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View Full Version : [3.5] Rate this monsters (My players stay out)



Dusk Eclipse
2010-09-05, 08:19 PM
For the EtCR that I am going to run, I decided to make an introductory encounter which will lead the party into the rift that will send them into Barovia.

Either way here is what I planned so far, I won't post the complete statblock because it would break the OGL and it will surely tempt my players.

So on with the monsters:

2 Marrulurk (Sandstorm) with 2 levels of swordsage (melee fighters) Eyeballed CR 6
1 Marrulurk with 3 levels of thug sneak attack fighter probably with the ACF found in Drow of the underdark (ranged crossbow attacker) Eyeballed Cr 6
1 Marrulurk with 4 levels of Ranger to get distracting attack (support for the ranged crossbow fighter) eyeballed cr 6
1 Marrutact with 2 levels of wizard (BC and a bit of debuffing) eyeballed cr 7


They will be re-fluffed as lesser rakshasa, since after the EtCR they will be the main bad guys for my campaing.

Do you think a semi-optimized party of 6 ECL 6 characters can take them on? assume normal WBL and an ambush on the part of the Marrus.

Kaww
2010-09-06, 01:28 AM
You gave the wizard a bit too high CR, by the book it's 6, but it might be lower. The race doesn't give him anything good (he gains lvl 1 spells, loses 2d6 ranged sneak). Sneak attacking bastard should, maybe, higher CR because he should do 4d6 sneak dmg per hit, if I'm not reading the entry in Sand wrong. Rest looks ok to me.

That's my two bits...

Dusk Eclipse
2010-09-06, 09:01 AM
The Marrutact is a monstrous humanoid with 7HD and it cast as a 5th level wizard, maybe you are confusing it with the Marrusault

Marrutact

http://www.gonadan.com/dnd/marrutact.jpg

Kaww
2010-09-06, 09:42 AM
True, sorry.

It was obvious I misread :smallredface:

If he has ECL 7+3+2=12 (the WotC were cruel) he deserves 10, tops. But CR, on the other hand, is 7 (by Sand), which is kind of weird (aim for the middle: 9). He has lvl 4 spells and can do serious dmg if not spotted/targeted early enough, but nothing else, except Howl of healing (which, in this situation, is not bad at all). This makes him a bit better and tougher than your standard lvl 7 wizard. My vote goes to 8+.

Are you making it to an appropriate CR for your party or just for XP and cookies? CR system is overrated in both aspects, as CR generally depends on your party and how bad your mood is since some CRs are way too low, while some are way too high.

Malbordeus
2010-09-06, 10:18 AM
i've got a bit of experiance running htese guys, the CR's look ok, although



this seems like a stealth/assasin team, which probably means the marutact will stock up on invis spells to allow the group to get close enough to deliver their death attacks, as the horrible little critters have a pretty big move silently score they are unlikely to be detected untill it is far too late... and also buff spells like Haste, and everyones favourite gtfo spell - Dimension Door. i'd run him at the CR in the book, +2 for the associated levels. all he's really getting for his monstorous hitdice is a few extra HP and the healing howl wich will require him to get closer than most casters like to melee in order to use..

second, remember your zymes with these guys, sometimes its really fun to let the party members find vials of pinkish or brown liquid on the various bodies, and it basicly means they all come equipped with multiple cure serious wound potions. the bize enzyme is also really fun.
and poisons, oh dead lord, the poisons...

also, as a fluff issue - they arnt likely to fight till the death, as they can gtfo, they will strike, see what happens, vanish. then come back in a few hours or the next day and try again, possibly with different tactics, or using more limited abilities or buffs, and then vanish again. pinning these guys down is going to be difficult.