How would you fix the bodak/save-or-die

[Voadam]

Well,

I can't speak to the Bodak specifically but I have never liked the "unfun" nature of save or die spells. I do however like the threat that they encourage. So in my own campaigns I made this simple change, if you fail a save against a death spell you're droppped to negative hitpoints equal to the level of the spell. For example, Bobarian fails against a Finger of Death spell (which I think is 5th level) then we would immediately drop to -5 hit points. Bobarian is in serious trouble and there is a significant chance he will in fact die, if his friends can't assist him quickly or he fails to stabalize on his own.

It may seem that this takes the teeth out of the Death spells but in my experience it has actually made them MORE fearsome. Previously if you failed against a death effect you were gone and the party just battled on. Now not only are you out of the fight but the party has to assign further resources in the midst of battle. As a GM I'll take mortal terror above "game over, insert another $.25" any time.

Jack

I like that, nice choice.

 

[pawsplay]

There aren't enough things that cause Cha damage. 2d4 Charisma drain, just to nail that dwarf with the dump Cha.

 

[Voadam]

I had a module using bodaks. I love the bodak flavor, creatures transformed by the touch of ultimate evil. But they are walking save or die critters. I swapped them out for disease wraiths (from a Green Ronin Freeport web enhancement) advanced up to the same CR which fit with the disease theme of the area they were found in.

 

[Pants]

I like that, nice choice.

Yeah, I dig that too.

I think I'll be using the drop to negative 1d6 hp for the Bodaks. Keeps them fairly dangerous, but not overly so.

 

[howandwhy99]

I'll take option number 4, Pat.

Permanent glamour on Bodaks so they look like innocent little children.

Will to disbelieve incurs the death attack.

"I believe! I believe! She's really a little girl! I don't want to die! Don't let her eat me!"

 

[Philotomy Jurament]

I don't think there's anything wrong with save or die, so I don't think they need to be "fixed." That said, if you want a less potent version, the "drop to negative hit points" option isn't bad.

 

[Cheiromancer]

Permanent glamour on Bodaks so they look like innocent little children.

Or even a creepy little girl who never sleeps. Is it just me, or is anyone else reminded of the Ring? All that movie needs is for the victims to come back to life with the same death-dealing, flesh-distorting gaze.

 

[Vanye]

My first thoughts to change about the bodak:

Change the save or die effect to either:
a) -1 and dying OR
b) 1d6 Negative levels.

Having watched 2 PC's die in the first seconds of a random encounter in City of the Spider Queen while we travelled from Szith Morcane into the depths of the Underdark sucked, badly. Sure, the DM could have changed the creature encountered, but it's a frakkin' RANDOM ENCOUNTER...

 

[demiurge1138]

I was thinking giving them something more, not something less, although I do like the "drop to 1d6 negative hp" idea. Since all there is to a bodak is its death gaze, I think there should be more to make them an interesting encounter. Stunning fists, maybe? Unholy toughness, definately. I'm also an advocate for bringing back the flashback chance.

Demiurge out.

 

[JRRNeiklot]

The bodak, much like the rust monster, needs no "fixing." If anything, I'd up the save dc. They should be terrifying and make high level pcs wet their pants.