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Message: <blockquote data-quote="El Coro" data-source="post: 5322791" data-attributes="member: 87452">I think your encounter is definitely cool and will keep your players interested. Having these kind of worldbreaker encounters with multiple phases is totally awesome and regardless of what happens, players always seem to enjoy the complexity and shift in tactics.For #2 and #3, I would guess that it looks to be around a level 10 or 11 encounter for a group of five level 9 PCs.I think there are a few difficult and harsh parts of this encounter, and it makes me wonder if it would either murder or frustrate (or both) a group of players, for the following reasons:Stage 1:Elemental Cascade is really harsh, and though I'm sure it's meant to be since it's an encounter power, it's really not an encounter ability if you think about it; most encounter powers are saved for mid-combat or an opportune moment, but with all of your phases, it's going to probably use it within the first 2 or 3 rounds (since it will need to before being bloodied and dispersed). This is the same for the other recharge and encounter powers - they're very powerful in anticipation of being used rarely (or once), but all of those one-time uses will be almost back-to-back. Most level 9 or 10 players probably won't have more than 70 hit points. If one sorry player is targeted by Elemental Cascade one turn and then merely caught in the secondary attack of Sweeping Slam, they could take up to 60 damage in those two turns - and that's not accounting for any of the minor encounter abilities or if, god forbid, the monster spends an action point. And that's all just in the first phase.I'd recommend having Elemental Cascade make 4 attacks against 4 separate targets, or, if you want to keep it with 4 attacks on 1 target, at least lowering the damage and focusing on the effects. In addition, you could have Glowing Slam target up to 2 or 3 players normally, which is what many solo monsters can do to offset their few turns.Also, for all of the phases, I would cut out the extreme effects of the transformation. Players HATE being dazed and stunned, and they often (in my experience) get pissed when something just explodes and damages or affects them without any kind of foreseeable warning - the "how could I prevent it if I didn't know about it?!" aggravation. If nothing else, I'd remove the daze from Bloodied Transformation, that is a pile of pissed off players with no first turn in phase 2.Stage 2:My only critique here would be the sudden explosion of Motes of Light that leave each player vulnerable to the mote's attacks as soon as they appear. The 10 ongoing damage is a little harsh if the players aren't yet paragon tier, but that's only a random effect so it could go either way.Stage 3:Force Repulsion seems a little much for a minion attack, especially since it pushes, triggers more attacks, and gives bonuses to those attacks (which already target Reflex, a lower defense). If the attack bonuses are cumulative, it's not hard to imagine some poor player getting caught in the acid aura of one of phase 2's still living stalkers, then taking three or four attacks by these motes, totaling near 40 points in one round (by only 3 creatures). Also, since these minions appear basically anywhere, some of your more vulnerable players won't have a chance to get away or avoid them without a few opportunity attacks. When combat starts, most of your fragile players will make sure to stay out of the middle, but that might not be possible, and suddenly a ranged class is provoking opportunity attacks every time they move or cast a spell.Stage 4:Shards of Fire and Ice should probably do less damage or be a recharge. Not because it's overpowered, but because your players have already been dealing with a lot of spread-out burst damage by now, and having potentially THREE of these guys up, all using that attack each turn, could easily cause a TPK.I'd also make Word of Command cause a melee or ranged basic attack, not an at-will attack, just to balance it a little more. Vortex of Attraction is pretty cool, not sure how it'll play out - depends on the size of the area I guess, but I'm a fan and think it's a great idea.In general I think your encounter is pretty awesome and you clearly put a lot of time into thinking thematically and how everything fits together. I just think it needs a few tweaks to even it out for a group of players of a near level (if they're too high, it'll just be a joke because the monsters won't even land a hit). Sorry if I seemed to rip it apart or anything, it wasn't my intention. I post stuff like this sometimes and I almost always wish someone would just go through it piece by piece and give me some constructive feedback on not only what they didn't like, but how to fix it - so I'm trying to do that.Good luck!</blockquote>

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