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When Fiends Attack: Are Balors, Pit Fiends and Ultraloths too weak?
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<blockquote data-quote="Helldritch" data-source="post: 7022981" data-attributes="member: 6855114"><p>Again, boosting Strahd is not necessary but if I intended to use him as the only fight of the game. This is what I would do, using my own guidelines for a 5mwd in 5ed.</p><p></p><p>Single encounter big bad guys</p><p>Add 1 feat/ASI per 4 CR (save the first four, round up if necessary)</p><p>Add 1 legendary action per PC above 4.</p><p>Multiply HP by 1 +0.25 per PC above 4.</p><p>Add 1.5 AC (round up) per PC above 4.</p><p></p><p>So Strahd would now be (with 6 players)</p><p>AC: 19 (+3 from the number of players)</p><p>HP: 216 (x1.5 for 6 players)</p><p>He would now have 5 legendary actions to take ( 6 players)</p><p></p><p>For the ASI/Feat. The number of players is irrelevent. Strahd's stats are already high. I would simply increase his Strength to 20 (giving him +1 hit/dmg to his unharmed attacks) and I'd give him the tavern brawler and the mage slayer feat.</p><p></p><p>Combined with all his already numerous advantages he is now really dangerous. Move over to a caster. Attack grapple the caster, take a bite (or two if on haste on the caster and gain 10hp temporary hp in the process). The vampire would now use the grappled mage as shield. And he would use legendary action move to get him and the wizard away from the main party and remember he can now do that 5 times. With the map of Castle Ravenloft that means a lot of ground cover in only one round.</p><p></p><p>As the caster will surely want to cast misty step to escape this would require a concentration check. If the check is successful, Strahd would take an other bite on him (17 hp of dmg and +10 temporary hp or a bit more of healing depending on what had gone before and this attack would force an other concentration check at disadvantage or the spell would simply fail). Strahd could use legendary action after the wizard's turn to close in on the poor wizard. </p><p></p><p>The target could also be the party's cleric...</p><p></p><p>In one round (if he had time to prepare) Strahd could've done 48hp of dmg to the wizard and the wizard's total hp would have been reduced by 34! Assuming standard array and 14 constitution that means 60 hp for a 10th level wizard... He now has 24 hp left. As the party rushes to help their friend, Strahd could cast fireball doing 28hp on average. Unless the wizard succeed his save, he's toast. Strahd passes through a wall. Wait a few minutes for the players to raise and use ressources to bring back the wizard and he attacks again. The wizards hp max are still 24 (no rest) and I would now attack the cleric. Same tactics. The cleric might be forced to use his turn undead this time. But it would only delay the inevitable. </p><p></p><p>I think that doing that would be too dangerous. I'll keep Strahd as is. He is strong enough.</p><p></p><p>And now for the Ancient Red Dragon. Using the same guidelines would give you a lot more danger than expected.</p><p>(assuming 5 players this time)</p><p>AC: 24 (+1.5 rounded up)</p><p>HP: 738 ( 546 x1.25 + 56hp from the toughness feat)</p><p>+1 Legendary action</p><p>Added feats: Toughness, mage slayers, mobile, magic initiate (warlock, Eldritch blast and Hex), War caster.</p><p>Spell caster variant taken.</p><p>Spells: Haste, Dispel Magic, Counter Spell, Wall of force, Heal, Anti-Magic Field.</p><p></p><p>This dragon is, again, a killer. Depending on his hoard, his AC could go up to 26 and 28 with Haste! Anti-Magic field would prevent the wyrm from getting blasted away by a party heavy on spell magic. Keep at the limit of the spell, move your head out and breathe fire on the wormlings... Wall of force could be used to split the fighters/archer from the other. I would go in the air and use Breath weapon or Eldritch blast to "blast" enemies to smithereens. Hex could be used on an archer to force disadvantage on Dex check. </p><p></p><p>Somewhere else I have posted an augmented lich. No need to say that it is again a real killer.</p><p>So far, I know of 4 other DM that are using my methods. It works out pretty well but you have to keep the CR of the monster within 5 levels of the players. Strahd would be ok for a group of 11th level but for 10th it might be way overboard. In fact, my first group tried Strahd (as is in the book) at level 11 and almost died. The lich was defeated by them at level 19-20 if I remember correctly and that Dragon would be quite a challenge for a 19-20 group too.</p><p></p><p>The modifications took me about 3 minutes of my time. Not much as you can see and it can be done on the fly. I try not to use feats and powers meant to shut off only one type of group but I try to be as general as possible. I think a wee bit of what would be this boss's nightmare and what he'd do to counter his fear. (ok, a dragon fears nothing but yet, it is not stupid, it knows its weaknesses).</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Helldritch, post: 7022981, member: 6855114"] Again, boosting Strahd is not necessary but if I intended to use him as the only fight of the game. This is what I would do, using my own guidelines for a 5mwd in 5ed. Single encounter big bad guys Add 1 feat/ASI per 4 CR (save the first four, round up if necessary) Add 1 legendary action per PC above 4. Multiply HP by 1 +0.25 per PC above 4. Add 1.5 AC (round up) per PC above 4. So Strahd would now be (with 6 players) AC: 19 (+3 from the number of players) HP: 216 (x1.5 for 6 players) He would now have 5 legendary actions to take ( 6 players) For the ASI/Feat. The number of players is irrelevent. Strahd's stats are already high. I would simply increase his Strength to 20 (giving him +1 hit/dmg to his unharmed attacks) and I'd give him the tavern brawler and the mage slayer feat. Combined with all his already numerous advantages he is now really dangerous. Move over to a caster. Attack grapple the caster, take a bite (or two if on haste on the caster and gain 10hp temporary hp in the process). The vampire would now use the grappled mage as shield. And he would use legendary action move to get him and the wizard away from the main party and remember he can now do that 5 times. With the map of Castle Ravenloft that means a lot of ground cover in only one round. As the caster will surely want to cast misty step to escape this would require a concentration check. If the check is successful, Strahd would take an other bite on him (17 hp of dmg and +10 temporary hp or a bit more of healing depending on what had gone before and this attack would force an other concentration check at disadvantage or the spell would simply fail). Strahd could use legendary action after the wizard's turn to close in on the poor wizard. The target could also be the party's cleric... In one round (if he had time to prepare) Strahd could've done 48hp of dmg to the wizard and the wizard's total hp would have been reduced by 34! Assuming standard array and 14 constitution that means 60 hp for a 10th level wizard... He now has 24 hp left. As the party rushes to help their friend, Strahd could cast fireball doing 28hp on average. Unless the wizard succeed his save, he's toast. Strahd passes through a wall. Wait a few minutes for the players to raise and use ressources to bring back the wizard and he attacks again. The wizards hp max are still 24 (no rest) and I would now attack the cleric. Same tactics. The cleric might be forced to use his turn undead this time. But it would only delay the inevitable. I think that doing that would be too dangerous. I'll keep Strahd as is. He is strong enough. And now for the Ancient Red Dragon. Using the same guidelines would give you a lot more danger than expected. (assuming 5 players this time) AC: 24 (+1.5 rounded up) HP: 738 ( 546 x1.25 + 56hp from the toughness feat) +1 Legendary action Added feats: Toughness, mage slayers, mobile, magic initiate (warlock, Eldritch blast and Hex), War caster. Spell caster variant taken. Spells: Haste, Dispel Magic, Counter Spell, Wall of force, Heal, Anti-Magic Field. This dragon is, again, a killer. Depending on his hoard, his AC could go up to 26 and 28 with Haste! Anti-Magic field would prevent the wyrm from getting blasted away by a party heavy on spell magic. Keep at the limit of the spell, move your head out and breathe fire on the wormlings... Wall of force could be used to split the fighters/archer from the other. I would go in the air and use Breath weapon or Eldritch blast to "blast" enemies to smithereens. Hex could be used on an archer to force disadvantage on Dex check. Somewhere else I have posted an augmented lich. No need to say that it is again a real killer. So far, I know of 4 other DM that are using my methods. It works out pretty well but you have to keep the CR of the monster within 5 levels of the players. Strahd would be ok for a group of 11th level but for 10th it might be way overboard. In fact, my first group tried Strahd (as is in the book) at level 11 and almost died. The lich was defeated by them at level 19-20 if I remember correctly and that Dragon would be quite a challenge for a 19-20 group too. The modifications took me about 3 minutes of my time. Not much as you can see and it can be done on the fly. I try not to use feats and powers meant to shut off only one type of group but I try to be as general as possible. I think a wee bit of what would be this boss's nightmare and what he'd do to counter his fear. (ok, a dragon fears nothing but yet, it is not stupid, it knows its weaknesses). [/QUOTE]
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