Why I don't like Bodaks...
- Thread starter pallandrome
- Start date
werk
First Post
I think bodaks get a bad rep because they are sent at parties that are too low, and will usually fail the save. If you realize that a bodak is a one trick pony, and use them against parties a little later on, everything works fine.
A regular from-the-book bodak is CR 8, If you throw ONE against a 7th level party, yeah, deaths. If you wait and throw a Bodak at the party with a few morghs or wight casters, or something, say a CR 12 encounter, then they fill their role really well.
The problem is over powered challenges against a single opponent really disadvantage parties.
A regular from-the-book bodak is CR 8, If you throw ONE against a 7th level party, yeah, deaths. If you wait and throw a Bodak at the party with a few morghs or wight casters, or something, say a CR 12 encounter, then they fill their role really well.
The problem is over powered challenges against a single opponent really disadvantage parties.
Rystil Arden
First Post
Even against a 7th-level party, I'd expect no casualties unless they have pretty rotten luck on that first save. The thing has AC 20 and an impotent Strength and damage. It can be grappled to death with ease by a grappler with a cold iron dagger (and once it is in the grapple, you don't need to worry about the miss chance for closing your eyes since it is in the grapple, and the rest of the party can just ignore it), killed in a few hits by a Power Attacking meleer (it may take a bit more if they don't have Cold Iron), nearly killed instantly by an Empowered Cold-Subbed Scorching Ray (or similar magics), kited by archers with cold-iron arrows out of the 30-foot range of the gaze (the thing can only move 20 feet a round, so if your archer has 40 foot move speed somehow, you can easily kite it, even if it sprints at you, and you can eventually manage to kite it even with 30-foot speed).werk said:
Really, the only thing that makes the Bodak a nontrivial encounter to win is the Cold Iron DR, if you don't have Cold Iron, and of course the Death Gaze is a roulette (but then, a level 1 Orc Barbarian armed with a x3 or x4 crit weapon will kill you in one blow at the levels you would typically fight it if it rolls a crit). I threw a modified Bodak without the DR, a Ghast, and two Ghouls at a level 3 party that was missing some of the members (they split up), and the remaining two party members (one of which was a Gnome Rogue who fought with Daggers, so you can imagine what little he could do against undead) won the encounter. They did use Action Points though (this was Eberron).
pallandrome
First Post
Rystil Arden said:
In the end, this is EXACTLY my problem with the Bodak. At the levels where you initially encounter them, It's a crap shoot between fairly easy and instantly fatal (for one player). I don't much mind dying to bad tactics. I mind dying to circumstances entirely beyond my control (I.E. surprise round death gaze with a failed roll). Like I said, later on and thrown in with some other baddies, they are a good challenge and the players can bring back a lost ally, albiet at some expense.
Also, my spelling is terrible. I know this. I am ashamed.
Save or die
I too have a dislike for the save or die, so I am considering a +4 bonus to any save or die spell, effect, or whatever, in the campaign. The possibility, and thus the tension, is still there, but the chance is lessened (for both players and npcs). As it is, we tend to avoid using monsters that have these abilities.
craftyrat
I too have a dislike for the save or die, so I am considering a +4 bonus to any save or die spell, effect, or whatever, in the campaign. The possibility, and thus the tension, is still there, but the chance is lessened (for both players and npcs). As it is, we tend to avoid using monsters that have these abilities.
craftyrat
frankthedm
First Post
He should have had a better mount.Wish said:
![:]](http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png "Devious :]")
