Solo Monster Encounter Problems

[babinro]

A lot of good advice in the thread. I appreciate it.

While I don't care for the idea of making the solo's far better at shrugging off effects..I do like the idea of giving effects alternate setbacks...or allowing the solo to pass status effects on to other critters.

It sounds like I simply haven't had enough threats in the battles with solo's at this point so I'm going to see how that plays out as well.

In the end though, I'd like to try dropping their hp down to elite and running them like that. Essentially solo's are elites with more cool effects, so it might be pretty fun.

I don't intend to phase out true solo battles though. The party does seem to enjoy utterly destroying some powerful beast from time to time.

Finally, I like the idea of placing solo's in the adventure as guards or the like as opposed to the final boss. If the party goes all out on it with daily's..it would make the remaining encounters all the more interesting. If they hold back, it may well make the solo encounter more interesting as well. Seems pretty win-win.

 

[Trevelyan]

Monsters like Tiamat and some of her archons (for example Chillreaver frmo the Scales of War campaign) make interesting solos. They have multiple heads with each head having a separate action on a different initiative count and, move importantly giving the body a different move action and a fresh round of saves (some multi-heaqded creatures automatically shake off status effects when the next head acts).

What you get is effectively a solo which operates like multiple creatures that happen to share one location and a single bag of hit points, and that makes all the difference.

Monsters like the Berbalang follow a similar philosophy, splitting one solo monster into what is effectively a number of individual monsters.

The other thing to consider is using traps and terrain features alongside a solo monster to provide what amount to other combatants. Traps or powers which dominate PCs work well, effectively reducing the number of actions that the party can take and increasing the actions that the solo has available.

 

[amerigoV]

As others have pointed to, I think you need to tailor the environment and other minions to the Solo's abilities. For example, a demon is the solo that has been summoned. Have a few priest around whose main job is to debuff and crowd contol or a Red Dragon should be in a center of a Volcano. In other words, a Solo should not be found in a plain old 20'x20' square room.

Another option is to "break the rules" a bit. I did this at the end of my Eyes of the Lich Queen campaign (3.5 - but there is the same general issue of solo creatures vs. the party). I modified the end fight with a dragon to be a aerial battle and had a simple subsystem to determine how "in position" PCs where. It changed the feel and was a nice break from the usual solo pound (more of a running battle than "I 5' step and attack") .

I'll freely admit I stole the latter concept from WOW, where the Boss tends to have their own rules. Probably not something to do all the time, but you are fighting the Solo/BBEG on his ground -- he should have some tricks up his sleeve that are beyond the stat block.

 

[Dr_Sage]

I agree with the "problem" of the rider effects, but actually thats the best thing 4ed added in my oppinion (3.x ed = fighters hacking monster HP all the way... entire game).

Some suggestions above were nice, but I think I prefer to mess less with the rules.

I will use either [solo + something] or for "true solos" i will use a higher, ennhanced version of the creatures (usually with reactive/automatic powers) and a very favorable scenario.

My next solo will be the black dragon.. I will nerf the darkness power and increase his overal damage.