Help advancing a wight

[johnsemlak]

SRD entry for wight:

WIGHT
Medium Undead
Hit Dice: 4d12 (26 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 15 (+1 Dex, +4 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+3
Attack: Slam +3 melee (1d4+1 plus energy drain)
Full Attack: Slam +3 melee (1d4+1 plus energy drain)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Create spawn, energy drain
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., undead traits
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +5
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 12, Con ?, Int 11, Wis 13, Cha 15
Skills: Hide +8, Listen +7, Move Silently +16, Spot +7
Feats: Alertness, Blind-Fight
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary, pair, gang (3?5), or pack (6?11)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always lawful evil
Advancement: 5?8 HD (Medium)

OK, I want to make them 8 HD. Here's my initial version:

WIGHT
Medium Undead
Hit Dice: 8d12 (52 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 15 (+1 Dex, +4 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+5
Attack: Slam +5 melee (1d4+1 plus energy drain)
Full Attack: Slam +5 melee (1d4+1 plus energy drain)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Create spawn, energy drain
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., undead traits
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +7
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 12, Con ?, Int 11, Wis 13, Cha 15
Skills: Hide +12, Listen +11, Move Silently +20, Spot +11
Feats: Alertness, Blind-Fight

Challenge Rating: 5 or 6


I advanced the HD, Hp, skills, saves, BAB and attack bonus for a 8 HD undead

Should I add a feat? What would a good one be?
Should I increase the ability scores?
What are the guidelines (if any) on increasing damage?

 

[demiurge1138]

You should add a feat- the wight gets a feat at 6 HD. I'd recommend Improved Natural Attack (slam) to boost their attack power to 1d6 or Improved Initiative to help them get opponents flat-footed.

Since an advanced monster gets ability scores when players do (at every 4 HD), it gets one ability point. I'd put it into Cha, raising the DC of the energy drain by 1, to a total of 17 to remove it (10+4 (.5 * HD) +3 (Cha)).

The only guidelines for increasing damage are when the creature goes up a size category or when they take the Improved Natural Attack feat.

Demiurge out.

 

[johnsemlak]

Thanks

Revised 8 HD Wight:

WIGHT
Medium Undead
Hit Dice: 8d12 (52 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 15 (+1 Dex, +4 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+5
Attack: Slam +5 melee (1d6+1 plus energy drain)
Full Attack: Slam +5 melee (1d4+1 plus energy drain)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Create spawn, energy drain
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., undead traits
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +7
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 12, Con ?, Int 11, Wis 13, Cha 16
Skills: Hide +12, Listen +11, Move Silently +20, Spot +11
Feats: Alertness, Blind-Fight, Improved Natural Attack (Slam)
Challenge Rating: 5

 

[johnsemlak]

Would it be appropriate to raise the AC?

 

[Oscar carramiñana]

Don't need AC he's energy drain are good 17 DC only good fort can save it
Wiz and Rog run away...
any 5 lvl Fighter or Cle with a 7-9 fort Ooops!

 

[monboesen]

I would have given it Weapon focus (slam) instead of Improved natural attack. The danger of the wight is not damage but energy drain, and a +5 attack bonus just aint cutting it at CR 5. The melee characters are likely to have AC 20+. Even +6 is pretty bad.

More hits at lower damage will be more dangerous in the long run as negative level penalties kick in.

 

[Darklone]

Since he's obviously a more powerful wight, I'd think about giving him heroic abilities.

For his AC: Get him a chainshirt or something similar. Fullplate is always nice if the PCs don't know at once what's fighting them. Some class levels would rock even more, evil cleric anyone? Desecrate is just what he needs.

 

[Silveras]

Darklone, Wights as written in the SRD do not get character levels; they advance by Hit Dice.

On the other hand, johnsemlak, if you want a nastier foe, you could use the Wight template in Savage Species to turn a classed creature into a Wight.

Adding some "residual equipment" to improve AC is not bad, but remember it should count as part of the treasure for the encounter.

 

[Darklone]

Right Silveras, that's why I said that... just found the Wight template in SS for my own next adventure

 

[johnsemlak]

I would have given it Weapon focus (slam) instead of Improved natural attack. The danger of the wight is not damage but energy drain, and a +5 attack bonus just aint cutting it at CR 5. The melee characters are likely to have AC 20+. Even +6 is pretty bad.

More hits at lower damage will be more dangerous in the long run as negative level penalties kick in.

I'll agree with that point.

And I'll use Darklones Chain Shirt Idea (Natural armor and the Chain shirt stack, don't they?)

Revised

WIGHT
Medium Undead
Hit Dice: 8d12 (52 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 19 (+1 Dex, +4 natural, +4 chain shirt), touch 11, flat-footed 18
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+5
Attack: Slam +6 melee (1d4+1 plus energy drain)
Full Attack: Slam +5 melee (1d4+1 plus energy drain)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Create spawn, energy drain
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., undead traits
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +7
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 12, Con ?, Int 11, Wis 13, Cha 16
Skills: Hide +12, Listen +11, Move Silently +20, Spot +11
Feats: Alertness, Blind-Fight, Weapon Focus (Slam)
Challenge Rating: 5