Running a Dracolich

[SlyFlourish]

Next week I'll be running my 18th level party through a dracolich encounter. The encounter is published and contains, pretty much, just the dracolich. I have a larger party so I'm considering adding in some draconic wraiths to spice things up and take advantage of the stuns with some combat advantage nastiness.

What recommendations do you guys have for running a dracolich against a party of six level 18 PCs?

 

[Morrus]

Running a dracolich?

Is that like walking a dog?

 

[Scribble]

Next week I'll be running my 18th level party through a dracolich encounter. The encounter is published and contains, pretty much, just the dracolich. I have a larger party so I'm considering adding in some draconic wraiths to spice things up and take advantage of the stuns with some combat advantage nastiness.

What recommendations do you guys have for running a dracolich against a party of six level 18 PCs?

I like to break my "Solo" fights if possible into multiple locations.

For a dragon, something like, it attacks say while characters are crossing a rope bridge across a chasm.

Then After a few rounds, or after it's weakened a bit, it flies off.

Since most monsters don't have healing surges the next time they meet, people will have regained encounter powers, possibly some dailies, but the solo won't have extra HPs.

The fights seem more dynamic.

 

[Wik]

I ran a Dracolich fight in a decaying temple, around a pool of water. As everyone moved about, the Dracolich would hit pillars, causing parts of the roof to collapse. Eventually, the dwarf took advantage of this, and knocked over a pillar and brought the roof down on the Dracolich... and himself.

I ran it with the Dracolich (as an elite - can't remember where I found that from), and a bunch of Dark Creeper monsters. It was a very close, clutch fight that is currently one of the highlights of my 4e campaign.

 

[avin]

Running a dracolich?

Is that like walking a dog?

A dracolich fighting a party is like walking my beagle.

 

[Nifft]

Is that the one with Stun breath, Stun melee attack, and Stun as an interrupt?

If so, it might tend to frustrate the PCs. But there are hopefully multiple Dracoliches out there by now.

Cheers, -- N

 

[SlyFlourish]

Is that the one with Stun breath, Stun melee attack, and Stun as an interrupt?
Cheers, -- N

Yeah. There are other dracolichs out there but I kinda wanted to run the one from the book. I know the stun can get out of hand, though. I seem to even recall hearing the Wizards guys complaining about it on a podcast.

 

[Dice4Hire]

Yeah. There are other dracolichs out there but I kinda wanted to run the one from the book. I know the stun can get out of hand, though. I seem to even recall hearing the Wizards guys complaining about it on a podcast.

I know that encoutnere frustrated our fighter nearly to death, as our party was only three people, with him, and two ranged/magic guys.

He did practically no damage the entire fight. Hit or miss, be stunned on a successful hit. I think the dragon missed once.

Especially as it was not save ends, so he(Dreadnaught) could not get out of it in any way)

 

[Jack99]

If you want a absolutely awesome expanded dragon-encounter, read Heart of Darkness in the Draconomicon. It plays really well. Should be really easy to replace the purple dragon with a dracolich and the other monsters with undeads.

Of course, this changes the encounter to a night's play.

 

[SlyFlourish]

Greg Bilsland, one of the creators of the MM2, gave me some good suggestions:

1. Change the HP and defenses to more of a MM2 type (80% hps, -2 defs)

2. Give him an aura that removes necrotic resistances (I'm not a huge fan of this, I'd rather find a cool way to get around necrotic resistances.

3. When bloodied, the Dracolich gains one standard action each turn.

4. Change the gaze immediate reaction from Stun to Daze (should make it less sucky for the defender).

5. Give him a minor action slide attack.

I also changed his basic attack so it does a bonus 2d8 necrotic on stunned OR dazed creatures.

Any suggestions for avoiding necrotic resistance without eliminating it outright?

I'm going to throw in some draconic wraiths to make life really interesting.