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View Full Version : [3.5] WTF: Essence Reaver



Fax Celestis
2009-02-24, 04:45 PM
I was recently looking through Secrets of Sarlona and came across the Essence Reaver. Unfortunately, it's not excerpted so I can't show it to you, but it's an 18 HD creature set at CR 9. Can anyone confirm if there's been changes made to it, or if there is a better CR for it?

Starbuck_II
2009-02-24, 04:51 PM
Is it Undead?
Undead usually have 2x HD as CR.

Fax Celestis
2009-02-24, 04:52 PM
Is it Undead?
Undead usually have 2x HD as CR.

It's a Large Aberration with a host of abilities (not the least of which is stealing your magic).

Also, it looks nasty.

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/sarlona_gallery/103011.jpg

Kyeudo
2009-02-24, 05:20 PM
I was recently looking through Secrets of Sarlona and came across the Essence Reaver. Unfortunately, it's not excerpted so I can't show it to you, but it's an 18 HD creature set at CR 9. Can anyone confirm if there's been changes made to it, or if there is a better CR for it?

I believe that most people who have commented on it have placed it's difficult as about 2 CRs higher than listed. Stealing Spells and Psionics from the PCs makes the thing quite nasty.

Person_Man
2009-02-24, 05:23 PM
Wow. They have DR 10/magic, True Seeing, strong Saves, immunity to Fear/Paralysis/Speel, plenty of hit points, and good attacks. I'd put these guys at CR 12ish.

Fax Celestis
2009-02-24, 05:30 PM
Okay, good. My first impression wasn't wrong. I was looking at BBEGing one of these guys and thought that maybe I should adjust the starting CR first.

Advocate
2009-02-24, 05:50 PM
There isn't any real correlation between HD and CR. Aberrations tend to have lots of HD for their CR.

Now, here's the thing. It can't fly. It's also stupid. So you can seriously chill in the air, Assay, and annihilate. Assay is just good enough to completely disregard the SR. Or just use SR: No, either way.

It's also very anti beatstick, though you can just shoot it with a bow from the air just fine. It's basically a Vrock, except different and a bit better. But it can't fly, and that pretty much ensures it cannot do what it is supposed to do.

Also, because it's stupid, it's not really BBEG material.

Now, maybe, and I do mean MAYBE it could be argued to be CR 10. But because again, it can't fly the most it's going to do is turn off the beatstick's weapons and start scratching at them.

lord_khaine
2009-02-24, 05:59 PM
except that in any sort of enclosed space the lack of flying will not really save you.

Advocate
2009-02-24, 06:21 PM
I am disappointed at the lack of reading comprehension ability.

Myshlaevsky
2009-02-24, 06:30 PM
Post scratched, momentary error of judgement.

Wih
2009-02-24, 07:16 PM
I've used one before (once). They're slightly under CRed, but not by that much. Ended up calling it a CR 10 rather than 9 and letting it absorb Divine aswell as Arcane (no offensive Psionic characters in the party, only a Divine Mind). Their ability to use spells against the casters only triggered on one of their natural attacks, and overall their abilities may be nice, but they didn't seem to synergize that well. The base feats were also not too well chosen.
But yes, it's under CRed, I just would protest at calling it a CR 12. CR 10, yes. 11 at a push if you rearrange the feats and also let it absorb Divine, perhaps. 12...no.

Eldariel
2009-02-24, 09:44 PM
Its danger is really entirely determined by how well characters succeed on Knowledge vs. it. If they don't know about Absorb Essence, things can go south really quickly, while if they do figure it out, the thing is easy as pie. First of all, do note that it's completely helpless against divine magic. Also note that weapons with Greater Magic Weapon cast on them (such as every weapon on level 9) completely trivialize its abilities. Finally, note that its has poor AC and Touch AC.

A single level 9 Fighter with Greater Magic Weapon'd sword should be able to take one down 1-vs-1, as long as it's not able to steal any too nasty items. A level 9 Bear Druid & his Pal The Bear (as an example) with Greater Magic Fang on all weapons should have absolutely no trouble wiping the floor with that thing. And if Flight is unapplicable due to terrain, something as simple as Wall of Stone or Solid Fog is going to stop it in its tracks.


But yea, the big difficulty is failing a Knowledge-check while fighting it in a dungeon of some sort could spell trouble. Really, I'd place it at CR 9 in the open, and CR 10-11 in dungeons.

Advocate
2009-02-25, 08:51 AM
This thread makes me a sad panda.