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General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
Tricky monster design - trimming the fat?
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<blockquote data-quote="Quickleaf" data-source="post: 8570369" data-attributes="member: 20323"><p>Thanks [USER=6804070]@LordEntrails[/USER], yes you're right about that. Either I'm going to stipulate that its Deceptive Attack <em>only </em>applies to melee attacks, or - more likely - I'll remove its dagger attacks altogether. Since I'm probably nixing the Deflect Missiles, that's one step to removing the juggling harlequin theme I was going for, so removing daggers would be the logical extension of that edit.</p><p></p><p>Yeah, typical turn would look like Beguiling Stare + 2 Rapier Attacks, possibly using Teleport instead if it is pinned down in a bad way. The reaction would only kick in if a PC teleports, so might not come up at all. Not too complicated.</p><p></p><p>Intended use of the Alabaster Mountebank is as a social ambusher (high Deception & might not register as a fiend & Beguiling Stare's first draft reduces target's initiative score) and a "first on scene" spy-hunter who either gets backup in 2-3 rounds or flees with intel on the PCs so they need to chase / stop it. So it's not a true solo/boss by any stretch of the imagination, rather the narrative around the monster puts it in the situation of being a lone actor first and foremost, but having support from an array of demons / fiends / cultists when the daisies hit the fan.</p><p></p><p>I'm not sure I follow the redundancy critique about Teleport and Shell Game? What, in your mind, would make them <em>not </em>redundant?</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Quickleaf, post: 8570369, member: 20323"] Thanks [USER=6804070]@LordEntrails[/USER], yes you're right about that. Either I'm going to stipulate that its Deceptive Attack [I]only [/I]applies to melee attacks, or - more likely - I'll remove its dagger attacks altogether. Since I'm probably nixing the Deflect Missiles, that's one step to removing the juggling harlequin theme I was going for, so removing daggers would be the logical extension of that edit. Yeah, typical turn would look like Beguiling Stare + 2 Rapier Attacks, possibly using Teleport instead if it is pinned down in a bad way. The reaction would only kick in if a PC teleports, so might not come up at all. Not too complicated. Intended use of the Alabaster Mountebank is as a social ambusher (high Deception & might not register as a fiend & Beguiling Stare's first draft reduces target's initiative score) and a "first on scene" spy-hunter who either gets backup in 2-3 rounds or flees with intel on the PCs so they need to chase / stop it. So it's not a true solo/boss by any stretch of the imagination, rather the narrative around the monster puts it in the situation of being a lone actor first and foremost, but having support from an array of demons / fiends / cultists when the daisies hit the fan. I'm not sure I follow the redundancy critique about Teleport and Shell Game? What, in your mind, would make them [I]not [/I]redundant? [/QUOTE]
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