Heroslayers : Bugbear

[Minigiant]

I thought up a few monsters for you DM to kill your PCs with.

Heroslayers are special becaused they are designed to:
1) Use magic equipment. They use some of your player's tools agianst them.
2) Disrupt common heroic party tactics. They are designed to make one or more of the PC role less effective at their job.

Bugbear Heroslayer--- Level 6 Brute
Medium natural Humaniod--- XP 250
---
Initiative +6; Senses Perception +6, low-light vision
HP 84; Bloodied 42
AC 19; Fortitude 18; Reflex 16; Will 17
Speed 6
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Frost Maul (standard; at will) Weapon, Cold +8 vs. AC; 2d6+6 cold damage (crit 2d6+18) and the bugbear heroslayer gains combat advantage against the target until the end of it's nest turn.

Frost Mountain (standard; at will) Weapon, Cold +8 vs. Fortitude; 6 cold damage, the target is knocked prone, and the bugbear kingslayer shifts into the target's square. Until the bugbear kingslayer falls or moves, the target is immobilized and cannot stand up.

Frost Weapon (free; when the bugbear heroslayer hits a target; encounter) Weapon, Cold
The target takes an extra 1d8 damage and is slowed until the end of it's next turn.

Winterfrost
The bugbear heroslayer loses any mark placed on it and deals an extra 5 damage against any target it has combat advantage against.

Peredatory Eye (minor: encounter)
The bugbear heroslayer deals an extra 1d6 damage on the next attack it makes with combat advantage. It must apply this bonus by the end of it's next turn.

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Alignment Evil; Languages Common, Goblin
Skills: Intimidiate +9 Stealth+ 13
Str 20; Dex 16; Wis 14
Con 16; Int 11; Cha 8




Bugbear Kingslayer--- Level 16 Brute
Medium natural Humaniod--- XP 1400
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Initiative +11; Senses Perception +11, low-light vision
HP 184; Bloodied 92
AC 29; Fortitude 30; Reflex 26; Will 27
Speed 6
---
Frost Maul (standard; at will) Weapon, Cold +18 vs. AC; 2d6+8 cold damage (crit 4d6+20) and the bugbear kingslayer gains combat advantage against the target until the end of it's nest turn.

Frost Mountain (standard; at will) Weapon, Cold +18 vs. Fortitude; 8 cold damage, the target is knocked prone, and the bugbear kingslayer shifts into the target's square. Until the bugbear kingslayer falls or moves, the target is immobilized and cannot stand up.

Frost Weapon (free; when the bugbear heroslayer hits a target; encounter) Weapon, Cold
The target takes an extra 1d8 damage and is slowed until the end of it's next turn.

Winterfrost
The bugbear heroslayer loses any mark placed on it by and deals an extra 5 damage against any target it has combat advantage against.

Peredatory Eye (minor: encounter)
The bugbear heroslayer deals an extra 2d6 damage on the next attack it makes with combat advantage. It must apply this bonus by the end of it's next turn.

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Alignment Evil; Languages Common, Goblin
Skills: Intimidiate +14 Stealth+ 18
Str 23; Dex 17; Wis 15
Con 19; Int 12; Cha 9

What do you think?

 

[Mesh Hong]

Frost Mountain (standard; at will) Weapon, Cold +8 vs. Fortitude; 6 cold damage, the target is knocked prone, and the bugbear kingslayer shifts into the target's square. Until the bugbear kingslayer falls or moves, the target is immobilized and cannot stand up.

I think this is a really interesting ability. Though You would have to allow the pinned creature a STR/DEX vs. Fortitude to push the Bugbear off him as a standard action. This attack would have the -2 penalty for being prone.

 

[FireLance]

I think this is a really interesting ability. Though You would have to allow the pinned creature a STR/DEX vs. Fortitude to push the Bugbear off him as a standard action. This attack would have the -2 penalty for being prone.

Wouldn't that just be the Bull Rush action?

 

[Mesh Hong]

Wouldn't that just be the Bull Rush action?

Yes it would. But it wouldn't hurt to include something in the creature text as a reminder that it is an available tactic, and to include the -2 to attack for being prone. It's often little things like that that keeps things running smoothly in combat, and saves valuable time.

 

[Minigiant]

The bull rush note was there originally but the power seems so long.

Next is the unmarkable super fast high damage skrimisher. Mwahahahaha!

 

[CapnZapp]

Heroslayers are special becaused they are designed to:
1) Use magic equipment. They use some of your player's tools agianst them.

There is no reference to this in the monster description. What do you mean?

And before you answer, are you sure you haven't misunderstood the 4E design philosophy? Monsters and NPCs do their job without a need for lootable equipment. You can design a human fighter NPC who has access to a +2 magic sword, without having to give him an actual +2 magic sword! Just give him the attack bonus appropriate for his monster type and level.

Heroslayers are special becaused they are designed to:
2) Disrupt common heroic party tactics. They are designed to make one or more of the PC role less effective at their job.

Are you sure you mean "party tactics" and not "player character abilities"?

The reason I'm asking is that I see abilities that negate such things as a fighter's mark. But that's not about tactics: using your class abilities isn't a "tactic", it's a "given". And negating your class abilities is not fun.

I think you should focus on monster abilities that still allow PCs to use their character's abilities, but that make it difficult for them to win the fight. Perhaps things that make it difficult or dangerous for the defender to close to melee, the strikers to attack with impunity, or things that force the controllers into melee reach...

 

[Minigiant]

There is no reference to this in the monster description. What do you mean?

And before you answer, are you sure you haven't misunderstood the 4E design philosophy? Monsters and NPCs do their job without a need for lootable equipment. You can design a human fighter NPC who has access to a +2 magic sword, without having to give him an actual +2 magic sword! Just give him the attack bonus appropriate for his monster type and level.

The idea is to actually give the monster player items. The heroslayer's frost weapon power IS the actual frost weapon power. The bugbear also has the Lasting frost/Wintertouched feat combo sorta.

Are you sure you mean "party tactics" and not "player character abilities"?

The reason I'm asking is that I see abilities that negate such things as a fighter's mark. But that's not about tactics: using your class abilities isn't a "tactic", it's a "given". And negating your class abilities is not fun.

I think you should focus on monster abilities that still allow PCs to use their character's abilities, but that make it difficult for them to win the fight. Perhaps things that make it difficult or dangerous for the defender to close to melee, the strikers to attack with impunity, or things that force the controllers into melee reach...

The bugbear can still be marked. The dificulty comes when it Frost Mountain's the party striker. The striker will have trouble escaping from under it's icy foot. And when it hits the defender, it breaks the mark.This will bog down the defender who has to stick on the bugbear to keep it from attacking whoever it has underfoot

Or it can Frost Mountain the defender and hold the defender still while its allies attack the rest of the party without harm. This is what happened to my party. The fighter had to choose between being stuck under the bugbear but letting the other goblins wreck havoc OR holding the goblins still but letting the bugbear nova all over the rogue.

The PC party still has all their abilites. Their tactics will have to change though.