Skyscraper
Adventurer
Hi everyone,
I'm almost done designing a short zombie-flick inspired 4E adventure. In summary, my adventure is about a mad mage who attempted to become a lich but was not successful in casting his ritual; he instead became wight-deviated undead who can transmit with his bite a disease that I called Mortification by which an affected creature transforms into a zombie and can thereafter transmit the disease. (Thus, the entire city became afflicted in a matter of a couple of weeks.)
I made my BBEG into a level 4 solo monster mainly by evolving the Deathlock Wight from the Monster Manual. Here he is. I'll post the disease in a reply to this thread.
I'm looking for comments and suggestions, mainly as they relate to game balance. This is to be a level 3 adventure, and my BBEG will be accompanied by an Iron Defender and a Juggernaught (a construct, I'm designing the latter also and will probably post for comments on it also).
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Mad Mage (solo controller level 4)
Init +4
Senses: Perception +1, darvision
HP 220 (Bloodied 110)
AC 20; Fort 15; Refl 18; Will 19
Immune: disease, poison; resist 15 necrotic; vulnerable radiant 5
+5 saving throws
2 action points
Speed 6
Claw (standard; at will) <> necrotic
+9 vs AC; 1d8 necrotic
Going for a bite (standard; at-will) <> necrotic
Mad Mage makes two claw attacks, if they both hit the same target he makes a secondary attack against that target:
Secondary attack: Bite +9 vs AC; 1d10 necrotic and target conctracts the Mortification disease (see below)
Grave Bolt (standard; at-will) <> necrotic
Range 20; +6 vs Reflex; 1d8 + 4 necrotic and target is immobilized (save ends)
Horrific Visage (standard; recharge 
) <> Fear
Close blast 5; +7 vs will; 1d8 psychic damage and target is pushed 3 squares
Inspiration from the grave (immediate reaction; when missed by an attack) <> Fear
+7 vs will against creature that missed the attack; target looses a healing surge and is dazed until the end of the Mad Mage's next turn
Blood of the Unclean (immediate reaction, when first bloodied, encounter) <> Fear
Triggers Horrific Visage
STR 10; CON 14; DEX 14; INT 16; WIS 9; CHA 18
Skills: Arcana +10, Religion +10
**********************
Specific questions
After designing this monster, i was unclear on a few points about the design:
1) Does the "creating a solo" on page 185 assume that you're starting with an elite? I would think not, but then again there are clues that suggest that it would be so, for example Step 5 reads: "add 1 action point: all solo monsters have 2 actions points".
2) Does the Inspiration from the Grave ability need to be specified as being a burst or whatever, or can i simply leave it as is without any specific attack type? (This is a new power.)
3) What do you think of the power level of this creature: in particular, is Inspiration from the Grave too powerful? Assuming that this combat goes on for many rounds, it is likely to remove healing surges steadily. I wonder if i'd remove the healing surge ablation, or allow a saving throw to keep the healing surge (the attack would still daze). However i like the fluff around the creature missing his attack but loosing a surge (and being dazed).
Other comments welcome.
Sky
I'm almost done designing a short zombie-flick inspired 4E adventure. In summary, my adventure is about a mad mage who attempted to become a lich but was not successful in casting his ritual; he instead became wight-deviated undead who can transmit with his bite a disease that I called Mortification by which an affected creature transforms into a zombie and can thereafter transmit the disease. (Thus, the entire city became afflicted in a matter of a couple of weeks.)
I made my BBEG into a level 4 solo monster mainly by evolving the Deathlock Wight from the Monster Manual. Here he is. I'll post the disease in a reply to this thread.
I'm looking for comments and suggestions, mainly as they relate to game balance. This is to be a level 3 adventure, and my BBEG will be accompanied by an Iron Defender and a Juggernaught (a construct, I'm designing the latter also and will probably post for comments on it also).
*******************
Mad Mage (solo controller level 4)
Init +4
Senses: Perception +1, darvision
HP 220 (Bloodied 110)
AC 20; Fort 15; Refl 18; Will 19
Immune: disease, poison; resist 15 necrotic; vulnerable radiant 5
+5 saving throws
2 action points
Speed 6
Claw (standard; at will) <> necrotic+9 vs AC; 1d8 necrotic
Going for a bite (standard; at-will) <> necroticMad Mage makes two claw attacks, if they both hit the same target he makes a secondary attack against that target:
Secondary attack: Bite +9 vs AC; 1d10 necrotic and target conctracts the Mortification disease (see below)
Grave Bolt (standard; at-will) <> necroticRange 20; +6 vs Reflex; 1d8 + 4 necrotic and target is immobilized (save ends)
Horrific Visage (standard; recharge ) <> FearClose blast 5; +7 vs will; 1d8 psychic damage and target is pushed 3 squares
Inspiration from the grave (immediate reaction; when missed by an attack) <> Fear
+7 vs will against creature that missed the attack; target looses a healing surge and is dazed until the end of the Mad Mage's next turn
Blood of the Unclean (immediate reaction, when first bloodied, encounter) <> FearTriggers Horrific Visage
STR 10; CON 14; DEX 14; INT 16; WIS 9; CHA 18
Skills: Arcana +10, Religion +10
**********************
Specific questions
After designing this monster, i was unclear on a few points about the design:
1) Does the "creating a solo" on page 185 assume that you're starting with an elite? I would think not, but then again there are clues that suggest that it would be so, for example Step 5 reads: "add 1 action point: all solo monsters have 2 actions points".
2) Does the Inspiration from the Grave ability need to be specified as being a burst or whatever, or can i simply leave it as is without any specific attack type? (This is a new power.)
3) What do you think of the power level of this creature: in particular, is Inspiration from the Grave too powerful? Assuming that this combat goes on for many rounds, it is likely to remove healing surges steadily. I wonder if i'd remove the healing surge ablation, or allow a saving throw to keep the healing surge (the attack would still daze). However i like the fluff around the creature missing his attack but loosing a surge (and being dazed).
Other comments welcome.
Sky
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