D&D 5E (2024) Hardcore Mode Thoughts?

[Zardnaar]

So new campaign is using dead magic and wild magic. So far they've encountered 2 "shadow storms" which are essentially mobile wild magic zones of shadow. Theyre lvl 3.

Big bads are Shar aligned. Im wanting to focus on less combat so im thinking of hitting the PCs where it hurts. Bringing back needed drain on monsters such as Wraiths,Shadows and spectrum.

Instead of life drain they inflict levels of exhaustion.

Variants of them instead drain the weave. Basically they absorb magic and eat the highest level spell slot.

I usually do 3-5 encounters but RAW at level 11+ it was creeping up to around 8-10 some days. Took 3 sessions to play that out.

So thoughts on these variant undead with Shar shadow weave users as other villains?

 

[Lanefan]

So new campaign is using dead magic and wild magic. So far they've encountered 2 "shadow storms" which are essentially mobile wild magic zones of shadow. Theyre lvl 3.

Big bads are Shar aligned. Im wanting to focus on less combat so im thinking of hitting the PCs where it hurts. Bringing back needed drain on monsters such as Wraiths,Shadows and spectrum.

Instead of life drain they inflict levels of exhaustion.

Variants of them instead drain the weave. Basically they absorb magic and eat the highest level spell slot.

I usually do 3-5 encounters but RAW at level 11+ it was creeping up to around 8-10 some days. Took 3 sessions to play that out.

So thoughts on these variant undead with Shar shadow weave users as other villains?

I really like the spell-draining idea. Yoink!

 

[Chaltab]

A thought, instead of Spell Draining what about a spell corrupting effect. Like these creatures don't drain the magic but corrupt it and tie a random prepared spell to the Dark Weave, making its effects unpredictable and dangerous. Maybe your Burning Hands will work, or maybe the fire will become a bunch of hostile mephits. Maybe you can Speak With Dead, but maybe you just make a talking Flame Skull that wants to eat your face.

 

[aco175]

Are you trying to nerf the casters? Placing encounters in the dead/wilds zones takes away most of their thing and the players are left hanging. It sounds cool once in a while, but every fight might make them mutiny.

 

[J-H]

I don't know about exhaustion in 5.24, but what I did for my Baldur's Gate 2 campaign was sub in Proficiency Bonus drain. If the PB hits -1, the effect is -1 to all rolls.

They were pretty good about staying away from vampires. It's a lot harder to land bites since they always require setup.

 

[Zardnaar]

Are you trying to nerf the casters? Placing encounters in the dead/wilds zones takes away most of their thing and the players are left hanging. It sounds cool once in a while, but every fight might make them mutiny.

Sort of. Its more the threat of a dead magic zone existing. Ive planned 2 encounters in dead magic, theres the threat of shadow storms and the remaining Shades have one the PCs will know about.

I'll place some rewards in the dead magic zones.

Theres also various ways to cast in the zones. The have a magic item that can access the shadow weave. Ive added custom feats for shadow weave. Shadow touched feat gives you the option of thr shadow weave

 

[Distracted DM]

The spell slot idea is indeed a fine one! I've toyed with the idea of bringing back energy drain in the form of draining feature uses, be it spell slots or martial abilities... the concern I had was short rest features weren't too affected.

Then I realized that clay golems' max hp damage doesn't heal on a long rest, it ONLY heals with greater restoration etc. magic (I'd been doing it wrong in previous games, allowing it to recover from a LR, whoops!)... that realization seems to really have put some fear into the players. So perhaps one big factor in making this stuff dangerous, "hardcore," is to make it more difficult to recover from.

@J-H that proficiency bonus drain idea is a nice one as well, I hadn't considered that. It's simple but effective.