Darkland Treant

[Omertalvendetta]

This monster takes place before this one: http://www.enworld.org/forum/4e-fan-creations-house-rules/274349-troll-bilescout.html

It is designed solo on purpose, meant to debilitate the party a little before they get inside the forest where they will face the troll bilescout and other monstrosities. I decided to post this one here to also get some feedback. I've never created a solo monster and though its Draining Roots ability is pretty powerful, I feel its fitting of the monster; however, balance to me is of uttermost importance, so please do let me know or any suggestions to make this monster better/balanced, etc. I'm all eyes...

Thanks in advance!!

EDIT: This is meant for a level 5 encounter!!

 

[Omertalvendetta]

I guess no one likes this monster?? Actually, looking over it now, I realize that it's basically a replica of the normal treant with one added ability to make it "solo". Well, I plan to change most of its abilities a little... secondly, I do wish to know whether the "draining roots" power is fitting, OP, under-powered, etc, as I plan to keep that. What do you guys think?

 

[Keenberg]

I like him! I think the powers are fitting of the monster's roles. The Grasping Roots Aura, Slam, and earthshaking Stomp are all good controller powers. The Awaken Forest power is a nice power for a solo (is it supposed to say "the treant makes no attack rolls when it sustains the zone?" if so, you could just make it "sustain standard")

As for draining roots, it is OP. If a character goes down during the fight, the treant standing next to them insures, even if they make their 20 roll on a death save or are raised with a heal check, they can't get up because they'll never gain hit points.

Idea:Instead, use of healing surges inside the aura triggers a regeneration effect. The treant regains X hitpoints per round, and the effect stacks.

What do you think?

 

[Mesh Hong]

I think the problem with your solo Darkwood Treant is that it doesn’t really feel like a fully formed solo threat.

I think that the 8 movement and the healing denial aura are a little on the strong side for a level 5 creature. These are a lot more appropriate on a higher level creature as per the MM.

It’s a while since I created a level 5 solo but I have created a solo that is a bit more of a threat, and a little more varied in its tactics so that the encounter will feel more dynamic.

Note that I have classed it as a medium sized creature with reach 3. I would say that the trunk is the creature but the canopy of the tree extends over the PCs as they fight its body. Having the PCs fight under the trees canopy might add a little more atmosphere and make the reach/bust attacks more imaginable.

Darkland Treant Level 5 Solo Controller
Medium Fey Beast (plant) XP 1,000

Initiative +3 Senses Perception +6, low light vision
Draining Roots (necrotic) aura 3; Whenever an enemy uses a healing
surge inside the aura it also takes necrotic damage equal to half the HPs
healed
HP 256; Bloodied 128; see Deadwood Infection, Mighty Branch Slam
AC 19; Fortitude 18, Reflex 16, Will 18
Resist 10 necrotic, 10 poison;
Vulnerable fire, Treant takes 5 ongoing fire damage when damaged by
fire
Saving Throws +5, +0 vs. ongoing fire damage
Speed 5
Action Points 2

Branch Slam (Standard; at-will)
Reach 3; attack +10 vs. AC; 1d6+4 damage

Branch Assault (Standard; recharge )
Treant makes a Branch Slam attack against each enemy in reach

Mighty Branch Slam (Standard; at-will) ♦ only while bloodied
Only while bloodied; Reach 3; attack +10 vs. AC; 2d8+4 damage; on hit
target is pushed 7 squares and knocked prone

Windrush (Standard; recharge ) ♦ force
Burst 3; attack +9 vs. Fortitude; 2d6+4 force damage; on hit target is
pushed 5 squares and knocked prone

Grasping Root (Minor; recharge )
1 target inside burst 6; attack +9 vs. Reflex; 1d4+2 damage; on hit target
is immobilised (save ends) first failed save target is restrained (save ends)

Deadwood Spores (Standard; encounter) ♦ necrotic, poison, sustain
minor
Area burst 3 within 10 squares; attack +9 vs. Fortitude; 1d10+4 necrotic
and poison damage; on hit target is slowed (save ends); this attack
creates a zone, all creatures entering or starting their turn inside the zone
take 5 necrotic and poison damage

Deadwood Infection (Free) ♦ necrotic, when first bloodied
When first bloodied Treant releases a cloud of necrotic spores as an
immediate free action; burst 3; attack +9 vs. Fortitude; on hit target
gains vulnerability 5 necrotic until the end of the encounter or removed
with a DC 20 Heal or Nature check as a move action by the target or an
adjacent PC

Alignment Unaligned Languages elven
Skills Athletics +11, Endurance +10, Nature +11
Str 18 (+6) Dex 13 (+3) Wis 18 (+6)
Con 16 (+5) Int 10 (+2) Cha 15 (+4)

I not really sure if this is what you were after or if its appropriate for you group but I hope it serves as an example and is at least helpful in giving you a few ideas.

 

[Omertalvendetta]

I did think that draining roots was a bit OP, and I like what you guys have suggested. I personally would like to make it part of the aura, as Mesh suggested. Also, most of your ideas are great, actually, Mesh, and I am in the process of also adding this entry into a PDF monster book that I'm working on, as well as utilizing some of the ideas you have for the final monster... would it be cool, with your permission, if I may include the monster in the PDF? I'll give you all the credit due and mention... thanks for your suggestions!!

 

[Mesh Hong]

Mesh, and I am in the process of also adding this entry into a PDF monster book that I'm working on, as well as utilizing some of the ideas you have for the final monster... would it be cool, with your permission, if I may include the monster in the PDF?

Yes you can, that'd be cool. As you can see from my sig a while back I made a few monster manuals myself.

I also got about 45 pages into a book of heroic tier solos (20 monsters), but I just havn't got the time I used to have so it is just sitting there on my harddrive in an unfinished and raw state.

If you need any advice I am always available to give an opinion.

 

[Omertalvendetta]

All right, so I've updated the monster, made some major changes to him... I playtested it tonight and it was a pretty moderate battle. They killed it at medium rate, and the party had two strikers, so it seemed to work pretty well. Feel free to playtest it, and let me know results, anyone... lastly, I've implemented him into my Monster Compendium and you have due credit Mesh, hope you like the final product. Currently working with friends to add the art to the pdf and then I'll be making a preview of what the pdf is to look like on another thread here in the upcoming future!!

 

[Mesh Hong]

I think your version of Darkwood Spores might be a bit too fiddly for its own good. Really I think it would be better all round if the target took 5 necrotic and poison damage when it entered or started its turn inside the zone rather than takes 5 ongoing necrotic and poison damage (save ends).

This way they take damage in a reliable way, rather than maybe taking some damage next turn if they fail their save. Keeping it simple also reduces the book keeping which will help keep things moving along.

 

[Omertalvendetta]

I think your version of Darkwood Spores might be a bit too fiddly for its own good. Really I think it would be better all round if the target took 5 necrotic and poison damage when it entered or started its turn inside the zone rather than takes 5 ongoing necrotic and poison damage (save ends).

This way they take damage in a reliable way, rather than maybe taking some damage next turn if they fail their save. Keeping it simple also reduces the book keeping which will help keep things moving along.

Very good suggestion... I was thinking that maybe they shouldn't take it ongoing, but that the area should be bigger... I ran this beast the other day and it was pretty balanced. The Darkwood Spores was a little icky, so maybe making some of the changes you suggested might work, but I still would like it to still do some damage, since it's to be sustained with a minor, thereby perhaps making the area bigger. The players, in the encounter they fought, knew were the area was and simply walked around it, so it felt like it kind of defeated the purpose. Thereby me thinking that if the area was bigger, they might be forced to walk into it a few times, taking the damage. I'd take out the ongoing if making it bigger doesn't break the balance, what do you think?

 

[eriktheguy]

Vulnerable 5 axes