Check Out This Beefed-Up CR17 Strahd!

EN World member dave2008 maintains what is, in my opinion, one of the most useful, fun, and interesting threads on the whole forum. His 5E Epic Monster Updates thread contains dozens of gods (of the greater, intermediate, lesser, and demi flavours), primordials, demon princes, archdevils, dukes of hell, aberrations, abominations, constructs, dragons, elemental lords, arch-fey, monstrosities, and undead. While the thread is great to read at any time, he's just added a beefed-up CR17 version of Strahd von Zarovich (he's CR15 in Curse of Strahd). You can see it below, but click on the image and check out all of his epic monsters, as well as his 5E Epic Characters thread.

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[Jester David]

I thought doing things like this would be fun.

 

[dave2008]

Thanks Morus! If I had know you were going to do this I would have taken some more time to copy-edit! That been said, I do want everyone to realize that his lair actions in CoS really add a extra punch and he has a magic item that buffs him further that is not included in the stat block. You need to go pick up CoS for those.

 

[dave2008]

This is pretty cool. If for some reason I run the module I might use this.

Be careful, combined with his magic item and lair actions in CoS, this version would be really deadly!

 

[Sacrosanct]

I'll still need to beef him up. An 18 AC at level 8 or 9 when the PCs square off against him is nothing. He's going to need a good amount of support to make him interesting. Spellcasting is only good as a force multiplier for a group. Spellcasting is a negative multiplier as an individual use of actions.

Sounds like you're still caught up in 3e thinking, where AC values are somehow tied to level ranges. AC means a whole lot less in 5e. You need to look at everything in its entire context, and how each ability, the environment, and occupants all tie in together. Also, whether or not there is mechanical support there doesn't make him interesting. How the DM uses him does.

 

[dave2008]

The typos just leap off the page at me.

I've corrected all the typos that WORD could find (there where only 4, mostly wold instead of wolf) and re-posted it. Let me know if you see anything else.

But really - it is not like I'm publishing these things!

 

[dave2008]

Any chance of these threads having a PDF to download? I think that would be extremely handy and helpful, the posts are very good.

Yes, but I was waiting until I get everything finished, or a least the drafts of everything. That being said, you are not the first to ask so I might get that going sooner. I just won't be able to update the PDF every time I update the thread.

 

[dave2008]

A question struck me. The charm says the target lets Strahd bite him, but the ability also says he gets a repeat save if anything harmful is done to him. Does that include the bite which is expressly allowed under that ability?

That's straight out of the MM - I guess it is up to the DM to determine

Also the typos are funny. Strahd goes from a he to an it in certain places. Which, given that he is a monster, is somewhat appropriate.

Yeah, that is copy and paste for you. This started out as Dragotha which I had labeled as an it. I missed some them I guess.

 

[amerigoV]

A legendary monster like Strahd is built more like a PC than a standard creature. I like that he has a bunch of versatility in the form of lots of powers, it is fitting for someone who needs to be a long term rival for a party of PCs.

I do not play 5e - but that layout looks reasonable. The 3.5 version was terrible. You do not need to see every single feat (esp if it is just an adjustment to reflect in the numbers) and have tons of skills that just do not matter just to make him more like a PC (that was a huge downfall of 3e on the DM side). All that does is create a higher risk of "oh crap, that would not have happened because I totally missed he had Super Awesome Evasion!" That happens no matter what, but cluttering the page with excess material makes it much more likely.

So listing lots of cool things he can do - good.

But Listing lots of thing he can do that do that he will never actually do and would be uncool if he did do them (Profession - Greengrocer) is bad design.

 

[dave2008]

I'll still need to beef him up. An 18 AC at level 8 or 9 when the PCs square off against him is nothing. He's going to need a good amount of support to make him interesting. Spellcasting is only good as a force multiplier for a group. Spellcasting is a negative multiplier as an individual use of actions.

I didn't want to boost him to much, but have you seen his lair actions? Those combined with his legendary move action and magical equipment, higher HP, and regeneration make him really hard to kill. Plus he can dish out 170 hp of damage per round. He would definitely TPK the 4 PCs (at level 10) that I typically play with. I don't even think I would cast spell, except maybe an first round fireball, as he can still move and/or attack with his legendary actions.

 

[dave2008]

It might be decent if there are more legendary actions on the next page. Perhaps the ability to cast a spell as a legendary action, or to raise up or call some undead to fight with/for him.

Have you seen his lair actions? Those combined with his legendary move action and magical equipment, higher HP, and regeneration make him really hard to kill. Plus he can dish out 170 hp of damage per round.

As it is now he cast a spell and still move and/or attack with his legendary actions. But I don't even know if I would bother with it.