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View Full Version : [4e] My Ghoul Behemoth, help needed



Leeham
2009-11-08, 12:15 PM
Ok, here's my monster,

Ghoul Behemoth
Large natural beast (undead)
Level 5 solo Brute
Ini:+4 Senses Perception +2; Darkvision
Rotting Blood Aura 1 When the Ghoul Behemoth is bloodied, creatures who start there turns in the aura take 5 poison and necrotic damage
HP 192 Bloodied 96
AC 19 Fort 19 Ref 14 Will 17
Immunity disease poison Resistance 5 necrotic Vurnerable 5 radiant
Action Points 2
Speed 8 climb 4

Claw, basic melee, standard; +7 vs. AC, reach 2, 1D10+5 and the target is immobilised (save ends)

Ghoul Bite, at-will, standard; +7 vs AC, only useable against immobilised targets, 3D8+3

Pestilent Breath, close burst 3, +4 vs. Reflex, recharge 4 5 6, standard; 3D6+5 poison damage and ongoing 5 poison damage (Save ends)

Skills Stealth +9

Str 20 Con 18 Dex 15 Int 6 Wis 10 Cha 16

This creature stands 12 feet tall, despite it's hunched posture. It appears more or less human, if giant, with greenish, rotting skin which has peeled away in places to reveal diseased flesh and yellowed bone. The skin around its mouth and nose has either rotted off or been worn away, revealing a rictus grin of fangs and a pair of fearsome tusks that jutt out from its lower jaw. The creature has a throat sack that writhes and undulates. Its hands end in wicked claws.


Is this too powerful? Not powerful enough? Any and all critisism welcome. Thanks.

Edit: Added an aura when bloodied

ninja_penguin
2009-11-08, 01:06 PM
Hm, I'm going to go snag my DM toolbox to double check a couple things, but first:

1. Did you want necrotic resistance/radiant vulnerability in there anywhere? I don't know what the fluff behind this is, but I imagine you'd at least want necrotic resistance. Or poison resistance, because it does that, too.

2. What is pestilent breath's spiel? a ranged single target, a burst, etc?

Edit- Okay, popped open my DM books to check the math, make suggestions, and explain reasoning.

Please note: I am operating under the assumption that this is the only monster that the PCs will be facing in this encounter. Some of my suggestions or advice would change if you were adding additional monsters as minions.

1. The claw and bite attacks should be a +8 for a brute of this level for a single target vs AC attack. As the claw adds a save ends condition, the damage is probably okay. Otherwise, for a solo brute, I'd kick it up to 2d8+5 instead of 1d10. Maybe 2d6? Also, as this is going to be the only guy out there, let him either attack twice, or attack two targets with one attack.

2. The bite attack? I'd say it's limited enough (can only be used after a claw attack hits, and the player does not save against it), and this is a solo brute. Kick it up to 3d10 + 4 damage.

3. Knock the defenses above 17 down to 17. Maybe knock will defense down to 16. Brutes aren't the greatest at avoiding damage.

4. A normal brute's HP would be 78 at level 5. According to solo math, you should have 312 HP, with a bloodied value of 156. (Remember, brutes have the highest HP of all monster types. If your player's party has no strikers, you may wish to adjust this number downwards in order to prevent a boring grind-fest from occurring)

5. Add in a new powers suite for when he is bloodied. I've got the following as stand-ins. You don't have to use all of these, these are just ideas I'm rattling off the top of my head.

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Skull crack (Melee icon) [Recharge 5, 6] +8 vs AC. 3d8 +4 damage, and the target is dazed (save ends).
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Merciless Pursuit (No icon) Immediate interrupt, at will. When an adjacent bloodied enemy shifts away from the Ghoul Behemoth, it may shift one square closer to it.
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Ghoulish Rampage (Melee icon) [Recharge 5, 6] The Ghoul Behemoth makes two claw attacks against the same target. If both attacks hit, make a secondary attack Secondary Attack: +6 vs Fortitude. 3d8 + 4 damage, and the target is knocked prone
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Poisonous Blood (Aura 1) As long as the Ghoul Behemoth is bloodied, any enemy that starts its turn adjacent to it takes 5 poison and necrotic damage.
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Shriek of the dead (Close icon) (Encounter) Close burst 5, +6 vs will; 3d6 + 4 damage and all targets are dazed and weakened until the end of the Ghoul Behemoth's next turn.
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(Again, note that these are all suggestions, not that you should use all of these at once)

And that's pretty much what I've got off the top of my head. I don't do solos very often, I prefer to run with a couple elites and normals/minions, as I think it challenges my players a little more. Locking down a single target is easier for players, and sometimes is boring. Take a look at your party's setup, and go from there.

Leeham
2009-11-08, 04:19 PM
That aura sounds like a good idea thanks. The reason this thing is solo and not elite is because I wanted the players to fight this one on it's own now as a foreshdowing thing. they'll know next to nothing about it. I'm gonna set up this whole, holy crap, what's with the corpse piles in this sewer? thing there...

Mr. Mud
2009-11-08, 04:52 PM
Pestilent Breath looks a bit powerful, but nothing inherently wrong or unbalanced to it. What level are the players going to be when they face Mr. Ghoul? Maybe you could knock the recharge down to [5, 6]? Or make it 2d6 + 7 or something. I dunno, I'd have to see the entire encounter to say if he is OP or not.

Anyway, nice homebrew :smallsmile:.

Leeham
2009-11-08, 05:17 PM
Level 4 probably. Possibly later on if they ignore the hooks. Basicly it'll be down in some nasty old sewer tunnels, lots of twisty turns and side passeges.

Mr. Mud
2009-11-08, 05:18 PM
Ah okay, then it fits pretty well. I'd keep as is.

Mando Knight
2009-11-08, 05:23 PM
Undead tend to have total immunity to disease and poison, not just Resist X Poison...