D&D 5E Choose 3 to protect you (a poll)

[rgoodbb]

Agreed. But it would be a fun though. I love the purple worm APC carrier thought from above as well.

 

[Vaalingrade]

PCs because of obviously. There's no better shield than Main Characters.

Kobolds because, as has been said, action economy, but more because I can't survive 25 crits from anything.

And Beholders because the choice is between 8 cheaty bois or 4 cheaty bois and antimagic is an easy way to shut down anything that can even pretend to challenge level 20 PCs.

 

[Argyle King]

Is it assumed that the beholders will work as a team?

Typically, beholders don't like to work with other beholders.

Edit: Does the red dragon come with a hoard?

 

[Redwizard007]

Is it assumed that the beholders will work as a team?

Typically, beholders don't like to work with other beholders.

Edit: Does the red dragon come with a hoard?

Did you not see the D&D movie? Beholders make wonderful guards. Organized, compliant, and teamwork focused.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Did you not see the D&D movie?

Sadly... yes.

But they are very easily distracted.

 

[Argyle King]

Did you not see the D&D movie? Beholders make wonderful guards. Organized, compliant, and teamwork focused.

I didn't even know it was out yet. None of the theaters here are carrying it.

I was basing my question on the lore with which I'm familiar up to this point.

 

[Maxperson]

Assuming this is taking about 5e…
• 500 kobolds because action economy is king.
• 5 20th level PCs, because they have the most access to the most powerful magic.
• 8 Beholders to shut down the enemies’ magic (and so they won’t shut down my allies’ magic).

The dragon brings you the kobolds, though, so you don't have to pick them.

 

[Charlaquin]

The dragon brings you the kobolds, though, so you don't have to pick them.

Can’t argue with that!

 

[Clint_L]

I didn't even know it was out yet. None of the theaters here are carrying it.

I was basing my question on the lore with which I'm familiar up to this point.

He's referring to the cheezy old movies from the early 2000s, that feature these really poor CGI Beholders (or maybe Spectators, given their size and behaviour) as complacent prison guards.

 

[Dausuul]

The PCs and the solars are no-brainers. Between the beholders and the dragon, I had to think a bit, but I came down on the beholders.

The first thing is to get airborne, at least 125 feet up (out of kobold sling range). The PCs and solars can teleport me and the beholders (yes, beholders fly, but they're way too slow).

At this point, only two threats remain that can reach us: The dragon and the storm giants. 8 beholders' worth of eye rays will burn out the dragon's LR and annihilate it in a round. Their anti-magic cones point downward to shut off storm giant lightning bolts. The PC wizard will put me in a forcecage for safekeeping.

The solars, meanwhile, rain arrows on the giants. It will take them a while with the anti-magic effect in play (disabling the arrows' magical properties), but the beholders can always adjust their AoE to leave one giant exposed.

The PCs stand by to handle any unexpected contingencies. If I or any of my defenders die, a solar swoops in with resurrection.

 

[Aeson]

I didn't even know it was out yet. None of the theaters here are carrying it.

I was basing my question on the lore with which I'm familiar up to this point.

He means the one from 2000. Beholders were used as common guard dogs.

 

[Argyle King]

He means the one from 2000. Beholders were used as common guard dogs.

Thanks. I did watch that, but my memory of seeing it seems to have evaporated.

 

[Redwizard007]

Thanks. I did watch that, but my memory of seeing it seems to have evaporated.

Lucky

 

[toucanbuzz]

1. PCs. Because they're going to probably have amazing magical items and abilities.
2. Dragon. Because I'm going to get on its back, relying on its frightful presence to keep nearly everything away, and fly really high up, out of range of everyone. I'm not worried about storm giants because I'll be out of range and their control weather takes 10 minutes to cast.
3. Solars. They will rain death from afar until everything is dead, and rez me if bad things happen. I'll take Slaying Longbow at 600' range (+13 to hit even with disadvantage means dead everything soon).

Of course, assuming we're all on the ground, it's whoever wins initiative. If 500 kobolds win initiative, I figure 300 sling shots should kill the commoner, and another 200 kobolds can each take a bite of the dead body, thus consuming it and making sure there's no body to rez (same with T Rex)?

 

[Baron Opal II]

Adventuring Party, Solars, Storm Giants.

 

[aco175]

It's a 5e poll, so... you only need the group of adventurers. Everyone knows how powerful they are in 5e.

I did also pick the dragon and beholders to clean up anything the adventurers may have forgot about as they swept through in 3 rounds.

 

[ECMO3]

Action economy is super important but...those kobolds could all be dead before they even get a turn. So I dunno - it really depends on the context.

My money is on the numbers. Unless the party has a Paladin or a Warlock with a 20 Wisdom, the numbers will win out most of the time I think because the Nilbogs get 50 reactions and 50 actions targeting saves which is enough to draw a 1 most of the time.

With 500 initiative rolls several of the Kobolds will likely go 1st and assuming they all get a turn, and with pack tactics there will statistically be about 45 crits on the first turn doing 315 damage (or 157 if the enemies have resistance) from critical hits alone.

50 nilbogs, scattered among the Kobolds and Dinos means 50 Tasha's laughter spells every single turn as well as the ability to stop most casters in the adventuring party from casting any AOEs. Between the Kobolds and Nilbogs, and Tasha's laughter on both actions and readied actions that is likely enough to immobilize the adventurers and take out the dragon long enough to kill them (Dragon in round 2 probably and party in 4-5 rounds) without them ever getting an action. Having a Paladin or a Warlocks with a high Wisdom in the party will help, because they can actually auto pass both Charisma and Wisdom the saves with proficiency, ability and/or paladin buff but then that will be the guy targeted by the Dinos and Kobolds first.

That would leave the Solars.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Such statements are sort of silly in this... I mean, you know nothing (and really can't make assumptions) on the set up for this battle royale.

Against flying creatures, for instance, the kobolds only get pack tactics if an ally is within 5 feet of the target. Depending on your other choices, you might not have any allies next to targets for this to come into play. More likely they will be at disadvantage due to range, but even that we can't know for certain.

This is just for fun anyway.

 

[MNblockhead]

Could they be 500 Tucker's style Kobolds with cunning traps defending their own lair with a party of small sized adventurers? Add 1 more group for flavour.

Yep.

Tuckers kobolds are just kobolds in their natural environment played like a race of intelligent, crafty, but physically and magically weak creatures would actually have to be in order to survive in a typical D&D world.

My answers to this poll would vary based on the arena.

 

[Warpiglet-7]

Action economy is super important but...those kobolds could all be dead before they even get a turn. So I dunno - it really depends on the context.

I would go with the adventurers, Beholders, and Solars. The adventurers are the most flexible, and since it seems like I get to choose, I am going to make sure that there is a Moon Druid and at least 2 wishes in the mix. Those Beholders will add a ton of control, and Solars are unbelievably mobile and heavy hitting.

Edit: Like, how do 500 kobolds take down even one Solar, let alone four? It has 150' fly, and 120' teleport that it can cast for 1 legendary action, and a searing burst that will automatically kill every kobold in a 10' radius, so every turn it can just take out a chunk of them with total impunity. Having 500 actions doesn't do much in that situation.

I had the exact same picks!