Dark One Battle Champion

[fanboy2000]

So, I'm moving away from WotC published adventures and building my own adventures. I'm currently designing an encounter with Dark Ones, but they don't have very many in the MM, so I'm modifying the base Dark Creeper. Here's there leader. (Name suggestions would be greatly appreciated.)

Dark Champion Level 6 Elite Solder
Small fey humanoid XP 500

Initiative +8 Senses Perception +6; darkvision
HP 132; Bloodied 66
AC 22; Fortitude 19, Reflex 19, Will 17
Saving Throws +2
Speed 6
Action Pionts 1

Dagger (Standard, at-will)  Weapon
+11 vs AC; 1d4+5 damage.

Dagger (Standard, at-will)  Weapon
Range 5/10; +11 vs AC; 1d4+5 damage.

Killing Dark (when reduced to 0 hit points)
Close burst 1; targets enemies; each target is blinded (save ends). When slain, a dark creeper explodes in a spout of darkness.

Dark Step (Move, at-will)
The dark creeper moves up to 4 squares, gains a +4 bonus to AC against opportunity attacks, and gains combat advantage against any target that it ends its move adjacent to.

Dark Champion Tactics
The Dark Champion and it’s allies deal an extra 1d6 damage agains enimies that the battle Champion flanks.

Dark Talent
The Dark Champion can score a critical hit on a natural 19 or 20.

Inspiring Assault
Whenever the Dark Champion crits, the Dark Champion and all it’s allies within 5 squares regain 3 HP.

Double Dagger (standard, recharge ) - weapon
Dark Champion makes 2 Dagger attacks, these can be either melee or ranged attacks.

Dagger Spray (standard, encounter) - weapon
Close Blast 3; attack +11 vs. Reflex; 3d8+4 damage; on miss half damage

Alignment Evil Languages Common
Skills Stealth +13, Thievery +13
Str 11 (+2) Wis 14 (+4)
Dex 18 (+6) 
 Int 13 (+3)
Con 14 (+4) Cha 13 (+3)
Equipment black garments, daggers x5.

I took the Dark Creeper on page 49 of the MM and maid, IIRC, the following changes: leveled him up 2 levels, changed the alignment to evil, and then applied the Battle Champion template. (I love templates.) I also changed the name of Battle Lord Tactics, and Battle Talent. I don't like the name Dark Talent very much, though it fits better than Battle Talent. Again, any suggestions would be great.

I was surprised how well the Battle Champion complimented the Dark Creeper. But the Battle Lord Tactics power is essentially a form of sneak attack, a good fit for a lord of shadowy fey rogues. Battle Talent, I think, expands on this theme, the guy can do max damage more often because he's craftier.

Edit: hey, this is my 700th post!

 

[Mesh Hong]

Well this looks OK for a standard creature levelled up and templetted to Battle Champion.

Dagger (Standard, at-will)  Weapon
+11 vs AC; 1d4+5 damage.

Dagger (Standard, at-will)  Weapon
Range 5/10; +11 vs AC; 1d4+5 damage.

These attacks should probably do 1d4+4 damage, not 1d4+5 damage

Combat Advantage
The dark creeper deals an extra 1d6+1 damage on melee and ranged attacks against any target it has combat advantage against.

This should probably be 1d6 damage, not 1d6+1

Dark Step would seem a bit powerful to me if I was designing this creature from scratch, but as it is written right there in the MM1 then go with it.

You might want to add a recharge power in to add a little more interest. As it is a level 6 elite it should probably have a double attack, but as it has a reasonably high damage potencial for a soldier I would limit it.

You might consider adding the following powers:-

orDouble Dagger (standard, recharge ) - weapon
Dark Champion makes 2 Dagger attacks, these can be either melee or ranged attacks.

Dagger Spray (standard, encounter) - weapon
Close Blast 3; attack +11 vs. Reflex; 3d8+4 damage; on miss half damage

hope this helps.

 

[fanboy2000]

These attacks should probably do 1d4+4 damage, not 1d4+5 damage

IIRC, the DMG says to add one to damage every two levels you add. The damage doesn't seem excessive to me, so I'll keep it.

This should probably be 1d6 damage, not 1d6+1

You're right. That's extra damage. I actually deleted that because it overlapped with Battle Champion Tactics.

Dark Step would seem a bit powerful to me if I was designing this creature from scratch, but as it is written right there in the MM1 then go with it.

I agree, but it's a cool power and with the d4 dagger, I think it'll work out o.k.

You might want to add a recharge power in to add a little more interest. As it is a level 6 elite it should probably have a double attack, but as it has a reasonably high damage potencial for a soldier I would limit it.

Good idea.

You might consider adding the following powers:-

orDouble Dagger (standard, recharge ) - weapon
Dark Champion makes 2 Dagger attacks, these can be either melee or ranged attacks.

Dagger Spray (standard, encounter) - weapon
Close Blast 3; attack +11 vs. Reflex; 3d8+4 damage; on miss half damage

hope this helps.

It helps a great deal, thank you!

 

[Mesh Hong]

This should probably be 1d6 damage, not 1d6+1

You're right. That's extra damage. I actually deleted that because it overlapped with Battle Champion Tactics.

Do you mean you deleted the +1 part or the whole power? If you removed the whole power then I think the creature will need looking at again as it might be seriously underpowered in the damage department.

 

[fanboy2000]

Do you mean you deleted the +1 part or the whole power? If you removed the whole power then I think the creature will need looking at again as it might be seriously underpowered in the damage department.

The whole power. The template provides a similar, more powerful, power called Battle Champion Tactics:

Battle Champion Tactics
The Dark Champion and it’s allies deal an extra 1d6 damage agains enimies that the battle Champion flanks.

I remained it Dark Champion Tactics. Combat advantage only gave the 1d6 to the creature, Battle [Dark] Champion Tactics gives the 1d6 to the creature and it's allies. Which is going to suck for my players, but they should have thought about that before becoming adventures.

 

[Mesh Hong]

With the removal of the extra 1d6 damage with combat advantage I would recommend at the very least making the Double Dagger power an at will. I would also consider making the Dagger Spray power a recharge 5,6 and reducing the damage to something like 2d6+4.

I would then take another look at his suite of powers and damage output and think about giving him a new encounter power or an immediate reaction power.

maybe:

Combat Manoeuvres (immediate reaction; when hit by a melee attack)
When hit by a melee attack Dark Champion and 1 ally within 3 squares may shift 1 square as an immediate reaction

or

Twisting Slice (standard; encounter)
Attack +10 vs. Will; 2d8+5 damage; on hit Dark Champion and Target switch places; on miss Dark Champion may shift 1 square

 

[fanboy2000]

With the removal of the extra 1d6 damage with combat advantage I would recommend at the very least making the Double Dagger power an at will. I would also consider making the Dagger Spray power a recharge 5,6 and reducing the damage to something like 2d6+4.

Thanks.

I appreciate all your suggestions. I kept him pretty much how you see him in the edited post. Now that I've played it, I probably should have uped the damage as you suggested, (none of his powers ever recharged) though he got his extra damage in a couple of times.

I'm including the statblocks for the three dark one's. I took the base guy and made a minion. (Though I overvalued the xp a little) This is incase anyone is interested.

The goal of the encounter is was a quick combat at the end of a one session mystery. Three babies had been kidnaped from wealthy merchants in Fallcrest and the Lord Warden, under pressure from them, tries to hire the adventures who took care of the Kobald problem. Those guys, however, aren't around anymore so the PC get involved. The babies have been been replaced by changelings, something that fey have done in decades. The PCs investigate and eventually make their way to the sewers and fight the dark one's

I just got done with Thunderspire Labyrinth and wanted a short, fun, adventure with a short, fun, combat at the end.