D&D 5E Get The Vecna Dossier Free At D&D Beyond

WotC is offering a free product which you can claim by signing into D&D Beyond, including Vecna’s 5E statistics.

The dossier includes the stat block plus a half page or so of lore. Vecna's stat block is a CR 26 undead wizard, prior to the fallen paladin (and former bodyguard to the lich) Kas's betrayal. That means he still has his hand and eye, although he is a time traveller and can appear in different worlds and eras.

The archlich Vecna is one of the most iconic villains of Dungeons & Dragons lore. And now you can bear witness to his necromantic magic with the Vecna Dossier! Available at no cost with your D&D Beyond account, this thrilling supplement details the legacy and statistics of the Undying King himself!

This claim unlocks the contents of this promotional supplement for use with D&D Beyond, including the supplement in digital format in the game compendium and in the searchable listings, character builder, encounters, and digital sheet.

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[dave2008]

The better interpretation (I can see you are using spell check or auto-completion) is irrelevant.

How is that not relevant? If the DM wants the game to be fun they should always take the interpretation that make their game more fun. How can we even debate that.

What matters is the RAW.

Not really, but I think the RAW supports what I and several others have said.

I am not going to debate you on reading the english language. We can go round and round on prepositional and adverbial phrases. You can choose to believe you are right.

I am not an English major, but I have easy access to one! The same to you, I just don't know what purpose that serves other than to argue on a forum!

 

[Reynard]

The better interpretation (I can see you are using spell check or auto-completion) is irrelevant. What matters is the RAW. I am not going to debate you on reading the english language. We can go round and round on prepositional and adverbial phrases. You can choose to believe you are right.

You literally quoted and bolded the parts that prove you wrong on this.

 

[dave2008]

If you are adding the adventure writeup to the stat block, sure, we can agree. But speaking within the stat block, if you are in university or college, take the writeups of both sentences to an English prof, and ask them to compare. I know what the answer will be.

I live with one so I just might. However, the last time I did that she was unhappy as rules language is very odd to begin with. I'll try to ask when she is in a good mood!

 

[Stalker0]

Not design issues, but definitely design philosophy and assumptions by players. For some reason you assume a CR 26 should be invincible, but that is not what CR26 is in 5e.

This is something that coming from previous editions is important to understand. The days of a high level NPC being invincible against the masses is gone...that's not how 5e rolls. Whether you agree with that or not is of course your opinion but that is how 5e is designed. The high level wizard doesn't survive by bulldozing into everything, they do so by being utterly clever and commanding large forces (ie lairs or minions).

For someone like Vecna, I can work with that. They are an evil lich with numerous resources at their fingertips. It makes less sense for something like the Tarrasque, he's a big dumb brute whose effectively a force of nature.... something like the Tarrasque really NEEDS to be that insanely awesome to justify why they are still around.

As for this statblook, I think it does the job though in a very "screw the party kind of way", as a lot of Vecna's survivability requires shutting down the party. Your melee character is going to be frustrated, your spellcasters are likely going to be frustrated. Vecna's arsenal is definately more about survival than offense, the offensively effects are frankly nothing special for that high a CR, so this is likely going to be either a long drawn out fight where the party is barely doing anything to Vecna round after round and they get ground down....or its going to be rocket tag where the party whips him in like 1 round.


All of that said, if you really want an invincible Vecna, just stick him in an anti-magic field. He's immune to weapon damage, immune to most magics, and still get to technically teleport and heal if he wants to (one of the oddities of using abilities over spells). Slap that in his lair and I'm pretty sure he's completely unstoppable.

 

[Shardstone]

That adventure, how many casters are going to get nerfed by Unholy Name? Are there spells where the caster has to utter the name of the target?

...This is a great catch. Anytime anyone says Vecna, they take 5d10 necrotic damage! I LOVE THIS BOSS.

It isn't perfect, but its so FUN. And it shows you how you can make OTHER bosses fun too.

 

[Stalker0]

Also someone had noted earlier in the thread (I can't find it apologies) about the idea of Vecna using globe of invulnerability and teleporting around. As far as I know, the globe is IMMOBILE....so such tactics would not work.

 

[Shardstone]

This is something that coming from previous editions is important to understand. The days of a high level NPC being invincible against the masses is gone...that's not how 5e rolls. Whether you agree with that or not is of course your opinion but that is how 5e is designed. The high level wizard doesn't survive by bulldozing into everything, they do so by being utterly clever and commanding large forces (ie lairs or minions).

For someone like Vecna, I can work with that. They are an evil lich with numerous resources at their fingertips. It makes less sense for something like the Tarrasque, he's a big dumb brute whose effectively a force of nature.... something like the Tarrasque really NEEDS to be that insanely awesome to justify why they are still around.

As for this statblook, I think it does the job though in a very "screw the party kind of way", as a lot of Vecna's survivability requires shutting down the party. Your melee character is going to be frustrated, your spellcasters are likely going to be frustrated. Vecna's arsenal is definately more about survival than offense, the offensively effects are frankly nothing special for that high a CR, so this is likely going to be either a long drawn out fight where the party is barely doing anything to Vecna round after round and they get ground down....or its going to be rocket tag where the party whips him in like 1 round.


All of that said, if you really want an invincible Vecna, just stick him in an anti-magic field. He's immune to weapon damage, immune to most magics, and still get to technically teleport and heal if he wants to (one of the oddities of using abilities over spells). Slap that in his lair and I'm pretty sure he's completely unstoppable.

The like is for the top half of your message.

I disagree with screw the party though. You guys I think really underestimate how many things a high level party can have. Psi Knights, barbarians with Tasha's, monks of literally all kinds, horizon walkers, monster slayers, all kinds of paladins, racial features for flight, feats. At 20th level, one PC is super strong. 4 is ultra strong. You just have so many tools to use.

Vecna makes it so spells are difficult. You counter that with cover (artificer, many other features), or by having a martial who is fast or enhanced close the distance and ready their action to attack when you cast the spell. Then Vecna has to choose which he does, and as he isn't immune to the blinded, one of the easiest conditions in the game to put on him, you can force him to burn up his legendary resistance or else not be able to counterspell anything.

This is before we get into Magic Items. A 20th level party ought to have 3 attuned to magic items a piece, minimum. Many of those can change the battle significantly. Even an Eversmoking Bottle, an UNCOMMON magic item, can change the game by providing cover and so forth. Slap a high level haste down as a bard and let your team get to work as you pop out, throw out bardic inspiration, and try and set up clever combos between each other.

It won't be easy, but it isn't like the party is running after vecna back and forth. They shouldn't be doing that. There's just too many tools for me to believe that is how that fight plays out.

 

[Shardstone]

Also someone had noted earlier in the thread (I can't find it apologies) about the idea of Vecna using globe of invulnerability and teleporting around. As far as I know, the globe is IMMOBILE....so such tactics would not work.

That was me, and you're accurate....if not for the Book of Vile Darkness saying I can modify the magic however I need! A Globe of Invulnerability made from the souls of scholars who researched Vecna cursed to chase him about as he teleports would be gnarly!

 

[darjr]

...This is a great catch. Anytime anyone says Vecna, they take 5d10 necrotic damage! I LOVE THIS BOSS.

It isn't perfect, but its so FUN. And it shows you how you can make OTHER bosses fun too.

And you can’t speak. How many spells does that cancel?

 

[FitzTheRuke]

I believe it comes down to another section about "identifying a spell being cast." And counterpelling implies you have to know a spell is being cast.

I don't see anything in "Identifying a spell being cast" that implies that it is used to identify IF a spell is being cast, only WHAT spell is being cast. Counterspell doesn't imply that you have to know WHAT spell is being cast to counter it. I mean, you might want to know that to decide if you want to "waste" a counterspell on it or not, but otherwise... it doesn't look like that's a thing to me.

To be fair, I haven't played with a lot of counterspelling. (I play a lot of D&D, but rarely anything mid to high level)