Dark SUn beastie - Tembo - stats for 4th ed

[Silverblade The Ench]

made this using the DDi Monster Builder, see what ya think?

Bit more powerful than a standard lvl 4 beastie, which is what I started with, should it be level 5?

Going from original desription and powers from the Dark Sun boxed set where it is a 4Hit dice beastie but damn nasty with a fair suite of psionic powers, and a sneaky ambusher (it's level draining bite was grossly over powered IMHO, though!)
975 xp value in 2nd ed.

tembo

The tembo is a squat, furless, tawny coloured predator of ugly apearance covered in loose folds of scaly hide. Bulging eyes protude on short stalks, and it's massive canines drip with juices.

tembo Level 4 Lurker
Medium Aberrant Magical Beast XP 175
Initiative +10 Senses Perception +11; dark vision
HP 42; Bloodied 21
AC 18; Fortitude 16, Reflex 18, Will 16
Speed 7

Melee Basic (standard; at-will)
+9 vs AC; 1d10 + 4 damage

Draining Bite (standard; encounter) * Necrotic, Psionic
+9 vs AC; 3d8 + 4 damage
Secondary attack +9 vs Fort causes weakness, save ends

Shadow Form (minor; recharge 5 6) * illusion, Psionic
the tembo gains concealment until end of its next turn

Displacement (Immediate Interrupt, encounter) * Illusion, Psionic
the attacker must re-roll the attack

Life Draining (standard; recharge 5 6) * Necrotic, Psionic, Healing
Ranged 5; +7 vs Fortitude; 3d8 + 4 damage
the tembo heals 10 hp (note: a healing surge value)

Death Field (standard; encounter) * Necrotic, Psionic
Close burst 3; +5 vs Fortitude; 3d6 + 4 damage

Alignment: chaotic evil
Skills: stealth +11
Str 15 (+4) Dex 18 (+6) Wis 15 (+4)
Con 12 (+3) Int 14 (+4) Cha 12 (+3)


tembo Tactics
The tembo is a fanatical but chaotic opponent, enemies are never sure how it will fight, though it preffers attacking targets from stealth.
Vicious, evil and tenancious, it is very sly and preffers hitting weak targets, thus it's hated and feared for eating the young of sentient races.

Dex is it's main attribute and attack, as per original description.

 

[Connorsrpg]

I loved a lot of Dark Sun creatures inc the tembo, though I cannot say I remember all the powers.

What you have looks OK. Some powers do seem large in damage, but don't think you need to up the level. What you might do is make it an elite, so it has a chance of hanging around long enough for those pwoers to be used.

I would also give displacement a recharge, even if only on a 6. Just feels odd to me to have the ability to displace but only once. I tsounds like a power you could do often, but might have to wait for it to happen.

Speed 7 for such a stout little beastie?

Add necrotic to the damage type for sev powers. May seem obvious but be clear if the power is deealing necrotic damage.

I notice 4E critters rarely have secondary atts (seems something more for PCs). The effects just happen, but I actually prefer two attacks that target different Def to be resolved as secondary atts.

Just ideas. Cheers, C

 

[Silverblade The Ench]

Well the damage was as per the Monster Builder, so I'd hope it's damage was set ok

Tembo's can be single or in small packs so wanted the base stats from which an elite could be built if needed, rather than have to reverse engineer a standard one.

Aye speed 7, in the original 2nd ed, it was speed 15, where the norm for humans etc is 12, thus it is faster than humans.

Hm, they have necrotic in keywords, you mean add to the damage amount line too?

Oh I made the weakening effect a secondary attack, as that's very powerful effect for it's level so I wanted to balance it by not making it too powerful.

No worries!

 

[Connorsrpg]

Yeah, I see where you got the stats now, but it still seems as though there are several powerful powers.

Fully understand not wanting to make it elite As I said, with the several powers it has, they are not likely to get to use them...but I guess that is where packs come in

So 2e had them at above human speed, but from my recolections of their appearance, I wouldn't go with that. (Maybe I should find a picture before I commit to this - but I pictured them as short and squat with not features that express speed, unless that too is psionic)?

I am with you on the necrotic keyword, but all powers do state, "deals 1d6 + 5 necrotic damage".

Cheers, C

 

[Silverblade The Ench]

Well I designe dthem to fit within their description and also their role

Tembo always had many powers to use, but they are stated as being very chaotic and beyond favouring attackign form stealth and against weak targets, they are very chaotic in what way they will fight, ie, what powers.
I'd have included also a pounce attack, as that was a speical high damage one they had before, but ran out of space

The idea being, folk should neve rbe sure of what the heck these deadly and veyr hated little horrors will do.

Size ha sno beairng on speed when it comes to magical/psionic beasties and think of the speed of a hair or cheetah To be a "Lurker", they need the ability to hit and run, shadow form and higher speed do that, so it is important.

They are feared creatures, in 2nd ed, they had level drain which was grossly overpowered as we all know especially for a 4 HD beast in Athas where undoing that drain wans't at al likely at that level, jeesh!!
So I think a limited-use bite that "weakens" or for higher powered versions, make the vicitm lose a healing surge and weaken, is more in line with the concept.

So a skulking horror that your never sure what attack it will make: a bite that leaves you weak; a ranged life drain, a blast that damages everyone, but you know willl likely go for the weakest party member or NPC, from stealth is good for the game

necrotic, okydoky good call mate!

 

[Mesh Hong]

tembo Level 4 Lurker
Medium Aberrant Magical Beast XP 175
Initiative +10 Senses Perception +11; dark vision
HP 42; Bloodied 21
AC 18; Fortitude 16, Reflex 18, Will 16
Speed 7

Melee Basic (standard; at-will)
+9 vs AC; 1d10 + 4 damage

Draining Bite (standard; encounter) * Necrotic, Psionic
+9 vs AC; 3d8 + 4 damage
Secondary attack +9 vs Fort causes weakness, save ends

Shadow Form (minor; recharge 5 6) * illusion, Psionic
the tembo gains concealment until end of its next turn

Displacement (Immediate Interrupt, encounter) * Illusion, Psionic
the attacker must re-roll the attack

Life Draining (standard; recharge 5 6) * Necrotic, Psionic, Healing
Ranged 5; +7 vs Fortitude; 3d8 + 4 damage
the tembo heals 10 hp (note: a healing surge value)

Death Field (standard; encounter) * Necrotic, Psionic
Close burst 3; +5 vs Fortitude; 3d6 + 4 damage

Alignment: chaotic evil
Skills: stealth +11
Str 15 (+4) Dex 18 (+6) Wis 15 (+4)
Con 12 (+3) Int 14 (+4) Cha 12 (+3)

Here are my opinions and reactions.

Stats
I agree with your stats, I get Reflex 17 as opposed to your reflex 18 but that is a minor point.

Melee Basic
Nothing wrong with that.

Shadow Form
Nothing wrong with that, its a handy minor ability.

Encounter Powers
I think that 3 encounter powers is definately 2 too many, and maybe 3 too many for a standard creature. I know the temptation for giving a creature lots of interesting attacks but giving a standard creature this many high damage options is just too powerful.

If it was an elite it would be more reasonable, but as this is a standard creature you could have 5 of these versus a level 4 party. Have you considered the effect of 5 of these guys opening up with Death Field?

5x 3d6+4 in a burst 3 (7 squares x 7 squares)

minimum damage = 5x7 = 35 to multiple PCs
medium damage = 5x14 = 70 to multiple PCs
maximum damage = 5x22 = 110 to Multiple PCs

I would expect a level 4 fighter to have about 49 HPs, and a level 4 wizard to have about 34 HPs. This should clearly highlight the problem the 3 encounter powers on standard creatures.

That is just 1 power, after this opening gambit your creatures still have 2 more attacks that can do the same amount of damage. I think that is far too overpowering.

My advice is leave the big damage encounter attacks to Elites and Solos.

As a design note, lurkers commonly prefer to attack from a position of advantage so they often deal low to average damage with their attacks but gain additional damage when they have combat advantage.

Draining Bite
As an encounter power that weakens an opponant there is certainly nothing wrong with the design intent of the power, but you shouldn't really couple high damage with a nasty effect.

This should probably be:
Attack +9 vs. AC; 1d8+4 necrotic damage; on hit target is weakened (save ends)

Life Draining
Healing powers are unusual, but in theory there is nothing wrong with them as long as you don't make them too common.

I would advise against giving a standard creature a recharge healing power. It should be an encounter power.

This should probably be:
Range 5; attack +7 vs. Fortitude; 2d6+4 necrotic damage; on hit Tembo heals 10 HPs

Death Field
As I have stated previously you have to be very careful when giving standard creatures area attacks.

This should probably be:
Burst 3; attack +5 vs. Fortitude; 2d6+4 necrotic damage

As I have said above I think that the creature should really only have 1 of the above powers Draining Bite, Life Draining or Death Field. They are all fine in concept but too much on a single standard creature, you could easily make 3 different types of these beasts that each have one of these powers, that might add a little variety and still give you ultimately what you want.

Additional Power
As it is a lurker I would give it a power something like:

Tembo Ambush
Whenever Tembo attacks with combat advantage it deals an additional 1d6 psychic damage


These of course are just my opinions, only you really know what is fair and balanced in your world for your group. I do have quite a lot of experience in designing custom creatures though, even so my design philosophy may differ from yours or anyone elses.

 

[Silverblade The Ench]

Mesh
oh no worries, I see what you mean

Bu the tembo IS meant to have many attacks it can choose between, it's a tricky customer folks have to be very wary of, it's extremely chaotic in what way it will fight. I'd like to have given it a "Pounce" ability as that's another thing they are known for.

Death Field, hm good call there, I can see what you mean! But..it also hits their allies too...so they'd kill themselves

Draining bite, ok, again you make sense there.

extra damage with combat advantage, agreed that's something they should have.