Pitting a lvl-1 group against a single lvl-7 monster

[kurukku]

I need an advice: Will it be too hard, if I pit my group of noob players (lvl 1, may be reaching 2) against a single lvl-7 shadow hound?

 

[Fanaelialae]

I need an advice: Will it be too hard, if I pit my group of noob players (lvl 1, may be reaching 2) against a single lvl-7 shadow hound?

That fight should be winnable, but may be a bit frustrating for the players due to the hound's increased attack score (it will almost never miss the PCs) and defenses (the PCs will only rarely hit it).

I'd recommend instead taking the concept of a shadow hound and recreating it as a level 2 solo.

 

[Aegeri]

It might be okay, the problem really will be that its level will mean it has really high defenses and so the PCs will miss the thing 3/4 of the time. At the same time, it's going to hit them very easily and because it can teleport at will the PCs have no chance of holding it at bay. So it can rampage at will among whoever it wants and eat all of them.

Though at the same time they will have all five of them vs. the hound, but I wouldn't be surprised if most of the party finds it a fairly long and frustrating fight.

 

[Obryn]

Well, he's level 6, not level 7, unless you're up-leveling him.

Part of it depends on the encounter setup. In dim light, the Shadow Hound will have a huge advantage - continual combat advantage and an effective +5 to all defenses. This is a recipe for a TPK.

Unmodified, it looks okay, otherwise. I mean, its defenses are mostly hittable by L1 PCs... Your average weapon guy will have between a +5 and +7 to-hit, so its 19 AC isn't ridiculous. It may take a while to get through 70 HP, but 1 enemy = focus fire.

It's going to hit your PCs almost every round for 1d8+1d6+4 damage - or an average of 12 damage. If he plays smart and rushes the squishies with his teleports, some of them will probably drop.

I dunno. I'd say go for it.

-O

 

[Obryn]

I'd recommend instead taking the concept of a shadow hound and recreating it as a level 2 solo.

This would also work, though I'd aim for an L4 Elite. Monster Builder would make these changes a piece of cake.

-O

 

[Stalker0]

I think the hound may be a problem due to its teleporting ability. If its just a normal monster, the players can swap out tanking it. With its teleport (if its smart) it will focus on a single player to take it out...which may be a problem.

 

[Obryn]

I think the hound may be a problem due to its teleporting ability. If its just a normal monster, the players can swap out tanking it. With its teleport (if its smart) it will focus on a single player to take it out...which may be a problem.

Eh, good tactics - even ones so simple as "everyone get in a cluster, with the wizard in the middle" - can work as a foil for that. At that point, it's mostly just serving to neuter marks and give CA.

-O

 

[Zaran]

I would say that a Level 6 (or 7) monster would be a hard fight but wouldn't give the right amount of XP for the effort. If I remember correctly a level 6 monster gives 225 XP. A Level 1 fight should give 500 xp. If it's the final battle I would make it a level 3 solo monster which would give it a reward of 750 XP. It would have alot more hit points but would be easier to hit and would hit your PCs less often. It would probably be about the same fight except with more pleasing hits on the PC side.

 

[DEFCON 1]

With its teleport (if its smart) it will focus on a single player to take it out...which may be a problem.

Well, to be fair... it'd only be a problem if the DM chose to make it a problem. He wouldn't have to have the hound focus on a single character until it dropped... he could have it teleport all over the place, taking potshots and bites against all the party, not just one. Just because the DM can focus against a single PC until he kills it, doesn't mean he has to. And thus that mitigates the potential power of the monster itself.

 

[Black Knight Irios]

The shadow hound is not the smartest let him rampage among the chars. Don't focus fire not before he is at least bloodied.

But I think as well as others that making him a level 3ish solo monster would be more fun. You could give him some more shadow-powers and the hit/miss ratio on both sides should be more favorable for your players. You want an interessting fight not a grindy one.