvern Rider with a regular Wyvern (Level X Skirmisher)."

 

[The_Gneech]

That approach works, but how's this:

- Wyvern Rider (Level x Artillery) as a single entity, with the notation under Bloodied:
"Fallen Rider (when first bloodied)
The Wyvern's rider dies and falls off the saddle. Replace the Wyvern Rider with a regular Wyvern (Level X Skirmisher)."

This was pretty much what I was going to suggest, but Klaus beat me to it.

For non-flying mounts, you can do the same thing and have it split into two -- a goblin on a warg could be statted as a single unit that, when bloodied, might have a certain chance (say, 5 or 6 on d6) to split into two creatures, one warg and one goblin, who are both at 3/4 hp or something similar.

You could go further with this and have the rider spend a standard action to get back on the mount later, turning back into the single-unit stat creature.

-The Gneech

 

[Eric Finley]

Or, if you really are wanting the feel of minions but want a duel in the skies, try this:

"Separable (encounter): If the Mounted Wyvern minion is reduced to 0HP by a melee or ranged attack, roll 1d6. On a 1-2, the wyvern dies and the rider is dragged down with it. On a 3-4, the rider dies; this minion remains alive, its Will defense drops to 17, and it can no longer use its Rider's Slash minor action attack. On a 5-6, if there is a mounted PC nearby, the wyvern dies but the rider leaps to grab the PC's mount; it loses its fly move and all powers except Rider's Slash, which becomes a standard action."

 

[Klaus]

This (inspired in no small part by the Night Elf Archer + Hippogriff = Hippogriff Rider unit in Warcraft 3) opens lots of mechanical possibilities:

- Mounted Unit sacrifices mount to turn rider into full hp foot soldier.
- Solo mounted unit, when bloodied, turns into two elites.
- Elite unit, when bloodied, turns into two regular monsters (like the mentioned worg + goblin combo).
- Bloodied foot soldier uses adjacent mount to turn into full hp mounted unit.

 

[Klaus]

This (inspired in no small part by the Night Elf Archer + Hippogriff = Hippogriff Rider unit in Warcraft 3) opens lots of mechanical possibilities:

- Mounted Unit sacrifices mount to turn rider into full hp foot soldier.
- Solo mounted unit, when bloodied, turns into two elites.
- Elite unit, when bloodied, turns into two regular monsters (like the mentioned worg + goblin combo).
- Bloodied foot soldier uses adjacent mount to turn into full hp mounted unit.