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Message: <blockquote data-quote="kaomera" data-source="post: 5480907" data-attributes="member: 38357">So, my players please stay out, etc., etc.I got some very useful advice on a monster I posted here a few weeks back, so I figured I'd try posting up a full encounter and see if I could get some more hints & tips...The party is 13th level, and includes an Ardent, a Fighter, a Swordmage, a Sorcerer, and a Shaman.First the encounter layout, then the monsters:[sblock]I'm going to try and include a map - this will be played out on a wet-erase battlemat, so I'm not sure this will be 100% accurate, but it should show off what I'm trying to do.The PCs are in an elementally-themed dungeon complex (an elemental nexus / anchor / powersource), specifically in the "fire wing". They have will been wandering through a huge cavern, lit by various lava flows and a few actively-erupting volcanoes (probably off in the distance, but who knows they may want to look at one up-close). They are headed towards the "elemental pole" deeper in the wing. As they reach this area they are coming to a passage out of the huge chamber they have been in.The area narrows as they approach it (from the bottom / "south" of the map - sorry, didn't label that). They will initially face the three Ash Snakes ("as"), one of the Flame Snakes ("fs"), and the two Salamanders (Archer, "A", and Firetail "F"). The ash snakes will be spread out just in front of them (should be 3-4 squares minimum), and beyond that there is a slope upwards as the room continues to the narrowest point, 9 squares across.On the slope are 8 areas of "volcanic vents" - these are difficult terrain and anyone moving onto or starting their turn on one of them takes 15 fire damage. On initiative counts 21, 16, and 11 I will roll a d6 and the indicated vent spouts hot ash, counting past any vents that have already erupted this round (so if I roll a "5" and then later a "6", vent "7" will actually be the one that erupts on the second roll). The eruption is a close burst 2 around the smaller vents (1-6), dealing 10 fire damage to each creature in the burst; for the larger vents (7 & 8) it's a close burst 4 dealing 15 fire damage. On the first two rounds each erupting vent also spawns an additional Flame Snake adjacent to it (for a total of 7 appearing in the encounter).The first eruption of the third round is from either vent 7 or 8 (d6, even / odd) and at the same time the Ashen Naga spawns from one of the volcanic vent areas in either the front or the back end of the room (not one of the numbered vents). After that all the monsters in the encounter will have appeared...After the slope the room broadens out into a roughly 11 x 11 chamber, with a passage headed "north" further into the wing.I'm "fudging" initiative rolls by pre-rolling them, as I find that otherwise the players get bored waiting for multiple monsters to take their turns. I may adjust these slightly in play (basically have the monsters delay) if the players' initiative rolls are too wonky. The counts are as follows, from first to last:27: Ash Snakes21: Vents21: Ashen Naga (after vents)19: Salamander Firetail16: Vents15: Salamander Archer11: Vents11: Flame Snakes (after vents)The Ash Sakes will go after the non-defenders if possible, and will try to end up adjacent to multiple PCs. They won't provoke opportunity attacks if they can avoid it (despite the bonus). The Flame Snakes will try and get ongoing damage on everyone, then switch to biting. They will stay in the vents area if the PCs come to them, otherwise they will move out. The Firetail will try and engage anyone trying to get to the Archer (most likely the Swordmage), and the Archer will try and pound on the leaders. When the Ashen Naga shows up it will try and screw up the defenders with it's push & immobilize, and will otherwise join in on singling out the Shaman and Ardent.[/sblock][sblock]Flame SnakeLevel 11 Minion ArtilleryMedium elemental beast (fire, reptile)XP 150HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minionAC 25; Fortitude 21; Reflex 24; Will 22Speed 6Resist 15 fireInitiative +10 Perception +13Standard Actionsm Bite (fire) • At-WillAttack: Melee 1 (one creature); +14 vs. ACHit: 10 fire damage.r Spit Fire (fire) • At-WillAttack: Ranged 10 (one creature); +15 vs. ReflexHit: Ongoing 10 fire damage (save ends).Str 12 (+6) Dex 21 (+10) Wis 17 (+8) Con 15 (+7) Int 3 (+1) Cha 11 (+5)Alignment unaligned Languages —© 2010 Wizards of the Coast LLC, a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All rights reserved. This formatted statistics block has been generated using the D&D Adventure Tools.Ash SnakeLevel 11 Minion SoldierMedium elemental beast (fire, reptile)XP 150HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minionAC 27; Fortitude 24; Reflex 23; Will 23Speed 7Resist 15 fire, 15 poisonInitiative +10 Perception +8 DarkvisionTraitsSlitherThe ash snake gains a +4 bonus to defenses against opportunity attacksStandard Actionsm Bite (poison) • At-WillAttack: Melee 1; +18 vs. ACHit: 6 damage, and ongoing 5 poison damage (save ends).Triggered ActionsM Stoke the Coals (fire) • At-WillTrigger: An enemy adjacent to the snake leaves a square without shifting or makes an attack that does not include the snake as a target.Attack (Immediate Interrupt): Melee 1 (the triggering enemy); +20 vs. ACHit: 10 fire damage.Skills Stealth +13Str 23 (+11) Dex 16 (+8) Wis 7 (+3) Con 19 (+9) Int 1 (+0) Cha 17 (+8)Alignment evil Languages —© 2010 Wizards of the Coast LLC, a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All rights reserved. This formatted statistics block has been generated using the D&D Adventure Tools.Salamander Firetail: this is the creature from the MM1, I've upped the damage on the scimitar attack to "2d10 + 4 damage (crit 2d10+15), and ongoing 5 fire damage (save ends).", and it still has the double attack. I also upped the damage on the Tail Lash to "2d10 + 7 fire damage". I've left the Trail of Fire as-is, I suppose I should up it to 15 damage per target, but I'm not sure if I'll even end up using it.Salamander Archer: again, this creature is from MM1. Longbow damage is now 2d10 + 7 fire (instead of the hybrid damage...) and it still has the double attack, Tail Lash is 2d10+6, and I upgraded the Tail Thrust to "one or two creatures" when it's bloodied.Ashen NagaLevel 14 ArtilleryLarge immortal magical beast (reptile)XP 1,000HP 106; Bloodied 53AC 27; Fortitude 25; Reflex 26; Will 24Speed 6 Resist 15 fireInitiative +11 Perception +14 DarkvisionStandard Actionsm Tail Slap • At-WillAttack: Melee 2 (one creature); +18 vs. ACHit: 2d8 + 11 damage (or 3d8 + 13 fire damage if bloodied), and the target is pushed 2 squares.R Spit Poison (poison) • At-WillAttack: Ranged 20 (one creature); +19 vs. FortitudeHit: 3d8 + 9 poison damage (or 4d8 + 10 fire and poison damage if bloodied), and the target is immobilized and takes a -2 penalty to saving throws and all defenses (save ends both).Skills Arcana +16, History +16, Insight +14Str 17 (+10) Dex 19 (+11) Wis 15 (+9) Con 16 (+10) Int 19 (+11) Cha 13 (+8)Alignment evil Languages Draconic, Primordial© 2010 Wizards of the Coast LLC, a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All rights reserved. This formatted statistics block has been generated using the D&D Adventure Tools.[/sblock]Any comment or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!</blockquote>

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