Duke of URL
2009-12-24, 08:02 AM
Okay, so I'm setting up a solo "gauntlet"/"shooting gallery" style game here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=136059). (The link contains the relevant rules.)
In short -- it's a single encounter (for encounter-based mechanics purposes) done in ten waves/stages. The odd number stages just have waves of low (but increasing) CR creatures swarming the PC (they are, essentially, "clay pigeons" meant less to be a threat [although they can be, if the PC completely neglects defense], and really there just to be mowed down), where the PC must kill as many as possible in 4 rounds or less, gaining score for each enemy killed.
The even number rounds have a single "miniboss" that can act more intelligently, but is required to spend its time attacking, not playing defense. No score is awarded here (currently, but I'm considering changing that), the point is attrition.
It's on this latter point that I'm looking for assistance. I'm not trying to be mean, petty, or vindictive, but I do want to ensure that a build that is too focused on maximized scoring is going to have problems with the minibosses. That is, even before accepting character sheets, I see multiple variations of "spiked chain/whirlwind attack/size increase" being thrown around. I'd like to ensure a little more variety than that for viable builds, and that's the main purpose of having the minibosses.
So, on to the actual request... at each boss CR (CR2, CR3, CR4, CR5, and CR6) I'm looking for a variety (at least four per CR) of minibosses, who are roughly equal in power, albeit with different abilities and tactics. The PC's ECL will be 10th (easy), 8th (standard), or 6th (hard). Each contestant will face one boss of the specified CR at the appropriate stage, randomly selected. The boss creation rules are:
The boss must be a single creature with the specified CR.
Sources allowed to the players (see link above) are allowed for the minibosses
Monsters with class levels use the elite array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8) for stats
Monsters use NPC wealth by level (consumables at normal cost)
Unlike the "mob"/"swarm" rounds, bosses may rely on special attacks and/or abilities
Bosses must actively attack in some fashion each round
Bosses are assumed to have been observing the PC and are granted a "buff round" (abilities/effects/spells with unlimited duration or duration measured in hours or longer are also assumed to be in effect)
Fully-detailed builds are not necessary... general outlines would be helpful as well.
In short -- it's a single encounter (for encounter-based mechanics purposes) done in ten waves/stages. The odd number stages just have waves of low (but increasing) CR creatures swarming the PC (they are, essentially, "clay pigeons" meant less to be a threat [although they can be, if the PC completely neglects defense], and really there just to be mowed down), where the PC must kill as many as possible in 4 rounds or less, gaining score for each enemy killed.
The even number rounds have a single "miniboss" that can act more intelligently, but is required to spend its time attacking, not playing defense. No score is awarded here (currently, but I'm considering changing that), the point is attrition.
It's on this latter point that I'm looking for assistance. I'm not trying to be mean, petty, or vindictive, but I do want to ensure that a build that is too focused on maximized scoring is going to have problems with the minibosses. That is, even before accepting character sheets, I see multiple variations of "spiked chain/whirlwind attack/size increase" being thrown around. I'd like to ensure a little more variety than that for viable builds, and that's the main purpose of having the minibosses.
So, on to the actual request... at each boss CR (CR2, CR3, CR4, CR5, and CR6) I'm looking for a variety (at least four per CR) of minibosses, who are roughly equal in power, albeit with different abilities and tactics. The PC's ECL will be 10th (easy), 8th (standard), or 6th (hard). Each contestant will face one boss of the specified CR at the appropriate stage, randomly selected. The boss creation rules are:
The boss must be a single creature with the specified CR.
Sources allowed to the players (see link above) are allowed for the minibosses
Monsters with class levels use the elite array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8) for stats
Monsters use NPC wealth by level (consumables at normal cost)
Unlike the "mob"/"swarm" rounds, bosses may rely on special attacks and/or abilities
Bosses must actively attack in some fashion each round
Bosses are assumed to have been observing the PC and are granted a "buff round" (abilities/effects/spells with unlimited duration or duration measured in hours or longer are also assumed to be in effect)
Fully-detailed builds are not necessary... general outlines would be helpful as well.