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View Full Version : [4E] Spirit of Wrath (rate my boss monster, please)



Nonah_Me
2009-01-12, 11:30 PM
I'm running a 4E game for four of my friends, with a seven deadly sins theme (an idea stolen right from these boards) and I've created a "Spirit of Wrath" solo boss monster with the monster creation rules.

I based it off of a Mad Wraith in the Monster Manual. Tell me what you think, if you would be so kind.



Spirit of Wrath Solo Level Three Lurker
Keywords: Shadow, Psychic,
HP: 122 (Bloodied at 61)
Init: +7; Action Points 2; Saving Throws +5; Speed 6 (fly, hover), Phasing
Immune to Disease, Poison, Resist 10 Necrotic, Vulnerable 10 Radiant (see also Wrathful Mindset), Insubstantial

AC: 17; Fort 16; Reflex 18; Will 20

Furious Wrath: The Spirit can take an extra standard action on it's turn.

Wrathful Mindset: [Psychic, deaf creatures immune]: Aura 3
Any enemy that starts it's turn in the aura is subject to a +7 vs Will attack. On hit, as a free action, the enemy moves his or her speed and makes a basic attack VS an ally, if possible. If the spirit takes Radiant damage, this ability is negated until the beginning of the spirit's next turn.

Basic Attack: Touch of Fury [Psychic] Melee
+8 vs Will; 1d6 +5 psychic damage, target takes a -2 penalty to Will defense (save ends)

At Will: Listen Closely [Psychic] Close burst 10, one target
+9 vs Reflex; on hit, pull the target 3 squares, and apply Wrathful Mindest immediately if brought inside the aura.

Wrath of Ages: [on bloodied, psychic]:
Enemies affected by Wrathful Mindest must choose an At Will power (not a basic attack) on the attack, and gains a +2 on the attack roll and damage roll. The Spirit of Wrath itself does not count as an ally when a PC is affected by this poer.



So, what do you think? What should I change? What should I keep? I know this will be a challenge for my PC's, as they've never fought anything insubstantial before, plus it's tactics will be to dive into walls and come up from floors if it needs to, using a double move and extra standard action.

Edit: Added keywords, and changed Listen Closely to be reflex. (Changed the fluff from a cumpultion to come forward to more like a shadowy riptide.)
The monster is an insubstantial creature that was just driven out of a paladin of Pelor, who had turned his church into a kind of extreme place, with chanting about how the "Great Sun Lord will come down and burn the land clean with his wrath."

Thanks for letting me know that a phasing creature can't end it's turn inside a solid object.

Inyssius Tor
2009-01-12, 11:40 PM
Angry Thoughts

"Angry Thoughts"?

Nonah_Me
2009-01-12, 11:41 PM
Ah crap, editing it now.

FoE
2009-01-12, 11:55 PM
Hmm ... a good close-range monster, but I'm afraid your players may wise up quickly and learn to stay out of its range, sticking to spells and arrows.

Nonah_Me
2009-01-13, 12:05 AM
Here's hoping, Evil. It's not supposed to kill them, just surprise them for a few rounds. Plus I figure it's got enough mobility (what with the second standard action that it can trade down to a move) to get close, and then sow confusion (and wrath!)

Colmarr
2009-01-13, 12:12 AM
Refresh my memory: Can a 4e insubstantial creature end its turns in solid objects (such as walls and floors)? If so, this thing is a TPK-maker. It can just hide in wall and let the PCs kill each other under the effects of its aura.

That issue aside, I assume your group includes at least one PC capable of dishing out radiant damage (preferrably to AC, Fort or Ref)? If not, they're going to struggle. Even if you do have one, you'll probably need to "advertise" the aura and hint at how it can be negated, such as by describing it as a "seething waves of darkness".

I find it thematically odd that the embodiment of Wrath has so many attacks vs Will and northing against Ref or Fort, but I'm sure you have your reasons for that.

Overall, I consider this a "burn" monster. Either the PCs dispose of it quickly, or it will eat them for breakfast. With so many Will attacks (usually a weak defence) and its melee attack further weakening defences, this guy will almost always hit. Fortunately, it has a low AC so a "burn" approach to the combat is feasible.

On a more pedantic note, I don't think the wording of Wrath of Ages is correct. Technicalities don't really matter for homebrewed monsters, but a better wording might be "Until the end of the counter, enemies affected by Wrathful Mindest must use an At Will power instead of a basic attack and gain a +2 on the attack roll and damage roll. The Spirit of Wrath does/does not count as an ally of that enemy for the purposes of effects created by the attack."

Eg. If the cleric hits the fighter with Righteous Brand, does the Spirit of Wrath get +4 to its next attack against the fighter?

Mando Knight
2009-01-13, 09:08 AM
The monster's weakness: A party which its defender is a Paladin, the leader is a Laser Cleric, and the striker is a Charisma Warlock. All three have high Will defense, and the Paladin either has (relatively) insurmountable Will or an at-will Radiant attack (unless for some reason he chose a 16 Str/16 Cha build... in which he might have both), and the Laser Cleric can just laser it down.

We need type keywords, like "Shadow," "Humanoid," "Undead," "Dragon"...

Mercenary Pen
2009-01-13, 09:36 AM
1- remember that the phasing keyword doesn't allow your creature to end its move inside a wall/floor/ceiling.

2- you want at least one attack power that doesn't target will. Not necessarily something that targets AC (in fact something that targets fortitude would probably better fit your choice of monster- possibly shifting straight through a PC)

For example, you might add this:

Spirit walk (standard, recharge 5,6)

The spirit of wrath shifts up to 3 spaces, at least one of which must go through a PC. The spirit makes an attack for +7 vs. Fortitude against all targets passed through in this way.

Hit: The target takes 2d6 Psychic and Necrotic damage and is weakened (save ends).

Take it or leave it, but this may add an extra dimension to your monster.

Nonah_Me
2009-01-13, 10:22 AM
My beastmaster ranger has a Sunsword Fullblade, so the radiant damage will be there (if he's not timid and comes up for an attack.)

I'll edit the monster entry to include keywords. I based this monster off of the Mad Wraith in the Monster Manual, so that's why it has so many will attacks.

Yakk
2009-01-13, 01:22 PM
I've responded to this thread in another forum, but here is my general view of it...

1> The Aura should be a slide + make a basic attack power, decided by the spirit.

2> Get rid of the 2nd standard action. Make the pull-toward power a minor action. Maybe make some of the slides random in size.

3> Provide ways for the critter to deal with radiant damage-spam. A single fighter with a radiant damage sword using reaping strike completely shuts this monster down. It needs some controller-ish powers.

Ie: Wrathful Opportunity: Immediate Interrupt, when missed, at-will. The attack is canceled, and miss effects fail to occur. Slide the attacker 1d4 squares, and repeat the attack on a target of the Spirit's choice.

Provide some incentive and abilities for the creature to dive in, attack, then fade out. Recharge powers, stealth powers, etc. This is supposed to be a lurker.

It shouldn't be trivial for the bad guy to eliminate player ability to deal radiant damage, but it should happen occasionally. The players should be working to shut down the monster...