Campaign end boss

[bsnead666]

So, I read the formums frequently, but don't post a lot. I thought I'd post the final solo battle of the campaign I've been running since 4e started. Let me know what you think, does the creature look too strong?

You see a little background, the campaign has been mostly story based, the party is set up to fight solo's and can easily take down a powerful solo of 4 lvs higher in a few rounds. In the past I ddin't worry about some combats being too easy since it was the story we were focused on the most, but I want the final battle to be an epic battle and a challenge, but not a TPK. Some of the past solos they've fought that I tried to make a challenge just weren't.

Mostly they save up their dailies to kill solos and rarely use them in battles w/o solos. In this case, there will be multiple solo battles and hopefully they will use many of their solo killing powers before getting here, in fact they may not even realize that another solo fight isn't the end battle, and use many of their powers there.

Anyway, here it is, a primordial being of pure madness and destruction, let me know what you think. Hopefully the formatting from the character builder isn't too hard to read.

Zurath, Madness Incarnate Level 37 Solo Controller
Gargantuan immortal magical beast XP 315,000

HP 1841; Bloodied 921
Regeneration 30 (while not bloodied)
AC 52; Fortitude 51; Reflex 50; Will 50
Speed 10 fly (hover), teleport 10
Immune fear, dazed condition, stunned condition

Saving Throws +5 whenever an attack applies an effect to Zurath that a save can end, it immediately rolls a saving throw. Zurath also makes saving throws at the end of each of its turns as normal.; Action Points 3
Initiative +30
Perception +40
All-Around Vision, Truesight 20

Traits
O Infectious Madness • Aura 10 (only while not bloodied)
Any enemy that enters the aura or starts its turn within the aura takes 30 damage and is dominated until the end of the turn. The creature can choose to ignore this effect by losing a healing surge. A creature is immune to the dominating effect once it has no healing surges remaining.

O Erratic Aura of Maliciousness • Aura 20 (only while bloodied)
Any enemy that enters the aura or starts its turn there is subject to one of the following effects until the start of its next turn (rolled on a d20). 1-2 blinded 3-4 dazed 5-6 deafened 7-8 immobilized 9-10 knocked prone 11-12 restrained 13-14 slowed 15-16 stunned 17-18 weakened 19-20 roll twice (ignore this effect if rolled again)

Triple Actions
Zurath does not roll initiative. It has set initiative counts of 50, 40, and 30, It cannot delay or ready actions. Once per round on its initiative count it can take a standard action and a move action. Zurath's ability to take immediate actions refreshes on each turn. Zurath can spend an action point only once per round.

Primordial Frenzy
When Zurath is bloodied, wave of dark conscious recharges at the start of every round.

Standard Actions

m Lash of Destruction • At-Will
Attack: Reach 4; +42 vs. AC
Hit: 3d12 + 14 damage and ongoing 20 damage (save ends).
Aftereffect: Ongoing 10 damage (save ends).

M Lash Assault • At-Will
Effect: Zurath makes up to 3 lash of destruction attacks. Each attack must be against a different target.

C Glimpse the Unthinkable (fear) • Encounter
Attack: Close burst 20 (targets enemies); +41 vs. Will
Hit: The target is stunned until the end of Zurath's next turn.
Aftereffect: The target is blind and weakened (save ends).
Aftereffect: The target is weakened (save ends).

Minor Actions

C Wave of Dark Conscious • Recharge 5 6
Attack: Close burst 10; +41 vs. Will
Hit: 2d8 + 11 damage and the target is dazed and weakened (save ends both).

Triggered Actions

Bloodied Backlash • Encounter
Trigger: When first bloodied.
Effect (Immediate Interrupt): Zurath's Glimpse the Unthinkable recharges, and it uses it immediately.

C Rape the Mind • Recharge 6
Trigger: When an enemy within 20 squares makes an attack roll against Zurath.
Attack (Immediate Interrupt): +41 vs. Will
Hit: Zurath slides the target 10 squares and chooses a new target for its attack. If no target is within range of the original attacker's new position, the attack hits the original attacker.

Skills Arcana +40, Endurance +43, Intimidate +38
Str 40 (+33) Dex 28 (+27) Wis 45 (+35)
Con 50 (+38) Int 45 (+35) Cha 40 (+33)
Alignment chaotic evil Languages Primordial

 

[eamon]

The level's probably too high. This looks like a monster many people will have trouble hitting at all, particularly those targeting NADs. And then he's got a huge number of hitpoints. Attacks vs. NAD's are too good too, probably.


His abilities are almost pretty much impossible to resist; The auras looks too strong. Really, this depends on your party makeup (including details like what powers and abilities they have to get out of trouble), so it's not easy to say whether these extremely strong abilities actually matter.

Have you considered taking an existing high-level solo and modifying it? Everybody seems to like the design of Lolth from the MM3, and there's a thread about a Boss-Monster design currently too, which may help.

Some facets of your design may make the combat boring. Firstly, that the high defenses and hitpoints, and secondly that's the inevitability of the creature's attacks (including aura's). Close burst 10 and larger aura's and attacks mean that positioning etc will be largely meaningless for the monster - it'll hit everything, all the time.

I'll be honest, I'm not a fan of solos. This solo looks like it has a good chance to completely overwhelm a party... or not, if the party finds the right trick. Could he be immobilized and then slowly ground to dust by an archer?

So if you like the flavor of your beast, I'd reengineer it to be lower level. Then, steal some good ideas from others to keep the solo fight interesting. The easiest way to keep a solo fight interesting is not to use a solo; for instance perhaps your solo splits into three elites on death, which each split into two standards on death, which each split into three minions - (make sure to keep hitpoints low enough). You can describe the original monsters essence as swirling about, causing subsequent generation's aura's (for instance) - and make it clear that if they don't defeat the split monster, it will coalesce and reform once more. Each of these iterations of the monster could well be based on a preexisting monster to make it easier for you.

Or, you could just take Lolth and reflavor and replace bits piece by piece to get something that works for you.

In short: lower the hitpoints and level, and keep tactical variety up by introducing changes as the battle progresses and/or don't make all the most powerful things aura's and close burst 10's.

 

[UnderThePale]

Don't take this the wrong way. I don't want to sound standoffish.

But... Have you ever run a combat invovling a Level 30+ Solo before? I only ask because I have, and they're weird.

Really weird.

Truth is, considering that player levels cap at 30, anything above 32, 33 or so as a Solo has the potential to utterly decimate a party, no matter how well geared they are. Yes, even if level suggestions in the DMGs go up to 40. I have no mortal clue why they do this.

Some things that stand out in your stat block (and this is all concrit, really. Nothing's worse than accidentally wiping your party):

- 37 Solo is probably way too high. Consider dropping him to 30-32. I would reccomend basing it on Orcus, not, oh, say, Tiamat. (I ran an encounter with Tiamat. I let my players think it was going to be a stalemate, but really... She was going to bend them over and do unspeakable things to them... I think. It was hard to tell and I was getting tired.)

- The Auras are way too powerful. 30 damage or be dominated or lose a healing surge? Ow. The second one might be okay. I'd consider making it his standard for the whole combat, as while it might be annoying, it'd probably be a better bet than 30 (effectively) unavoidable damage. (Full disclosure: I hate damage auras. You might say I hate them with a burning passion.)

- Triple Actions + Lash Assault = NINE potential attacks on the party, every round. In a standard four-person party, this means everyone will get attacked twice, some three times. In a six-person party, this means he can attack everyone on the board, at least once, every round. Just... think about what you're trying to do, here...

- Glimpse the Unthinkable should probably only have one aftereffect, not two. It's probably one of the better designed powers on this beast, though, as it does something more than just dish out tons of damage.

- Wave of Dark Conscious: You really like Weakened, don't you? This is another effect that annoyes me: Too many monsters have it, on fricking At-Wills, and it annoys me. This may be personal bias, and your mileage may (and probably does) vary).

In short: Lower the level; nerf some of his powers. It's not a bad design, really, but it's very, very frontloaded. You probably want to address that before loosing this guy on your players.

 

[corwyn77]

- Triple Actions + Lash Assault = NINE potential attacks on the party, every round. In a standard four-person party, this means everyone will get attacked twice, some three times. In a six-person party, this means he can attack everyone on the board, at least once, every round. Just... think about what you're trying to do, here...

As I understand it, the beast only actually acts on one initiative count per round; the other counts just reset immediates. On that note, I'd make its initiative 50/30/10. Otherwise it's gonna end up having all 3 actions before the bulk of the party. An average non-dex user is going to go on about a 26 or 27 on average. Or maybe he just meant it doesn't get minor actions.

Otherwise, I agree, it seems far too powerful on several counts. But we don't know his players. Maybe he has one of those 2,000 HP nova Rangers and the like.

 

[eamon]

Otherwise, I agree, it seems far too powerful on several counts. But we don't know his players. Maybe he has one of those 2,000 HP nova Rangers and the like.

Yeah, that's always hard to judge.

And am I the only one that thinks it's just way too many hitpoints and too many non-dynamic abilities (huge aura's, long reach, and huge bursts make positioning irrelevant, and the monster doesn't change or evolve as the battle progresses)? I hadn't even noticed that the huge number of hitpoints combines with what's effectively an at-will once bloodied that dazes and weakens the entire battlefield.

Another thing: you mention it has standard+move actions, probably each initiative count (I'm guessing) - but you give it a minor action attack. Oh, and the Rape the Mind power is a little weird; you might want to note what happens if there are no other valid targets in range - many powers are enemies only, for instance, or have other limitations, so can this power force the target to a creature that would otherwise be illegal? Finally, you interrupt on the attack roll but say it hits itself - now, this is a minor thing since that's a power you'd generally use when the attack hits anyhow and with the solo's superior defenses such an attack is virtually certain to hit anyways.

By the by - attacks by PC's on PC's are extremely lethal due to the discrepancy in rules between monsters and PC's. That makes dominate and similar effects much more powerful in monster hands than in PC hands... - so be careful with this. One crit by an ally can be enough to take out a PC, and the monster can wait for such a crit before redirecting...

 

[bsnead666]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I know that the creature does seem very powerful, and after reading many of the comments here I am reworking it.

As far as running lv. 30+ solo encounters, Yes, I have many times. My current campaign started at lv. 1 and is now lv. 30 and we're about to end it after a few more sessions. The party is very strong, especially against solos, so I wanted to create something that would be a big challenge to them. They have fought Orcus empowered at lv. 28 whom is a lv. 34 solo, and took him down in a matter of just 3 rounds or so. He wasn't alone either, I had an elite and 2 normals in the battle too along with some environmental effects. Since he was 6 lvs. ahead of them at the time, i figured 7 would be the next step.

I do agree, though, that my first attempt at this creature may be a little off, I'll lower the hitpoints and maybe create another form similar to Lloth. Its currently not very dynamic. I don't want to do the whole solo turns into elites into normals, etc. as I've already had a fight like that in the campaign.

I really want to make it a memorable end boss, and so far everything they've fought solo wise has been a cake walk. I'd post the party stats, but I don't have them all here, but the party consists of a Warlock (multi. paladin) Twin swords ranger, a very effective fighter (I'm lucky to hit him 2 times in a single combat), a warlord, and a rogue. 3 strikers and they are all very effective and deal huge damage. The warlord is basically just a healer, and is very good at it as well.

I've thought about making the end battle against mulple creatures and forget the solo, but it just doesn't make sense in the story, so I figure a few battles like that to wear them down before hand.

I'll post the remake here when I'm done and let me know how it looks.

again, thanks for the feedback

 

[bsnead666]

Ok.. I have recreated him, taking a few of the suggestions here into account, please let me know what you think. I have created it to be a 3 stage fight. I know that one of the main criticisms here was that it had too many hitpoints, and they way I have made each stage technically makes it have even more hit points over all, I think that the multiple forms should help make it interesting enough even if it is a long battle, but trust me when I say that this party can dish out the damage.

Also I plan on having them be able to take a partial short rest between each stage. I say partial because they will be able to recharge up to 1 encounter power and spend up to 2 healing surges between each stage.

I'll post each stage in a separate post in order of the battle to make it easier to read. Again, I would like any comments you have, suggestions, so on. I don't have a problem with criticism. I'd especially like suggestions on the final form as I feel it is the least interesting right now. The final form is the form of true destrucion, basically the creature loses its thought process and tries to destroy everything around. I think I've just been working on this too long, so my creativity has drained, so maybe I'll come back to it. Anyways, enough rambling....

 

[bsnead666]

First Form

Zurath, Madness Incarnate Level 36 Solo Controller
Huge immortal magical beast XP 275,000

HP 796; Bloodied 398
Regeneration 30
AC 51; Fortitude 50; Reflex 49; Will 49
Speed 10 fly (hover), teleport 10

Immune fear, dazed condition, stunned condition
Saving Throws +5 whenever an attack applies an effect to Zurath that a save can end, it immediately rolls a saving throw. Zurath also makes saving throws at the end of each of its turns as normal.; Action Points 1
Initiative +30
Perception +40
All-Around Vision, Truesight 20

Traits

O Infectious Madness • Aura 5
Any enemy that enters the aura or starts its turn within the aura is dominated until the end of the turn. The creature can choose to ignore this effect by losing a healing surge. A creature is immune to the dominating effect once it has no healing surges remaining.

Double Actions
Zurath does not roll initiative. It has set initiative counts of 50 and 30, It cannot delay or ready actions. Once per round on its initiative count it can take a standard action and a move action. Zurath's ability to take immediate actions refreshes on each turn. Zurath can spend an action point only once per round.

Standard Actions

m Lash of Destruction (psychic) • At-Will
Attack: Reach 3; +41 vs. AC
Hit: 3d12 + 14 damage and ongoing 10 psychic damage (save ends).

M Lash Assault • At-Will
Effect: Zurath makes up to 2 lash of destruction attacks. Each attack must be against a different target.

C Your Destiny Is Not Your Own (charm) • Encounter
Attack: Close burst 20 (targets enemies); +40 vs. Will
Hit: Each target moves its speed and makes an at-will against a target of Zurath's choice within range.
Aftereffect: The target is dazed (save ends).
Miss: The target is dazed (save ends).

Minor Actions
R Mental Manipulation (psychic, charm) • Recharge 5 6
Attack: Ranged 10; +40 vs. Will
Hit: 4d10 + 13 psychic damage and the target is dominated (save ends).

Triggered Actions

Your Destructions is Imminent • Encounter
Trigger: Zurath drops to 0 hit points or fewer.
Effect (No Action): Your destiny is not your own recharges, and it uses it immediately.
Effect: Zurath assumes the form of the Reaver of Madness. While in this form it gains new powers and cannot use powers from it's former form.

C Rape the Mind (charm) • Recharge
Trigger: Zurath is hit by an attack.
Attack (Immediate Interrupt): +40 vs. Will
Hit: Zurath slides the target 10 squares and chooses a new target for its attack. If no valid target is within range of the original attacker's new position, the attack hits the original attacker.

R Warping of Space-Time (teleportation, psychic) • Recharge 6
Trigger: An enemy within 10 squares of Zurath teleports.
Attack (Immediate Interrupt): Range 10; +40 vs. Will
Hit: 4d6 + 12 psychic damage and Zurath determines the location the target teleports to within 10 squares of Zurath. The target cannot teleport (save ends).

Skills Arcana +40, Endurance +43, Intimidate +38
Str 40 (+33) Dex 28 (+27) Wis 45 (+35)
Con 50 (+38) Int 45 (+35) Cha 40 (+33)
Alignment chaotic evil Languages Primordial

 

[bsnead666]

2nd form.

Zurath, Reaver of Madness Level 36 Solo Soldier
Huge immortal magical beast XP 275,000

HP 796; Bloodied 398
AC 53; Fortitude 50; Reflex 49; Will 49

Speed 10 fly (hover)

Immune fear, stunned condition
Saving Throws +5 whenever an attack applies an effect to Zurath that a save can end, it immediately rolls a saving throw. Zurath also makes saving throws at the end of each of its turns as normal.; Action Points 1

Initiative +32
Perception +40
All-Around Vision, Truesight 20

Traits

Slowly Your Will Dissolves
Whenever an enemy taking ongoing damage attacks Zurath, that enemy cannot save against the ongoing damage until its next turn.

Double Actions
Zurath does not roll initiative. It has set initiative counts of 50 and 30, It cannot delay or ready actions. Once per round on its initiative count it can take a standard action and a move action. Zurath's ability to take immediate actions refreshes on each turn. Zurath can spend an action point only once per round.

Standard Actions

m Dark Lash of Power (psychic) • At-Will
Attack: Reach 3; +43 vs. AC
Hit: 5d8 + 15 damage and ongoing 20 psychic damage (save ends).

M Lash Assault • At-Will
Effect: Zurath makes up to 2 lash of dark power attacks.

C Subvert Will (charm, psychic) • Recharge 6
Effect: Choose one enemy within 10 squares of Zurath that is taking ongoing damage. That enemy moves its speed and makes a basic attack against a creature of Zurath's choice, and the attack deals 5d8 + 18 extra psychic damage.

C Glimpse the Unthinkable (fear) • Encounter
Attack: Close burst 20 (targets enemies); +41 vs. Will
Hit: The target is stunned until the end of Zurath's next turn.
Aftereffect: The target is blind and weakened (save ends).

Minor Actions

C Wave of Dark Conciousness • Recharge
Attack: Close burst 10; +41 vs. Reflex
Hit: 2d8 + 11 damage and the target is weakened (save ends).

Triggered Actions

C The Cost of Touching Darkness (psychic) • At-Will
Trigger: An enemy hits Zurath.
Effect (Immediate Reaction): the target takes ongoing 10 phychic damage (save ends).

M Lash of Positioning (psychic) • Recharge 5 6
Trigger: An enemy enters a square within 3 squares of Zurath.
Effect (Immediate Interrupt): Zurath makes a dark lash of power attack against that creature. If it hits, Zurath also slides the creature 5 squares and the target's movement is ended.

You Still Cannot Understand Your Fate? • Encounter
Trigger: Zurath drops to 0 hitpoints of fewer.
Effect (No Action): Zurath's Glimpse the Unthinkable recharges, and it uses it immediately.
Effect: Zurath assumes the form of the Destroyer. While in this form it gains new powers and cannot use powers from it's former form.

Skills Arcana +40, Endurance +43, Intimidate +38
Str 46 (+36) Dex 28 (+27) Wis 45 (+35)
Con 50 (+38) Int 45 (+35) Cha 40 (+33)
Alignment chaotic evil Languages Primordial

 

[bsnead666]

final form

Zurath, the Destroyer Level 36 Solo Brute
Gargantuan immortal magical beast XP 275,000

HP 796; Bloodied 398
AC 49; Fortitude 50; Reflex 49; Will 49

Speed 10 fly (hover)

Immune fear
Saving Throws +5 whenever an attack applies an effect to Zurath that a save can end, it immediately rolls a saving throw. Zurath also makes saving throws at the end of each of its turns as normal.; Action Points 1

Initiative +30
Perception +40
All-Around Vision, Truesight 20

Traits

Double Actions
Zurath does not roll initiative. It has set initiative counts of 50 and 30, It cannot delay or ready actions. Once per round on its initiative count it can take a standard action and a move action. Zurath's ability to take immediate actions refreshes on each turn. Zurath can spend an action point only once per round.

Standard Actions

m Catastrophic Lash (psychic) • At-Will
Attack: Reach 4; +39 vs. AC
Hit: 3d12 + 18 damage and the target is pushed 4 squares.

C Lash Bombardment • Recharge 4 5 6
Attack: Close burst 4; +39 vs. AC
Hit: 3d12 + 18 damage and the target is pushed 4 squares and dazed (save ends).

Minor Actions

R Embrace Your Destruction (psychic, teleportation) • Recharge 4 5 6
Attack: Range 15; +37 vs. Will
Hit: 2d10 + 15 psychic damage and the target is teleported to a square within 4 of Zurath, is immobilized and cannot teleport (save ends).
Triggered Actions

M Tenticle Retribution • At-Will
Trigger: When an ememy within 4 squares makes an attack against Zurath.
Attack (Immediate Interrupt): Reach 4; +37 vs. Reflex
Hit: 3d10 + 12 damage and the target is weakened until the end of its turn.

Skills Arcana +40, Endurance +46, Intimidate +38
Str 40 (+33) Dex 28 (+27) Wis 45 (+35)
Con 56 (+41) Int 45 (+35) Cha 40 (+33)
Alignment chaotic evil Languages Primordial