Planescape The Kolyarut has an automatic hit attack.

[TravDoc42]

Sure it's impressive... but it requires air, food, drink, and sleep unlike the Marut.

I'm pretty sure the Unusual Nature Trait has been done away with in the most recent books, possibly to streamline the stat blocks? I'm on the fence about the change, personally.

 

[Demetrios1453]

So an equivalent Slaad Lord should do damage with maximum variance, such as d60 or d100 damage?

"Roll a d20. That's how many dice you will roll. Roll another d20, round to the nearest dice type. That's the dice type you will roll."

 

[LordEntrails]

I don't buy it. If your players are that good at math, it is trivial for them to figure out how much average damage 7d6 works out to, and that still tells them nothing about what tactics it will employ, which abilities it will use and when, who will be targeted by its abilities, how much it will resist their attacks, etc.

Using fixed damage instead of rolling the dice adds very little variability to the game - plenty of DMs already do it for all creature attacks.

Average damage is not helpful for us. We also re-roll init every round. Rolling damage gives us a +/- 1 round variation, in general. Sometimes more, sometimes less. We consider that worth it (plus the fun of rolling).

Wow. You are really playing with geniuses.

Yes I am. And your sarcasm makes you sound like an @55 and does nothing to help the conversation.

That must be difficult for you as a DM. They probably memorize all monster stats too. So might I humbly suggest to just change some stats or just use dice that average at the intended number?

Not hard to memorize the stats. Not after 40+ years. Almost every NPC is at least renamed and reskinned. There are a lot of things we do so that combat is somewhat of an unknown, but that's not really my point was it?

Then they will reach the wrong answer. Because it can only automatically hit a target within range, and they do not know where it is going to move.

Maybe, maybe it's me that is predictable then in who I chose to attack. Given the Int of a creature like this, there is little reason for them to attack the PC who is not the biggest threat to them, either in damage, spells, etc. But once you pick an PC target, there is little reason to change. The best strategy is to down a target before moving on. A target with 1 HP is just as deadly as one with 100 HP, spreading damage around is a recipe for loss.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

@55

Very clever!

 

[Voadam]

Maybe, maybe it's me that is predictable then in who I chose to attack. Given the Int of a creature like this, there is little reason for them to attack the PC who is not the biggest threat to them, either in damage, spells, etc. But once you pick an PC target, there is little reason to change. The best strategy is to down a target before moving on. A target with 1 HP is just as deadly as one with 100 HP, spreading damage around is a recipe for loss.

The Kolyarut with Edict of Blades looks very effective at attacking a group and not focus firing as their primary goal. Autohitting everyone they can reach with 50 movement, not provoking, disarming each one, dispelling a spell on each one, and no save incapacitating everyone they auto hit until the end of the Kolyarut's next round.

Does not sound like a recipe for loss to me even though it is only one hit of damage instead of focus firing their four multiattacks for x4 hp damage.

I would definitely lead off with that and probably do it every time it recharges.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Maybe, maybe it's me that is predictable then in who I chose to attack. Given the Int of a creature like this, there is little reason for them to attack the PC who is not the biggest threat to them, either in damage, spells, etc. But once you pick an PC target, there is little reason to change. The best strategy is to down a target before moving on. A target with 1 HP is just as deadly as one with 100 HP, spreading damage around is a recipe for loss.

Consider the terrain. Perhaps it's best strategy isn't to attack the PCs at all, but the pillar holding up the roof over their heads?

 

[LordEntrails]

The Kolyarut with Edict of Blades looks very effective at attacking a group and not focus firing as their primary goal. Autohitting everyone they can reach with 50 movement, not provoking, disarming each one, dispelling a spell on each one, and no save incapacitating everyone they auto hit until the end of the Kolyarut's next round.

Does not sound like a recipe for loss to me even though it is only one hit of damage instead of focus firing their four multiattacks for x4 hp damage.

I would definitely lead off with that and probably do it every time it recharges.

Have you actually simulated a combat like that? Think of it this way...

Just assume all PCs deal the same damage (20 DPR) and have the same hit points (100). If the Kolyarut spreads it damage around evenly like you suggest, then it takes 5 rounds to kill all the PCs. In that time, the PCs do 80 DPR, killing it on round 4. Party wins (depending upon effectivity of EoB and other control effects).

But, if the Koly concentrates its attacks, it downs the first PC on round 2 and damaging a second for 72HP. The party does ~160 HP damage (depending on init) between round 1 and 2. Round 3 a second party member is down (and a third injured for 48HP), and the party now only does ~40 more damage (total 200). Round 4 the party again does 40HP, the Kolys downs a 3rd PC and injured the last one for 24. Round 5 starts with the Koly with 240HP of damage and the remaining PC at 76; it doesn't matter who has init, the PC goes Down and the Koly wins.

Yes there are a thousand possible variations on this based on tactics, features, spells, etc. But this model scales. This example is simply to show you that concentrating damage on a single target is the most effective way, in D&D, to win a battle when other aspects are equal between sides. (Healing can affect this deepening if the healing is for one target or a group. Control spells and feats can influence this as well. etc). This is because in D&D, in almost every case, a PC/NPC does the same amount of damage if they are fully healthy or have only 1 HP remaining. Because of this, the way to live longer is to reduce the total damage your opponent(s) do, and the way to do this is to concentrate damage.

 

[Voadam]

Just assume all PCs deal the same damage (20 DPR) and have the same hit points (100). If the Kolyarut spreads it damage around evenly like you suggest, then it takes 5 rounds to kill all the PCs. In that time, the PCs do 80 DPR, killing it on round 4. Party wins (depending upon effectivity of EoB and other control effects).

Sure lets look at that with a little more specificity. I think you missed the incapactity of the spread out only edict of blades.

Edict of blades means auto incapacitated for a whole round. So every time it uses that recharge action it damages everybody within its movement range and buys itself another round of attacks where it does not get attacked and take their DPR. It is recharge 5-6 so every third round or so.

INCAPACITATED
• An incapacitated creature can't take actions or reactions.

The Kolyarut has 297 hp.

Say the party gets init.

Round 1 the party goes and inflicts their 80 hp on round 1 so the Kolyarut is down to 217. The Kolyarut then goes and either focus fires on one for 96 (so 4 hp and 100x3) or edict and hits everybody for 24 (down to 76) and incapacitating them.

Round 2 for focus fire the party hits for 80 (kolyarut = 137) and the Kolyarut goes killing one and wounding another for 76 (1 dead, 76, 100, 100). Or the incapacitated party can't take actions. Kolyarut hits everybody for 24 more hp (52 left) or focuses fire and kills one and the other three are down to 76. The Kolyarut is ahead of the always pure focus fire option here.

Round 3 Focus fire the party inflicts 60 hp and K=157 while the Kolyarut kills a second the party left with two at 100. For other options the party goes and inflicts 80 more hp (K=137) or 60 (K=157), the Kolyarut inflicts 96 hp either on everybody (28 hp left for four) or focuses and kills another (2 dead, 1 at 52, 1 at 76).

Round 4 The focus fire party inflicts 40, K= 117, and the Kolyarut attacks number three so the party has 6, 100 hp left. The edicts multiattack party hits for 80 K= 57 or if edicts and focus fire for 20 for K=137. Kolyarut goes maybe edict of blades again on third round of 1 in 3 chances each round. If so the Kolyarut inflicts 24 on each and incapacitates them then goes again killing everybody. If unlucky and no edict at this point the multiattack Kolyarut either attacks everybody leaving them at 4 hp each or focus firing killing a third and leaving one at 28.

Round 5 Focus fire party inflicts 40, K=77, K kills 1 and last party member has 76 hp. Party is either incapacitated and all dies, or four attack and kill K, or last party member hits for 20 K=117 and party dies.

Round 6 focus fire party inflicts 20, k=57, k kills party. Non-focus fire Kolyarut is either victorious or dead with hp at either dead, 57, or 117.

Conclusions: using edicts of blades to minorly damage and incapacitate whole party instead of focus fire is a superior option for when it is an option. Focusing fire instead of spreading out four attacks against four opponents is superior when those are the two options.

 

[Clint_L]

And in all of those cases, fixed damage makes very little difference - there are enough rolls that you are going to wind up around the average, anyway. Though rolling 7d6 for even one roll will already skew heavily towards the median.

 

[dave2008]

Honestly, I was assuming that was a CR 10 creature.
I'd wager my 8th level party could hold their own against it.

Five (5) 8th level PCs should be able to take on a CR 20 monster by the numbers in the DMG. As you groups seem to hover around 7, IIRC, then I would think they would have a good shot depending on there resources at the time of the encounter.

Actually, looking at Edict of Blades again (and the auto incapacitated condition) I will retract my previous response. This inevitable, played semi-competently, will trash most 8th level groups.

The autohit incapacitated gives the kolyarut a free round against everyone it moves by with this attack. That could be brutal.