Killing the grind: phased "boss" fights

[Garthanos]

Wow some really cool ideas on this thread I am subscribing ;-)

 

[Siberys]

Something I intend to do at some point is to stat up a boss as a series of elites. The players must fight them through different terrains, with little or no rest between. Same net effect as fighting a solo, but spaced for better pacing.

 

[Mesh Hong]

As long as a Solo creature is designed as a threatening and interesting opponent fights involving them don’t always have to involve massively complicated phased staging, or bizarre and interactive environments. But like all things DMs should try to present a mixture of different Solo’s throughout a story or campaign.

Some will be fairly straight forward, some will take place in interesting or changing environments, some might evolve through two or more forms during a combat and some might be a truly bizarre combination of all these options.

The following is an extract from the next instalment of my monster manual series (the book of serious threats), and is an example of a solo threat that changes (quite radically) when bloodied.

Bear in mind this is a level 2 Solo and is intended to be a Serious Threat, anyway I hope you find it another interesting addition to this discussion.


Spitting Fungus Level 2 Solo Artillery
Large Natural Beast (plant, blind) XP 625

Initiative +4 Senses Perception +5, blindsight 10, tremorsense 20
Sleepy Haze (poison) aura 1; all creatures inside the aura take a -2
penalty to attack rolls; all creatures starting their turn inside the aura are
slowed until the end of their next turn
HP 152; Bloodied 76; see Bloodied Evolution
AC 16; Fortitude 16, Reflex 15, Will 13
Immune disease, poison, gaze;
Resist 10 acid; Vulnerable 5 cold
Saving Throws +5
Speed 4, climb 4 (spider climb)
Action Points 0 see Fungal Devourers (separate creature)

Fungal Scrape (Standard; at-will) ♦ poison
Attack +8 vs. AC; 1d6+2 damage; on hit target takes 2 ongoing poison
damage (save ends)

Spitting Spores (Standard; at-will) ♦ poison
Close blast 3; attack +7 vs. Reflex; 1d8+3 poison damage

Fungal Blast (Standard; recharge ) ♦ poison
Close burst 5; attack +7 vs. Fortitude; 1d10+3 poison damage; on hit
target is immobilised (save ends)

Exploratory Spore (Minor; at-will) ♦ poison, 1/round
Spitting Fungus creates and shoots out a Fungal Spore that lands in a
cloud of poison; area burst 1 within 15; must target empty square; attack
+5 vs. Reflex; 1d4+2 poison damage; creates a Fungal Spore in the target
square (see separate stats), Fungal Spore acts directly after the Spitting
Fungus in the initiative order

Bloodied Evolution (Immediate Reaction) ♦ when first bloodied
When first bloodied Spitting Fungus splits into 3 Fungal Devourers, see
separate stat block

Sliding Form (Move; at-will)
Spitting Fungus may shift 2 squares as a move action

Alignment Unaligned Languages
Skills Endurance +8, Stealth +9
Str 12 (+2) Dex 17 (+4) Wis 8 (+0)
Con 14 (+3) Int 14 (+3) Cha 3 (-3)


Spitting Fungus is usually found growing and surviving in old abandoned ruins or shallow sparsely inhabited dungeons. It is made up of a thin but wide green, brown and orange surface hugging lichen or mould, and can spread out to over thirty feet in diameter. When it senses a potential meal it slowly starts to retract until it is a thick patch of rough fungus approximately eight to ten foot in diameter and moves into a position where it can start to pepper its victims with its spores. Recognising the Fungus as a threat is usually a Dungeoneering or Nature check vs. the creatures Stealth roll.

All the creatures’ main attacks involve the expulsion of thick clouds of noxious spores that poison its victims. Some of these spores are actually smaller versions of itself that once released are individual creatures in their own right who, if they survive the conflict, will eventually grow to become Spitting Fungi themselves.

A Spitting Fungus will always try and use its Exploratory Spore attack every turn in order to try and create a line of defence and hinder its victims from drawing too close to it. It will then use Spitting Spores and Fungal Blast when available while trying to keep away from any melee characters. Its favourite method of doing this is to move up walls or hang on ceilings.


Fungal Spore Level 2 Minion
Small Natural Beast (plant, blind) XP 0 (see Spitting Fungus)

Initiative +5 Senses Perception -1, blindsight 10
HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minion.
AC 16; Fortitude 13, Reflex 16, Will 12
Immune disease, poison, gaze;
Resist 5 acid; Vulnerable 5 cold
Speed 5

Fungal Slam (Standard; at-will)
Attack +7 vs. AC; 4 damage

Defensive Haze (Immediate Reaction) ♦ poison, when missed by a
melee attack
When missed by a melee attack Fungal Spore releases a cloud of thin
poisonous sporelets that deal 2 poison damage to all adjacent creatures

Sliding Form (Move; at-will)
Fungal Spore may shift 2 squares as a move action

Alignment Unaligned Languages
Str 10 (+1) Dex 18 (+5) Wis 6 (-1)
Con 12 (+2) Int 8 (+0) Cha 3 (-3)


The Spitting Fungus form of the creature is really its dormant or passive form. When sufficiently damaged it goes through a radical reactive alteration and splits into three wholly different fungi. These Fungal Devourers are a lot more predatory and aggressive, preferring to grab their victims and smother them with their highly acidic forms.

Fungal Devourers are soft mounds of either green, brown or orange fungus, approximately four foot wide by three foot high. They have no limbs but they are able to grasp their victims by wrapping round and grasping anything they hit. Once they have a victim grabbed they will use their Acidic Smother to burn their enemies with their sickly acidic spores or if damaged they will use their Feeding Fronds attack to gain nourishment from their enemies blood.

When destroyed the Fungal Devourer suffers a catastrophic collapse which sends out a thick cloud of acidic and toxic spores into the air that blocks line of sight and can even blind creatures unfortunate enough to be caught inside it. Any other Devourers who are still active will try and capitalise on this by attacking creatures inside the zone and even using the zone itself for cover making finishing them off all the harder.

Encounters with the Spitting Fungus will usually be in large rooms or courtyards and should have a couple of high ledges or different levels in them. It would also be useful to have large pillars, statues or crumbling structures to add an interesting mix of terrain and cover options. There could also be areas of loose rubble that would count as difficult terrain or even a ten foot deep pit to add a little variety.


Fungal Devourer Level 2 Brute
Medium Natural Beast (plant, blind) XP 0 (see Spitting Fungus)

Initiative +3 Senses Perception +5, blindsight 10
HP 30; Bloodied 15; also see Choking Spore Field
AC 15; Fortitude 15, Reflex 14, Will 11
Immune disease, poison, gaze;
Resist 10 acid; Vulnerable 5 cold
Saving Throws +5
Speed 5, climb 4 (spider climb)
Action Points 1

Fungal Grab (Standard; at-will)
Attack +5 vs. AC; 1d10+3 damage; on hit target is grabbed (escape ends)

Acidic Smother (Standard; at-will) ♦ acid, grabbed target only
Grabbed target only; attack +3 vs. Fortitude; 2d6+3 acid damage; on hit
target is dazed until the end of Devourers next turn

Feeding Fronds (Standard; encounter) ♦ grabbed target only
Grabbed target only; attack +5 vs. Fortitude; 1d6+2 damage; on hit
Fungal Devourer regains 15 HPs

Choking Spore Field (Immediate Reaction) ♦ zone, acid, poison,
when reduced to 0 Hps
When reduced to 0 HPs Devourer explodes in an acidic and poisonous
burst, leaving a dangerous cloud behind it; burst 2; creates a zone that
lasts until the end of the encounter that blocks line of sight, any creature
entering or starting their turn inside the zone takes 4 acid and poison
damage; any creature starting their turn inside the zone is blinded (save
ends)

Alignment Unaligned Languages
Skills Endurance +8, Stealth +8
Str 16 (+4) Dex 14 (+3) Wis 8 (+0)
Con 14 (+3) Int 12 (+2) Cha 3 (-3)


The Spitting Fungus is not really interested in collecting treasure so any items or coins would probably lie undigested where ever the creature’s last victims were killed and eaten. A particularly cunning Spitting Fungus might push its collection of shiny objects into a prominent position in the room and hope to use them as bait to draw victims into a trap where it could ensure gaining the element of surprise.

 

[keterys]

Yep, that's a far more interesting solo than many that have been published.

 

[Mesh Hong]

Another way of making a “solo” encounter more dynamic is to have it as two or more creatures sharing the same HP pool.

This is a solo I used in my campaign that worked very well. (I think I might have posted this at some point in the past but it might be relevant to this thread)

Actually this might not be pertinent to the thread as it is not a staged or staggered fight. I will post it anyway to put forward the view that Grind is all in the mind, and if an opponant or environment is interesting enough you can hold your players attention during a solo style encounter.

The Herald of Ixxaboxx is a pair of identical Coatyl that share the same HPs and Action Points through a divine link.

Each Coatyl has its own initiative, attacks, and separate recharges as if it were two identical creatures, with the exception that its Majestic Presence power may only be used once during the encounter.

Of special note look out for a few effects that require more than 1 saving throw to remove.

Herald of Ixxaboxx (2 linked coatyl)
Level 17 Solo Skirmisher
Large Immortal Magical Beast (angel) XP 8,000

Initiative +17 Senses Perception +13
HP 830; Bloodied 415; see Bloodied Retaliation
AC 33; Fortitude 29, Reflex 32, Will 32
Immune charm, illusion;
Resist 20 Radiant; Vulnerable 10 necrotic
Saving Throws +5
Speed 8 fly (hover)
Action Points 2

Bite (Standard; at-will)
Reach 2; attack +22 vs. AC; 2d8+7 damage

Radiant Tail Slap (Standard; at-will) ♦ radiant
Reach 2; attack +22 vs. AC; 2d6+7 radiant damage; on hit target is
pushed 4 squares and knocked prone

Radiant Pulse Beam (Standard; at-will) ♦ radiant
Range 20/40; attack +20 vs. Reflex; 1d10+7 radiant damage; on hit target
takes 5 ongoing radiant damage (save ends), every time this damage is
applied it also deals 5 radiant damage to any adjacent creature

Hypnotic Gaze (Standard; recharge ) ♦ charm
Range 10; does not provoke opportunity attacks; attack +20 vs. Will; on
hit target is dominated (2 saves ends)

Majestic Presence (Standard; encounter) ♦ charm, once use
between the pair
Burst 5; attack +20 vs. Will; on hit target is stunned until the end of
Coatyls next turn; after-effect target takes -2 penalty to attack (save ends)

Prismatic Breath (Standard; recharge ) ♦ special damage
Close blast 4; attack +20 vs. Reflex; on hit roll D6
1: 1d10+7 fire damage; 10 ongoing fire damage (save ends)
2: 1d10+7 cold damage; 10 ongoing cold damage (save ends)
3: 1d10+7 lightning damage; 10 ongoing lightning damage (save ends)
4: 1d10+7 acid damage; 10 ongoing acid damage (save ends)
5: 2d8+7 radiant damage; dazed (save ends)
6: 2d10+7 necrotic damage; lose a healing surge and immobilised (save ends)

Scorching Burst (Standard; at-will) ♦ fire
Area burst 1 within 20; attack +20 vs. Reflex; 2d6+7 fire damage

Curse of Ixxaboxx (Minor; encounter)
Range 20; does not provoke opportunity attacks; automatic hits; target
gains vulnerability 5 radiant (3 saves ends)

Bloodied Retaliation (Immediate Reaction) ♦ when bloodied
When bloodied Curse of Ixxaboxx refreshes for each Coatyl, these are
used as an immediate reaction; each Coatyl may then make 1 Radiant Tail
Slap attack

Serpentine Opportunist
If Coatyl has combat advantage it deals an additional 2d6 damage with its
bite attack

Alignment Unaligned Languages supernal
Str 20 (+13) Dex 24 (+15) Wis 20 (+13)
Con 22 (+14) Int 18 (+12) Cha 24 (+15)

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

I really think the main blame for the issues with the reputation of Solo encounters in 4e should be laid squarely in the lap of the MM1 chromatic dragons. They certainly CAN make good solid interesting opponents, but their design in and of itself doesn't particularly support or encourage that. You have to work at it. There are some other MM1 solos that are less than inspiring as well (the Purple Worm is certainly a flagrant example).

I find that the issues are really generally a good bit smaller than they are made out to be though. MM2 solo design tends to just internalize into the design of the monster some of what earlier solos need to gain from environmental factors. Nothing is wrong with that and it makes them more CONVENIENT monsters to use, but not always better.

Certainly when I put a White Dragon in a cave with a bunch of stalactites that could drop, several sheets of treacherous icy terrain, and gave it several Chillborn Zombies for allies it easily made a fine and interesting encounter. Maybe the last 2 rounds were starting to get a bit slow, but that kind of thing is easily solved as witness several suggestions above. Mine was simply to have the dragon change tactics and then bargain with the party when that didn't seem to help it. Overall it worked out very well in the context of the whole adventure and was an interesting fight.

I also wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment about not creating gimmicky styles of phases. Its a very heavy-handed DMing style to suddenly throw in some new rule just because the monster is below X hit points now and we have to create a different challenge. Its fine to make it part of the monster itself, that works out pretty naturally if its done reasonably. Doing it by simple "Now the monster flies and you have to fight the minions" is just video-gamey. Far better the purple worm example where the terrain evolves. Maybe best of all the black dragon example where the changes in tactics are sensible and fit the monster's personality and leverage its intelligent use of the environment.

I found the OP's version a bit heavy handed in the way his transitions worked where all of a sudden certain conditions and powers simply go away/don't work. In a video game you may not notice that so much and since the rules are not explicit it doesn't seem so jarring. In a 4e fight where the players KNOW the rules they will call you on that sort of thing. "Hey, my X power immobilized it, it can't just fly away." and players should always be able to trust that the rules are consistent at all times or if they are going to change in a specific situation it should be clear how, when, and why that situation comes up.

 

[Neuroglyph]

Phased fights are awesome and do work.

Awesome post Markn, I like this idea quite alot - much better than the original poster who was trying to recreate the WoW Onyxia fight for some reason

Having the fight in phases where the terrain hazards change is really a nice way to keep a boss fight from becoming a boring slug-fest.

Look forward to trying this in my next adventure I write

 

[Markn]

Glad you liked it!

 

[Halivar]

much better than the original poster who was trying to recreate the WoW Onyxia fight for some reason

It was a proof of concept, nothing more. In my defense, I'll say that at the time of the OP, I had never seen the Onyxia fight before (though I saw it a week ago, and yeah, Phase 2 is identical). I was more inspired by some of the Ulduar bosses that lay down terrain buffs and nerfs that can be stolen from/given to the enemies.

 

[Nifft]

Awesome post Markn, I like this idea quite alot - much better than the original poster who was trying to recreate the WoW Onyxia fight for some reason

Nothing wrong with stealing stuff that works.

I love phased fights, especially running battles where the BBEG escapes to the next encounter area when he falls below certain thresholds. In D&D, that threshold is HP (e.g. 25% increments for a Solo whose death the party is seeking, and who I hope will last through all 4 encounters); in Exalted I measure in motes.

Cheers, -- N