Updated Monsters- Fan Project

[AbdulAlhazred]

Wow, that Purple Worm is complex! Interesting exercise in monster engineering, but I don't think I'd even consider running a monster of that mechanical complexity in an actual game. Honestly it seems to me like there needs to be a more elegant way to make paragon and epic solos to work well than dropping the whole responsibility on the designer of each monster to create elaborate work-arounds on each one. I'm tempted to take up the challenge of making one that works well and has no more than 4 traits or powers total. Yeah, I know, it probably isn't all that easy, but now its got me thinking...

 

[Aegeri]

Yeah, I tend to favor giving solos quite a few powers that they can use, particularly in taking advantage of all their actions to make additional attacks if possible. This does make them more awkward to run, but if you consider that if you had five different monsters, all with five different sets of abilities they actually are more complex [as an encounter] than a single solo ends up being.

My Hydra is a lot simpler for those concerned.

Edit: I also have an Atropal stat block from a while ago as well, to add something new to the thread. This is a WIP and isn't finished, because I made this pre-monster builder and I would like to remake it in that. The resistances and immunities are missing, because when I made this one in Microsoft word I simply forgot to include them. He is of course immune to disease and poison. He also has resist 30 necrotic. It is not inherently radiant vulnerable, instead radiant damage shuts off its aura.

Edit2: Now you mention it, a four "power" solo that is effective sounds like an interesting challenge to me. Trying to figure out how to make it work at the moment.

Edit3: I notice nobody has commented on the Dracolich. Is that because everyone doesn't like it? Also, it should of course be a huge natural animate.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

Yeah, see, I like the Atropal. It seems vastly more straightforward. I'd run that in a heartbeat. Obviously an elite isn't directly comparable to a solo, but I think we can come up with equivalently straightforward solos. It would need an "on bloodied" and a multi-attack, and maybe one other power, but still a bit simpler than the Worm.

I may be a bit biased. My main group plays on Maptool. Powers that are practically impossible to macroize tend to get short shrift in my book. OTOH there are some styles of powers that actually work better (tracking conditions for instance is pretty trivial).

 

[Aegeri]

I actually use maptools as well and I find complicated monsters, which a sod to macro are in the end very worthwhile. Partly because with color changes on macros and similar it makes it so easy to take care of upkeep/remembering what powers it has and hasn't used. I did try a four power hydra the other day, but it worked very poorly and wasn't a satisfying monster in the least. Solos just plain need more to do to make them interesting and relevant in a combat.

I will have some updated monsters up soon as well. I've tweaked the Dracolich considerably since the WIP, but it's still the same basic monster for the most part. I just cleaned up its statblock and a few other things. I tried making a straightforward Hydra, but it was as boring as watching paint dry and so I've got more creative with it. Decided to redo an epic hydra, so we can start getting some more epic creatures into the mix.

If anyone has any particular requests, I am up for suggestions. I'll have the final atropal as well - just altered a few powers rather than anything else.

 

[Nyronus]

http://tools.dungeonmastering.com/monstercards/opcode/11228/Adult-Black-Dragon

Essentially I designed the new black dragon to be a sort of super lurker, modeled after a crocodile. Essentially he leaps from the water/mud/dark, sprays the party with a burst of flinch inducing acid, and then mauls someone before instantly slithering away. He uses his tail to knock away troublesome defenders such as a fighter before rushing the party, or, if the party is all bunched together, he'll finish his attack sequence with a tail slap before rushing away. I don't envision him flying much in combat, prefering to use concealment and that aquatic keyword for every penny they're worth.

The gloom aura is meant to hearken back to the cloud of darkness power of the "classic" black dragon without being, oh, what's that word? Oh yeah. Lame. It also acts as a lurker "defensive" power, particularly when combined with all of the shifting and the close-range reactive acid spray.

There are a few tactics a party can use to beat the acid-spittying mega croc. Namely, readying actions. The Gloom Aura drops while moving, and since the black dragon is a melee mauler he will -always- bum rush the party each round. Also, while the Black Dragon comes with a suite of defender hosing powers, a Warden spells doom as its more or less able to shut down his shifting shenangins, and the same with a controller with immobilize on ready.

I realized I forgot to add in a customary "Anti-Stunlock" feature. Probably something along the lines of the dragon shifting back when its stunned. I'm a little tired now so I'll do that tomorrow.

Also: I love the Purple Worm. Very scary and very awesome. The Dracolich looks interesting. I kind of like the idea of double scything claws. I say keep it at-will: A solo has to keep up the threat of five monsters. If its not making four or five attacks around, or doing there-about damage, it probably won't scare people.

I'm actually plotting a super adventure centering on a Dracolich. I may just swipe your stats.

 

[Mesh Hong]

Wow, that Purple Worm is complex! Interesting exercise in monster engineering, but I don't think I'd even consider running a monster of that mechanical complexity in an actual game. Honestly it seems to me like there needs to be a more elegant way to make paragon and epic solos to work well than dropping the whole responsibility on the designer of each monster to create elaborate work-arounds on each one. I'm tempted to take up the challenge of making one that works well and has no more than 4 traits or powers total. Yeah, I know, it probably isn't all that easy, but now its got me thinking...

Yeah, see, I like the Atropal. It seems vastly more straightforward. I'd run that in a heartbeat. Obviously an elite isn't directly comparable to a solo, but I think we can come up with equivalently straightforward solos. It would need an "on bloodied" and a multi-attack, and maybe one other power, but still a bit simpler than the Worm.

I may be a bit biased. My main group plays on Maptool. Powers that are practically impossible to macroize tend to get short shrift in my book. OTOH there are some styles of powers that actually work better (tracking conditions for instance is pretty trivial).

A solo with 4 traits + Powers in total and is still an interesting and varied threat at paragon or epic tier?

That is a lofty design goal indeed.

My own personal rule is "takes up no more than a side of A4 when printed", usually in 12 point font. Of course I get around my own limitations when I need to by having multi staged solos with each stage having its own stat block.

Personally I don't mind having a lot of powers as long as they are easy to read and have names that are descriptive enough for me to quickly remember the flavour of the power.

 

[Mesh Hong]

OK I will take on one of the more lowly creatures in the MM1, the Ogre Warhulk. This poor creature is a classic example of poor design in its original form so I have made a few quick changes to bring it up to the level of a reasonable threat.

Ogre Warhulk Level 11 Elite Brute
Large Natural Humanoid XP 1,200

Initiative +6 Senses Perception +6
HP 286; Bloodied 143; also see Bloodied Strike
AC 24; Fortitude 25, Reflex 22, Will 21
Saving Throws +2
Speed 8
Action Points 1

Charging Fury ♦ trait
Warhulk gains a +2 attack bonus and deals an additional 7 damage when
taking a charge action; charging does not end the Warhulks turn

Heavy Flail (Standard; at-will)
Reach 2; attack +16 vs. AC; 3d6+9 damage; on hit target is knocked
prone

Foot Stomp (Minor; at-will)
Prone target only; attack +14 vs. Reflex; 2d6+9 damage; on miss target
may shift 1 square (but remains prone)

Flail Hurricane (Standard; encounter)
Burst 2; attack +14 vs. AC; 2d10+10 damage; on hit target is either
pushed 2 squares or knocked prone (Warhulks choice)

Bloodied Strike (Immediate Reaction) ♦ triggered action
When first bloodied Warhulk may make a Heavy Flail attack against any 1
target within reach

Alignment Chaotic Evil Languages common, giant
Skills Athletics +16, Endurance +16, Intimidate +8
Str 22 (+11) Dex 12 (+6) Wis 12 (+6)
Con 23 (+11) Int 4 (+2) Cha 6 (+3)
Equipment hide armour, heavy flail

I hope this meets the criteria of the thread and you find it interesting.

 

[Aegeri]

Also: I love the Purple Worm. Very scary and very awesome. The Dracolich looks interesting. I kind of like the idea of double scything claws. I say keep it at-will: A solo has to keep up the threat of five monsters. If its not making four or five attacks around, or doing there-about damage, it probably won't scare people.

I'm actually plotting a super adventure centering on a Dracolich. I may just swipe your stats.

Thank you. I would wait a bit though as I have an updated version of the Dracolich with a few "issues" I found with it fixed. Scything Claws will remain at-will, as it has to target one or two creatures with the attack (it doesn't get two attacks with one standard, it gets one attack each on two creatures). So he's spreading the damage around. His draconic fury means that he can target 2 creatures twice, or up to four different creatures! He isn't capable though of simply focusing down one PC with four attacks, so he likes to be near as many PCs as possible because of this.

On the Black Dragon I liked your concept, it's worth noting that there is a new "MM3" published Black Dragon in the DnD comic. A friend of mine got his hands on it and this is what it does:

I just visited my FLGS, and while the owner didn't have the Dark Sun books, he had been to Gen Con and brought back the D&D comic being given away there. So far it doesn't look like anything special, although the black dragon in the comic has a fun line that I'd like to use in a game: "Pray for death. Pray to me. That would amuse me." There's also a Dark Sun comic; strangely, the first comic is about an entire party of adventurers, while the Dark Sun one seems to focus on a runaway gladiator and the bounty hunter tracking him down. The Q&A at the end of the book also promises that different powers and feats will be represented visually.

Speaking of the black dragon I mentioned earlier, it's stats are presented at the end of the book (apparently statblocks for any new monsters and villains introduced in the comics will be included). What's notable, though, is that this black dragon's stats are radically different than the beast in the Monster Manual:

* First off, the young black dragon is presented with the MM3 statblock.
* Damage has been upped all around.
* Acidid Blood is a new trait that activates when the dragon is bloodied. Each creature adjacent to the dragon takes acid damage when the dragon is damaged.
* Instintive Devouring lets the young black dragon charge, bite, or end a dominating or stunning effect on an initiative of 10 plus its initiative check.
* Action Recovery puts a stop to dazing, stunning, or dominating effects at the end of the dragon's turn.
* The Breath Weapon no longer inflicts a -4 penalty to AC.
* Cloud of Darkness is gone. In its place is Shroud of Gloom, a power that confers vulnerability to acid damage and a -2 penalty to attack rolls until the end of the encounter. These effects can also be ended with a DC 10 Heal check.
* Tail Slash has been replaced with Tail Sweep, which is not the same power as the one used by the Monster Manual's green dragon. Tail Sweep is triggered when a creature misses the young black dragon with a melee attack (the green dragon's version of the power was triggered if an adjacent enemy didn't move on its turn). Not only does it knock the target prone, but it also deals damage to each of the target's adjacent allies.

This is a much better version of the young black dragon, and I hope all the chromatics get this treatment (it had also better be added to the Monster Builder).

I particularly will pick out action recovery, which automatically ends dazing, stunning and similar conditions. I've actually got a version of this on many of my own solo dragons that I've been making, called Draconic Arrogance. Draconic Arrogance does exactly the same thing, so I feel oddly vindicated.

 

[Aegeri]

So I've been working away on the Dracolich more. I decided to give it a similar power to the recent Black Dragon and change around some of its effects.

​

Changes here were removing the aftereffect on subdue the living and cleaning up some of the powers so they weren't such a giant mess of "Hit, Effect, Miss" etc. The breath weapon only narrowly avoided this slashing. I would be interested in feedback on others opinion on that. He picks up immunity to the charm keyword, which removes dominate effectively from the list of conditions he has to care about. Lingering draconic instinct allows the dracolich to remove the daze or stun conditions before his turn. Due to his triggered action mesmerizing glare, denying this is still useful despite the immunity as that power can be pretty nasty.

I also added more to the radiant vulnerability, indicating that if he takes radiant damage the aura is shut down until the end of the creatures next turn. I feel this was fluffy and a good decision, helping PCs ease the power of the creatures aura and giving them an opportunity to get the most out of their healing. Also, it's 10 vulnerable to radiant damage - for some reason it doesn't show up on the copied stat block above despite being on the creature in the actual monster builder file.

I apologize for the lack of the promised hydra and finished atropal, I've been busy with SCIENCE! and with my three other campaigns to be making monsters I don't currently need in those. I will get to those soon!

Edit: Also here is a slightly updated Purple Worm. I noticed that Burrow and Burst incorrectly failed to specify when the condition ended. It of course reappears at the beginning of its next turn.

 

[vagabundo]

This thread might be a good sticky - has yum potential.

Good designing folks.