The Three Act Goblin

[moxcamel]

Sounds like a good idea! If you want to see an example of a level 1 solo, pick up the Dark Sun Creature Catalog. The monsters in there can make for a great desert/horror/abberant game! Also, next week I'm planning on posting a level 1 solo skirmisher on my blog... =)

I've got you in my news feed, looking forward to it.

 

[Mesh Hong]

I am very conflicted about this creature, I have written and deleted quite a few responses and still havn't come to a cohesive position. For this reason I will stick to discussing powers:

Spin Kick
I do like Spin Kick, but in its current state as a standard action it is a very poor choice for the goblin. I think it might be better as a minor action:

MINOR ACTION
Spin Kick (encounter; recharges when an enemy spends a healing surge)
Attack: close burst 1 (enemies in burst); +4 vs. Reflex
Hit: 1d4+2 damage and the target is pushed 1 square
Effect: if goblin hits at least 1 target with this attack it may shift 2 squares

Enraged Frenzy
This is fine, personally I don't think it needs the rider of 2/encounter. This is a solo creature being able to do this once a round should be fine.

Flying Body Kick
This again is a good idea for a power, but as this is a solo it could maybe to with a little extra oomph.

STANDARD ACTION
Flying Body Kick * Recharge
Attack: melee 1 (one creature); +6 vs. AC
Hit: 1d6+3 damage and the target is pushed 2 squares and knocked prone
Effect: Goblin makes a Greatclub attack against a secondary target

Thorny Net
As an attack that deals no damage it is horribly under par for a solo creature, even if used with its action point. I think it might make a good Move Action attack

MOVE ACTION
Thorny Net (poison) * Encounter
Attack: area burst 1 within 10 (all creaures in burst); +4 vs. Reflex
Hit: target is restrained (save ends)
Each Failed Saving Throw: target takes 5 poison damage
Aftereffect: Target is slowed (save ends)

Other than that as has already been pointed out as a solo the creature really needs an at will double attack (at low level this usually specifies seperate targets).

As an aside....
Previously you have stated that you don't like "Video Gamey" elements in monster design. Without getting too confrontational about it I think the little "Cut Scenes" mechanic you introduce between stages and the fact that damage does not carry over are both very Video Gamey.

Personally I don't have a problem with that but I find it quite ironic

 

[moxcamel]

I am very conflicted about this creature, I have written and deleted quite a few responses and still havn't come to a cohesive position. For this reason I will stick to discussing powers:

Thanks for the input, really appreciate it. The concept is still very much "alpha," and although it's an intriguing idea (to me at least), you're right to be sceptical. Hopefully I haven't given the impression that everyone should implement this design in their campaign RIGHT NOW!!!!!

Spin Kick
I do like Spin Kick, but in its current state as a standard action it is a very poor choice for the goblin. I think it might be better as a minor action:

I designed this power with three thoughts in mind:
- this is a first level solo monster. Since characters are rather fragile at 1st level, I want to be careful about the amount of damage he's putting out.
- I thought about giving the spin kick to him as a minor action. But to me anyway, it's flavor breaking. Nograg isn't a kung-fu monk-ish monster, he's just picked up a handy way get himself out of a tough situation.
- I didn't so much design the power as a way to deal damage, as a way to break Nograg out of a potential lock-down.

Having said that, I do agree that overall he's dishing out less damage than he should. He's on the drawing board as we speak, and one of the things I'm playing around with is giving him a glaive to strike up to 3 opponents in reach as a standard at-will.

Enraged Frenzy
This is fine, personally I don't think it needs the rider of 2/encounter. This is a solo creature being able to do this once a round should be fine.

I'm inclined to agree.

Flying Body Kick
This again is a good idea for a power, but as this is a solo it could maybe to with a little extra oomph.

I might bump it up to twice per encounter, but laying a PC out prone denies him a basic action for a whole round, which is pretty "oomphy". Having said that, since he's in "brute" mode it might make sense to either add a stun or add the secondary attack as you suggest.

Thorny Net
As an attack that deals no damage it is horribly under par for a solo creature, even if used with its action point. I think it might make a good Move Action attack

So at this stage, damage isn't a prime concern for Nograg. He's in "controller" mode (as a mechanic of course, he doesn't change colors or anything ), and his prime concern is getting away. The net is kind of his last ditch effort at holding an attacker in place long enough for him to run away. Having said that, a d4 damage on the initial hit probably wouldn't be out of order. Having it affect more targets is also worth exploring.

Other than that as has already been pointed out as a solo the creature really needs an at will double attack (at low level this usually specifies seperate targets).

Yes, agreed.

As an aside....
Previously you have stated that you don't like "Video Gamey" elements in monster design. Without getting too confrontational about it I think the little "Cut Scenes" mechanic you introduce between stages and the fact that damage does not carry over are both very Video Gamey.

Personally I don't have a problem with that but I find it quite ironic

Hmm. Well the whole idea of "stages" isn't my idea; that belongs to the Angry DM, whose blog post on the 3-act boss I linked to in the OP. Obviously there's a little bit of hand-waving going on between the stages, but I still believe that handled correctly it can be seamless to the point where the players don't even know that he is mechanically a new monster. Rules lawyers will of course demand to know just what mechanic it is that lets Nograg shake off an effect without even a roll, so it's up to the DM how they want to handle the meta-gaming explanations. But as far as role-playing, I think the transitions are pretty seamless. I just don't see anything video-gamey about it.

 

[Mesh Hong]

Flying Body Kick

I might bump it up to twice per encounter, but laying a PC out prone denies him a basic action for a whole round, which is pretty "oomphy". Having said that, since he's in "brute" mode it might make sense to either add a stun or add the secondary attack as you suggest.

Knocking someone prone does not deny them an action at all. It means they should make a move action to stand up, but while they are on the floor they can still take actions and even opportunity attacks.

I wouldn't add a stun, not to a level 1 brute.

The secondary attack I proposed was a greatclub attack to a secondary target. This would keep up a solos expected minimum 2 attacks a turn.

In my opinion solos should be dynamic and varied so that the players are never quite sure what it is going to do round by round. Sometimes that means that they are hoping it cannot do something it has already done again!! (was that an encounter power? I hope so.....)

Hmm. Well the whole idea of "stages" isn't my idea; that belongs to the Angry DM, whose blog post on the 3-act boss I linked to in the OP.

You arn't claiming that Angry DM invented the multi stage boss are you? (please take that as humour)

Obviously there's a little bit of hand-waving going on between the stages, but I still believe that handled correctly it can be seamless to the point where the players don't even know that he is mechanically a new monster. Rules lawyers will of course demand to know just what mechanic it is that lets Nograg shake off an effect without even a roll, so it's up to the DM how they want to handle the meta-gaming explanations. But as far as role-playing, I think the transitions are pretty seamless. I just don't see anything video-gamey about it.

No I'm going to resist commenting...... don't want to derail the thread with "Video Gamey" discussion......

 

[moxcamel]

No I'm going to resist commenting...... don't want to derail the thread with "Video Gamey" discussion......

Feel free to start a new thread, I'd love to hear your thoughts, and I'm always open to differing ideas.