D&D 5E Making it fair, unkillable/puzzle monsters

Th3g0dc0mp13x · Oct 22, 2019

I need some help with this one. I'm running a session this Sunday, where I'll be introducing my take on weeping angels from doctor who. I've got a couple of different ways that I think I would run them and I'm looking for some advice from other dm's.

Immune to all damage/status effect while seen. However they are unable to move in this case.
An attack that physically ages the body instantly, however the mind experiences all of that time while in a harmless demiplane. (This is partially a plot device for the Paladin, he's addicted to a fantasy version of heroin that I created for him.)
A forced blink where all of the creatures attacks happen in a "blink of an eye"
Multiple resolution paths.

Everyone is level 6
Aasimar Glamour bard
Human inquisitive rogue
shadar kai oathbreaker paladin
half elf divination wizard
Dragonborn Grave Cleric

Attacking the creatures while explicitly not looking at them. (the entire party would have to be looking another way.)
A primordial symbol on their forehead that once translated and spoken aloud freezes that one in place for an hour. Perception check, then intelligence check.
Classic doctor style, force them to look at each other freezing them until they are physically blocked from each others site.
Entomb them in a crypt in the graveyard.
Something the players come up with that seems thematic and interesting.

The main questgiver warns them of an unusual guardian. That no one has been able to defeat.
Have an adventurer who managed to escape that they can talk to. Super old elf who is only 50.
Once they reach the site have a body just Inside the gates with a notebook of "theories" on how to successfully get past the guardians.
Have the blink and a statue has disappeared thing happen at a few different points.
Have them attack once and then backoff. After this show two of them staring at each other unmoving.
Possibly have an adventuring party in the graveyard that looks super old and Haggard, and when they blink or look away there are just a bunch of dessicated corpses.

First. Run them as a fairly standard monster. Initiative and facing rules applied to make it possible to run. Give them 100 hp multiattack, and a recharging "timedrain" type of attack.

Second option. Run them as a unstoppable juggernaut that just continues to haunt and drain the party unless they get smart about it. I wouldn't use initiative for this, more of an ongoing saving throw to avoid blinking.

So I'm essentially looking for input on these things.

Any other resolutions for this kind of monster.
Any other way to run it, I'm absolutely okay with using rules outside the normal 5e system.
Any input on how to quickly ramp up the tension and keep everything nice and suspenseful while this is going on.
How to keep it from getting stale/boring for the players.

Wiseblood · Oct 22, 2019

If it has hit points...they can kill it.

iserith · Oct 22, 2019

I don't know anything about Doctor Who, but it sounds like this is just a monster that has particular rules that, once learned, make them possible or even simple to defeat.

In my view, to make this setup fair the DM must telegraph the strengths and vulnerabilities of the monster in some way prior to the challenge. It doesn't have to be totally explicit - just clues that could help the PCs arrive at the solution to the puzzle, seeded into the adventure in a way that makes sense in context. Erring on the side of "too obvious" is probably a good call since we DMs tend to think things are more obvious than they are when communicated to the players.

Once you've done that, it's up to the players to figure things out when they're facing the monsters. If they put together the clues with the descriptions you're offering during the challenge and figure out an optimal way to defeat them, great! If they don't and find themselves crippled with age or even dead, they should at least be able to look back at the clues they received prior to the encounter and realize they had everything they needed but simply failed to make the connections. That is the bar you have to reach with these clues and descriptions to make it fair.

Wiseblood · Oct 22, 2019

I ran something for some people new to 5e. They made 3rd level characters and I ran a simple adventure to let them get a feel for the rules. It was about five encounters.
1) easy with a few clues and an obvious arrow leading to
2) investigation a few more clues and a lead
3) role play that revealed the nature of the clues and the main threat a Vampire. Imminent danger and the whereabouts of said baddie.
4) pro active defense scenario thwarting the supernatural agents of the Vampire (draining resources)
5) rest then a race to to the bad guys lair before sundown killing his minions and staking him good. All before he got out of his coffin!

The players understood that if the Vamp was roused they were done for, it was tense. I never statted the Vampire. I didn’t need to. If they ended up in combat with the Vampire they would lose.

They had the advantage of knowing some pop culture vampire lore. So they knew to stake him. So in this case I just had to convey what they faced. They already knew the rules.

You will have to make the rules and the stakes clear (haha). If they aren’t fans of the Doctor or they can’t make the Weeping Angel connection they will probably bungle it.

Th3g0dc0mp13x · Oct 22, 2019

@iserith
That's basically what I'm going for in these monsters yeah.

So for foreshadowing what I'd considered and I'll edit op to add these.

The main questgiver warns them of an unusual guardian. That no one has been able to defeat.
Have an adventurer who managed to escape that they can talk to. Super old elf who is only 50.
Once they reach the site have a body just Inside the gates with a notebook of "theories" on how to successfully get past the guardians.
Have the blink and a statue has disappeared thing happen at a few different points.
Have them attack once and then backoff. After this show two of them staring at each other unmoving.
Possibly have an adventuring party in the graveyard that looks super old and Haggard, and when they blink or look away there are just a bunch of dessicated corpses.

Th3g0dc0mp13x · Oct 22, 2019

They are not fans of the show this would be entirely up to my DM chops.

iserith · Oct 22, 2019

Th3g0dc0mp13x said:
@iserith
That's basically what I'm going for in these monsters yeah.

So for foreshadowing what I'd considered and I'll edit op to add these.

The main questgiver warns them of an unusual guardian. That no one has been able to defeat.

Have an adventurer who managed to escape that they can talk to. Super old elf who is only 50.

Once they reach the site have a body just Inside the gates with a notebook of "theories" on how to successfully get past the guardians.

Have the blink and a statue has disappeared thing happen at a few different points.

Have them attack once and then backoff. After this show two of them staring at each other unmoving.

Possibly have an adventuring party in the graveyard that looks super old and Haggard, and when they blink or look away there are just a bunch of dessicated corpses.

I think you're on the right track. I'll have to leave it to the Doctor Who fans to say if you're hitting the mark as far as fidelity goes. As long as you're erring on the side of "too obvious" (from the DM's perspective), you'll probably be alright.

Th3g0dc0mp13x · Oct 22, 2019

I'm perfectly okay with it not matching the show, I just felt like this would be a great Halloween adjacent session, and side benefit of helping me practice ramping up the tension.