Note that the solo HP formula is independent of role, but Brutes should have higher HP than typical for a solo to make up for their lower AC (see: http://www.enworld.org/forum/d-d-4t...manual-2-elite-solo-design-2.html#post4803512 for more discussion of this),
Wazir Ghul Khota, the leper dragon
- Thread starter RangerWickett
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Note that the solo HP formula is independent of role, but Brutes should have higher HP than typical for a solo to make up for their lower AC (see: http://www.enworld.org/forum/d-d-4t...manual-2-elite-solo-design-2.html#post4803512 for more discussion of this),
MortalPlague
Adventurer
The only thing that jumps out at me is that his bite weakens, which is a really frustrating condition to have as a PC. The at-will weaken could really prolong the fight in a bad way if the PCs have bad luck on their saves.
The encounter design sounds amazing, though, and everything else about the dragon seems really solid. Let us know how it goes!
The encounter design sounds amazing, though, and everything else about the dragon seems really solid. Let us know how it goes!
RangerWickett
Legend
In the last few sessions there weren't many conditions being applied to the party, which made their various "bonus save" abilities useless. Maybe I'll swap out an at-will weaken with another encounter spell. This way they'll have one or two rounds when conditions might be annoying, instead of every round.
I think in this case an at will attack that weakens should be OK. The dragon can really only weaken 1 character a turn, even when using APs it will probably use its breath as its bonus action.
The ratio is still 5 PC vs. 1 creature with 3 attacks, or 5 attacks vs. 3 attacks. If a weakened character is worth 1/2 an attack 4 of them would have to be weakened to even it out to 3 attacks vs. 3 attacks.
Weakened can be an annoying condition, and giving the bite a secondary attack +15 vs. Fortitude; on hit target is weakened might not be a bad thing, but I don't think the Bite as written is broken.
Actually I have just looked at the breath attack and seen that it also weakens. Maybe 2 attacks that weaken is a bit much, I would remove the weaken from one of them, probably the breath as it is good enough without it.
Mesh Hong, remember that the weaken isn't until the monsters next turn, but save ends. So with some bad rolls (and the players not using any abilities for granting extra saves), several people might end up weakened.
It would be fine to leave it as is, but I agree that the breath perhaps shouldn't weaken as well.
It would be fine to leave it as is, but I agree that the breath perhaps shouldn't weaken as well.
Yes I am aware of that, this that is why I gave the broad stoke analysis that even with 4 out of 5 PCs weakened they would still be getting the same value of attacks, (3 vs 3).
The more I think about though the more I am convinced that the breath shouldn't weaken. I think I would suggest also removing the ongoing damage from it and adding; on miss half damage.
MortalPlague
Adventurer
If the tank is doing his job, then he spends the whole fight weakened. As a player, even if you're not a damage dealer, that really sucks.
Just sayin.
RangerWickett
Legend
Fight part one occurred last night. Did you know that 12th level PCs are ***holes? The sheer number of proning, immobilizing, slowing, and similar powers gets ridiculous. Add in a bard with psychic locking vicious mockery, giving the dragon a pretty much permanent -4 penalty to attacks, a wizard with mass resist energy negating most of the dragon's damage, and a warden who simply would not be moved, and I ended up with a pretty ineffectual dragon.
After his first set of allies died, Ghul Khota spent about 10 rounds trying to get the hell out of dodge, and after his wings tore off he managed to dive into the river . . .
. . . only to be pursued, on foot, for five minutes by the warden and barbarian (ram form and wildrunner means REALLY FAST). They couldn't attack him because the dragon swam faster than they could, but they paced him. The rest of the party wasn't fast enough to keep it as one encounter technically, so the two PCs who'd followed fell back and regrouped.
Yay, I managed to get the party to blow 75% of their dailies (*grumble mutter whine* stupid debuffing all being targeted on one enemy *grumble mutter whine*). Now when they go after the dragon next week, it should be interesting, and I might actually be able to deal damage to the party.
After his first set of allies died, Ghul Khota spent about 10 rounds trying to get the hell out of dodge, and after his wings tore off he managed to dive into the river . . .
. . . only to be pursued, on foot, for five minutes by the warden and barbarian (ram form and wildrunner means REALLY FAST). They couldn't attack him because the dragon swam faster than they could, but they paced him. The rest of the party wasn't fast enough to keep it as one encounter technically, so the two PCs who'd followed fell back and regrouped.
Yay, I managed to get the party to blow 75% of their dailies (*grumble mutter whine* stupid debuffing all being targeted on one enemy *grumble mutter whine*). Now when they go after the dragon next week, it should be interesting, and I might actually be able to deal damage to the party.
Welcome to Paragon Level Hell. Please remain seated, keep your arms inside the carriage and try to stop your head from exploding as you readjust to the new world order of pain.
It took me a while to get used to the massive jump in PC power level going from heroic to paragon. I made a quick adjustment to Certain Justice (between sessions) and started redesigning all my monsters to balance the new threat level of the group.
My guess is you are probably a lot like me, I love to see my group doing big damage and cinematically heroic things, but the status effects they can dish out amazes me. Please don't get me started on the amount of healing available as well...... it can sometimes be quite disheartening (for my monsters
) to wear someone down to very bloodied only to see them fully healed seconds later. Oh the horror!Now my players are level 15 and I am just about used to it. Mind you I cannot imagine the pain when they reach level 21. Epic horror!
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