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Need help making a monster for your D&D game? Concepts, stat blocks, philosophy, resources, review and critique? This is the thread for you!
Suggested etiquette: Put any stat blocks behind SPOILERS (click the triple dots above, then the eye with a slash through it). And, in the words of Bill & Ted, be excellent to each other.
Resources: If you're wondering about 5e monster maths, the 2014 DMG page 274+ and the Forge of Foes are good resources – Forge of Foes also has a CC document with the underlying maths.
And I will kick it off with a monster of my own! I'm designing a group of villainous flame mages without just slapping a bunch of spell names on a stat block. This one is a Scorched Mage (stats in spoiler) - a mage irrevocably changed by contact with dark elemental spirits, darkening their eyes and fingertips with cinder. They are fused body, mind, and spirit with an elemental burning away their humanity, draining elemental magic used against them and unleashing deadly scorching rays that curse the fallen. Roughly on par with a 7th level evoker. EDIT: And yes, I'm messing around with ways to condense/clarify the stat block (e.g. the superscript star denotes the most important action).
My Questions:
Scorched Mage CR 6 (2,300 XP)
Medium humanoid (flame mage), any evil
AC 11
Initiative +1 (11)
HP 38 (7d8+7)
Speed 30 ft.
STR +0 DEX +1 CON +1 INT +6 WIS +2 CHA +3
Resistances fire
Senses Perception +5 (15)
Languages Common, Ignan (Primordial), Jhatab’enar
Critical Combustion. When the mage rolls 19-20 to attack with a fire spell, the spell deals triple its damage dice.
Elemental Possession. The mage is possessed by an elemental spirit fused with their mind, body, and soul. Dispel evil and good expels the spirit to the Plane of Fire and kills the mage.
Pyromantic Curse. When the mage reduces a creature to 0 hit points with fire magic, the creature is cursed with Corruption of the Fiery Void; roll a d6 to determine the effect:
ACTIONS
Fire Bolt. Ranged Spell Attack: +6 to hit, range 120 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d10) fire damage.
★Scorching Ray (3/day, cast at 3rd level). The mage hurls 4 rays of fire against one target or several. Ranged Spell Attack: +6 to hit, range 120 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d6) fire damage.
Aganazzar’s Scorcher (1/day, 2nd level spell). A line of flame 30-feet long and 5-feet wide extends from the mage. Each creature in the line must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 13 (3d8) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Elemental Bane (1/day, 4th level spell, concentration). A creature the mage can see within 90 feet must succeed a DC 14 Constitution save or it loses any resistance to fire damage, and the first time each turn it takes fire damage, the creature takes an additional 2d6 fire damage. This lasts for 1 minute.
Spellcasting. The mage casts one of the following spells using Intelligence as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 14):
At will: control flames, light, mage hand
1/day each: levitate, see invisibility
REACTIONS
Elemental Inversion (recharge 6). When the mage would take acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage, they gain resistance against that damage, and until the end of their next turn their fire spell attacks deal extra fire damage equal to the damage resisted.
Suggested etiquette: Put any stat blocks behind SPOILERS (click the triple dots above, then the eye with a slash through it). And, in the words of Bill & Ted, be excellent to each other.
Resources: If you're wondering about 5e monster maths, the 2014 DMG page 274+ and the Forge of Foes are good resources – Forge of Foes also has a CC document with the underlying maths.
And I will kick it off with a monster of my own! I'm designing a group of villainous flame mages without just slapping a bunch of spell names on a stat block. This one is a Scorched Mage (stats in spoiler) - a mage irrevocably changed by contact with dark elemental spirits, darkening their eyes and fingertips with cinder. They are fused body, mind, and spirit with an elemental burning away their humanity, draining elemental magic used against them and unleashing deadly scorching rays that curse the fallen. Roughly on par with a 7th level evoker. EDIT: And yes, I'm messing around with ways to condense/clarify the stat block (e.g. the superscript star denotes the most important action).
My Questions:
- Is the concept getting through with the mechanics?
- Does it seem like I'm assessing the challenge fairly?
- If you were to cut something, what do you think should be cut?
Scorched Mage CR 6 (2,300 XP)
Medium humanoid (flame mage), any evil
AC 11
Initiative +1 (11)
HP 38 (7d8+7)
Speed 30 ft.
STR +0 DEX +1 CON +1 INT +6 WIS +2 CHA +3
Resistances fire
Senses Perception +5 (15)
Languages Common, Ignan (Primordial), Jhatab’enar
Critical Combustion. When the mage rolls 19-20 to attack with a fire spell, the spell deals triple its damage dice.
Elemental Possession. The mage is possessed by an elemental spirit fused with their mind, body, and soul. Dispel evil and good expels the spirit to the Plane of Fire and kills the mage.
Pyromantic Curse. When the mage reduces a creature to 0 hit points with fire magic, the creature is cursed with Corruption of the Fiery Void; roll a d6 to determine the effect:
- Suffers long-term madness, gaining the flaw: Nothing is as important as satisfying my burning hatred and passion.
- After each short or long rest, reduce its Hit Dice by 1d6, transforming into a veiled fire elemental* at 0 Hit Dice.
- Suffers disadvantage on saves and checks against fire.
- Flammables it touches ignite, and creatures it touches suffer 2d6 fire damage.
- Beasts are frightened of it as if it were a wildfire.
- Emits light like a torch and cannot become invisible.
ACTIONS
Fire Bolt. Ranged Spell Attack: +6 to hit, range 120 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d10) fire damage.
★Scorching Ray (3/day, cast at 3rd level). The mage hurls 4 rays of fire against one target or several. Ranged Spell Attack: +6 to hit, range 120 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d6) fire damage.
Aganazzar’s Scorcher (1/day, 2nd level spell). A line of flame 30-feet long and 5-feet wide extends from the mage. Each creature in the line must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 13 (3d8) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Elemental Bane (1/day, 4th level spell, concentration). A creature the mage can see within 90 feet must succeed a DC 14 Constitution save or it loses any resistance to fire damage, and the first time each turn it takes fire damage, the creature takes an additional 2d6 fire damage. This lasts for 1 minute.
Spellcasting. The mage casts one of the following spells using Intelligence as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 14):
At will: control flames, light, mage hand
1/day each: levitate, see invisibility
REACTIONS
Elemental Inversion (recharge 6). When the mage would take acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage, they gain resistance against that damage, and until the end of their next turn their fire spell attacks deal extra fire damage equal to the damage resisted.
Scorched Mage ▸ Intended CR close to a mage (CR 6).
Defense CR 2
HP = 38 + Elemental Inversion: lightning bolt (28/2) = 52
AC = 11 + 1 Two Saves = 12
Offense CR 8
DPR 52
Save DC 14 / Spell Attack +6
DPR calculation (3-rounds)
Round 1: Scorching Ray (4 * 7) = 28
Round 2: Scorching Ray (4 * 7) + Elemental Inversion: lightning bolt (4 * 28/2) = 84
Round 3: Scorching Ray (4 * 7) = 28
Critical Combustion: 10% chance of critical (0.1) * 14 more damage * 12 attacks = 16.8 extra damage
(28+84+28+16.8) / 3 = 52
Total CR
(2+8) / 2 = 5
Note: The potential for multiple critical his to increase damage, as well as the potential for Elemental Inversion used against a more powerful spell to increase both effective hit points and damage warrant treating it as CR 6.
Defense CR 2
HP = 38 + Elemental Inversion: lightning bolt (28/2) = 52
AC = 11 + 1 Two Saves = 12
Offense CR 8
DPR 52
Save DC 14 / Spell Attack +6
DPR calculation (3-rounds)
Round 1: Scorching Ray (4 * 7) = 28
Round 2: Scorching Ray (4 * 7) + Elemental Inversion: lightning bolt (4 * 28/2) = 84
Round 3: Scorching Ray (4 * 7) = 28
Critical Combustion: 10% chance of critical (0.1) * 14 more damage * 12 attacks = 16.8 extra damage
(28+84+28+16.8) / 3 = 52
Total CR
(2+8) / 2 = 5
Note: The potential for multiple critical his to increase damage, as well as the potential for Elemental Inversion used against a more powerful spell to increase both effective hit points and damage warrant treating it as CR 6.
