Chain Devil Crazyness

[derickmoore25]

Was building a dungeon with a chain devil for the boss. I noticed that while it can only use its ability once per rest it doesn't say that the old animated chains expire. Also while he can only animate use chains within 60ft to attack, it doesn't say he has to remain within 60ft for them to continue to be animated. Does this mean that the entire dungeon could be filled with pre-animated chains and my boss could grapple the party in each room with them before running and preparing the next room to ambush them again?

 

[Ovinomancer]

Oh, you haven't even reached the bits I expected, as in, 'animated chains have HP and AC. Do they occupy space? Can they move?'

Those were fun to realize I hadn't thought about after the fight started....

To answer your question:

Yes, I would say he can animate chains and leave the area.

As for my questions, during the session I ruled they were tiny creatures and had 10' moves, but couldn't attack unless the chain devil took the attack action. That worked, but in retrospect, I may change the ability altogether to make it an area affect animation of chains that allows the extra attacks provided there are sufficient chains in the area and just handwaving the reach/movement/space of individually animated chains. In this case, inflicting sufficient damage to animated chains anywhere in the area will reduce the number of available attacks to the devil.

 

[hawkeyefan]

Was building a dungeon with a chain devil for the boss. I noticed that while it can only use its ability once per rest it doesn't say that the old animated chains expire. Also while he can only animate use chains within 60ft to attack, it doesn't say he has to remain within 60ft for them to continue to be animated. Does this mean that the entire dungeon could be filled with pre-animated chains and my boss could grapple the party in each room with them before running and preparing the next room to ambush them again?

I think it's up to you. Since you're designing him to be a boss, there's no reason not to design him to be a bit tougher than your average kyton. Give him some lair actions if you'd like...that'll beef him up into a more formidable enemy for your PCs.

 

[derickmoore25]

I was using the animated objects chart for movement and attacks. Page 213 PHB

 

[Bupp]

I really like this idea. A combination of animated objects and lair actions would provide a nice variety.

 

[derickmoore25]

I really like this idea. A combination of animated objects and lair actions would provide a nice variety.

Until you open up the dmg and try and figure the cr and xp of an animated chain hint its way higher then you think.

 

[iserith]

I wouldn't even give a thought to the limits of its animation ability. I'd treat the animated chains as a terrain feature or hazard that benefits the enemy and step up the difficulty by one to account for it, if you're using the DMG guidelines. Throw some barrels of coagulating blood and organs in the area which give the PCs advantage on escape attempts if they coat themselves in gore.

 

[derickmoore25]

I wouldn't even give a thought to the limits of its animation ability. I'd treat the animated chains as a terrain feature or hazard that benefits the enemy and step up the difficulty by one to account for it, if you're using the DMG guidelines. Throw some barrels of coagulating blood and organs in the area which give the PCs advantage on escape attempts if they coat themselves in gore.

I like the blood idea i will use that. The reason i needed to know the limits was so i could use the animated chains as a monster in the dungeon. Which are more powerful when the chain devil is there making for a really interesting moving boss fight(because of the grapple they get when he uses them). The problem i ran into just a bit ago was trying to calculate cr and each chain is cr 8 according to the dmg With the stats of 20hp 20ac 30fly and 1d4+4 atk and +6 to hit which is the animated object with ac changed to match his effect.

 

[iserith]

I like the blood idea i will use that. The reason i needed to know the limits was so i could use the animated chains as a monster in the dungeon. Which are more powerful when the chain devil is there making for a really interesting moving boss fight(because of the grapple they get when he uses them). The problem i ran into just a bit ago was trying to calculate cr and each chain is cr 8 according to the dmg With the stats of 20hp 20ac 30fly and 1d4+4 atk and +6 to hit which is the animated object with ac changed to match his effect.

I think it's simpler to just use it as a terrain feature - enter or start your turn in an area the chains can reach and you're subject to grapple. Set a reasonable DC for that and then use the object rules for the rest. You can just step up the difficulty by one (medium to hard, hard to deadly) instead of creating a monster and calculating CR. Then you throw a couple minotaur skeletons in there which aren't much in the way of CR which charge and push PCs into the chains. For some extra fun, say the kyton has a taste for roasted rust monster and so its infernal chef has a couple of live ones in wooden creates elsewhere in the lair. Clever PCs might use them to great effect.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

I like the blood idea i will use that. The reason i needed to know the limits was so i could use the animated chains as a monster in the dungeon. Which are more powerful when the chain devil is there making for a really interesting moving boss fight(because of the grapple they get when he uses them). The problem i ran into just a bit ago was trying to calculate cr and each chain is cr 8 according to the dmg With the stats of 20hp 20ac 30fly and 1d4+4 atk and +6 to hit which is the animated object with ac changed to match his effect.

I'm AFB so can't check directly, but that smells fishy. When I feed those stats into http://1-dot-encounter-planner.appspot.com/quick-monster-stats.html I get CR 1.

How in the world do you get CR 8?