Monster Synergies, and the craziness that can follow...

[Jack99]

Yeah, we had one of these last night, and I didn't even make it myself. It's a fight I stole from King of the Trollhaunt, where the players face off a Troll Vinespeaker (kinda a druid vibe), his pet dire bear and 3 Blackfire Flameskulls.

The troll has an at-will ranged burst 1 attack that immobilizes. The Flameskulls have a ranged at-will attack that does decent fire damage and blinds.

Needless to say, the n+2 encounter that it was, was made even harder by the fact that most people spent the fight being immobilized or blind - or both!

No one died permanently, but that was more luck and skill than anything else.

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

In fact, I think I need to start setting up encounters more like I did with this fight - not necessarily in terms of lethality, but in terms of environment and setup.

This, it is becoming increasingly obvious to me, is the absolute keynote of making 4e combats work.

Players should, every round, be considering things they can do that aren't their powers but that are just as cool. I'm going to have to keep training my players on this one, but I'm getting there.

 

[blargney the second]

For those who were out for PC blood, I'm sorry to report that we all survived, thanks to the timely arrival of the party's totally fresh warlock. Would've been a TPK otherwise...
-blarg

 

[Ravilah]

Any way we could turn this into a thread all about listing awesome monster synergy combinations? This is point I am weak on as a DM and would like to improve.


Rechan, that combo with the Corpses of Despair looks awesome. Yoink.

--R

 

[Rechan]

Hey Wik, question for you.

You used Vine Horrors. How did the vanilla vine horrors (not the Spell-throwers) work for you? On paper, the Vine Horror has a single encounter power, and then it's just using its basic attack. That looks damn boring to me.

Any way we could turn this into a thread all about listing awesome monster synergy combinations? This is point I am weak on as a DM and would like to improve.

I could get behind that.

 

[Wik]

For those who were out for PC blood, I'm sorry to report that we all survived, thanks to the timely arrival of the party's totally fresh warlock. Would've been a TPK otherwise...
-blarg

Yeah, Nero did save your butts.

Funny story, in the next fight (A Vine Horror Spellfiend + 2 Shambling Mounds), the PCs rushed into the room to take out the Spellfiend, completely ignoring the huge Shamblers. Lots of fun!

Hey Wik, question for you.

You used Vine Horrors. How did the vanilla vine horrors (not the Spell-throwers) work for you? On paper, the Vine Horror has a single encounter power, and then it's just using its basic attack. That looks damn boring to me.

That power is an... encounter power? What the?

*runs to check MM*

Holy crap. It is. I have my printed notes, and they say it's an at-will. that'd explain why those things were KILLING my PCs.

Hunh. Looks like I have to apologize to my group. Again.

That being said, the Encounter is a PAIN IN THE BUTT. Their mobility is nice, too, so they can easily get behind the group with the malleability power.

But, I just realized I ran that encounter totally wrong. Yikes.

 

[Wik]

Another good Synergy, by the way:

3 Spectral Panthers + 2 Foulspawn Grue

The Grue's use their whispers of Madness power on a single target to daze him, and then the panthers rush him - each panther doing +2d6 damage combat advantage on him. To make the encounter a bit tougher, drop a Grue and add a Foulspawn Seer (Who make sure that attacks are going to hit with their aura, and have a dazing attack of their own).

 

[Rechan]

The Grue's use their whispers of Madness power on a single target to daze him, and then the panthers rush him - each panther doing +2d6 damage combat advantage on him. To make the encounter a bit tougher, drop a Grue and add a Foulspawn Seer (Who make sure that attacks are going to hit with their aura, and have a dazing attack of their own).

Basically, anything that grants a status effect that gives CA, and anything that has a power that keys off CA, is like peanut butter and chocolate.

 

[blargney the second]

Holy crap. It is. I have my printed notes, and they say it's an at-will. that'd explain why those things were KILLING my PCs.

Hunh. Looks like I have to apologize to my group. Again.

Apologies will be happily accepted in XP.
-blarg

 

[Rechan]

Apologies will be happily accepted in XP.
-blarg

You are a wise player.