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Message: <blockquote data-quote="DM-Rocco" data-source="post: 3838704" data-attributes="member: 14451">Okay, is the begining DM running the players through a chaotic evil-aligned plane?  Because that is where most Bodak hail from, per the Environment in the SRD and also mentioned earlier, they are very rare and only found in the abyss, which was omitted in the newer versions.  That is a failing of the design team to not potray the Bodak in a true light (no pun intended  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />  ).  The new DM might overlook the natural Environment of the Bodak being in a chaotic evil-aligned plane but if the 3.+ team had done a little more work they would have included a very rare status on the creature and proclaimed they are almost unheard of on the prime material plane.  Thus, it would be highly unlikely that a Bodak would be lurking in a dungeon but your clue that you might find one, or simular threat, on a chaotic evil-aligned plane is a knowledge plane check or a knowledge religion check, thus you would prepare for visiting a chaotic evil-aligned plane.The Bodak is a rarity since it can use a SoD effect to target a 30 foot range at such a low level.  Most SoD effects only target one creature at this level and ones like Phantasmal Killer offers two saves.  . The target first gets a Will save to recognize the image as unreal. If that save fails, the phantasm touches the subject, and the subject must succeed on a Fortitude save or die from fear.  If you are immune to illusions, like True Sight, or immune to fear, like a paladin, then you don't even need to bother with it.  So a Bodak with a CR of 8 that can effect everyone in a 30 range with a SoD is not a correct CR.  That is not the fault of the SoD effects, it is a fault of the Bodak not having enough HD to be a tougher CR with a higher SoD save.  The creature is in balanced and a poor example that everyone keeps reffering to.It is not until you get to 5th level spells that they start to have SoD effects like Could Kill that effect more than one target and those have HD caps on who can be effected.  Pretty much anyone over 7 HD will just lose Con and not have to SoD.The next SoD spell that is trouble is Circle of Death.  The spell slays 1d4 HD worth of living creatures per caster level (maximum 20d4). Creatures with the fewest HD are affected first; among creatures with equal HD, those who are closest to the burst’s point of origin are affected first. No creature of 9 or more HD can be affected, and Hit Dice that are not sufficient to affect a creature are wasted.  Even this has a HD effecting cap of 9 and it snuffs out those with the least amount of HD first.Then you have the 8th level Finger of Death which is simular to the Phantasmal Killer except you only get one saving throw, it still only effects one target and at this level you should have ways of dealing with it including raise the dead or other spells just incase you roll a 1 on your save and didn't have protection on in time. So what everyone is really concerned about is Power Word Kill and Wail of the Banshee and since Powerword Kill has a HP cap you are more worried about the 9th level arcane spell that only a 17th level or higher arcane caster can cast.  Perhaps he should just memorized a few more Magic Missles and just widdle you down that way.  What do you think a 9th level spell will do for crying out loud.  It takes you getting to 17th level and casting Wail of the Banshee or Implosion or other spell for you to have to worry about mass SoD effects in a serious manner and at that level your characters should have ways of dealing with them or you should be able to kill the caster first. Creatures with SoD effects are a bit more rare and the Bodak is a horrible example because the SoD effect of the Bodak should not be on a CR 8 creature, but I think you know that.Anyway, the SoD os balanced throughout the leveling system with the exception of a few bad choices by the monster design team.  It should be in the game and not taken out just because PCs and DMs don't understand it.  They have whole books dedicated to Adventurers and clerics, why not take a few pages to explain how to handle SoD effects.</blockquote>

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