D&D 5E Experience with Legendary Resistance: How is it working for you?

[Celtavian]

I'd still like to know what sort of legendary creature is just sitting in a room waiting for the party to run in and attack it, and what sort of creature has those legendary abilities. Yes, I admit it. I'm very curious to know what they were fighting against.

If the DM had put the Legendary Creature with another group of creatures, our group would have died. You're looking to closely at the number of rounds. In those three rounds, he took the fighter from 56 hit points to 18 to the point the fighter had to Disengage and leave the room. The paladin was taken from 52 hit points to 25. It required an Action Surge usable once per battle at level 5. Add in a smite attack combined with a Thunderous Smite and a fireball to do enough damage to get it in range of a 25 point 2nd level sleep spell. The Legendary Creature was a beast. It was a kill or be killed fight. The thing missed twice on attacks. If it hadn't, not even sure we would be alive.

If you want to know what it is, read Hoard of the Dragon Queen. Should be the first Legendary Creature you come across that the party has to fight.

It wasn't an easy fight because it lasted three or four rounds. It lasted three or four rounds because we either killed it that fast or it would have done us in. We had to unload our best attacks on it or it was going to take us all down. You're assumed this because I didn't include how hard it hit us. Don't worry. If your party runs into this creature or something similar at the level we did, prepare to see them nearly die.

 

[Blackwarder]

If you want to know what it is, read Hoard of the Dragon Queen. Should be the first Legendary Creature you come across that the party has to fight.

WoW, if it's who I think it was than I'm impressed that you are alive! From what you described it seems like your DM hasn't done his homework or (more likely) went very easy on you

Anyway, you guys should have really cool loot right now!

Warder

 

[Blackwarder]

Honestly' the more I think about it the more I think that the creature either fought stupidly or you guys did an excellent job in cornering it and bringing the pain! Good Job!

If I were the DM I don't think that you would have managed to hit it more than once...

Warder

 

[Celtavian]

WoW, if it's who I think it was than I'm impressed that you are alive! From what you described it seems like your DM hasn't done his homework or (more likely) went very easy on you

Anyway, you guys should have really cool loot right now!

Warder

One of the items is difficult to use at best and one of the PCs is role-playing not wanting the item used. To be honest with you, our DM did play the Legendary Creature differently than I would have. Not sure he went easy on us, but I would have been a bit more vicious.. We generally are a very organized and capable party. That fight was tough. We almost ran. First time in years we've fought a single creature that made us worry that much. If it had gone on one more round, I think the fighter and/or paladin would have went down. He would have carved through the cleric, bard, and my wizard like a hot knife through butter.

 

[Blackwarder]

Just a question, how come the darkness didn't came into play? I mean you should have all had disadvantage on attacks against its.

Warder

 

[Celtavian]

Just a question, how come the darkness didn't came into play? I mean you should have all had disadvantage on attacks against its.

Warder

It did come into play. That's what made the fighter back out. He was getting hammered in the darkness. Even with disadvantage, bless was helping immensely. An extra 1d4 bonus per attack is a huge help to hit. Bless is probably the single most powerful party buff spell in the game. If we didn't have that, probably would have missed a few more times.

We tried to hit him to end by breaking his concentration. I think the paladin got in a lucky shot with the big smite for 28. He still made his concentration check. Then the paladin was hammered down to 25 points. We couldn't see her, so we couldn't target with spells. That's why I launched the fireball into the room once the fighter backed out. Fortunately, the Shield Master paladin made his save. I did yell "Fireball" to warn him it was coming. He didn't take any damage given Shield Master works like Evasion. Even with the fireball, she made the concentration check.

The sleep spell was the bard's last second level slot. He was taking a chance we had done enough damage to put the opponent in sleep spell range. He cast it. The DM said the paladin almost went down to the sleep spell but the Legendary Creature had slightly lower than 25 hit points. She took 48 (fighter) + 28 (paladin) + 15 (wizard)= 91 points and was still standing. The sleep spell was desperation. If it hadn't worked, we probably would have lost. In the darkness, the paladin would have went down in one hit with the damage she was dishing.

Yeah. That darkness ability was rough. Disadvantage on all attacks. Advantage for her against anyone in it. We couldn't target with any spell that required we see the target. Very nasty defense. Fortunately, sleep broke the concentration. That is when we finished her.

 

[Iosue]

FWIW, that's not how Shield Master works. It's only usable vs attacks directly targeting the Shield Master. AoEs, especially AoEs targeting another creature, don't count.

 

[Celtavian]

FWIW, that's not how Shield Master works. It's only usable vs attacks directly targeting the Shield Master. AoEs, especially AoEs targeting another creature, don't count.

Really? I wasn't the DM and I haven't read it extensively. I thought it was any Dex-based save?

 

[Scorpio616]

Except, as Tormyr said, the way 5E works is that many of the creatures below those levels can still be viable encounters for high level PCs. Not to mention that most of those legendary monsters are dragons, aboleths, liches, and the like, where there will only be one of those in any given campaign, let alone in a single day. Or do you have a "magical" (by which we both mean ludicrous) DM who throws multiple dragons at 17th level characters in a single fight?

Some folks are still in the 3e and 4e mindset where even higher level foes are typically at or around the PC's levels. An encounter with frost giants in 5E at high levels won't be 2 or 3 giants advanced to near the party's level, but will be half a dozen or more with maybe a commander who might be as tough as a Fire or Cloud giant.

 

[Blackwarder]

In that case you did a superb job + lucky rolls

Personaly I would have used the darkness to try a hide check and run for it, but that is DMing style

Anyway, knowing all the details I don't see any problem with the encounter, you managed to corner the BBEG where it couldn't run and used your party resources successfully to bring it down with no fatalities, from your description you also managed to reach this combat fresh or almost so, not a minor feat considering the adventure local, otherwise you would have been minced meat.

I don't think that it reflect poorly on the wizard, I think that it show the strength of 5e, where you need a team effort to knock down the BBEG.

Happy hunting!, don't let Tiamat eat you on the way to herohood!

Warder